Bill Hicks
Salvation: Oxford November 11, 1992 [LIVE]
Label: Rykodisc

“‘Oh come on, Bill, they’re the New Kids [on the Block], don’t pick on them, they’re so good and they’re so clean cut and they’re such a good image for the children.’ Fuck that. When did mediocrity and banality become a good image for your children? I want my children to listen to people who fucking rocked. I don’t care if they died in puddles of their own vomit. I want someone who plays from his fucking heart.” -Bill Hicks

Salvation is an unique comic offering from Rykodisc. It’s a double CD that captures Bill Hicks’ Oxford Playhouse performance from 1992.

We get quippy rants and one-offs about the (first) war in Iraq, President H.W. Bush, government, smoking, porn, anti-drug paranoia and scads more through his unique lens on social policy and culture. Hicks was never part of the meaningless Seinfeld comedy club, and since his passing, has been embraced for having the balls to be controversial and politically targeted.

More than a decade after his death of pancreatic cancer at age 32, Hicks is still considered one of the greatest comedy geniuses of our generation with admirers including Radiohead, Rage, Tool, Rollins, John Cleese and Dennis Miller. Salvation is Hicks’ material at the height of his comedic career and — with the current war in Iraq and continued societal breakdown in the states — still as relevant as ever.

“I’m so sick of arming the world and then sending troops over to destroy the fucking arms, you know what I mean? We keep arming these little countries, then we go and blow the shit out of ‘em. We’re like the bullies of the world, you know. We’re like Jack Palance in the movie Shane … throwing the pistol at the sheep herder’s feet: “Pick it up.” “I don’t wanna pick it up mister, you’ll shoot me.” “Pick up the gun.” “Mister, I don’t want no trouble, huh. I just came down town here to get some hard rock candy for my kids, some gingham for my wife. I don’t even know what gingham is, but she goes through about 10 rolls a week of that stuff. I ain’t looking for no trouble, mister.” “Pick up the gun.” Boom, boom. “You all saw him. He had a gun.”