Fallon on Hard Times

I've never been much of a fan of the comedy album. As someone who takes music far to seriously, it angers me to see such a sacred medium put to use in the name of cheap laughs. There are exceptions, but for the most part, I just don't think it's fun to sit and listen to someone tell you jokes.

Jimmy Fallon's The Bathroom Wall represents the worst of this dreaded genre. It is a middle-of the road, derivative, celebrity-driven comedy album that is roughly the equivalent of a Michael Bolton record.

The album starts out with a few songs. Fallon uses the fact that they are "funny" songs as an excuse to avoid any musical imagination and to sing in stupid voices. The first song, "Idiot Boyfriend", was the lead single and is the funniest thing on the album. It sounds like Fallon is doing an impersonation of Adam Sandler doing an impersonation of Beck doing an impersonation of Prince. It beats to death everything remotely humorous about the falsetto-funk genre, just as the next track does to bad rap and the third track does to country music.

Following a few more songs, Fallon goes into his stand-up material. I once had a roommate who fancied himself a stand-up comedian, and he brought me to a few open-mic nites. Fallon was not less funny that the poor bastards I saw at these open mics, but there's nothing on this cd that justifies him having a TV gig when the open mic guys have to work at Best Buy.

Whereas a good comedian is able to pick out the absurd details of our lives like a surgeon, Fallon goes in like a gravedigger, with jokes about troll dolls, little fridges, and dormitories. A review of the track listing, provided below, pretty much sums up Fallon's comedic range.

It should be pointed out that his less-than-insightful observations are a he!! of a lot funnier than his impressions, which are unbearable. As an example that I think sums up his approach, his John Travolta impression is just a Vinnie Babarino impression. Rather than put any sort of thought into these comedic renderings, Fallon goes for cheap and overdone jokes. Do we really need another Jerry Seinfeld impersonation that consists of someone starting a sentence with "What is the deal with..."?

If you were thinking of purchasing this album, I recommend you consider Tenacious D's self-titled, or something by "Weird" Al Yankovik. If you are a fan of this album, please spend a lot of time standing in front of the microwave so that at least the children have a chance at having a sense of humor.

Here's a track listing:
Idiot Boyfriend
(I Can't Play)Basketball
Drinking in the Woods
Road Rage
Snowball Fight
Hope Everyone Enjoyed Homecoming
Troll Doll Celebrities
Dorms, Shower Baskets, and the Walk of Shame
Roommates
Hotplates, Four Digit Numbers & the Little Fridge
Chris Rock was my RA
Gotta Get a Fake ID
Troll Doll Jingles
Hammertime