George Carlin - Life Is Worth Losing
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Artist: George CarlinBrand: CARLIN,GEORGE
Edition: Music CD
Audio: English (Unknown)
Format: Single
CD Release Date: 2006-01-10
Music Label: Atlantic / Wea
Soundtracks:
- A Modern Man
- Pussy Fart, Dingleberry, Cornhole
- The Suicide Guy
- Extreme Human Behavior
- The All-Suicide TV Channel
- Dumb Americans
- Pyramid Of The Hopeless
- Autoerotic Asphyxia
- The Save-A-Pussy Foundation
- Yeast Infection
- Coast-To-Coast Emergency
Music reviews of Life Is Worth Losing
Music Review: One of the World's Funniest Men Has Lost His Touch
Rating: 2 Stars
I went into "Life is Worth Losing" hoping that George Carlin would return to his former style of comedy, mostly because I was completely let down by his previous two albums. "You Are All Diseased" was full of misdirected anger and over the top bitterness. "Complaints and Grievances" was mean-spirited and uncharacteristically vulgar. I found myself wondering what had happened to make one of the greatest comedians of our time turn sour, and I prayed that his next album would reduce the level of hostility. That was why I was so excited to hear this album.
And that was why I was greatly disappointed.
Once again, Carlin has turned his back on the comedy routines that made him funny, insightful, and entertaining. "Life is Worth Losing" is not as overbearingly hostile as some of his previous albums, but it was still consistently moody, downtrodden, and dark, all of which fail to capture the spirit of his earlier works. He also seemed to be in mourning over humanity, considering he spent most of his time pointing out our flaws and rubbing them in our faces. He goes so far as to say that humans are "beasts and savages." Whether or not you agree with this assessment isn't the issue here. The point is that it's unsuitable material for stand up. Is being told we're all like animals really the kind of thing you want to hear in a comedy album? This material practically lost steam right at the moment it started. You can tell this is so from the audience's laughter, which was hesitant at best. It was as if they forced themselves to laugh out of respect. I didn't believe for a second that they were genuinely entertained.
He continues to push the envelope with his proposal for an All Suicide Channel, a bit that goes absolutely nowhere. He prefaces it by exclaiming, "That's the only interesting thing you can do with your life: end it!" This is a phrase that could be dismissed as a joke, were he in a better mood. But his recently acquired dark demeanor has forced me wonder if there was a sliver of seriousness in this opinion. If he really feels we should all die in such an undignified way, then maybe it would be better if he just stopped doing comedy altogether. I would rather I never again hear his new material than continue hearing his depressing notions of death. This is especially true in relation to his feelings on torture and genocide, which, according to him, are not practiced as often as they should be.
Carlin goes completely over the top with a description of a fictional foundation to preserve vaginas (that's actually not what he called it, but this is a public website, and I do have to watch my language). He went as far as to liken this foundation to organ donor programs. (Get it? Think about it for a minute, if you must.) I could describe this bit further, but do you really want me to? I think it's pretty clear how tasteless it is. I didn't think he'd be able to outdo his disgusting Things That Come Off Our Bodies bit from "Complaints and Grievances," but boy, was I wrong. This new bit was vulgar and offensive, traits that never crossed over into his act for over forty years. He should have waited a little longer, like until after the show and in the privacy of his own home. At least then we wouldn't have to hear it.
He tries to gloss over his crude words by saying, "I like excess." For a while I waited for that excuse to erase my discontentment. I eventually realized that an excuse was all it would remain, and that I'd never be comfortable with his new style of comedy. It just doesn't work. Even the closing monologue isn't enough to lighten the mood. It's a long speech, and it ultimately brings home the point that he had been making all along: we're all troublesome, hopeless creatures. Aside from the fact that it's really not that good of a point (or maybe it is to some of you), it also makes one wonder why he needed over an hour to say pretty much the same thing over and over again. I would have preferred this album to end like "Jammin' in New York," in which he actually gives a positive message about humanity and their connection in the hereafter.
If there is any saving grace for this album, it lies in the opening monologue, an entertaining five minutes of Carlin reciting a poem he originally wrote for his book "When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops?" It's a cleverly constructed piece of writing that describes him in rhythmic and often contradictory tones (the only line I can remember off the top of my head is "I'm an alpha male on beta blockers"). It also harkens back to his trademark sense of wordplay, in which he would flaunt his ability to memorize long lists. It would have been nice if this poem had connected with the rest of the material. Instead, it came off as an afterthought; a lighthearted moment unsuccessfully attempting to alleviate the negative vibes flowing through the theater.
It would seem that his negativity is rubbing off on me, especially in terms of hoping for a better album. What happened to the man who would take the time to analyze everyday phrases and events? Where are the discussions on how a house is just a place to keep your stuff or on how we all struggle with finding lost items? Are there to be no further forecasts from Al Sleezy, the Hippy-Dippy Weather Man? I really hate to say this, but after three low-grade performances, it seems that George Carlin has lost his edge. I hope that he'll be able to work through whatever it is that's making him so bitter. I also hope he'll no longer bring that bitterness to the stage with him. It isn't entertaining me, and it certainly isn't helping his act.
Description of Life Is Worth Losing
George Carlin is back and he?s funnier than ever. The Atlantic Records companion album to the four-time Grammy Award-Winning comic?s 13th HBO comedy concert, LIFE IS WORTH LOSING, is another Carlin classic, a collection of side-splitting riffs and splenetic rants that cut straight to the heart of 21st Century America. Recorded live at New York City?s Beacon Theater, LIFE IS WORTH LOSING fi nds the legendary comedian with his dander at full mast, unleashing his righteous rage at such topics as ?Dumb Americans,? ?Autoerotic Asphyxia,? ?Extreme Human Behavior,? and more. As ever, Carlin?s blend of hilarious comedy and biting commentary forces listeners to confront the dark truths of modern culture while trying to catch their breath from non-stop laughter.Miscellaneous CDs
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