Let Me Put My Thoughts in You

More than a decade has passed between the release of comedian Dana Gould's debut album, Fun House, and this follow-up, but the man has hardly been idle. Among a long list of projects, one job that kept him busy was writing numerous episodes of The Simpsons. Another gig was playing host to L.A.'s finest live Mexican wrestling show, Lucha Vavoom. Combine the two and you've got a pretty good idea of how his sophomore release skillfully drifts from standard but smart living-room comedy to more edgy material that could satisfy the most "indie" of comedy fans. The whole problem of becoming your parents guides the material early on, as Gould adopts his father's "two basic emotions: rage and suppressed rage." Accepting this growing-old issue pushes the comedian toward more risqué material, "The Old Guy Boner Drought" being the zenith, and then the set opens itself to stranger material as Gould imagines "Dog Heaven" before taking the audience on a tour of L.A.'s seedier side with "The Ballad of Casanova's Adult World." The big closing joke, the half-minute "Words to Live By," is surprisingly straight out of vaudeville. It's a testament to the man's skill that all these transitions are seamless, and with his low-pressure delivery plus old-school timing, he's noticeably more a comedian's comedian than a crowd-pleaser. Let Me Put My Thoughts in You may not be for everyone, but it's a great example of how Gould can push the envelope while respecting the craft. Recommended listening for both aspiring comics and the standup comedy faithful.