Nothing I could write here would do justice to Lenny Bruce. You’ve heard the name; if you aren’t familiar with him then heres your chance (and chances are 98% of your listeners aren’t either). Real quick: Lenny was a controversial comic in the late 50’s, early 60’s who broke all the rules and gave birth to modern standup comedy. Though “blue” comics existed (e.g. Redd Fox) Bruce launched every day taboo into his act, subjects like racism, homosexuality, stereotypes, venereal disease, drugs. Stuff that we take for granted today in comedy but at the time was the equivalent of Larry Flint first showing pink in Hustler Magazine in 1974 (“hey, you cant do THAT!”). Bruce spent a lot of time on San Francisco stages and got thrown in jail for his act more than once and spent time in the courts defending the First Amendment. Unfortunately he croaked in 1966. Doubt he’d be doing Vegas today. Hanging out with Bill Hicks right now.

CD3: Lots of Classic Material

1) playing Carnegie Hall, with a violin, and without the owners knowledge
2) “throw the christians to the lions”, “there’s no right or wrong”, international morality, American holocaust with the natives
3) religion, moses and christ visiting Chicago, jewish stereotypes, “why Puerto Ricans are living 10 to a room while this guy is wearing a ring worth 8 grand”
4) rock song about Spanish Harlem, romanticizing Puerto Rican poverty
5) a “joke”: airplane joke about the guy with his fly open
6) SFs Hungry Eye club, about cleaning up the place
7) Classic “Dirty Toilet”: All about “dirty words”
8) continuation: the body is not dirty
9) philosophy about lies and religion
10) a story, long, about corruption and insanity etc
11) “To Come”: another classic
12) “The Bust”: about being arrested in SF for saying cocksucker
13) brief, obtuse commentary about radio in the depression, dick tracey
14) more commentary on old radio entertainment: Milton Berle, dyke jokes, youre gay! A real “tom-boy”, etc
15-16) policemen/lawyer commentary
17) banter with the audience, gets into jewish commentary, humor, guy in cellar taping is missing out on pot smoking and girls
18) brief, saying devil like a “faggot”
19) racism, Harry Belefonte vs etc, Lena Horne vs. Kate Smith
20) chick with a gimmick: hairy underarms
21) Billy Graham takes money from pharma then puts down “barbiturates”
22) “touch it once” in bed, racy but fine
23) long rambling about Bella Lugosi films, with a great quote at the very end
24) a skit about Lawrence Welk being hip, swearing etc
25) another obscure skit