During the second half of the 1960s, before he became a ubiquitous TV star and commercial pitchman, Bill Cosby was America's most popular--and influential--standup comic. Unlike the generation of Borscht-Belt funnymen that... more » preceded him, Cosby didn't tell jokes, per se. Instead, he delivered colorful, tightly structured tales drawn from his experiences as a child and a parent, adopting a multitude of voices to portray the colorful array of characters who populated the Philadelphia neighborhood in which he grew up. Cosby's 1967 album Revenge is awash in bittersweet, hilarious accounts of snowball fights, scary monster movies, and youthful one-upsmanship. --Scott Schinder« less
During the second half of the 1960s, before he became a ubiquitous TV star and commercial pitchman, Bill Cosby was America's most popular--and influential--standup comic. Unlike the generation of Borscht-Belt funnymen that preceded him, Cosby didn't tell jokes, per se. Instead, he delivered colorful, tightly structured tales drawn from his experiences as a child and a parent, adopting a multitude of voices to portray the colorful array of characters who populated the Philadelphia neighborhood in which he grew up. Cosby's 1967 album Revenge is awash in bittersweet, hilarious accounts of snowball fights, scary monster movies, and youthful one-upsmanship. --Scott Schinder
"I told you that story, let me tell you this one..."
Lawrance M. Bernabo | The Zenith City, Duluth, Minnesota | 05/11/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This 1967 comedy album finds Bill Cosby hitting full stride, telling wonderful stories about his childhood friends Fat Albert, Old Weird Harold and the rest. Without relying on jokes for his standup routines he tells stories, gets into his characters and then absolutely slays you with great payoffs such as "I forgot I was behind him." "9th Street Bridge" is the classic routine, but "Buck, Buck" and "Revenge" are not that far behind. Hopefully someday we can get an album that has all of Coz's childhood stories collected together (and another talking about his own kids). The Fat Albert cartoons were nothing compared to the original stories. Enjoy them again (or for the first time if for some reason you missed out way back when)."
A Big Thumbs Up...WAY Up!
Greg Lhamon | Waterloo, IL USA | 01/26/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is my favorite Cosby recording because it is filled with stories of his childhood. Comedy recordings that are filled with jokes typically don't have a long shelf-life; after all, once you know the punchline, the joke starts to lose its humor. On the other hand, comedy that is based on colorful characters and great stories can be listened to over and over again. And that is exactly what I do...I listen to this CD over and over again. Highly recommended."
My FAVORITE Cosby!
Greg Lhamon | 08/22/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Bill Cosby has a way of telling stories that mix reality with hilarity. No matter how skewed the telling may be, he always makes it seem absolutely believeable! Being a long-time fan of Cos (since the late 60's) I've got 23 of his albums in my collection-- but THIS tops the list! "Revenge", "9th Street Bridge" and "Buck, Buck" comprise 3 of the funniest routines I've ever heard. My best friend & I have spent decades reciting whole passages of Cosby's material verbatim-- so much has he become a part of our consciousness! (Only Lou Gottlieb of THE LIMELITERS has probably had as much influence on my thinking and speaking style!) "Hey mister! What time is it?""
Seek Revenge with silly Bill Cosby!
andy8047 | Nokomis,Florida | 04/08/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"REVENGE was recorded in Lake Tahoe,Nevada in or around 1967. The establishment was Harrah's Hotel and Casino which still exists today. The photo of the establishment is seen on the back cover of the LP. The best bits are the title track,TWO DAUGHTERS,SMOKING,9TH STREET BRIDGE and BUCK BUCK. The latter two tracks are listed as OLD WEIRD HAROLD and FAT ALBERT on the 1969 compilation THE BEST OF BILL COSBY. The other three aforementioned tracks have been recycled for MORE OF THE BEST OF BILL COSBY,released in 1970. The title track is about Bill and his friends Junior Barnes and Old Weird Harold attacking each other with snowballs. TWO DAUGHTERS is about Bill's daughters Erika and Ensa. TWO BROTHERS is about Bill's brothers Russell and James. On THE TANK,Bill tells about flushing a topcoat down a toilet. SMOKING is about Bill and his buddies sneaking cigarettes in a school restroom. WIVES is about post-wedding life. It's called marriage,of course. On COOL COVERS,Bill tells about his Protestant faith and how cool prayers and church are. On 9TH STREET BRIDGE,Bill tells about himself and Harold being frightened to death by monsters in a horror movie. BUCK BUCK is some kind of silly game that Bill and his buddies played in Philadelphia. This is where he mentions 2,000-pound Fat Albert and his trademark phrase,"Hey,hey,hey!". On PLANES,Bill tells about the potential crash of an airplane. This album is Cosby's fifth overall and originally released in mono and stereo."
Cosby's "Revenge"
Brian D. Rubendall | Oakton, VA | 10/18/2002
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Hard to beleive that forty years ago Bill Cosby was one of the hottest standup comedians around. The numerous live albums he recorded all have very funny moments. Cosby told terrific stories, particularly about childhood. Those stories are the highlights here. The title piece is pure standup Cosby, a funny, biting, self-effacing tale that nails what its like to be a child perfectly. The other highlight on the album is two connected stories under the title "Buck Buck" that introduces Fat Albert, one of Cosby's most memorable characters. Another terrific childhood tale is "9th Street Bridge," in which Bill and Old Weird Harold get stranded at the horror movies.Overall, an excellent collection of humorous stories from the man who was once the King of the standup comedians."