Remembering Comedian Bill Hicks with The Essential Collection

By William Mahoney

Ryko is proud to announce the release of The Essential Collection, a four disc set (2 CD / 2 DVD) ~ that encompasses Bill Hicks’ short but influential career as a satirist, social critic and stand-up comedian. The package contains double DVD discs with over five hours of footage from Bill Hicks’ personal archives including rare, never-before-seen performances from the early 80‘s, the cult short film Ninja Bachelor Party (starring Bill Hicks, Kevin Booth and David Johndrow), in-depth interviews with Hicks and a photo gallery from his family’s keepsakes. The 2 CD discs offer over two hours of his best stand-up material with never-before-released performance pieces from a San Ramon, CA show recorded by Bill Hicks that was found in his archives. The box set also features new liner notes written by family members as well as renowned figures (including Henry Rollins, Eric Bogosian, noted UK author Paul Outhwaite, and UK journalist/TV personality Clive Anderson), and a download card containing original song recordings by Hicks (that were mastered at Abbey Road Studios ~ London, England) entitled Lo-Fi Troubadour.

Excerpts from liner notes:

“Bill Hicks had an unerring ability to find the lie, shine a bright light on it and while doing so, creating some incredible and lasting comedy you will ever hear…If Bill were around now, America would be a better place.” – Henry Rollins

“Bill Hicks was a visionary. But more importantly, he was fucking funny. Like tears-in-your-eyes, fall-out-of your-chair funny. He painted word pictures that were so filled with truth, so on the mark, that they became part of your consciousness for life.” – Eric Bogosian

Bill Hicks’ extraordinary social commentary is as fresh and stunning today as it was in the 80s and 90s. He engaged his audiences by confronting mainstream beliefs and hypocrisy in a manner that provoked thought as well as laughter. Hicks called himself “Chomsky with dick jokes” and The New Yorker described him as an “…exhilarating comic thinker in a renegade class all his own.” Hicks’ career was short in span, but powerful in impact. His rigorous touring schedule from the early 80s into the early 90’s often tallied over 300 nights per year. He appeared on Late Night with David Letterman eleven times during his career. He also gained a dedicated fan base in the UK where he currently is listed as the UK’s 4th Greatest Comedian in their 2010 poll (conducted by Channel 4).

For more information on Bill Hicks, please visit www.billhicks.com.

THE ESSENTIAL COLLECTION TRACK LISTING

CD (DISC 1)
1. Fevered Egos
2. I’m Talking To The Women Here
3. My Favorite New Kid
4. Marketing & Advertising
5. Artistic Roll Call
6. Orange Drink
7. Save Willie
8. Menu?
9. A Killer Idea
10. Goodbye You Lizard Scum
11. Summertime
12. Elvis*
13. The News
14. Confession Time (Cops)
15. Please Do Not Disturb*
16. Spectravision & Housekeeping
17. Girl Of Your Dreams
18. Clam Lappers & Sonic The Hedgehog TM
19. What Is Pornography?
20. Renting Pornos & Girlfriends*
21. Name & Address Not Withheld*
22. Beelzebozo*
23. Pussywhipped Satan
24. I Love My Job
25. Audience Member / Old Folks Home Manager*
26. Worst Audience Ever
27. The F Word
28. My Parents

CD (DISC 2)
1. Drugs Have Done Good Things
2. Rockers Against Drugs Suck
3. We Live In A World
4. Drugs Have Done Good Things Part 2*
5. Ding Dong
6. Gays In The Military
7. Speaking Of Homosexuality
8. Children On Airplanes
9. Your Children Aren’t Special
10. Pro Life
11. Non-Smokers
12. Audience Member / Dental Assistant*
13. Smoking
14. Smoking Tastes Great*
15. Yul Brynner
16. Smoking In Heaven
17. Flying Saucer Tour
18. Burning Issues
19. Odd Beliefs
20. Kennedy & The Warren Commission
21. Handguns – UK vs. USA*
22. The Vision

DVD (DISC 3)
The Early Years – Stand Up
Houston, TX – 1981*
Houston, TX – 1984*
Indianapolis, IN – 1985*
Houston, TX (Part 1) – 1986*
Houston, TX (Part 2) – 1986*
The Early Years – TV Interview
The Outlaw Comics
Outlaw Comics Performance
Origins Of The Outlaw Comics*
Extras – Photo Gallery

DVD (DISC 4)
Ninja Bachelor Party
About Ninja Bachelor Party
Austin Bootleg Series
November, 1991*
December, 1992*
June, 1993*
October, 1993*
About The Austin Bootleg Series

DOWNLOAD CARD
Lo-Fi Troubadour
Original Songs* ~ Written & Performed by Bill Hicks
1. Introduction
2. She’s A Woman
3. Hey Mama
4. The Road Can Be Hard
5. Jazz Instrumental
6. The Moon Is Smiling
7. Turn Your Mind Over To Your Heart
8. No Music In My Soul
9. Waiting To Meet You
10. I Never Really Cried For You
11. Outro Instrumental

* PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED