Bob Newhart was an advertising copywriter in Chicago who wrote comic satirical monologues with a work colleague, sending tapes of them to radio stations, which led to an introduction to Warner Bros. Records, who signed him on the strength of the audition tapes. He expanded his material to develop a stand-up routine and became a popular nightclub performer.

However it was his first LP in 1960 “The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart” which launched him to prominence, using the technique of portraying one end of a telephone conversation. It became the first comedy album to reach No. 1 in the Billboard album charts, winning a Grammy in 1961 for Album Of The Year. The album also made No.2 in the UK album charts, where certain tracks became popular on radio request shows.

That same year, he released the follow-up album “The Button-Down Mind Strikes Back”, which also went on to win an award for Best Comedy Performance – Spoken Word. This great value 2-CD set comprises every track from those two albums and also from his next two albums “Behind The Button Down Mind of Bob Newhart” and “The Button Down Mind On TV”, that latter reflecting his successful move to the small screen.

It is therefore a thorough overview of the first crucial years of his career, when he shot to fame, and includes many of his best-known pieces.