Released after his first flush of 1970s fame had died down but before his revival as curmudgeonly elder statesman, George Carlin's ingenious 1981 LP, A PLACE FOR MY STUFF, plays like a demented television program. Carlin's standup is broken up by bizarre and hilarious parodies of commercials, PSAs, game shows, and interviews. The title rant may be one of the noted diatribe artist's most genteel speeches, but its increasing delirium as he dissects our odd attachments to things elevates it into Carlin classic territory. The rest of the record switches off from delightfully mundane ("Fussy Eater") to rapid-fire absurd (see "Join the Book Club").

After taking some time off to get his life together, George Carlin came back with A Place for My Stuff!, a combination of live material and some that had been recorded in the studio (fake announcements, commercials, and interviews). The live standup bits are among the best he's done, though there is a definite nasty edge to some of it (notably the short track "Abortion," which is little more than a cheap shot followed by crowd reaction). Still, the majority of the release shows Carlin revitalized and firing on all cylinders. ~ Sean Carruthers