New Albums: Henry Rollins

Henry Rollins

A Rollins In the Wry

(Quarterstick)

Henry Rollins is no ordinary mortal. Not only does he still, at age 40, have a neck thicker than his head, he is the only man I know of to have successfully combined careers as rock singer in a respected band and as a standup man, as well as producing jazz albums, writing poetry and being interviewed more times than seems humanly possible. And he has been asked to give the Union Address at Oxford University this year. Not bad for a guy who still refers to himself as “the guy who makes those dick jokes.”

And there are dick jokes aplenty on his latest spoken word offering, A Rollins in the Wry, an album of material culled from a residency at Luna Park in LA in 1999. But this album is not only for dick joke affecionados, there is somehing for everyone on Wry. Or at least, something to offend everyone. Mr. Rollins is irreverent in an indiscriminate, egalitarian, and above all, determined way: No one and nothing is sacred, not even his hero Ozzy Osborne. So, if you can be offended, he will offend you. Be warned. Political correctness is not on this man’s agenda. Although this is not his best material and an audio recording misses the intrinsic humor of a man that size and build mocking himself and everything in sight (rent a video of him if you can), he will make you laugh, and perhaps, like the best comedians everywhere, will also tell you some truth about yourself.