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Brick Wall Comedy
Brick Wall Comedy

Skanks for the Memories...

Dave Attell

Comedy Central Records · Album · 2003 · 54 min

Pure, dirty club comedy with absolutely zero wasted words.

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Dave Attell delivers joke after joke with the dirty efficiency of a seasoned club comedian who does not care if the crowd likes him, only if they laugh. There is no moralizing, no self-examination, and no narrative arc. The album thrives on brevity, turning sleazy themes into highly polished, dirty punchlines that hit without warning, culminating in his famous defense of his father’s globe-beating discipline and an unforgettable description of Amish sex.

Recorded in November 2002 at Comedy Works in Denver, Colorado, the album captured Attell at the absolute peak of his fame as the host of Comedy Central’s late-night travel hit Insomniac. Despite his television stardom, this audio release stripped away any screen-friendly polish to deliver a pure club set. The material targets the unglamorous realities of smoking, drinking, and lonely bus stations, treating every degenerate habit with the same dry, matter-of-fact acceptance.

Released in February 2003, the album went on to influence a generation of club comics who wanted to write clean setups and filthy punchlines. It reached number 24 on the Billboard Independent Albums chart, cementing Attell’s reputation as one of the most respected joke writers in the industry.

The set list

4 bits

  1. Approaching an alone woman with a black eye at a bar after catching the lonely bug

    Takes her back to his house with the help of McNuggets, a slow gas leak, and fantasy role-play before realizing he slept with a pirate.

  2. Disliking traveling

    Blames his hatred of travel on childhood trauma from his father beating him with a globe.

  3. Eggnog

    Characterizes the beverage as combining a desire to get drunk with wanting pancakes, ultimately calling it elf cum.

  4. Waiting in a bus station

    Passes the time minding his own business reading 'Ta-Da! magazine,' an imaginary publication by and for gay magicians.

How it plays

Tone
Irreverent, dark, offensive, filthy, and self-effacing.
On stage
Raunchy, self-deprecating, twisted-everyman malcontent mixing sophomoric vulgarity with sharp wit, punctuated by bemused giggles and purring asides.
Pace
High-energy, profane, rapid-fire pacing featuring jokes hammered out at a continuous, relentless laugh rate.
About
drinking and nightlife, travel and transit, dysfunctional sex and relationships, drugs, religion, masturbation

What the critics said

Universally praised as a hilarious, fast-paced adult-oriented standup CD that successfully translated raw club energy and sophisticated-yet-sophomoric punchlines into an exceptional audio listening experience.

In the room: Energetic, boisterous, heavy-drinking club crowd responding with immediate laughter and applause.

Summed up from reviews, articles and listings. Sources: en.wikipedia.org, westword.com, fishpond.com.sg, grokipedia.com, chickenscratchcomedy.com, theseriouscomedysite.com, ign.com, imdb.com, allmusic.com.

Backstory

Released during the height of popularity for his late-night nightlife series Insomniac with Dave Attell, the project allowed him to release uncensored, raw club material that could not air on basic cable.

Details

Released
Taped
2002, Comedy Works, Denver
Runtime
54 min
Where
Comedy Central Records (album)
Honors
Billboard Independent Albums Chart (#24)Billboard Heatseekers Chart (#36)
Topics
Before
Comedy Central Presents (1999)
After
Captain Miserable (2007)

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