Lenny Bruce - Live at the Curran Theater

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Free Music Notes for Live at the Curran Theater

Free Music Review: Lenny, We Miss You
Hit: 5 Stars

Since then, I have listened to this extraordinary concert over 100 times (easily) and was overjoyed when the CD was finally released.

The Curran Theatre concert was fueled by a white-hot anger, resulting from Lenny's two busts (one for obscenity, one for drugs) in the months just prior to this show. As a result, Lenny throws off all restraint and attacks the hypocrisy of society, full-tilt boogie. The opening bit, in which Lenny cracks that the only way he could fill the house (only 100 people actually showed up) was to offer free whiskey to the local winos, in classic and hilarious. From there, he gives a blow-by-blow description of the two busts, complete with great characterizations of the judges who tormented him. He also indulges in a fantasy, wherein he exacts a poetic revenge on one of them.

Throughout the show, he indulges in free-form snatches of his classic bits, such as "Christ and Moses" and "Las Vegas T & A". Some of the humor is referencial to current events of the day, and thus somewhat oblique at times, but it presents a marvelous slice of life in the early 1960's. The final bit, in which Lenny gives his take on Judy Garland, is worth the price of the CD alone.

There was always much more to Lenny Bruce than just a "dirty comic"; he was probably the greatest social satirist of his generation,and he paid a horrible price for it. Sadly, no one has emerged to take his place (perhaps no one could) since his death in 1966. In this era of "political correctness", we need someone like Lenny more than ever.

In conclusion, it is interesting to compare the Carnegie Hall concert (also available on CD) with this recording, in terms of tone. For my money, both are seminal recordings for any Bruce collector; however, Carnegie Hall presents us with a humorist at the height of his popularity, before the bad times. Less than a year later, Curran Theatre displays the bitterness of a man who feels that he been wronged by society, both in terms of principles and his own persecution.

Listen to how Lenny fights back with the only weapon he has: humor. It is tragic that he did not continue to adopt this strategy in his later years. Lenny, you left us much too soon.

Live at the Curran Theater Poster

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