Bill Hicks: Revelations

Bill Hicks, the late prophet. As a stand up comic he may not supply sitcom-style laughs every twelve seconds, but his act is the intellectual equivalent of reading twelve books. Bill Hicks opens our eyes and minds to the hypocrisy and ludicrousness of the world around us, when he presents some hard facts about alcohol versus drugs, the mind blowing statistics of alcohol induced death as opposed to death cause by virtually all other illegal drugs combined, the irony of anti marijuana campaigns followed by shameless beer commercials, the countless ways religions have strayed off of their paths to become nothing more than organized superstitions, and the list goes on. Study him, learn his words by heart, and realize how much better countries/governments/life could be if it made half the sense he does.

Over the last two years, four different Bill Hicks shows have been released on DVD in North America. Of the four, Revelations, filmed in late 1992 at London's Dominion Theater, is the last chronologically, recorded mere months before he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, which ultimately killed him at the age of 32.

At the time he was tragically struck down, Hicks was at his creative peak. A thinking comedian, more Voltaire than Carrot Top, his act challenged his audience's beliefs about politics, religion, sex and popular culture. Add to that a decade spent working hostile audiences in bad comedy clubs, which polished his stand-up comedy skills and made him extremely comfortable in front of any sort of crowd imaginable.

After a decade spent in obscurity in his native USA, he had become a popular and respected performer in the UK, which he toured regularly after 1991. The British crowds welcomed Hicks' topical humor, and it is in this context that he recorded Revelations in November 1992.

Hicks' material, although heavily based on current events of the early 90's, has aged gracefully. Revelations was filmed only days after Bill Clinton's election and Hicks is obviously thrilled to see the end of twelve years of fundamentalist conservatism. He also goes back to the first Gulf War (the source of some of his greatest material), the LA Riots and the JFK assassination. He also attacks what he sees as case examples of the lousy state of American culture, such as American Gladiators or Basic Instinct, and the marketing machine behind them.

Despite often leaning towards misanthropy, Bill Hicks' message remained optimistic and positive. His parting words ('It's Just A Ride') remains one of his best and most oft-quoted allegories, describing as a poet would his view of the meaning of life.

Altogether, Revelations is Bill Hicks at the peak of his powers as a comic/poet/philosopher/goatboy. It is the most compelling proof on film as to why, twelve years after his untimely death, his star is still rising.

not exactly bill in peak form, but nonetheless a relic from the life a brilliant, sincere, intellectual mastermind who weaved tapestries of social commentary that provoked, intrigued, or just plain made you stand at attention. it is all just a ride and with Hicks as conductor, you're sure to understand it all a little better. you get a little bit of everything here on revelations. not all the best material is here, but like her always said "i'm not a f'n jukebox, okay?" To hear all the gems, pick up his 4 essential albums on rykodisc. you must just be inspired to squeegee open your third eye and see beyond the wool thats been draped down over you.

Bill Hicks was the best comic of his generation and when i read from todays top comics (Bill Bailley for instance) dropping his name as an influence it makes me confident that Bills legacy will continue.

The only problem i have with this performance is that i'm always hit with a tinge of sadness in his closing words.

Quite ironically Bill is one of 'the good guys'he speaks about he himself one of those who stops to tell us not to live in fear that life is just a ride and cruelly as with the other truth-sayers that came before nature robbed us of him!!!

RIP Bill

This video captures Bill live in London, and is the last video he made before he died. He is on fire, ranting and raving about the hypocrisy that surrounds us leaving no sacred cows. Not too many people know of Bill, he died before making it really big. If however you ever want to know what all the fuss, that some of us make, is about him check it out. I swear you will not regret it.