On the Road

AMG Review of On the Road

Sean Carruthers
All Music Guide

On the last of the classic records released by Little David, Carlin is sporting a touch of grey on the cover of this one, and with that telltale sign of aging comes a more mature perspective in the material. First off, his volume level seems very restrained throughout, and this lack of shouting makes the insightful observations sink in much more effectively than when he was shouting. There's also less reliance on the infamous seven words on television or the toilet jokes of old, replaced instead with more thoughtful ponderings on death, youth, and society's rules and absurdities. He seems to be fighting a bad sound system throughout, with feedback from the PA occasionally creeping into the mix (possibly one of the reasons he avoids shouting throughout). The biggest problem with the record, though, is that he sounds a bit tired here -- indeed, he even recycles a bit from a previous record -- showing the wear and tear that would cause him to take a few years off.