Butt sex just isn't for me. I've never been down with it.

...

Sorry, I've been sitting here writing a first sentence and deleting it over and over again, and I'm just not good at introducing a new, weekly column that I will be writing for the year 2017. So I just wrote the first thing that came to mind. Anyway, now that I have your attention, welcome!

This is the first installment of the #52ComedyAlbums column! Every week this year, we'll learn a little bit about a comedy album from years gone by. Now, this is not a "Top 52" list. What people find funny is way too subjective to try and delegate a winners list of the best albums of all time. Besides, I don't think anyone really cares which albums I find to be the best. This list, rather, is going to take time each week to tell a short story about an album, its artist, and the context in comedy and cultural history that it was released. In fact, some of the albums on this list may even be particularly bad. But I promise that they will all be interesting in their own way.

Starting us off this year is the greatest white stand up comedian of all time, Mr. George Carlin!

Whoa there! Wait a damn second, Joe! First of all, some would say Carlin is THE greatest stand up comic of all time. And secondly, what's all this "white" bullshit?

Well, the way I see it, if you say Carlin is the best of all time, you're not wrong. But if you say Richard Pryor is the best of all time, you're not wrong there either! There will never be another stand up comedian to go on stage that is not directly or indirectly influenced by one of, if not both, of these giants. So, as far as I'm concerned, this is one instance in which you can delegate a black/white qualifier. Alright, are we cool? No? Well, I never liked you anyway. Back to the album.

Here's the Tale of the Tape on Occupation: Foole...

Recorded: March 2nd & 3rd, 1973

March 2nd & 3rd, 1973 Venue: Circle Star Theater - San Carlos, California

Circle Star Theater - San Carlos, California Label: Little David Atlantic

Now, if you fancy yourself a comedy history buff, I'm sure you're grumbling to yourself something like, "If he's wanting to focus on Carlin's stuff from the early 70s, why is he wasting time on this forgettable album? Why not do a piece on the groundbreaking AM & FM or Class Clown - the album that sparked the "Seven Words You Can't Say On Television" phenomenon?

Because you already know about those. Besides, this one is interesting in its own way.

At this point in 1973, Carlin was on top of the world. A year earlier, he had released two albums that would define him as the Irreverent Pope of the counterculture movement.