Favorite Comedy Albums of the Decade (Part 2)

Jim Gaffigan, Beyond the Pale (2006) 8/10

The man with the "inner voice" displays his best work of the decade on this album. Yes, he will talk for an hour about food and being lazy, because that's what the man knows. In fact, 12 of the 21 tracks are named after something having to do with food. His material is also clean, which has helped him in being marketed, but by no means does clean mean unfunny. He is a joke craftmen, and this album showcases it best.
Fav track: "Hot Pockets", of course. Gaffigan's best bit he ever wrote on Hot Pockets is present on many of his albums, this just so happens to be the best album it's on. Yet, it's still the highlight track. I remember seeing this bit for the 1st time on TV when I was 14, and that day I learned a completely new definition of laughter.


Marc Maron, Tickets Still Available (2006) 8.5/10

Maron's takes on life, love and politics rank second to none in this album. What makes this album so great is Maron's need to present a human connection between himself and his audience. Maron gets very personal talking about his manic-depressive father, "it's very exciting, half the time", his wife and dealing with his own self hatred. Maron also discusses his Jewish heritage a great deal and tells the story of the first time he came out as a Jew onstage. This album is very funny and very thought provoking.
Fav track: "Life", seems generic enough, but Maron sums up a lot of things in 5 minutes. It ends with an attack against PETA, which is great.


Demetri Martin, These are Jokes (2006) 8.5/10

Martin is a joke writing king, and this album extensively displays those talents. His deadpan one liner style is reminiscent of the great Steven Wright, but Demetri isn't afraid to use unconventional methods either, such as music or having someone else describe his more visual jokes.
Fav track: "Sames and Opposites", Demetri plays guitar while describing how some things are the same or opposite, even if the things don't appear to have any relation at first.


Patton Oswalt, Werewolves and Lollipops (2007) 9.5/10

Oswalt's 2nd effort might even eclipse the first. This album has Oswalt dissecting everything from the New Star Wars trilogy to why 60 year old women shouldn't give birth. Oswalt's ability at storytelling is great and his writing is phenomenal.
Fav track: "Clean Filth", Oswalt shows us how cleaned up, G rated language can be more horrifying than just plain dirty language.


Paul F. Tompkins, Impersonal (2007) 10/10

This IS my favorite album of the decade. I don't know if there's much more to say than that. Tompkin's wit is satirical and his delivery is epic. He deconstructs big targets like Hollywood (Tomboy) and nonsensical ones like Sesame Street. Every track on this album is A material. I wish I had 3 bits as good as the weakest 3 bits on this album.
Fav track: "Peanut Brittle", Tompkins' take on an apparent modernized version of prank peanut brittle cans. It builds up substantially as the bit progresses, as Tompkins imagines how these prank cans would be impossible to avoid getting fooled by. This is one of my favorite bits in history, the 1st time I heard it I was fucking captivated.


George Carlin, It's Bad for Ya (2008) 9/10

Carlin's final effort before his death was one of his best. As always, Carlin's not afraid to point out bullshit when he sees it. He starts the album off by saying, "Fuck Lance Armstorng" and, while he's at it, "Fuck Tiger Woods too", because he's tired of being told who his heroes ought to be. Unfortunately he died before knowing that many women took the 2nd suggestion quite literally.
Fav track: "You Have No Rights", by the name alone, you can tell Carlin is about to drop some heavy fucking news on you. And he does so logically and intuitively, as always. This is one of Carlin's biggest statements he's ever made, up there with "There is no God" and "The Planet is Fine" (the people are fucked), and of course the earlier bit on the 10 commandments. R.I.P. George Carlin, and thanks for this final message you gave us.


Bill Burr, Why Do I Do This? (2008) 10/10

If I made a list of comedians that were not getting the mainstream success they deserve, Bill Burr would be #1. One of the best working today, arguably THE best, Burr's take on race relations and gender relations is so refreshingly funny, and also brutally honest. He talks about black/white relations better than any comic, black or white, working today. The man is a goddamn genius when it comes to seeing beneath the surface of our culture, which is why he's so good.
Fav track: "Muffins", right after Bill talks about having fucked up thoughts, as many guys do, he shares a story about one specific fucked up thought that he had. And yes, muffins were involved.


Louis CK, Chewed Up (2008) 10/10

Louis CK is my FAVORITE comedian working today. The man is a goddman dark genius. His take on raising children is the most honest and yet painfully funny out there. Also, you're going to want to check out his One night stand half hour special and his hour long special, "Shameless." Those 3 releases combine for 2 1/2 hours of some of the best stand up you'll ever see/hear. CK is getting into a rhythm of putting out amazing special after special a la Carlin.
Fav track: "Deer", Louis CK fucking hates deer, and he'll tell you why.


Andrew Daly, Nine Sweaters (2008) 8.5/10

Andrew Daly does 9 different characters, and the transition from each one is seamless. Each character starts out to be semingly normal enough. But then the pathos of each character is revealed, some slowly, some dramatically, and the result is always geniously funny. Daly has a knack for building up to a crescendo of comedy, as many of his characters plunge deeper and deeper into their psychological depths and the result is some very dark but hysterical revelations.
Fav track: "Life of the Party Inc.", Daniel Mahoney wants you to hire him to be the life of your party. Although, within the 13 minutes of this track, you may reconsider doing so.


John Mulaney, The Top Part (2009) 9/10

I hadn't really heard of John Mulaney before I listened to this album, but trust me, it deserves a spot on this list. Mulaney's storytelling abilities rival that of Patton Oswalt, and his knack for observation and joke construction are excellent. In "Top Part", Mulaney ponders what he'd be like as a drinking 8 year old, why people lump in bad movies like Scarface with the likes of the Godfather, and whether the biblical story of King Solomon is all it's cracked up to be.
Fav Track: "Law and Order and Mr. Jerry Orbach", Even if, like me, you haven't seen more than 5 minutes of Law and Order, Mulaney's deconstruction of it is spot on and extremely funny.


Greg Giraldo, Midlife Vices (2009) 8.5/10

Greg Giraldo was always the funniest guy at the comedy central roasts, and his previous release, "Good Day to Cross a River", was a superb debut album. What makes "Vices" so great is Giraldo's ability to spot inconsistencies in our culture but then give them his own dirty twist on them. In one track he complains about George Bush's chauvinism when he gave a massage to a German lady, as Giraldo claims, "With German women, you gotta shit on them first!" Giraldo is a master of the craft and Vices is an extremely relevant and funny album.
Fav Track: "Texting/Technology/Wall Punching", one of these things is not like the other, but Giraldo gives his hilarious take on all of them.