Album of the Day

One of the greatest stand-ups of all time, George Carlin became a counterculture icon in the 1970s with his famous “seven words you can't say on television” routine, and PARENTAL ADVISORY: EXPLICIT LYRICS is cut from the same cloth. Excerpted from an HBO special recorded in January 1990 at the State Theatre in New Brunswick, New Jersey, the album was released at a time when government censorship had again reared its head, and on such tracks as “Offensive Language,” Carlin puts the bluenoses in their place. Though the social satire is razor-sharp, the comedian's riffs on such apolitical topics as dogs, cancer and “Life's Little Moments” are just as thought-provoking and hilarious. PARENTAL ADVISORY: EXPLICIT LYRICS was released 30 years ago today, and if current events leave you in need of laughter, this set will provide a bellyful.