Bruce, Lenny - The Berkeley Concert CD (Mega Blowout Sale)
SKU
23-Gonzo 5060230869520
“Probably the last coherent performance Lenny Bruce ever gave, before a very appreciative and forgiving audience, and he was really great. There's even a moment where he loses his train of thought, and he makes a funny bit out of that. A really brilliant performance, and, although some of "those" words appear here and there, you might be surprised at how little of that there was--it's certainly quite tame by today standards. He didn't need to curse to be funny. He was a brilliant social commentator and chronicler of the human condition, and this album is all the proof you'll ever need of just how brilliant he was.”
“Lenny's legal battles were an absurd waste of state time and resources; especially when you listen to him and compare his work to what we accept as comedy today. This aspect is worthy of all the acid Lenny is able to dump on it, as he had dumped on race and sexual and religous hypocracy.
But this set also shows a broken man, crippled by narcotics and reeling out of control. His best days behind him and he knew it. His satire was not self referancal until this period, and it is interesting to wonder if this was an edgey new direction he was developing, or the last gasp of a genius being pulled under the water. He seems too consumed in his own distruction to find the laughs.
The contet here works on two levels, and it may be impossible to distinguish brillance and desperation. But for students of Lenny or comedy, this set is essental.
You might not know due to labal changes, but Frank Zappa was responsable for getting this released. I am unsure about this show, but Zappa finding merit in the performance carries me a long way towards endorsing this.”
- LabelGrey Scale
- UPC5060230869520