Adam Sandler - Shhhh….Don't Tell

Ahhh…Forbidden Fruit. Good? Yes. But made all the better by the fact it is forbidden. It’s just a fact of life that we want the things we can’t have, and experiencing things we ought not to just makes them that much more exciting. In my early middle school years, my friends and I fulfilled this desire by hanging out at my neighbor’s house and listening to his Adam Sandler albums. They cracked us up to the point of tears, and listening to dick and fart jokes peppered with “F” bombs and expletives made it all the better. But in retrospect, I wonder which of the two really made those albums so great. Shhh…Don’t Tell is the first Sandler album I have listened to in at least five years, and while I have very found memories of Tollbooth Willie screaming at passing motorist, I was anxious to see how I would react now as a guy in his mid twenties. The disc is about two thirds skits and one third songs, with a handful of running jokes. The songs provide some laughs but tend to be the weaker aspect of the album. “The Amazing Willie Wanker” ponders the wonders of masturbation, while “Secret” explores pubic area grooming. You can rest assured you won’t find any world affairs of political issues being addressed here. Two running jokes/storylines thread the disc. Pibb is a character somewhere between an extreme sports addict and a drunken southern grandpa hopped up on moonshine, and is the focus of four skits documenting his adventures. All are funny but not side splitting. Gay Robot provides the other thread, popping up in three separate skits and providing one of the funny characters on the album. The only semi-serious moment is a tribute to Sandler’s dad on the album-ending “Stan The Man,” which is a funny but honoring tip of the hat to the old man. Of all the discs I have received recently to review, this one seems to be the one I pop in when I can’t think of anything else. It stands up to repeat listening, which is huge for a comedy album, but you won’t have to worry about controlling the laughter in your cubicle, which is not so good for a comedy album. The reason I don’t love this album is exactly the reason I would have in middle school; it is filled heavily with dirty adolescent humor. I love a good dick and fart joke as much as the next guy, but somewhere along the line I grew up, and Sandler’s humor did not. Next time around, hopefully Sandler will tackle something more serious or a little smarter in his inspiration. If you want to think about your jokes, this isn’t the album for you. But if you just want a few good chuckles and dirty humor that might take you back to being a young teenager, you'll probably be ok. Forbidden fruit never fails to satisfy no matter how much you eat it, but once it loses its restrictions, it loses some of its sweetness. [www.adamsandler.com]