The Greatest Story Ever Told

The Greatest Story Ever Told is the fourth studio album by the American punk rock band The Lawrence Arms, released in 2003 by Fat Wreck Chords. A concept album of sorts, it follows a linear storyline and has several songs which call back to or refer to others. The album includes extensive liner notes with footnotes to the lyrics that detail the many literary and pop culture references. Its title is a direct reference to the movie The Greatest Story Ever Told, a 1965 film about the life of Jesus. According to bassist Brendan Kelly, the album's initial reception from Fat Wreck Chords and Fat Mike himself were overwhelmingly negative but changed into appreciation over time. Cultural references In the liner notes and artwork the band members identify themselves under false names and as playing instruments not found on the album, specifically Gordon Shumway on vibraslap, Ivan Nikolayevich on harp and lyre, and Ferdinand Magellan on bassoon. The names are references to history, literature and pop culture: Ferdinand Magellan, the famous Portuguese explorer who circumnavigated the globe in 1519. Gordon Shumway, the full name of the fictional alien who was the main character of the 1980s television series ALF. Ivan Nikolayevich, a character in the novel The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov. The novel is referenced in other areas of the album including the song "Chapter 13: The Hero Appears". They also fictitiously list several other famous figures as "additional musicians", including musician John Oates, actors Bronson Pinchot and Ian Ziering, poet Ezra Pound and former President Chester A. Arthur.