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Brick Wall Comedy
Brick Wall Comedy

Totally Committed

Jeff Foxworthy

Warner Bros. Records · Album · 1998 · 57 min

Observations on marriage, aging, and why men are basically simple creatures.

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Jeff Foxworthy steps back from the pure onslaught of his signature one-liners to focus on domestic survival. Coming off the cancellation of his network sitcom, the comic leans into the mechanics of marriage, the baffling differences between men and women, and the reality of aging. The core premise is simple: women are complex, while men just want a cold beer and to look at something naked. He still brings the rural observations that made him a superstar. Bits like “Sophisticated People vs. Rednecks” and “You Can’t Give Rednecks Money” anchor the early part of the set, but the bulk of the material focuses on why he never wants to be in the dating pool again.

Recorded at the Taft Theatre in Cincinnati in February 1998, the album captures Foxworthy at a transition point in his career. He was bridging the gap between his early stand-up dominance and the impending juggernaut of the Blue Collar Comedy Tour. The release was a commercial success, reaching Gold certification and earning a Grammy nomination for Best Spoken Comedy Album.

The set list

5 bits

  1. You Can't Give Rednecks Money

    Observational routine cracking wise about rednecks and wealth

  2. Sophisticated People Vs. Rednecks

    Contrasting cultural behaviors and habits between sophisticated society and rednecks

  3. The Rules of Marriage

    Examining domestic dynamics and the unwritten rules of married life

  4. I Don't Want to Be Single Again

    Ruminations on the perils of singlehood compared to staying married

  5. I Still Don't Know...

    Self-deprecating routine addressing his general ignorance

How it plays

Tone
Down-home, observational
On stage
Down-home comedic persona centered on observational humor
About
rednecks, marriage, personal ignorance

What the critics said

Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic observed that the album is not a radical departure from Foxworthy's past work, noting that it 'delivers the goods' for fans of his style, though detractors of his down-home humor should steer clear.

Summed up from reviews, articles and listings. Sources: allmusic.com, music.apple.com, open.spotify.com, qobuz.com, elpee.jp.

Details

Released
Taped
Taft Theater, Cincinnati
Runtime
57 min
Where
Warner Bros. Records (album)
Honors
Peaked at #50 on the Billboard 200 chart (June 13, 1998)
Topics
Before
Games Rednecks Play (1995)
After
Big Funny (2000)

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