Customer Reviews

Complaints & Grievances

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

As an avid Carlin freak, I jumped at the chance to see my favorite comedian when he was performing in Vegas in August of 2001. George was doing the standup circuit, testing out his new material for the HBO Special to be taped in November. At the time, the name of his tour (which also would have been the name of the special) was "I Kinda Like It When A Whole Lotta People Die". The act was pretty much the same as "Complaints and Grievances", except for a long and hilarious routine that dealt with his love of accidents, people dying, and stuff exploding on the news.

Then, of course, Sept. 11 came along. Boom, all that great stuff was cut out, and the title of the concert gets changed. What appeared in the concert (and, subsequently, this album) was good stuff, but not great stuff. The jokes George nixed was great stuff. If he chose not to use this material out of respect, then I'm fine with that, although it doesn't sound like something he'd do and I'm left with the sickening feeling that someone along the way forced these changes upon him. Hopefully, it'll return for his next album, however long a wait that might be.

I was expecting a lot more from this album than I actually got, mainly because I thought Carlin would talk at length about the WTC terrorist attacks. But, this subject is just kind of glossed over. About the only thing he talks about is his 'chemical warfare' solution, which was kinda funny.
Then he goes on to traffic accidents which is ok, and then on to peeling various things (such as scabs) off of his body, which was completely unfunny. This is definitely the low point of the album. At this point during the 'scab' routine, obviously sensing that the audience was getting sick of it, he says something like "maybe I went a little too far" and then goes on to something else.
However, the album starts to pick up after this point as he goes into people that should be killed (great!) and the ten commandments (pretty good).
It seems that Carlin can't make up his mind whether he wants to do disgusting 'bathroom humor' material or witty & disturbing social commentary. Though I am a fan of both when it comes to comedy, Carlin just doesn't seem very capable of mixing the two the very well.
If you are a Carlin fan, this may make for a decent listen if your expectations aren't too high. If you're not a Carlin fan, this will do little to change your mind.

Every CD up until this one, I would give 5 out of 5. I love his humor, but something in this was just lacking. It seemed like a bunch of corny jokes put together rather than thought provoking stand-up. Given he does tell a lot of "jokes", they usually follow a theme with a start and a finish. In this CD, it is all thrown together with simple humor. I hope the man isn't loosing his touch.

In an age when one can secure the presidency essentially through camera-friendliness, George Carlin comically reassures some of us that we are correct in questioning 1) the superficiality of it all and 2) the widespread willingness to submit to the behest of the marketing-department juggernaut.

That said, the savagely-funny attack George waged against certain elements of the power elite through the 1990s to some extent became another victim of the 9-11 tragedy.

The release schedule for Carlin's 2001 HBO special and related CD came at a time when the carnage from the terrorist strikes was so recent a memory that many would find his more-explicit pronouncements excessive.

I've heard that last September's events forced Carlin to rework the content of this album considerably (the "Complaints and Grievances" title itself is toned down from the moniker George originally proposed, for example). But the latter tracks of the CD have many priceless moments.

George levels a welcome assault on trite holiday-season practices, like the annual updates on a family's activities that accompany all too many Christmas cards. Carlin also targets those whose supplies of time and money are so excessive that they turn to round-the-world balloon flights to stave off boredom.

"Complaints and Grievances" lacks the anti-establishment ferocity of Carlin's "You are All Diseased" or the hilariously-delivered social insight of "Jammin' in New York." But given the political climate in which he found himself delivering this latest effort, George performed rather adequately.

Well, if you're stupid, or too old to know any better, you may as well not listen. But don't you think for one minute that this is mediocre comedy, or that this one Carlin album is a bomb. Why, when I heard this for the first time, I did not know who carlin was, except that he was some artifact of comedy around revolution. Since then, however, I have listened to jammin' in new york, you're all diseased, parental advisory, what am i doing in new jersey, class clown, back in town, and playin' with your head. But, I have also read his two latest books and watched him on HBO.

