Personnel: Joe Smith , Rosalind Ross, Dick Whittington, Pat McCormick, Don Richmond.

Strokes of genius come in unexpected forms; in the case of put-down comedian Don Rickles, it was that moment of singular inspiration when he coined the term "hockey puck" as an all-encompassing insult. What it means, exactly, is anybody's guess, but when it's coming from the mouth of "The Merchant of Venom" it sure does sound mean. This reissue of Rickles's 1969 album SPEAKS! finds "Mr. Warmth" riffing via a panel/Q&A format on everything from the night club business and Fidel Castro to the rodeo and his capo Frank Sinatra. And while Rickles's style has dated and wouldn't stand a chance against the irony-drenched anti-comics of the MR. SHOW set, his indiscriminating insensitivity, razor-sharp wit, and off-the-cuff delivery were groundbreaking and hilarious. And if you don't get that, buddy, well, you're just a stupid hockey puck.