I love stand-up comedy. One thing that’s great about it is that no matter how hard you try no stand-up show is exactly the same. I like to listen to comedy albums over and over again not just to enjoy the humor again, but to try and pick up on all the little imperfections and subtleties of the show itself. Did anything happen at the particular show this comedian recorded and decided to sell to fans that wasn’t planned? Here’s me reading way into Doug Stahope’s “Sicko”.
This is Doug Stanhope’s first full-length album, which came out in 1999 and was taped the previous November, is a really good road album. At the time Doug is doing almost all road work an it does feel that way on the album. He doesn’t steer off course much at all and is tons looser on his other albums. “Sicko” is not actually the first album as Doug released an EP called The Great White Stanhope. “Sicko” was recorded where Stanhope’s three first albums were all recorded, The Houston Laff Stop. Here’s the track list:
NO HOLDS BARRED · MOM · SOMEONE’S BEEN SLEEPING IN MY BED · TRUCKERS · ECSTASY · FOR THE MAN WHO HAS EVERYTHING · THE PERFECT GIRL · TITS ARE ILLEGAL · SMOKE THIS! · TERRIBLE PIECE OF ASS · THE BANANA LADY · SICKO · THE TRANSVESTITE HOOKER INCIDENT · BIG DICK DREAMS · $5
No Holds Barred starts off with the opening act Sean Rouse’s introduction, “Ladies and gentlemen, Doug Stanhope.” That’s it. No credits, no huge build up, just Doug Stanhope is the last comedian. Also I think it’s interesting that Sean Rouse is the guy MCing. We don’t know who the feature is ever or if there were any guest spots or anything. It’s also possible that Sean Rouse was just the comedian before him, but he hadn’t even won Funniest Person In Austin yet so my bet is that he was just Doug’s favorite young comic in Texas.
It’s such a road album. Clearly he is a The third track is a bit about doing comedy and working the road and getting a place to stay in a town for a week. The next is about how annoying tuck drivers are on every American highway. Within the first two tracks he’s let us in on who he is: a road comic. This is just another show in the five hundred he does a year in a city he likes. On track 8 he comments on a guy yelling out in the crowd. On the title track he asks the question, “Who came here to see me specifically tonight? (light smattering) How many people came to see whatever bag of shit was standing behind a microphone? (huge outcry)That’s the problem with comedy!”
The last two tracks are both long stories, the first is rather self explanatory, but I like the segway into it a lot. Clearly Doug has a cigarette in his mouth that he’s trying to light as he talks and a guy asks him to finish the midget story. He says there isn’t really a story to it, but “I got rolled by a transvestite hooker once. I’ll tell you that. Who here’s gotten rolled by a transvestite hooker before? All of you? Here’s my tale.” The last track, $5, is great and fits as Doug Stanhope’s closer. It ends with him saying, “What a country! God bless America and God bless you fine people. Good night,” which is extremely uplifting for him.
Stanhope’s first album is so much smoother than the rest, although still a lot rougher and looser than most people’s albums. It’s hilarious and original and he’s clearly a guy that can write a good joke, but loves to tell stories. Go listen to “Sicko”. You can listen to it for free here. For some reason it’s missing the first track though. I guess Napster bars holds.
