I Am the Greatest!

Be the first to write a review

Editorial Reviews

Barnes & Noble - Donald Gray
This rerelease of Cassius Clay's legendary 1963 recording provides the champ's fans with a portrait of the pugilist as a sassy young man. Divided into eight playful "rounds" of verbal shadowboxing, I AM THE GREATEST! features young Cassius Marcellus Clay (soon to become heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali) performing his clever, boastful rhymes before a live audience of admirers. In the famous title track, Clay predicts that he's destined to be the champ: "I'm the man this poem is about/I'll be champ of the world; there isn't a doubt/Here I predict Mr. Liston's dismemberment/I'll hit him so hard he'll wonder where October and November went." On one of the CD's ...
See more details below
Available through our Marketplace sellers.
See All Options
Other sellers (CD)
  • All (1) from   
  • Used (1) from $0.00   
Close
Sort by
Page 1 of 1
Showing 1 – 0 of 1
We’re having technical difficulties. Please try again shortly.
Page 1 of 1
Showing 1 – 0 of 1
Close
Sort by

More About This Product

Editorial Reviews

Barnes & Noble - Donald Gray
This rerelease of Cassius Clay's legendary 1963 recording provides the champ's fans with a portrait of the pugilist as a sassy young man. Divided into eight playful "rounds" of verbal shadowboxing, I AM THE GREATEST! features young Cassius Marcellus Clay (soon to become heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali) performing his clever, boastful rhymes before a live audience of admirers. In the famous title track, Clay predicts that he's destined to be the champ: "I'm the man this poem is about/I'll be champ of the world; there isn't a doubt/Here I predict Mr. Liston's dismemberment/I'll hit him so hard he'll wonder where October and November went." On one of the CD's funniest cuts, Clay begins with a parody of the "Friends, Romans, Countrymen" speech from Shakespeare's JULIUS CAESAR and then proceeds to demolish Sonny Liston rhetorically -- something he'd do for real in the ring soon enough. The CD bonus tracks include a few musical numbers not on the original LP: the single of "I Am the Greatest!" (a truncated version, cut up collage-style and backed with music), his unfortunate cover of "Stand by Me," and the "Dancin' in the Streets"-style novelty jam "The Gang's All Here." It's all a great deal of fun and a perfect example of the youthful confidence and charisma that made Ali a star of worldwide magnitude.
All Music Guide - Cub Koda
As the 20th century wound down, it was time to honor all the true greats who had inhabited its time frame. Certainly one of those deserving a tip of the hat was Muhammad Ali, who single-handedly changed boxing and how African-Americans were treated in that sport. He stands as a model of black pride, a person who stood by his beliefs no matter the cost. But turn back the clock to the early '60s and Muhammad Ali was Cassius Clay, a loudmouthed prize fighter who was making headlines by outrageous behavior both in and out of the ring. He recited poetry, yammered on incessantly about how pretty he was, and made with the promo noise not unlike that of a modern day WWF wrestler. It was big enough news back then that Columbia Records had him record an entire album of his poetry for public consumption. Hey, if the Bickersons sold, maybe this big-mouthed boxing kid would too. The result is like listening to almost any other early-'60s comedy album because, racial pride aside, that's exactly how this album was viewed and sold back then. Clay runs through a set of his poems with varied musical backing and an audience to laugh and applaud in all the right spots. Those of you old enough to remember Ali verbally sparring with Howard Cosell will hear those seeds sown right here. I Am the Greatest! is one of the strangest reissues to come down the pike in ages, but a marvelous souvenir of a simpler time in America's history.
Read More Show Less

Product Details

  • Release Date: 9/7/1999
  • Label: Sony
  • UPC: 074646536025
  • Catalog Number: 65360

Album Credits

Performance Credits
Cassius Clay Primary Artist
Technical Credits
Marianne Moore Liner Notes
Dave Kapralik Album Concept
Howard Fritzson Art Direction
Vic Anesini Mastering
Randall Martin Reissue Design
Patti Matheny Reissue Producer
Gary Belkin Producer
Nicholas Bennett Packaging Manager
Milton Gross Liner Notes
Read More Show Less

Customer Reviews

Be the first to write a review
( 0 )
Rating Distribution

5 Star

(0)

4 Star

(0)

3 Star

(0)

2 Star

(0)

1 Star

(0)

Your Rating:

Review Guidelines
Add Recommendations
Your Name: Create a Pen Name or

Barnes & Noble.com Review Rules

Our reader reviews allow you to share your comments on titles you liked, or didn't, with others. By submitting an online review, you are representing to Barnes & Noble.com that all information contained in your review is original and accurate in all respects, and that the submission of such content by you and the posting of such content by Barnes & Noble.com does not and will not violate the rights of any third party. Please follow the rules below to help ensure that your review can be posted.

Reviews by Our Customers Under the Age of 13

We highly value and respect everyone's opinion concerning the titles we offer. However, we cannot allow persons under the age of 13 to have accounts at BN.com or to post customer reviews. Please see our Terms of Use for more details.

What to exclude from your review:

Please do not write about reviews, commentary, or information posted on the product page. If you see any errors in the information on the product page, please send us an email.

Reviews should not contain any of the following:

  • - HTML tags, profanity, obscenities, vulgarities, or comments that defame anyone
  • - Time-sensitive information such as tour dates, signings, lectures, etc.
  • - Single-word reviews. Other people will read your review to discover why you liked or didn't like the title. Be descriptive.
  • - Comments focusing on the author or that may ruin the ending for others
  • - Phone numbers, addresses, URLs
  • - Pricing and availability information or alternative ordering information
  • - Advertisements or commercial solicitation

Reminder:

  • - By submitting a review, you grant to Barnes & Noble.com and its sublicensees the royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable right and license to use the review in accordance with the Barnes & Noble.com Terms of Use.
  • - Barnes & Noble.com reserves the right not to post any review -- particularly those that do not follow the terms and conditions of these Rules. Barnes & Noble.com also reserves the right to remove any review at any time without notice.
  • - See Terms of Use for other conditions and disclaimers.
Search for Products You'd Like to Recommend

Recommend other products that relate to your review. Just search for them below and share!

Create a Pen Name

Your Pen Name is your unique identity on BN.com. It will appear on the reviews you write and other website activities. Your Pen Name cannot be edited, changed or deleted once submitted.

 
Your Pen Name can be any combination of alphanumeric characters (plus - and _), and must be at least two characters long.

Continue Anonymously