Now that I've heard the first bad retrospective of this album, and as I recall the time in which it was released, I can't say I still don't see something now. Whereas I always wondered about this weaker inner spirit I sensed of this show, I now do see it as a greatest hits of his latest jokes, rather than a making of real, definite themes. I guess I was attracted by what first peaked my ears about comedy: straightforward jokes about violence without any thought provocation. The good stuff, the cake; all for the sake of laughs by me, when that was all I was looking out for: fun.
To beat this album to death, to even crucify George for its very making is very demanding of a man who certainly does not care what you think. Not that it doesn't appear George is a step above many other celebrities in many ways, personally, but I doubt that he will be reading your shock value on Amazon.com at two in the morning. For Godsakes.
If anything is an indicator of George's right mind, it's that he's now writing books. Books. He has that many jokes, he's serious, don't you worry. He also showed compassion for people on the edge of paranoia, by treating them with his best, most happy go lucky stuff from the home computer files. That's why, when I was younger, was so attracted to this album that I bought all his other stuff. I still don't quite like his other stuff as much as this one; the traffic joke holds a special place. Maybe that's why I like the latest book of his, since it contains all of these jokes and more.
The jokes are also fast and furious while keeping minds off of the nation. Pretty much, the entire album is perfect after he gets done through body parts. Body parts and the like are long and disgusting-yet I just listened to it anyway because I thought he would resurge. I got this in the first place because I had heard a lot of hype about his other albums, so all of it couldn't be all bad. No one should ever sell or throw away an album just because it has a few bad parts. Your perogitive-my @#$!
So, to say that this album is lacking so much as to get one little lucky star, is to reject the man himself. All of that genius that you pretend to love from days past is, in your opinion, all crap. Take away his children, and forty years in the "hidden coastal camps".
This comedy album is funny, because it's a proven comedy album-no singing-and it's @#$%#@* CARLIN!

After the comedy genius of Peter Cook opened up the floodgates of alternative comedy with Derek & Clive, there have been many imitators and comedians who use shock, rather than craft, to get a laugh.

But, rather like a master such as Picasso versus the most modern art, you can still spot the talented craftsman from the pretentious imitator.

George Carlin, after 40+ years of professional stand-up was a man who knew his craft and hence could be very clever and innovative at exploring shocking subjects and getting the maximum number of laughs out of them. If you don't believe me, listen to a sample of the final track ('Why we don't need the 10 Commandments') and tell me of a comedian who could have equalled his comedic economy of language.

This CD is not for the faint-hearted and, although Carlin had craft, his material is no-holds barred. As an example (that won't get edited by Amazon for profanity!), there is track 2 - where he discusses how you shouldn't stop if you run over someone in a car - "Who has time?!"
There is also the introductions to each of the 'People who ought to be killed' tracks:
"Here's some more parents who ought to be beaten with heavy clubs and left bleeding in the moonlight"
and "Here's another pack of mutants who ought to be pencilled in for a sudden meeting with the Angel of Death".

Essentially this CD is split into 5 sections - the intro (about 9/11*), Traffic accidents (as above), 'Things that come off your body', 'People who ought to be killed' (majority of the CD) and, finally, his notorious treatment of the 10 commandments.

Unlike You Are All Diseased, the *whole* CD is worth listening to and still comes over as fresh and very funny (depending on taste).
Naturally, as with most of his work, the last track is the best one, but the material off the start of the CD is also first-rate.

The one fault I'd single out though is that too much of the material is basically comedic-rant. This was worse on the aforementioned previous album and, although funny, it is a little too much on here.
Still, given the title, it is to be expected.

Overall, I'd say this CD is under-rated and provides a first class example of the art of stand-up.
If only George Carlin were still with us today (to teach our comedians), then we would be saved the amateurish efforts of the shockingly inept.



* - Something interesting I noted from this CD is that it was recorded a mere 2 months after 9/11, making George Carlin the first brave atheist to speak out against religion after 9/11. Before Dawkins, even before Harris, there was Carlin.

I have been listening to George Carlin's material since I was 7 years old. Sure, that's a bit young to hear alot of his topics, but dammit, it was some great stuff. As I grew older, I could understand more of it and he easily became my most loved comedian. When I found out that he died, I was devastated. No more new material is a shame, but he will always live on through his previous materials like this one. RiP George... you will always be with us.

I know a lot of people didn't like this one because George seemed a little "too angry"....but the friggin' DVD is called Complaints and Grievances!!! It says in the title that he's got some s*** to get off his chest! Well either way...I was highly amused by Carlin's observations. No regrets on pickin' this one up. Enjoy!

The beginning portion of this is rather slow, and mundane. The body parts thing is interesting although not very funny. Right after that though we get to see one of George's best routines he's done on any CD and thats his list of people whou ought to be killed. Hilarious, worth the price and worth the wait.

You'll never want to name your kid Todd again

george just improves with age! his social commentaries become more finely honed with every release. his combining and breakdown of the 10 commandments is spot-on, not to mention his reasoning as to why there are 10, not 9 or 11. pure marketing on the part of the humans who felt it was their duty to keep pre-industrial man in line [of course it works on the weak minded of any age]. why do we have all those top 10 lists anyway? george is correct when he asserts that there is no god, but if anybody gets my vote for that position, there is no better choice than herr carlin!!!