Customer Reviews

15 Degrees Off Cool

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The Blue Collar comics can be uneven. Larry The Cable Guy's second CD is basically a coaster. This Bill Engvall release is 49 minutes of great fun. He relies on his forte of relationship and autobiographical comedy to get the laughs his audience is more than willing to give. Not a single Here's Your Sign joke here but he does poke fun at the latest crazes like free range chickens and ionizers. Engvall also has an original bit on going to the hotel with his wife, getting older, and stories about a couple of adventures celebrity brings. This CD is a lot of fun but not necessarily always good Christian home family friendly.

First off, if you're coming here hoping for the latest round of "here's your sign" stupidity jokes...find a different Engvall CD. He does not a one of his signature gag here. Probably he's afraid they're starting to become stale and he might be correct. Instead the punchlines here are usually at the end of a story.

HIGHLIGHTS:
Bill realizes he's "getting older" (track 5) when he deliberates his wife's offer of a lovemaking session. ("When did THAT start?"). He also skewers the idea of bundled hotel amenities as he verbally parries with a front desk employee ("Part of Your Package"). (I won't spoil the punchline there..) Perhaps the best bit is Engvall pondering (in "Bad Weiner Day") how fish, an aquatic lifeform, developed a taste for terrestrial worms. ("One day, they were lying on the banks of a river....trying to catch their breath....thanks for those of you who got that..") He also finishes on a high note recalling his flight with the "Thunderbirds" (track 12)

LOWS:
The advice to "argue naked" in Track 1 isn't really yuk-worthy and "Slim Jims" is likewise pretty weak.

BOTTOM LINE:
It's OK but I've laughed harder at his older stuff. If you're hoping to take this along in the family truckster, be advised that Bill's language is a bit "ruder" than usual so you may want to sample the whole thing first rather than throwing it in the deck cold with the kids in tow.

i laughed my but off. this is some funny stuff. if you dont think it's funny then your MORE than "15 degrees off"

If you are tired of comedians that can't say two sentences without saying something offensive, then Bill is the man for you. He will make you laugh your butt off without ever uttering a single curse. I saw this routine on TV and told myself that I HAVE to get this one. It will not disappoint.

As per usual, Bill Engvall brings us a laugh out loud funny CD, including more dork jokes, more embarassing family stories, and of course, more 'Here's Your Sign'. Buyer Beware: Listen to this while driving at your own risk! :)

Funny and down-to-earth humor that we can all relate to! Glad to know I'm not a member of the only family of dorks around!!

Bill Engvall's material on this album is not funny. I say the material, rather than Bill Engvall, because his trademark delivery is there, and you feel like you're hearing more of his great humor, but then you realize that you're not. He's very animated, he's cracking himself up as he delivers the observations (they're not jokes but observations and anecdotes), but the material just isn't funny. It really misses the mark, as though he's just trying too hard, stretching it all too thin.

As an unrelated criticism, I think for the first time on this album, Bill is losing touch with his audience. He's telling stories about meeting George Strait, about being interviewed for high profile magazines, and about being invited to ride in an F-16 fighter plane with his name painted on the side. This is a wealthy, successful veteran of Blue Collar Comedy pretending to tell self-deprecating anecdotes about his life, when that life bears no resemblance whatsoever to that of his audience. He's out of touch.

Finally, Bill, we don't need to hear anything more about your sex life. I'm no prude; it's just not funny, and it's actually getting kind of creepy.

This CD cracks me up. Don't listen to it in the car. I was laughing so hard the first time I listened I couldn't drive. I loved it.

Bill Engvall didn't disappoint us at all with a great performance from his new comedy routine. The stage is set when you hear that charming downhome voice, and then he will continue to charm you with his antics about his wife, and life in general. We even get to see inside his brain when he allows it to wander. What really sets your funny bone laughing is the promise that Bill wishes he was a cool guy but can't seem to pull it off. He always has that in the back of his mind... being cool. Nope. Close but never on the cool meter. Great clean comedy ...and just 15 degrees off Cool.

I've always loved Bill Engvall's comedy, and I couldn't wait to buy this CD. I was anticipating side-splitting comedy like his "Here's Your Sign" and other CDs. Unfortunately, some of the humor here was a bit lackluster.

While certain segments (Ionic Breeze and Hurting Gas) were funny, there were many other places that didn't make me laugh which is unusual for a Bill Engvall CD.

I don't regret buying the CD, but it's not one I'll be listening to again and again.