Complaints and Grievances

by George Carlin

Overview

George Carlin's post-hippie standup boils down to two formulas: Either he is providing biting cynicism about sociopolitical demagoguery or he is making urbane, possibly even mundane observations about everyday life and pointing out the bizarre inconsistencies of it all. On Complaints and Grievances, the audio version of Carlin's HBO special of November 2001, he is hitting on all cylinders on both counts. Some might wonder why Carlin, as a native of the area and performing in New York City so soon after the World Trade Center attacks, didn't do more than a couple of cursory minutes about it, but that is his MO. Even when being topical, the comedian always seems to realize that good comedy needs to be timeless, and even the few remarks about the ridiculousness of statements like "Don't let the terrorists win" can be listened to years later without needing a sense of nostalgia to appreciate it. Some of the routine gets a bit too silly, such as "You & Me (Things That Come off of Your Body)," which is Carlin's way to root out the squeamish, a ploy of his going back to the Class Clown days. However, like any good George Carlin performance, it contains one certifiable classic where he manages to roll all of his best observations into an irreverent, yet thoughtful monologue, and that would be disc-closer "Why We Don't Need the Ten Commandments," seven minutes of Carlin at his caustic best. ~ Brian O'Neill

Product Details

Release Date:	12/11/2001
Label:	Atlantic
UPC:	0075678350122

Tracks

1. The Opening
2. Traffic Accidents- Keep Movin'!
3. You and Me (Things That Come off of Your Body)
4. People Who Oughta Be Killed: Self-Help Books
5. Motivation Seminars
6. Parents of Honor Students
7. Baby Slings
8. "My Daddy"
9. Telephone Mimes
10. Hands-Free Telephone Headsets
11. Answering Machines
12. Family Newsletters
13. Music on Answering Machine
14. People Who Wear Visors
15. Singers with One Name
16. Rich Guys in Hot Air Balloons
17. People Who Misuse Credit Cards
18. Guys Named Todd
19. Gun Enthusiasts
20. White Guys Who Shave Their Heads
21. NASA-Holes
22. Why We Don't Need 10 Commandments

Album Credits

Performance Credits

George Carlin   Primary Artist

Technical Credits

Terry Kulchar   Engineer,Location Sound
Greg Calbi   Mastering,Editing
George Carlin   Producer,Composer
Winston Smith   Illustrations