Here's a review of mine for Bill Hicks: The Essential Collection.
I've been a fan of Bill Hicks ever since I saw him on TV back around 1990, when there was also so shortage of stand-up shows on cable. I've since bought every release of his that came out, most of them being posthumous releases of course. Hicks has also been one of the most requested acts for the comedy radio show I've been hosting for several years.
Whether you're just getting into Bill Hicks or just can't get enough of him, "The Essential Collection" is well worth picking up. The set contains two audio CDs, two DVDs, and code to download your own copy of Hicks's personal musical project, "Lo-Fi Troubadour".
Obviously, you can't cram every routine of his on to two CDs. But they do manage to pack a lot of his best routines in here. This includes about 16 minutes of previously unreleased material, though admittedly most of that is just some variations on routines that were recorded from other nights ("Please Do Not Disturb", renting porno, etc.). Still, infinitely better than most of what passes for stand-up comedy today.
The two DVDs alone are, in my opinion, well worth the cost of this set. There are LOTS of previously unseen performances here, going all the way back to 1981! Most of these are just single-camera shots from somebody in the audience with camcorder, but still gems none the less. Plus there's the hilariously demented home movie, "Ninja Bachelor Party".
The music of "Lo-Fi Troubadour" was mixed together at the famous Abbey Road Studios. These are Hicks's multi-track recordings of his own compositions. No comedy; just music. If you've heard the albums "Arizona Bay" or "Rant in E-Minor", then you've heard some samples of this in between those comedy tracks. Granted, "Lo-Fi Tourbadour" isn't a would-be platinum album that will change your life. But like everything else in this collection, it's still something honest and heart-felt.
