Never Scared (with Bonus DVD)
Is Chris Rock the most brilliant stand-up comedian of our day? Without a doubt (especially seeing as Chappelle is at his best in the skit format). Is this his best record? Probably not (that would beBigger & Blacker). Will you laugh like hell every time you listen to it? Hell yes (if you are even marginally alive, this will make you fall out!) The album consists primarily of material from his don’t-call-it-a-comeback HBO comedy specialNever Scared. There are also musical parodies of cotemporary rap music that probably sounded stale the day they were recorded, and a few exclusive sketches that are worth the price of admission alone. There’s a bonus DVD with "behind the scenes footage" which is pretty good if not a little trainspotter-y. Chris Rock is clearly older, and dealing with mature guy stuff here: how to keep his daughter from becoming a stripper, how to do what his wife tells him to and retain his dignity, etc. His Michael Jackson skit is probably the only one you ever need to hear, while social commentary like "Crackers" is so right-on, the bit should be played in every 8th grade social studies class on the first day.--Mike McGonigal