Stand-up fans who have yet to discover the genius of Bill Hicks, labeled by me as the Tupac of stand-up comedy for his ability to release recordings after his death, will be please to hear the entire Hicks audio and video catalogue is being reissued by Comedy Dynamics. A DVD box set is planned for August 18th 2015 and a new audio album is going to be released on October 27 thus cementing Hicks’ Tupac quality.

There are eight albums: 12-16-61, Dangerous, The Arizona Bay, Relentless, Rant in E Minor, Flying Saucer Tour –considered his best by some– Love, Laughter and Truth and the two-disc Salvation recorded at Oxford University which is my personal favorite.  There are also five greatest hits: Philosophy and the four-disc Essential Collection.

The videos are It’s Just A Ride (a documentary), One Night Stand, Totally Bill Hicks, Relentless, Revelations, and Sane Man. The Comedy Dynamics press release does not mention if Relentless is the full version or the edited version: The difference is a lesser quality version replaces a missing segment.

The video specials are also available on the Comedy Dynamics platform on Hulu, Amazon, iOS,and Roku (but not Roku in Canada).

This is a great occasion for old fans to rediscover albums they are perhaps not familiar with and for new fans to discover one of comedy’s most original voices.

Truth be told though not all of Hicks’s twenty-some year old  material has aged well, especially the topical and political references. His delivery, stage persona, and habit of drawing attention to this being stand-up were also rather particular. It is something you either buy or not; not in the acquired taste category but close.

Bill Hicks Reissued
Various albums
Comedy Dynamics 2015

Related Posts