Search - David Cross :: Bigger and Blackerer

Don't Listen While Driving

George Smiley | Redmond, WA USA | 05/28/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"David Cross does it again. A great collection of stories from one of the funniest guys around. As you can tell by the first reviewer, you won't like this album if you lean too far too the right politically, or are missing the part of your brain having to do with humor. Loosen up and enjoy!"

Funny (but not Funnierer)

s.t. | Philadelphia | 06/14/2010

(3 out of 5 stars)

"For me, "Shut Up You F---ing Baby" was revelatory when I first heard it in 2002. It has the special honor of being the first open validation of things I had been thinking in the early years of the Bush administration (pretty sad that a comedy album has this honor, and not a politician or journalist, but that's reflective of the time). But even beyond that, "Baby" was simply electric. One crazy rant crashing gleefully into another. It's Comedy stand-up as Rock Concert.



"It's Not Funny" was a bit too much like "Baby" in terms of material, but it was still fantastic. David Cross' caustic wit is most effective when he has a moral anchor to it, and the Bush years provided endless fuel for his righteous brand of comedic indignation.



So you'd think that, with a good six years' distance from his last release, and a whole lot of crazy currently in the world, that we'd get an album that not only feels completely fresh compared to his Bush-era albums, but also retains the inspired outrage that we've come to know and love.



Sadly, "Bigger & Blackerer" is the first Cross album to feel like a conventional comedy record. It still has some good bits, and is generally pretty funny, but there's something missing here. Largely, it's his focus on current issues that's missing. There's an 18 minute rant about Healthcare Reform and the Tea Party movement, which is pretty close to classic Cross, but mostly it's just small random stories and jokes that aren't too different from standard comedy material. "Baby" had some drugs and beer stories too, but these were presented as grand, delirious rants, just as reckless and exciting as his diatribes against right-wingers and religion. Here, they are merely good for a few chuckles.



It could be that Cross doesn't want to be pigeon-holed into the label of That Political Comedy guy. But ultimately, Cross' acerbic delivery comes across as mechanical and disingenuous when he's not riffing on stuff that actually bothers him. When he's ranting on God and politics, he's often on fire, but in a more conventional comedy setting, he can come off as cynical shock-comedy, not too far from Andrew Dice Clay.



"Bigger and Blackerer" is funny, don't get me wrong. But fans of Cross' first two albums should perhaps borrow it first, then see if it's worth buying. If you're like me, you won't regret having heard it, you'll just regret those six years of anticipation!"

"You might do something you regret...or worse!"

R. Reining | San Bernardino, CA | 06/10/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is the comedy album I have been waiting for. And by that I mean the one I've been waiting for since Obama took office. Now, before anyone jumps to conclusions about my feelings or David Cross's, let me just say he doesn't even come out very strongly against the president. And he doesn't have to, personally I am just tired of a few of my favorite comedians buying in to (or seeming to anyways) this idea that some great renaissance of government policy is going to take place, so it's nice to hear that at least David Cross didn't buy in to it either (or, doesn't seem to). Now, to go along with my opening statement, I will say this: this is also the comedy album I have been waiting for on a completely goofy level as well, all of his religion bashing aside (it's a Cross album, you know what you're getting into here, people).



I admit I was a little reserved when it came to being hopeful about this album. Since 2004, the only thing I'd heard David Cross on was the compilation album Comedy Death Ray, where he talks about his dog for the better part of 10 minutes (In fairness, also making fun of himself as he often does by prefacing it with "I never thought I'd be the type of person, let alone comedian...to talk about my dog...but...I recently got a dog...and I've made some hilarious observations!"). So I was a little afraid that after so many years inactive and having been in a serious relationship, his material was going to veer into a more "mature" direction (aka talking a lot about being in a relationship and the CRAZY differences between men and women). There are mentions of both his girlfriend and his dog, but they are fairly quick. And I also have to point out that when this happens in a comedians life, it's not necessarily a bad thing. But for me, being just 22, the comedy that appeals to me right now is the goofy, sometimes raunchy, politically incorrect political and religious stupidity bashing.



Compared even to It's Not Funny, this album is a step down in regards to how fired up and angry he can get when ranting about religion and politics (and anyone who has listened to Shut Up You F***ing Baby! knows how abrasive and caustic he can be), but it works, and I prefer it. Because let's face it, most people see that it doesn't really matter who holds the power, they are usually ineffective. Now again, Amazon reviews are not the place for political commentary, I only say this in regards to Cross's material on this album, in which his being more reserved underscores how his feelings on and about politics has evolved over the past decade or so.



So on to the sillies! This album is shorter than the previous two (SUYFB! was almost an hour and a half!), but again, for once I don't think he was drunk when recording this album, and it seems much more polished and less "I'm gonna get wasted and wing it." If you are a general fan of David Cross, and especially if you enjoy his comedy, you need to hear this album. It's a brilliantly executed performance, and his anti-heckles have really never been sharper."