Funnier than Lenny Bruce, way smarter than all of his contemporaries, perhaps edgier than Richard Pryor. Most Americans need to see his stand up to witness his brilliant skewering of all that is false, corrupt, sleazy and hypocritical in America. Bill had no time for morons. Although "It's Just A Ride" is a nice little "primer" on his beginnings and the development of his routines, the truly enlightened will watch his routines "Relentless" and "Revelations' WITH JAWS DROPPED. Bill was an evangelist. He loved humanity. His wish was to have us evolve beyond the robotic consumerism and greed of our society. His stand up routines were not basic stand up, not just sermons. They were epistles. He pointed to the Pharasees and revealed their hypocrisy. If this is your first exposure to Bill Hicks, follow up with his live shows. HBO plays his One Night Stand every so often. Then check out his CD's. "Rant in E Minor" and "Arizona Bay" are brilliant. It breaks my heart every time I watch his routines. I laugh my guts out, but also realize that fate took away possibly the Jonathan Swift of our time. Bill always told the truth, and sometimes the truth is painful. But he was not a misanthrope. He had a basic faith in the (potential) goodness in humanity. And the loss of Bill Hicks is great indeed. Maybe in another generation they'll be someone like him.
Review of Totally Bill Hicks
