Margaret Cho Albums (5)
What The Critics Say
Comedienne extraordinaire Margaret Cho loves an audience. The woman lives to talk about living in an Americanized world and, of course, does it with style and grace. She's always edgy and varying when it comes to keeping things funky and fresh. Notorious C.H.O. captured Cho's rise back from the commercial hell she lived in while being in the spotlight and almost becoming a television star, so the aptly titled Revolution charges on. It's raw in typical Cho fashion, with plenty of expletives and sarcasm. Fans will bow to her once more. Just from the front cover design of Cho symbolizing Che Guevara alone, one will sense that she's all about business. Cho's crass meanderings on Revolution aim to live up to the hype of Notorious C.H.O.. Capturing a show at the Wiltern in Los Angeles, Revolution finds Cho being political, charming, and honest. She taps into what's fueling the public at the time -- sensitivity to war. Her ebonics-like criticisms of George W. Bush's pronunciations and the media's overcrazed views on the Dixie Chicks' opinion against the President makes light of the situation. It's well-needed, particularly during a time when it might not be appropriate to laugh at such things. The usual female rants ("Plastic Surgery") and sex-crazed romps ("Monogamy Is So Weird") are evened out with some of Cho's new takes on her Asian heritage ("Hello Kitty" and "Daughter of Immigrants"). Again, she tackles what she's done in the past and gives it new face. Cho has positioned herself to say what she wants, and obviously, people are listening. Being a comic allows her to talk about certain issues without fear, because laughing at something makes the world okay. While Notorious C.H.O. dazzled fans and critics, Revolution will do the same -- with a little more guts. ~ MacKenzie Wilson, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
In the brazen world of comedienne Margaret Cho, anything goes. She's cleverly crass in speaking against a society that's opposed to homosexuality and feminism while also supportive in defying gender, race, and sex issues. She's flat-out funny when doing so; her frank and raucous approach simply cannot be ignored. Her live double disc, Notorious C.H.O., captures a special evening at Carnegie Hall in New York City on Cho's 2001-2002 North American tour. Cho introduces her album by chastising terrorism and praising America for their post-September 11 bounce back. She makes it OK to laugh -- laugh a lot -- at getting drunk, doing drugs, and having sex. Of course, she's not one to fully condone these particular acts, but she hits upon everything everyone else is afraid to speak about. "Alan and Jeremy" is a killer, a glamorous homage to her late drag-queen friends. But Cho's impersonation of her Korean mother has made her a star; on "Daddy Gay Story," Cho's take on her mom is hilarious, but touchingly sweet. Her personal reflections of her own battles with eating disorders and self-esteem come into play as well; "Marriage" and "Women's Magazines" offer a sense of control. Cho has the opportunity to stand on her soapbox and make people listen. People who are mature enough to hear what she's saying and laugh at the same time will get it. Notorious C.H.O. offers everyone the sense to look inside themselves, deal with the issues, and laugh. Nothing in life is that veiled. ~ MacKenzie Wilson, All Music Guide
'I'm the One That I Want'
Release Date 6/19/2001
Tracks 25
Label Margaret Cho
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
I'm the One I Want: Live in Concert celebrates Margaret Cho's Broadway one-woman show and it's classic Cho. This homecoming gig not only solidifies Cho's spot in comedy, but her witty, ironic self is in true form. Recorded November 13, 1999, at the Warfield Theatre in San Francisco, Cho goes through her general agenda of breaking down social and racial stereotypes on this double-disc set, and comes out smiling. She spoofs society's ill acceptance of gay behavior and pornography, making it OK to laugh at such ignorance by using examples from popular culture. Somehow, people understand her and accept her regardless of how harsh she is. Poking fun at fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld and proclaiming herself a "fag hag" is only the extent of it. Cho's ability to laugh at herself without coming off as self-deprecating in the lowest sense is what she's truly about. Given her experiences that range from being a "young star" in her short-lived television sitcom in mid-'90s to being a Korean-American female touring the country alone in order to make a living as a comic, Cho identifies with common people. Cho has become a role model for those who are afraid to say something. She never asked to be anything. She just hoped someone would listen, and I'm the One That I Want is proof of her tenacity. ~ MacKenzie Wilson, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Margaret Cho was among the more talented comedians to emerge in the '90s. The very sound of Cho's voice is good for comic relief -- she sounds like a Valley Girl most of the time, and many of her sentences sound more like questions than statements. Cho's television sitcom, All American Girl, died a quick and disastrous death, but when it came to doing standup, the San Francisco native had her share of inspired moments. Recorded live at the Punchline Café in San Francisco in 1996, Drunk with Power isn't perfect but does have some hysterically funny moments. One of Cho's strong points is her ability to laugh at herself. She isn't shy about discussing her battle with her weight, and some of the CD's funniest moments come when Cho -- a Korean-American whose parents moved to the Bay Area from Korea in 1964 -- pokes fun at stereotypes of Asians. Other noteworthy moments come when Cho (who isn't one to avoid profanity or twisted, off-color humor) turns her attention to subjects ranging from abusive panhandlers in New York to vaginal examinations in the doctor's office. Those who appreciate blue humor will find that Drunk with Power has a lot going for it. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide
