El Mas C*****n

Recorded live at the Icehouse in Pasadena, CA, El Mas C*****n (The Baddest) finds comedian George Lopez in familiar territory. While he breaks no new ground, Lopez delivers fresh material that would fit comfortably on any of his other CD releases. Whether remembering how, as a little kid, he was made to go to bed early by being given "good night juice" (liquid Benadryl) by adults who didn't feel like watching him anymore ("Kids Now"), or his grandmother's dementia and her extreme prejudice against African-Americans ("Grandma & the Supremes"), he funnels impertinent ideas through recurring characterizations. Only occasionally does Lopez refer back to older bits and catch phrases; he uses "Memmer?...U Memmer!" once and the crowd roars with approval. The only time that Lopez gets overtly political is on "Operation Chorizo," where he deconstructs the ridiculousness of the Bush Administration's American Border Patrol: "A law ain't gonna make us go away!" Since there is not much comedic fluff in this performance, the only letdown is that the disc is over too quickly. El Mas C*****n is aptly named.