Lenny Bruce - Carnegie Hall Concert

Back when it took a computer the size of the Pentagon to do long division, Lenny Bruce was the personification of hypertext, connecting ideas through puns, jokes, impressions, and the weaving together of complex tales. As Don Friedman says in his spoken introduction to this prestigious gig by America's (then) "nastiest" nightclub standup act, it's not Bruce that's nasty per se, but society. And while that's true, Bruce was dirty--a master of filth, from sexual innuendo to dirty words. In addition to all that heavy stuff, he gives you everything that was totally funny in second grade and still is, including the shaggy-dog story. Sure, there's a lot going on; you have to listen to it a dozen times to get the hushed-breath synaptic leaps uttered in between the big jokes that aim for the bleacher seats. This set is Lenny Bruce in rare form, at his most soberingly funny. --Mike McGonigal Amazon.com

I don't get it...

I'm still waiting for a funny line from this icon of comedy.

After listening to it, and not laughing. I wonder if his lofty reputation is merely because he was persecuted and hounded so much for his so-called "obscene" language.

I feel sympathy for the horrors he experienced, but I don't find his act to be funny in this cd. January 30, 2007

A Critical and Hilarious Roadsign on the Highway of American Social History

In the humble opinion of this Bruce-o-phile, "The Carnegie Hall Concert" is the most valuable document of what was great about Lenny Bruce and why he mattered. From a performance standpoint, he was at the height of his powers. From a social standpoint, this show was just prior to the beginnings of his problems with the law and features the best balance of his comedy and social commentary. Earlier than this, he was a bit "schticky" (as he often said himself). After the trials began, his understandable preoccupation with legalities began to imbalance his act (though he remained fascinating). Here, you get the undiluted best. I can't even pick out moments, because it should really be experienced as a whole. It's a 90-minute statement on where America stood in 1962, on the cusp of a social revolution, and it's brilliant.

Buy this. If you want to know why Lenny Bruce became an icon who deserves to be discussed alongside Kerouac, Kesey, Tom Wolfe, and Hunter S. Thompson; if you want a snapshot of our cultural mindset before the turbulence of the 60's erupted; or, if you just wanna laugh--Buy this. Whatever it costs, it's a giveaway. It's a parchment of history. November 2, 2005

Lenny at his best....

On February 3, 1961, in the middle of one of the worst blizzards in New York City's history, Lenny Bruce walked onstage to a packed house at Carnegie Hall and for two solid hours, gave what all Lennyphiles agree was the greatest performance of his all-too-brief career.

To the uninitiated, this CD is as good a place as any to discover the genius of Lenny Bruce. Even now, almost 45 years later, The Midnight Concert is still screamingly funny; A testiment to Lenny's depth as a social commentater and comic philosopher. This was two years before the onset of the physical and mental decline that would end with his death, at age forty, from an overdose of heroin on August 3, 1966.

Why is Lenny Bruce remembered as a brilliant comedian all these years later? The answer is right here.

Happy listening!
Tom Degan
Goshen, NY

tomdegan@frontiernet.net
August 31, 2005

Vintage Dirty Lenny...

Like many jazz and blues musicians, Lenny Bruce was truly in his element when performing live. His studio recordings simply do not have the spontaneity of his live stuff. This is why his Carnegie Hall Concert is essential listening for any fan of Bruce or stand-up comedy in general. There would be no Eddie Izzard, Bill Hicks or a host of thousands of other comics without Lenny Bruce. He paved the way and was a pioneer.

Listening to this recording is to hear the man in his element, riffing off the crowd and going off on anything that came into his head. He zips all over the place and it is almost as if you can hear his mind at work, racing from topic to topic. While his material is dated at times, it is an incredible snapshot of the times he lived in. He brutually skewered social conventions (like how we refer to minorities) and was quite political as well. But most of all he was just damn funny and this performance shows him in great form.

This is easily one of the best live recordings of Lenny at his uncensored best. Before he got beaten down by endless obscenity trials and his slide in substance abuse. Essential. June 3, 2004

One More Note

When Lenny Bruce performed at Carnegie Hall, the cabs weren't even running in New York. It was one of the worst snow storms that ever hit The City. Nobody could get out. Bruce filled the freaking hall...check out the liner notes. Even Jesus would have had a problem filling that gig up...maybe that's why the Church at large got so... off about the man, maybe not. Maybe it was just before 200 channels of cable showing nothing. February 1, 2002

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