Don Friesen’s new stand-up comedy MP3 album is called “Ask Your Mom.”

Candidly, this review is a bit difficult to write.  The most important question to address when writing a stand-up comedy review is: “is it funny?”  So, to get that out of the way, is Ask Your Mom funny?  Yes, yes it is.

The next issue, assuming the album is funny, is whether it is something that you recommend?  That’s where Friesen’s “new” album becomes a bit difficult to review.  Notice the word “new” is in quotes.  That’s because while the actual album is new, the material (or, at least, most of it) is not.

Back in 2005 Friesen independently released an album called “Inexplicable.”  That album was then re-released in 2007.  Inexplicable was a great album, that featured a great set by Friesen, highlighted by the fact that Friesen works almost entirely clean.

Since it’s been 7 years since the release of Inexplicable, I was excited to learn that Friesen had a new album, and started listening to Ask Your Mom with excitement.  Unfortunately, I was quickly disappointed to learn that a very large percentage of Ask Your Mom contains the exact same material as Inexplicable.  In fact, if you go to the Amazon MP3 store or iTunes, Inexplicable is no longer even available to purchase, seemingly as a result of the duplicative material.

So, Ask Your Mom really requires two separate reviews.  The first review is for people who are unfamiliar with Friesen and do not own Inexplicable.  If you fall in this camp, then Ask Your Mom is a great album that will surely bring you plenty of laughs.  The second review is for people who are already familiar with Friesen and already own Inexplicable.  If you fall in this second camp, then Ask Your Mom is nothing more than a higher quality, re-worked version of the material you are already familiar with.  There are some new bits, but not enough to warrant a whole new album.

As for the actual content of the album, Don Friesen’s set is largely biographical material about being a father and a husband.  I am a fan of material that dissects language, and Friesen has a great bit called “Not Necessarily Guilty Per Se,” that dissects the overuse of the words “not necessarily” and “per se” and the act of repeating a word twice in an effort to somehow change its meaning — as in, “I am hungry, but I’m not hungry hungry.”  He’s also has a great bit about Lasik eye surgery.  Friesen then closes the album with a funny, albeit pretty stale, bit about the role of the husband in relationships.

Ask You Mom!
Don Friesen
Stand-up Comedy MP3 Album
Entertainment One 2012

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