New Lewis Black CD Falls Short of Earlier Work
Anticipation Lacks the Political Punch of Angry Comic's CD Catalogue
Sep 16, 2008
Over the past decade, Lewis Black has established a reputation as stand-up comedy's funniest angry white male by taking on idiocy in its various forms. No Republican, Democrat, Independent, man, woman, interest group, or organization has been immune from his venomous, often hilarious rants. His past albums have been time capsules, pointing out the absurdities of the late nineties and the new millenium. But a not-so-funny thing must have happened on Black's way to his newest CD.
Anticipation Lacks Justified Anger
For some reason, Black has seen fit to depart from this successful formula on his latest release, Anticipation. Instead of focusing on contemporary social and political matters of importance, the comic turns his attention to -- this is not a joke -- gamblers, golfers, his virginity, Chanukah, and Christmas. This is a far cry from Black's earlier work that pointed out the hypocrisies and foibles of Presidents Clinton and Bush.
The resulting CD is a disappointing mix of quotidian stand-up from someone who has given listeners so much more in his past efforts -- including, most notably, The White Album, Rules of Enragement, The End of the Universe, his Grammy-winning two-disc live performance at Carnegie Hall, and Luther Burbank Performing Arts Center Blues (arguably his best work to date).
In Black's best work (as evidenced by his "Back in Black" segments on Comedy Central's The Daily Show with Jon Stewart), the humor has always been fused with a maturity that makes listeners feel smarter at the end of his routine. Anticipation fails to make the same impression, however. Unfortunately, Black's decision to avoid political material leaves the listener with the impression that Black is angry for no reason. As a consequense, Black sounds more like a crazy uncle than the Ivy League-educated man of letters that he is. (His book, Nothing's Sacred, is one of the most intelligent memoirs written by an American comedian.) Black's turn as a grumpy old man annoys more than it amuses, leaving the listener wondering what happened to the real Lewis Black.
Professor Arrington's grade: D. The disc's material does not vary substatially from the jokes currently being told by countless stand-up comedians in far too many comedy clubs these days. Only occasional flashes reminiscent of Black's previous albums can save him from a failing grade. As an album, Anticipation is not worth a full-price purchase, but diehard Lewis Black fans might find it worthwhile to sample tracks and download the funnier ones.
