Bill Hicks' "Sane Man" is a concert performance from the summer of 1989 - although most of the material in this show can also be heard on his "Dangerous" album, there's something to be said for watching the man on film. His passion for his subject can only go so far on CD, and his few visual gags don't translate well.
The image of Hicks as a visionary, howling unregarded in the wilderness, has been overdone among his hardcore fan base, but watching "Sane Man" shows how accurate that description really is. His act attacks runaway consumerism, the pornography industry, non-smokers, the nature of American politics and all points in between. His interaction with his audience is not typical of a stand-up comedian, as he goads and cajoles them into feeling as angry about his topics as he himself does - sometimes it works, but at other times Hicks seems totally isolated on stage.
More than ten years after his death, Bill Hicks' voice deserves to be heard by a wider audience. "Sane Man" is a fine place to start.
