Bill Hicks - Flying Saucer Tour, Vol. 1

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Free Music Notes for Flying Saucer Tour, Vol. 1

Free Music Review: COMIC GENIUS
Hit: 5 Stars

First and foremost an acute observer and commentator on issues and individuals prominent in politics, the media and public life, Hicks was never scared to speak his mind - in fact he felt compelled to share his vision of the world with as many people as possible. Although often angry and uncompromising he possessed the ability to convert his most controversial thoughts and aggressive attacks into polemic which was simultaneously thought provoking and incredibly funny. His attitude was that if you were offended by his humour you deserved to be....

I've never grown tired of listening to his stuff and it's a shame that so little has ever seen the light of day. Despite having worked as a stand-up comedian for many years, he only released 2 albums during his lifetime ("Dangerous" and "Relentless") and these were followed in 1997 by 2 posthumous releases ("Arizona bay" and "Rant in e minor") - projects Hicks had been working on before he died, which were completed according to detailed instructions he left behind.

All four albums are brilliant and highly recommended, but not necessarily representative of what a typical Bill Hicks performance was actually like. Although they consist mainly of "live" material, they were professionally produced and carefully edited together from recordings made in front of totally appreciative audiences, in situations where he was aware when he hit the stage that the show was being taped with public consumption in mind.

Hicks was perpetually on the road and sometimes managed 300 performances in a year. He often recorded his shows and kept the tapes for his own use, and by the end of his short life had amassed a vast archive of these recordings which have been gathering dust since 1994. This cd features a show which took place in Pittsburgh PA on June 20th 1991 (it does contain a single edit which was regrettably necessary for reasons explained in the sleevenotes, but otherwise is the complete and unexpurgated 75 minute performance) and is apparently the first of many of Hicks' private tapes scheduled for release, which can only be a good thing.

During this show he waxes lyrical about smoking, the news media, drugs, Operation Desert Storm, pornography and a myriad of other subjects. If you've heard the previous albums most of the jokes and monologues will be familiar, but this one really captures the essence of what Hicks was all about and highlights his ability to improvise, deal with hecklers and interact with the audience.

Paradoxically, he was often at his best when performing in front of unappreciative or hostile crowds. Although there's plenty of laughter and applause throughout most of this show, there are also times when much of the audience seems to be either baffled, intimidated or unresponsive to his attempts to make them think as well as laugh. A third of the way into the show he tells them that they're the worst audience he has ever faced - and after that he alternately berates and encourages them (at one point promising them some toilet humour if only they'll listen to a serious point he's trying to make) until eventually he seems to win them over....

Hicks never got the recognition he deserved during his lifetime and is undoubtedly more popular now than when this recording was made. It's always a pleasant surprise to hear his sampled voice occasionally turn up on other people's records (eg Fila Brazillia's excellent "Maim that tune" features an extended segment of the routine that begins with the words: "by the way, if anybody here is in advertising or marketing....kill yourselves!"), but I wish he was still around to comment as only he could on the issues of the day, and can only imagine how incisively cynical his insights would have been about some of the evils (old and new) that have continued unabated since his death. It's a pity we never got to hear them....

Flying Saucer Tour, Vol. 1 Poster

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