Mitch Hedberg's Posthumous CD Released

Do You Believe in Gosh? Shows Comic as a Work in Progress

Sep 17, 2008

The newly-released Hedberg CD, while far from his best work, reminds fans of his inimitable style and introduces others to a voice that was extinguished far too soon.

Mitch Hedberg: Neo-Hippie Slacker Extraordinaire

In William Shakespeare's play Julius Caesar, Antony remarks that the good that men do often dies with them, while their evil lives on long after them in our memories. Alas, such is the case with Do You Believe in Gosh?, a posthumously released disc of stand-up comedian Mitch Hedberg, whose stream-of-consciousness delivery helped him develop a loyal following in comedy clubs and on college campuses across the country. Unfortunately, the new disc features the least funny material in Hedberg's catalog.

The Album's Weaknesses Cannot Be Avoided

Do You Believe in Gosh? is Hedberg's worst effort because it is his most incomplete one. At only roughly forty minutes in length, the album leaves the listener wanting more. In addition, the development of the material leaves much to be desired. The jokes are trial balloons raised by Hedberg in preparation for a bigger tour, so we will never know how good the material could have been with some fine (and not-so-fine-) tuning. As a consequence, listeners are more likely to enjoy Hedberg's two earlier releases (Strategic Grill Locations and Mitch All Together), which featured polished material, instead of this album, which was more of a work in progress.

But It Does Have Its Strengths

Despite the exploratory nature of Do You Believe in Gosh?, the album does have its bright spots. The opening routine, "The Improv Fairy Tale," mines comedy gold as Hedberg wonders aloud whether the fabled big bad wolf is to blame for the brick wall background on many comedy club stages. It is a shame, though, that the rest of Hedberg's set goes downhill from there, with the exception of occasional spontaneous interactions with audience memebers.

Another high point of the disc cannot be heard; rather, it must be seen. The album's liner notes include pictures of Hedberg's notes, on which readers and listeners can see an example of how a comedian's material begins as a scribbled thought on a piece of notebook and matures into material that is delivered with sophisticated timing.

Professor Arrington's grade: With no disrespect intended to the dearly departed, Do You Believe in Gosh? simply does not merit a passing grade. Fans who expect the quality of Strategic Grill Locations or Mitch All Together will be severly disappointed. However, the nostalgia factor will compel diehard fans to pick upthe disc and might even convince them that the material therein is funnier than it really is. D-minus.

The copyright of the article Mitch Hedberg's Posthumous CD Released in Comedy Performance/Stand-Up is owned by Michael Irvin Arrington. Permission to republish Mitch Hedberg's Posthumous CD Released in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.