Customer Reviews

Love All the People

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I just finished this book. My main problem with it is this: about half the book is made up of transcripts of Bill's comedy routines. The same ones you have on CD. And without Bill's expert comic delivery, they just don't translate that well on the printed page. On the other hand, the letters and interviews offer a more intimate look at a sensitive, serious man. It would have been better to cut out the transcripts, and give us more of Bill's writings and unreleased stuff. On a technical note, the book apparently was never proofread; it is rife with misprints and errors. And many of the entries are not clearly identified. For instance, we learn that Bill wrote for The Nation, but are these the political articles that are included? It's not clear. Dispite being poorly executed, if you are looking for more insights into the mind of Bill Hicks, you will want this book. If you merely want to enjoy his comedy genius, get the new DVD instead.

First of all, let's get this straight: Bill Hicks was brilliant. He held the truth up to our eyes and showed how it could be infuriating and hysterical at the same time. There will never be another like him.

Having said that, I was a little disappointed by this collection. Several chapters are out-and-out transcriptions of his CDs, and not the best transcriptions at that. Some flaws are headshakingly bad - in one instance, Hicks's question to a patron with a cell phone, "Why the phone?", comes out "Why the thumb?" Because these performances are transcribed in their entirety, there's also a good deal of repetition here - the "Are they drunk or are they stoned?" bit gets done three times. I would have preferred something like The Essential Lenny Bruce, where the bits were cherry-picked and brought together in chapters with a common theme.

This book is one that all fans of comedy in general and Bill Hicks in particular should have - it includes John Lahr's famous New Yorker piece, Hicks's thirty-page letter to Lahr detailing his final David Letterman experience, reproductions of letters to Letterman and Jay Leno, and several insightful interviews. I just wish it didn't look like the work of a semicompetent stenographer.

There is no doubt that Bill Hicks was a true comic genius. The writings of his contained in this book help to further illustrate this.

Unfortunately, however, the bulk of the book is made up of transcripts of his comedy appearances (mainly from those recorded for CD). Whilst obviously not as good as seeing the man himself deliver the lines, reading them is enjoyable. Reading the same bit 5 times is less so. There is a tremendous amount of repetition in the routines, left in by the author in order to preserve the integrity of the monologues.

As a result, the book is best read in small doses, so as to dissipate the effect. Trying to read it in large chunks means reading the same material again and again in short succession.

Just like the book says, refering to the seemingly ironic title, 'Hicks was, in his angry, cynical and still unsurpassablu funny way, the most hopeless of romantics', and you get to undestand this in one way or another throughout the book, my only criticism is the reiteration of routines.

A superb collection of live transcripts, interviews, letters and writings from the late great stand-up comedian and confrontational visionary extraordinaire. The spirit of Bill Hicks lives on. Over ten years after his death, some may feel that we need his vision, sanity and humour more than ever. This book is a great reminder of just how brilliant and hysterically funny he was. Several recordings of live performances are also available on c.d.

Relentlessly, Bill rips into the hypocrisy and ridiculousness of much of so-called civilization with astonishing wit and intelligence. "I am available for children's parties", quips Bill after another story involving topics such as pornography or drugs. Other targets include religion ("God, I pray the Christians get the message soon"), America ("There is freedom of speech to the highest bidder"), and global economics and poverty ("Take all that money that we spend on weapons and defence each year, and instead spend it feeding, clothing and educating the poor of the world").

But however political or controversial Bill gets, you sense that here is a loving but troubled soul with an open mind and an open heart. A man who desperately wanted to see more truth, laughter, love, compassion and understanding in the world. God bless the Spirit of Bill Hicks.

I never say that Bill Hicks was one of the greatest comics of all-time. He was "the" greatest comic of all-time. However, the term comic never seemed right when talking about Bill. Bill Hicks was a satirist, a political scientist, a social observer, a malcontent, a genius. He did not do the "dick jokes" that he would always promise were on the way when his material started to get too deep. He was like a profane prophet, trying to awake the world up to the reality of what was happening around them. I have always thought he was one of the deepest people the aliens have put out there. The beauty of this new book, is that you get so much different material, which shows that brilliance. Moreover, you get to read the transcripts of so many great shows. As I read the transcripts, I saw Bill and I heard him delivering the lines. I own everything associated with Bill Hicks and this book is a worthy addition to the mix. Bill, God Bless you, wherever you are.

my expectations for this book were low. released on the 10th anniversary of his death, i was expecting it to be just a collection of transcripts of material already made public. however, this is not the case. in fact, because some of the material is drawn from his early days (early 80s), it was a surprise to me to see he had already pierced the social construction of reality at such an early age. i had mistakenly assumed that this didn't happen until the later in the decade (assumed mostly because of his growing up in the monolithic culture that he did). this book is a great reminder of how genuine a person bill was.

I have all of Hicks' albums, but reading this book really solidified it for me. I felt a new-found spiritual exuberance that challenged my atheism and spiritual beliefs more fully than any best-selling theologians (I remain a spiritual atheist, but with more focus), and laughed harder than any dick-joke comedian with a Comedy Central special. BUY THIS BOOK

Bill Hicks, in the short time he had here on this planet, was a stand-up comedian that truly stood out among the rest. He was never afraid to say what was on his mind, and he didn't care if that islolated his audience or brought them closer. He never sold out for commercialism, and was always himself. This book, has transcripts of his famous routines, his lyrics, and his writings are all here in this book. This book does cover a lot of issues that are more relevent today than when he was talking about them over 10 years ago. In these transcripts and his audio recordings, you can hear a deep hate for the present condition of the world, and the way it is run. But underneath all of the hate, lies a deep love for humanity, and a very spiritual individual just trying to make sense of a mixed-up world. If you have heard any of Bill's recordings buy this book. It might give you a little more insight into the man he was, (and still is.)

This book has all the Bill Hicks you will ever need. There is some repeition in jokes, but that is part of stand-up comedy.