Henry Rollins Rollins: The Boxed Life CD

Recorded live in Dublin, Ireland; Sydney, Australia; Los Angeles, San Francisco, California. Includes liner notes by Henry Rollins.

When he started out as the singer for California punks Black Flag, few would have guessed that Henry Rollins would become a renaissance man--actor, author, publisher, record label maven, etc. Even fewer would have guessed he'd become successful as a spoken-word artist, delighting packed houses the world over with nothing but his tart observations on modern life. THE BOXED LIFE, a double-disc set, is the definitive Rollins spoken-word recording, an excellent entry point into this aspect of "Hank"'s career. His thoughts on everything from loneliness to sexual politics to air travel are expressed with a mixture of sarcastic humor and genuine emotion, as Rollins reveals himself to be part standup comic, part post-Lenny Bruce social commentator, part Twilight Zone Spalding Gray.

Solo performer: Henry Rollins (spoken vocals).

Personnel: Henry Rollins (vocals).

Liner Note Author: Henry Rollins.

Recording information: Dublin, Ireland (07/01/1989-03/06/1992); Los Angeles, CA (07/01/1989-03/06/1992); New York, NY (07/01/1989-03/06/1992); Pittsburgh, PA (07/01/1989-03/06/1992); San Francisco, CA (07/01/1989-03/06/1992); Santa Monica, CA (07/01/1989-03/06/1992); Show Place Studio, Dove (07/01/1989-03/06/1992); Sydney, Australia (07/01/1989-03/06/1992).

Editor: Rae DiLeo.

Additional personnel: Ian Bussieres.Rolling Stone (2/4/93, p.63) - 3.5 Stars - Very Good - "...a lucid tragicomic set...his timing is incisive, and his ability to turn the most horrific events into humor drums up comparisons to the dark, painfully honest routines of Lenny Bruce and Richard Pryor..."
Spin (2/93, p.85) - "...He is at his funniest when his observations either draw from his own experience (life on the road in a rock band, school, bad jobs) or comment freshly on familiar subjects (airports, films, depression)..."
Q (3/93, p.90) - 3 Stars - Good - "...THE BOXED LIFE is highly entertaining, crammed full of nuggets to recount over a lentil casserole..."
Alternative Press (3/93, p.55) - "...Henry Rollins' performances are moving, provocative and they make you see the world a bit differently...essential for the collections of any thinking world citizen..."
Musician (3/93, p.89) - "...The surprise of his speechifying is that he goes for laughs, charm and the occasional gross-out..."
NME (Magazine) (2/20/93, p.29) - 6 - Good - "...If you've ever dabbled in Bukowski, Bogosian or Beefheart, you'll find this side of Rollins frighteningly attractive and, more importantly, you'll never buy a U2 record again..."