Doing the hard work
Monsewer Ross Sewage | Oakland, CA | 01/31/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Depression and anxiety? Marc Maron seethes it. He revels in it.
Marc Maron's material is incredibly well put together and delivered adroitly, but his true skill is making his bits come across as the maniacal ravings of a man on the edge. When he seems to be losing his train of thought, it always carefully circles back to strike you in the ass.
He has a certain shamelessness when it comes to making people uncomfortable. There's no apology, you either get the joke or you don't. This certainly seems to be a trend for comedians today, to be "edgy," but Marc Maron has honed it over the years of a career on the edge of mainstream success. Somehow, he's managed to avoid that. He's been just successful enough to maintain some integrity and callous bitterness that is lost once a comedian gets their watered-down television sitcom.
There are a few parts of this album where I was afraid Marc Maron was turning to standard comedic fare, like talking about marriage or turning into his dad. Thankfully, even these bits do an about face, or an about self-efface, and take a miserable turn to hilarity through tragedy.
The best thing about Marc Maron is in his willingness to explore unfunny bits. By no means am I implying things get serious; in fact, they get hilarious. Misery loves company, though, especially when the company can point out some of the tragic absurdity that you might have missed."
Not sure if this is mediocre or not
Vaughn Deyhle | 12/26/2007
(3 out of 5 stars)
"I got this today and ... it just isn't doing anything for me. Am I saying it's bad? No, not as such.
Make no mistake. This album isn't bad the way Dane Cook's new album is bad. (Read my review on it if you want a full explanation.) This isn't braindead material that simply caters to the lowest common denominator in order to make people fill Madison Square Garden and scream like idiots. No, Maron's intelligence is plainly evident. His material has plenty of thought invested into it. He has a point of view, he lays it out with no apologies.
My complaint? It just didn't make me laugh much. I'm driving home with it playing in my car and it left me flat. It didn't leave me flat the way Brian Regan's album left me flat. I was actively paying attention and engaged. I wasn't uninterested. I just wasn't entertained.
Yes, I know this review really isn't saying much. I usually try to shoot for more substance than this. But that's just it, I really don't have much to say about this material and that's not a good thing. The album doesn't SUCK. I'm perfectly aware that it doesn't suck. But I find myself wishing I would have used my Beast Buy gift card on something else."
Top Rate Comedy
Kevin S | Chicago, IL USA | 07/10/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Of Marc Maron's three releases, this one comes across as his tightest and most focused. The bits crackle with and intensity and pointedness you just don't hear any more. There is not one wasted moment on this release. His scathing rebuke of depression is worth the purchase, believe me. Marc is a great comedian and this documents him at the top of his game."
Track Listings (18) - Disc #1