George Carlin - Complaints & Grievances

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Music reviews of Complaints & Grievances

Music Review: Thou Shalt Keep Thy Religion To Thyself!
Rating: 3 Stars

Apparently, George figured this one out soon enough, being quite obvious and totally understandable. Simple, honest, and direct. To avoid the inevitable risk to one's own life, merely avoid doing a planned-and-practiced-for months routine on how one genuinely enjoys death and destruction, and cut it out of your repertoire, especially in front of an audience consisting mainly of those who may have lost loved ones as a result of the worst act of terrorism the U.S. has ever experienced. Okay, easy enough, one gone. Out of sight, and out of mind. "First-Class Feces" and "The First Enema", yes indeed, I can definitely get why they were omitted as well. (On a personal note, it's just as well, just the sound of topics of that nature are most certainly NOT my cup of tea!) Also, there's "Rats And Squealers"-I read a little bit about this one in an online interview, and George was discussing how, in his opinion, Americans will now "rat and squeal" on anybody around them and think nothing of stabbing them in the back. Hmm. Perhaps a bit too controversial in these especially stressful times. The last planned routine was "Too Many Songs". From the sound of this one, he would merely complain about how, once again, in his opinion, there's been too many songs written and performed. Huh! Nothin' wrong with that, I myself was especially looking forward to hearing it, it didn't seem too threatening! Anyway, they were all the proposed "bits" expected to be included in the cable special, according to the timeline on his official website, and it seemed like everything would be A-OK, pre-9/11. After that, whammo! And now, the original message's meaning is weakened, and it really doesn't seem all that important anymore. What's the point? That natural disaster bit would never have worked with anybody, and he knew it. Yep, it's possible-he might even have gotten killed right on the stage!

So this is what we got. What I really like is the way the very first reviewer of this album put it: "Pales in comparison to anything he did in the '90's". Well said. But that does not mean that there were no genuine laughs, or no actual humor included. George did the best he could with what he had, or what was left, rather, to work with. You know, stuff like "Traffic Accidents" and "Everybody's Body Is The Same": sub-par, mediocre material. I won't even elaborate on my severe dislike of the "Opening". The less said about that pitiful piffle, the better.

But. But! The performance really swings into a fast tempo and George really hits his home groove, with the album's best segment, hands down, "People Who Oughta Be Killed"! Yes! Just what I was waiting for! Because when I first learned of an extended routine chronicling the many every-day offenders and committers of all sorts of infuriating social crimes, I was overjoyed. What kinda bugged me was that each one was totally separate on the CD, each person or group had it's own track. It just would have been cooler to me if it was all under ONE long track. That's my own pet peeve, I guess. My favorite? Off the top of my head, the incredibly hilarious way George spoke about "My Daddy", how some grown men in the South still refer to their fathers. I was laughing ... when I first saw him do that in the special. Actually, it was the first, and only genuine belly laugh I got out of the whole thing. But then, maybe that's just how I am.

Finally, we come to "Why We Don't Need 10 Commandants", which in no way compares to "American Bulls**t/There Is No God" from the last album, which is kind of a relief, because this time, George goes into detail about how "Religion's Rules" can be effectively condensed from 10 down to just two. Actually, he combines the "official" 10 into the first one, and he suggests the very vital second one. See the title of this review for that, when he said it, all I could think was "My sentiments exactly!" Yes, finally, my intentions realized and fulfilled, for all those fanatics and zealots to be told to keep it to themselves!! You know, I really wonder why they weren't all told that long ago.

The original adage still applies concerning George's comedy and "stand-up philosophy"-If you are a white, upper-middle-class conservative Republican, and happen to be a golfer to boot, I guarantee that you will loathe and despise him and everything he stands for, for all eternity. But hey, that's your hang-up. Deal with it. And long live the Undisputed Comedy King! May he continue to criticize, offend, and improve humanity by pointing out it's flaws. I, for one, completely approve.

Description of Complaints & Grievances

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