RECORDS

“Mahvelous!” Billy Crystal. A&M.; Beginning last year on “Saturday Night Live,” Crystal--until then a merely likable comedian--allowed his more outrageous side to come out, and it’s been all for the good. Here are some of his most memorable characters--including the ingratiatingly smarmy “Fernando” (“You look mah-velous”). Crystal’s timing fails him in only one place here: the album has a sketch poking fun at--ouch!--Yul Brynner. But don’t worry, Crystal hasn’t gone all the way from nice guy to ghoulishly callous comic: The album was recorded before Brynner’s recent death. 1/2