Search - George Carlin :: Occupation: Foole

Seven Dirty Words, Plus Three

Brian D. Rubendall | Oakton, VA | 10/18/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"30 Years ago, long before he became an angry polical ranter, George Carlin was just as controversial as a foul-mouthed pothead. And just as brilliant. "Occupation: Foole" continues the introduction of Carlin's famous Seven Dirty Words bit into the culture. The rountine, expanded into "Filthy Words," in one fell swoop neatly skered network television censorship and once and for all established that profanity was could be an intrical part of a stand up comedians repetoire. That said, parts of "Foole" sound quite dated today. The drug bits in particular sound more like something out of a Cheech and Chong movie.Nevertheless, "Foole" is a grounbreaking standup comedy recording that any Carlin fan ought to hear."

Carlin's No Fool

Thomas Magnum | NJ, USA | 06/20/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Occupation: Foole is George Carlin's best album. Every bit on the album is dead on hilarious. He riffs on everything from pot, to dirty words, to farts, to his childhood and he weaves the bits together in a great comedy experience. The impressions of ethnic groups in "New York Voices" are absolutely perfect and you'll laugh everytime you hear them. He continues his "seven Words You Can't Say On Television" with he "Filthy Words" bit. He adds a couple words to his list and his breaking down of how the use of regular words can be used in a vulgar sense or questioning where and how certain dirty phrases came about is brilliant. Other great bits include "Childhood Cliches" where he mocks certain cliches that all of our parents have used and "Cute Little Farts" shows why we all laugh at flatulence. Occupation: Foole never gets old or tired and you will laugh out loud everytime you listen to it."

A Kinder, Gentler George Carlin

gridironphantom | Minneapolis, MN USA | 01/14/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Today George Carlin is as insightful, provocative, and hilarious as he ever was, but he's become something of a crank: on stage he's a confrontational, disillusioned old man who's shtik is that he's lost all hope in humanity. It gives his comedy a very sharp edge, and Carlin's current material is killer stuff. But some of the joy is missing."Occupation Foole," one of Carlin's best album of the 70s (a tough call between this and "Class Clown"), reveals a very different comedian. His bits on jobs, drugs, and growing up in New York are filled with sharp observations and huge laughs. Carlin's precision and timing are excellent here (as they still are today), but it's Carlin's delight in his fellow human beings that may surprise some listeners. In "New York voices" and "Hallway Groups" Carlin's pitch-perfect imitations demonstrate his deep appreciation for the ethnic hodgepodge of his native New York. And while it's not as overtly political as Carlin's current material, Occupation Foole doesn't shy away from controversy: "Filthy Words," "Childhood Cliches," and other routines carefully dissect mainstream culture as well any of Carlin's work.And Carlin makes all of this appear effortless, disguising his carefully constructed routines as pot-head riffs. For Carlin fans, Occupation Foole is a must-have. For any comedy fan, this is a classic from one of one of comedy's all-time greats."