Pros: It's two CDs worth of top-notch David Cross. Come on.
Cons: He rambles and gets a little lost at times.
The Bottom Line: Vogue continues to not only inform it's readers, but actually give them a second upbringing. I would be lost without it, and I have nightmares of such a dark world.
dopple's Full Review: Shut up You Fucking Baby! [PA] by David Cross (Com...
David Cross is funny. David Cross is an intelligent man. He was one half of the duo Bob & David, whose HBO series Mr. Show consistantly produced ingenius sketch comedy for five seasons. He also resents most of what passes for comedy. Recently, he made yet another move away from the comedic mainstream by kind of ditching his (and most comedians') standard technique - memorizing a delicately arranged set and reciting it, in order and as planned, to the crowd. His routine has gotten a lot more relaxed and improvised.
As he describes it in the liner notes, it's kind of like drinking and getting up on stage, while talking and continueing to drink. Thats likely an exageration (he isn't a drunk), and he still comes to the table somewhat prepared, but he has a much looser way of doing things. For instance, it's no problem for him to start riffing on the latest edition of the daily paper of the town he's currently in and still get a ton of laughs, and this is the kind of thing his current routine feeds off of. Sure, it can also lead to the occasional rambling and cheap, gratuitous use of the "f" word, but it also leads to some of the most inspired stuff I've ever heard from the man.
Of course, his old act was really, really good and it's a shame it never got released on CD (it made a nice HBO special, though). Still, this material, culled from his 2001/2002 tour with the band UltraBabyFat, is also a good example of how funny he can be. Whats great is that he walks between two extremes found in a lot of stand-up acts: for instance, he can do a bit on effeminate-talking gay men without being homophobic. It's really just his own random musings on a manner of speaking that seems to be exclusive to gay men, which some people would either be affraid to touch in fear of being Politically Incorrect, or somebody like Andrew Dice-Clay would use as an opportunity for some homophobic jokes. Cross is just a nice guy sharing his thoughts, often in a really funny way, and thats the kind of stand-up I can enjoy.
It's reminiscent of old (1960s) George Carlin except, I know some people might hate me for saying this, a tad funnier. It will inevitably draw comparison to the late Bill Hicks. Cross rants on politics and religion with little care for stepping on sacred cows or offending anybody - especially interesting nowadays at a time when it's getting harder and harder to feel okay criticizing our leaders. But he's willing to share hilarious and highly critical thoughts about folks like our current president Bush and attorney general John Aschcroft. He points out the absurdity of the American media (if he wants real, relevent news about his own country, he realizes, he actually has to read foreign newspapers like the UK Guardian). I must say, in times like these, high-profile dissent is refreshing. Especially when it's wrapped in comedy.
Of course, it's not all political (and therefore won't all be dated by 2005). Some of it is just every day stuff, little annoyances or observations. He gets some laughs off common misuses of the American language. At one point he whips out some literature from the Promise Keepers to prompt some giggles. I just gotta stress, Cross is one of those people that is just plain funny. He always knows how to turn around and hit you really quick with a laugh. He has charisma and he is well-read. Thats what makes this long album of him on stage going off in all directions so worth having, and why it was actually wise not to condence it down to a single CD.
Oh, and I must mention how nice this overall package is, aside from the actual audio. It's a two CD set with cool cardboard packaging, it's released on an indie label (SUB POP) which is the reason why a cult act like Cross gets such a good amount of care and freedom. The cover (from which the title derives it's meaning) is cute. The track listing alone is hilarious in that the titles have nothing to do with the actual content, and instead are send-ups of common stand-up drudgery or just silly profanity.
All in all, it's very casual and while not constantly laught-out-loud-funny, both discs are chock full of hilarious moments that come consistantly, if not immediately after one-another. And if you are at all a fan of his work, while it's definitely not his best (his main talent is still sketch comedy, and it's good to see Mr. Show on tour these days), it is great stuff.
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