The Carnegie Hall Performance - Dark Publications

Location: Home » music » General » The Carnegie Hall Performance

Similar Items:

•	The End Of The Universe
•	Lewis Black: Red, White & Screwed
•	Rules of Enragement
•	The White Album

Editorial Reviews:

Album Description
As "America's Foremost Commentator On Everything", Black is a weekly political commentator on Comedy Central's "The Daily Show With Jon Stewart" and has starred in four top-rated comedy specials for the network. He's one of the nation's top standup comics and has done numerous films and TV appearances (Caroline's Comedy Hour, Evening At The Improv, The A List, Love From Tompkins Square Park, Comic Cabana, Make Me Laugh, Comedy Showcase, Friday Night, and more), and is seen regularly on Late Night With Conan O'Brien. His first two CDs are consistent sellers. This is his biggest launch to date.

Customer Reviews: Read 16 more reviews...

5 out of 5 stars

Lewis Black's absolute best since 2002's End of the Universe April 26, 2006
62 out of 66 found this review helpful

Lewis Black's more recent recordings have seen him retreading over a lot of familiar material. The Luther Arts cd included almost a word for word performance of his End of the Universe work over Britney Spears and the Super Bowl.

This cd set sees Lewis back on the top, with energy to spare, for an hour and a half of ranting, raving, and anger-laden comedic gold. While he does touch bits that he has touched before (most notably in his book), his performance here doesn't just feel like a repeat. Candy Corn has always been one of my favourite Black rants.

His energy last him for all 85 minutes, which is surprising since he is such an "anger-comic," and one would typically expect to run out of this energy after maybe 50 minutes. Not here. There are no typical long pauses or uneasiness that accompany even 45 minute performances of most comics. Lewis instead blasts his material out one after the other after the other, giving you just enough time to really laugh before getting you ready for the next joke or story.

It is difficult to judge a comedy album, because comedians are so varied, as are people's tastes. For most people, you either like Lewis Black or you don't. For me, he is approaching a cynical, yet honest portrayal of the US that has not been reached since Bill Hicks. He is almost an extension of Bill Hicks himself. Bottom line - if you like Lewis Black already, this album will not disappoint. If you like Lewis, but feel that his last album or two have been kinda let-downs, this album will delight you. And if you don't like Lewis Black, give this one a try. It's his best work since The End of the Universe, and almost rivals his best work on both that album and the White Album. Even if you think he's one you have to watch instead of listen to, this one may be one of those you say "Well, y'know...I haven't listened to Carnegie in a while."

For only 15 dollars, you are getting nearly twice what you get with "headliner" performances. Also, the packaging is just wonderful. Gatefold CD's almost always impress me, and this one was just great. Hold the case in the light a certain way, and a negative or postive of Lewis Black appears. There are no extras, no bells or whistles on this cd. Just an hour and a half of pure comedy bursting from Lewis Black.

For Carnegie shows, one expects the best. After all, every comic since Lenny Bruce has had to live up to that historic night when Bruce played to thousands in the Hall. Well, Lewis, congratulations. Whatever notion that I had of you faltering or losing your touch - gone! Out the window. Bye! Bye!

5 out of 5 stars

Pinnacle Performance May 3, 2006
7 out of 10 found this review helpful

Even as a long time fan of Lewis Black, this album made me laugh like the first time I heard one of his rants. Since The White Album and End of the Universe, Black has refined his craft into one of the greatest of today. For me, this album shows that he is truly the heir to George Carlin's angry comedy...and thank God! We could all use a little more Carlin-esque dark comedy.

5 out of 5 stars

I'll try to keep this short May 25, 2006
5 out of 6 found this review helpful

I'll try to keep this short because I wrote a thesis on this CD and erased it five minutes ago. Why? You are wondering about this CD and whether to buy it.
It's not his best complete performance but there are tracks on the CD that will beat almost any routine you can think of (even Italians who Just Saw Rocky -- Eddie Murphy -- by a nose no pun intended). Maybe I am dissapointed that I did not see it live. Still, he carries the audience (and listener, me) because he is just a schmuck up on the stage spewing amazingly funny stuff out of nowhere. Another aspect that I admire about this CD is that his pace is different. His style is different. He could be the pissed off guy you work with who doesn't shut up except 100 times funnier. So...
Lewis Black fans- you know you are gonna buy this CD so forget it.
Comedy Central fans (ie those who have seen him a few times on TV)- cough up the money if not for the entire performance but for some unforgettable tracks.
Comedy fans in general- It's hillarious to listen to but first just get a glimpse of the guy on TV or broadband. Then sit back and enjoy.
Everyone else- I think in these days of confusion, lies, partisanship, apathy, terrorism, atomic bombs, whatever-- track eight, disc two should be required reading/listening.

