AMG Review of Blue Collar Comedy Tour Rides Again

David Jeffries
All Music Guide

With the WB's #Blue Collar TV show showering success on three out of four of the comedians here, the Blue Collar Comedy troop sounds more comfortable and sure than ever. Being this relaxed suits their style, but the audience is anything but relaxed as their loud, unruly appreciation of the gang adds the needed excitement. Ron White -- the one who isn't a regular on the television show -- has experienced his own success with his #They Call Me Tater Salad DVD and related albums. His lazy but highly entertaining set is the only one hurt by the CD's four-on-one formatting. White's country-Carlin, curmudgeonly delivery really works best when allowed to stretch its legs, but the bite-size sets suit the rest of the troop much better, making for a nuthin'-but-the-highlights laugh fest. Good old Foxworthy comes off better than he does on the TV shows since his dumbfounded-by-life monologues are more natural than his sketch comedy abilities. He's a kind Cosby type now, replacing his "You might be a redneck if..." with his "If you..." such and such "you're either gay or married" ("If you can't remember the last time you had sex with a woman, you're either gay or married."). The quality of his material is on the upswing with a high laugh factor, one that's matched by Bill Engvall's set. His "Spending Time Together" routine is choice Engvall as he explains the difference between men and women along with the separate interests of Southerners and Californians. It's up to #BCTV's Larry the Cable Guy to really git-r-done, and git-r-done he does. His rather blue set requires more of his "Lord, I apologize" than usual, but it's a hilarious whirlwind of one-liners. A trip to the flea market with his flatulent grandmother provides Larry with a wealth of material, as does his riffing on former girlfriends. The closing "I Believe" is becoming the troop's theme song, and the version here is one of the best and silliest. White's set is too short, but everything else on Rides Again should satisfy the faithful and add to ~the Blue Collar Comedy Tour's already huge fan base.