Norman
MacLean is a living legend - of that fact there is no doubt. A man whose talent
and ability far traverse the boundaries of any normal human being, Norman's career
has been hugely varied in both its content and its highs and lows. As a singer,
musician, composer, bard, linguist, actor and author, Norman is well-recognised
and clearly excels. However, it is with comedy that the legend of Norman MacLean
is most widely associated. And this is no accident. His gift to make people laugh
is immense. Having performed throughout most of the English-speaking world, Norman
has continually displayed that when he is on stage, his audience is captivated
and usually in pain with laughter.In
the Highlands and Islands of Scotland, Norman MacLean is a household name. To
the question, "Why is an entertainer with such extraordinary talent and charisma
not a household name throughout the wider world of entertainment?" there
is but one answer - drink. The progression of Norman's career has been continually
blighted by his addiction to alcohol. No less than Billy Connelly once said to
Norman after hearing him perform at Aviemore in 1981, "Nice things are going
to happen to you, Norman, but you'll need to cut down on the bevy". This
was not to be, and Norman's career potential was never realized. This
does not detract in any way from the fact that his performances past and present
are truly hilarious. It just means that a few less million people have had the
pleasure of hearing one of the best comedians of our time, and that the comedian
in question has a few less million pounds in his bank account. Of
limited availability, his recorded comic performances are so hard come by that
even the then Sean Connery in 1991 went to a great deal of trouble to source Norman's
contact numbers in quest of his material. Sir Sean was impressed. "Fully
Wrapped and Standing" was recorded live in The Royal Hotel, Oban on the 2nd
of January, 1987 and is probably Norman's best-ever recorded performance of comedy.
This recording will demonstrate clearly to anybody who is new to Norman MacLean
the reason for his heroic status in the North of Scotland, and why he has impressed
stars like Billy Connelly and Sir Sean Connery. To existing fans it is simply
a "must have".
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