5 out of 5 stars

The rant-heir can be Mr. Corgial, too. May 9, 2006
4 out of 5 found this review helpful

The Grand Majesty of Carnegie Hall, the name, the fame, quitessential respect. The heir to angry comedy finds his throne on a respectable stage at last. I bought this album because it's required to buy his albums as soon as they hit stores when you own a funny bone. I am also desperate after memorizing every Bill Hicks album I own. This isn't a bite on Lewis, though, he's a funny mofo all by his self.
At the very outset, Lewis Black seems to think he's obliged to explain why he's there at Carnegie. He goes straight through the factors of his conception to his influential Jewhood. This seems very boring in the beginning, relaying his history, but I guess that's mid-life combined with playing a famous Opera house that he says he dreamed of playing when he started.
The entire two discs easily constitute a, "My Life" ordeal, contemplating his own thinking on a big stage where he feels reborn. He apparently was thinking very big, and put his entire history as a comic into this performance. Gone are the oft breakup rants, replaced by the controlled rants. He combines what seems to be a 'bibliography & biography' with his political, intrapersonal, and stage-presence comedy. Hitting every current event, especially the then-recent Hurricane Katrina, and the Terry Schiavo fiasco, is a forte that few comics have anymore.
One thing I continuously have to revel about, is that this album seems so huge, gigantic and all-encompassing. Lewis spent his time on Rules of Enragement, and the White Album being ideosyncratic, erratic, and very comfortable. His Luther Burbank Performance was very fresh, but without a whole lot of lasting substance. The End of the Universe was easily one of his best albums, his breakthrough, and his most original material combined with stage-finesse that could captivate anyone, on both sides of any spectrum in culture.
This is a very close second to End of the Universe, but a different kind of album in the first place. Every artist that goes to Carnegie, whether it be Carlin, or Lenny Bruce, finds an introspective route and goes a long time with as respectable a performance as they can find within themselves. Every Carnegie album is like that, except Carlin's HBO special, but he was still really moving at that point still.
In actuality, I don't know what to think about this performance. Great quality is obvious, but it'll require a test of time to see if it catches on with internet-generation audiences.

3 out of 5 stars

I Love Lew, But This Was Just Average May 31, 2006
4 out of 8 found this review helpful

Let me say this: I love Lewis Black. I love all his previously released albums(especially 'The White Album'), I own the couple DVDs he has out, his book, and the audio CD of that book. But I must say that I was disappointed in 'The Carnegie Hall Performance'. When I think of Lewis Black, I think of political comedy which is what he is far and away the best in the business at. But his political commentary didn't come in until about halfway through the second disc.

Its not that its not funny, because it is. He hits on some timely subject matter: Terry Schiavo, Rick "Idiot" Santorum, Hurricane Katrina...but I just didn't find it hilarious. Sure, it was good for a few chuckles but no belly laughs here. It just, to me anyway, didn't do it for me. There was a bit of repetition of previous bits he has done on other of his albums(though nowhere near equally the incredibly hight amount of repitition as on his previous release, 'The Luther Burbank Perfomance'), he once again returned to the topic of airport security, candy corn, and seemed to just slightly expand on a lot of material that he has done before. I think when comics expect fans to plunk down their hard-earned cash for a new album that they should provide all-new material instead of a rehash of a previous record.

Now, don't get me wrong: I didn't not enjoy. I did like it. And the fairly cheap price for a double album is a nice treat. But there was just nothing that made me almost [...] like there was on his excellent 'White Album'.

I love ya Lewis and I hope you keep releasing more stuff, but next time give us some all new material instead of slightly different rehashes of older stuff.

Powered by Associate-O-Matic

T-shirts, Posters

Pentagram T-shirts, bags, etc...

Gothic Posters