Denis Leary Albums (3)
'Merry F#%$in' Christmas'
Release Date 11/9/2004
Tracks 10
Label Comedy Central Rec.
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
There are ten tracks here, but Denis Leary's Merry F#%$in' Christmas is really a between-albums, get-it-out-for-the-holiday-shopping-season EP. Combining a jaunty melody with sour, foul, and hilarious lyrics, the title track is the reason to pick this up. The caustic tune is funny and fast -- it'll take a couple listens to catch it all -- and you get two versions, one in the studio and one from the Comics Come Home special. The non-holiday filler is generally good, half of it being from Leary's Comedy Central appearances while the rest is sourced from sessions for 1997's Lock 'n Load album, including two unreleased outtakes. It may only run 20 minutes, but it's priced right and contains a couple treasures for fans. ~ David Jeffries, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
No Cure for Cancer captured Denis Leary the phenomenon but Lock 'n Load captures Denis Leary the comedian, and it's a record that captures him at his best. Leary's relentless rants may seem like a gimmick to undiscerning ears, but they tend to obscure a viciously clever satirical wit. Few comedians during the '90s were as political or accurate as Leary -- in fact, his set pieces of the time often seemed more like bitterly funny social comedy than routines. Throughout Lock 'n Load, he takes on targets ranging from the Catholic Church and politicians to microbrews and Hanson, and mercilessly tears them down with his sharp, profane wit. It's an excellent display of his powers. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Boston-born comedian and actor Denis Leary released his first standup comedy album No Cure for Cancer in 1993. The chain-smoking, explosive Leary first gained notoriety with MTV commercials, but he certainly benefited from the popularity of Sam Kinison and Andrew Dice Clay in the late 1980s and early 1990s. No Cure for Cancer is wildly uneven. About 35 minutes of standup are sandwiched between four novelty songs. The best one, "Asshole," is a funny diatribe set to acoustic rhythm guitar. It achieved some success in a censored form, which robbed it of impact. Leary's barbed tongue tackles topics like drugs, smoking, meat, rock stars, death, and combinations thereof. Parts of the standup monologue don't work, and occasionally the deadly silence of the audience proves it. He starts rolling when he talks about sex, drugs, and music as they related to 1970s culture. In "Rehab," Leary complains about people blaming dysfunctional families for life's disappointments. In a poignant rebuttal, he argues that happiness comes in small doses: a cigarette, a chocolate-chip cookie, or a five-second orgasm. "More Drugs" is clearly the best bit. He laments the deaths of stellar musicians and complains about the superhuman durability of lesser talents. No Cure for Cancer's best line?: "Stevie Ray Vaughan is dead and we can't get Jon Bon Jovi on a helicopter." Ouch! Others singled out for praise or ridicule include John Lennon, Yoko Ono, Motley Crue, Barry Manilow, the Bee Gees, Andy Gibb, Judas Priest, Dan Fogelberg, James Taylor, the Black Crowes, the Doors, R.E.M.'s Michael Stipe, Don Henley, Joe Walsh, Elvis Presley, and Keith Richards. Leary gleefully punctures political correctness by praising smoking and wishing for throat cancer and a voice box on "Smoke" and honoring war-mongering, carnivorous men on "Meat." ~ Bret Adams, All Music Guide
