At six feet seven, 90% flannel 10 % pumpkin spice, and a big guy, Ray Harrington stands out in a crowd. Overwhelmed, his stand-up comedy CD, also stands out in a crowd of releases. Harrington has a conversational tone that makes the audience at ease and for an album that is easy to listen to. The comic also likes to break the illuson sometimes and comments on a bit or the audience’s reaction and that too makes Overwhelmed special. If one is to evaluate a comedy album based on the number of Oh, my God!s you overhear, this release is a definite winner.
The comedian opens with a bit on seasonal disorder which is sad (get it?) but also good because you know it is only seasonal. This is followed by an ode to Gold Bond Powder that the manufacturer should listen to and send a few cases over after that. This is followed by the only weak moment in the album, a routine about camping. This could be just my impression, having heard a lot of camping bits and few of them good, because the audience reacts positively to it.
The two centerpieces of this comedy download for me are the hamster bit and Grammar Nazi [Explicit]: the routine about the proper use of language which ends in a street fight between Anne Frank and Helen Keller. You just have to admire how cleverly Ray Harrington gets the audience there. His idea for an Anne Frank Helen Keller TV series is even funnier.
The lastest trend in stand-up is the comic talking about his worst show ever. Harrington’s is pretty good. This is followed by a few parenthood related bits which in this comic’s case involve stealing candy from his son.
I am not convinced the show ends strong. The comment on House Hunters is not as good as the rest of the show. Fortunately for the listener, there is a solid bonus track about an earworm he got stuck with for two weeks. Also by Ray Harrington The Worst is Over and Audio Ha-Ha Sketches Not Jokes
Overwhelmed
Ray Harrington
Stand-up Comedy download or CD
Stand Up! Records 2017
There are a lot of great releases on our Stand Up! Records reviews page
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