Customer Reviews

Bigger and Blackerer

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This is the comedy album I have been waiting for. And by that I mean the one I've been waiting for since Obama took office. Now, before anyone jumps to conclusions about my feelings or David Cross's, let me just say he doesn't even come out very strongly against the president. And he doesn't have to, personally I am just tired of a few of my favorite comedians buying in to (or seeming to anyways) this idea that some great renaissance of government policy is going to take place, so it's nice to hear that at least David Cross didn't buy in to it either (or, doesn't seem to). Now, to go along with my opening statement, I will say this: this is also the comedy album I have been waiting for on a completely goofy level as well, all of his religion bashing aside (it's a Cross album, you know what you're getting into here, people).

I admit I was a little reserved when it came to being hopeful about this album. Since 2004, the only thing I'd heard David Cross on was the compilation album Comedy Death Ray, where he talks about his dog for the better part of 10 minutes (In fairness, also making fun of himself as he often does by prefacing it with "I never thought I'd be the type of person, let alone comedian...to talk about my dog...but...I recently got a dog...and I've made some hilarious observations!"). So I was a little afraid that after so many years inactive and having been in a serious relationship, his material was going to veer into a more "mature" direction (aka talking a lot about being in a relationship and the CRAZY differences between men and women). There are mentions of both his girlfriend and his dog, but they are fairly quick. And I also have to point out that when this happens in a comedians life, it's not necessarily a bad thing. But for me, being just 22, the comedy that appeals to me right now is the goofy, sometimes raunchy, politically incorrect political and religious stupidity bashing.

Compared even to It's Not Funny, this album is a step down in regards to how fired up and angry he can get when ranting about religion and politics (and anyone who has listened to Shut Up You F***ing Baby! knows how abrasive and caustic he can be), but it works, and I prefer it. Because let's face it, most people see that it doesn't really matter who holds the power, they are usually ineffective. Now again, Amazon reviews are not the place for political commentary, I only say this in regards to Cross's material on this album, in which his being more reserved underscores how his feelings on and about politics has evolved over the past decade or so.

So on to the sillies! This album is shorter than the previous two (SUYFB! was almost an hour and a half!), but again, for once I don't think he was drunk when recording this album, and it seems much more polished and less "I'm gonna get wasted and wing it." If you are a general fan of David Cross, and especially if you enjoy his comedy, you need to hear this album. It's a brilliantly executed performance, and his anti-heckles have really never been sharper.

I had high hopes for this after his first two Sub Pop discs, but Bigger and Blackerer kind of falls flat. The material has gone from political and world events to bits about Whole Foods products that guilt-trip you like a rabbi and how heroin addicts have admirable balance. A surprising number of bits had visual components that were either lost or limited on the audio CD. In light of the other discs I'd picked up along with this one (the new Kyle Kinane and "Freak Wharf" from Paul F. Tompkins), Bigger and Blackerer required the most effort to get through, and not in a good way.

As much as I love rambling angry David, this album is well layed out, (opening number even! that's classey) the usualy offensive jokes abound but this album flows and I'm constantly entertained. This one is going into my road trip playlist.

And if you want to learn more about how stupid the Mormon religion is I suggest picking up Lewis Black's book "Me of little faith"

And if you miss rambling angry comedy I suggest you tuck into a collection of Bill Hicks, classic.

David Cross can be abrasive and obnoxious but that is what I like about him. He takes risks and pushes the envelope.
It helps that he is a very funny comedian with a wonderful command of the language.
Some parts fall flat, and there is the Yakov Smirnov joke, otherwise a successful effort.

Easily Cross' worst work. There are really two bad albums here: the first is a collection of lame bits in which every punchline is either making a drug reference or talking about going to the bathroom. The second half is moronic political commentary. Starting with 'Where We Are Now', Cross just begins revealing his general self-absorbed stupidity, best summed up when he declares that people who were protesting against socialized medicine were following a 'rich American tradition' of 'voting against our own best interests'. Right, because forcing us all to buy insurance is in our best interests. Giving control of our bodies over to the government is in our best interests.

I really fail to understand why it is that so many comics think they're intelligent. It doesn't take intelligence to tell jokes. It takes wit. But so many of them have success with their wit, and then believe they are smarter than the average person, even when they're pathetically ignorant about the subject they wish to discuss. It generally tanks careers (look at George Carlin's fall from grace for a great example). But the type of mind that assumes people paying to hear jokes wants to hear moronic political opinions is curiously also the type of mind that never recognizes that they're failing. They don't hear the silence, the lack of interest from the crowd ... or when they do, they attribute it to their crowd's "stupidity". Gee, if only all of us had the wit and intelligence to star in two Chipmunks movies, David. Then you might respect us.