[.ca] Vs. Yankees

From Amazon.com:
This time around, big ol' boy Roy D. Mercer goes on a phone-prankster road trip up North. But not even the cynical armor of today's urban lifestyle is enough to guard these Yankees from Roy D.'s merciless badgering. Whatever side of the tracks they come from, one victim after another gets reduced to a pile of bafflement not only by Roy's tireless harangues, but--part of the point to this album--by his actual dialect and off-color turns of phrase. Mind you, the "sitchiashuns" outlined are classic Roy Dadgum Mercer as he brings his scarifying menagerie of characters into the big cities. There's young Lateesha with her imitation cheetah-fur collar from Dillards, the missus trying to get her "pastacasso" art collages (made from macaroni) hung in a Soho gallery, and of course sister-in-law Opa, whose car's been left stinking "like a baby-diaper pail" after a mechanic's repair work. Part of the fun, as usual, comes from the victims' reactions, which are just as much directed at Roy's accent as to his heated threats ("I'm gonna knock a popknot big 'nough ter have an umbiblical cord"). The problem: enlightenment dawns too early in a number of the calls, leaving us with long-winded explanations of the setup. What's more, Roy D. Mercer vs. Yankees marks the beginning of a whole new series that's meant to be thematically focused, but in this case it comes across as frequently too contrived, where much of the pleasure of the earlier albums derives from the pure random craziness of each call. The effect of the whole is less than the inspired lunacy found on Greatest Fits--but you certainly won't get away without some gutbucket laughter. --Tom May

He's good, but single-dimensional:
Roy D. Mercer can be very, very funny but it is the shame he can only play the same character over and over again. You can often predict the path every call would take. Yes, this allows caller to achieve mastery, but after that much repetition, the comical quality wears thin. This is unfortunate because, like I said, Roy D. Mercer is one ace prank-caller. You will note excellent writing and some fine touches delivered in a flawless casual style. However, these days the art of prank calling has been elevated to incredible heights by Touch Tone Terrorists (a.k.a. Junkyard Willie, a.k.a. RePete) and Tom Mabe, and you really need to try a bit harder. Let us hope that Mr Mercer finds a new dimention within his unmistakable talent.

Has Roy lost a step??:
I thoroughly enjoy Roy D Mercer's albums as they are probably the funniest comedy albums currently on the market. The whole candid aspect of it all just begs for laughter. Unlike Roy's previous efforts however,"Roy D Mercer vs Yankees" seems a little stale. Sure, the laughs are prevalent, but it is clear to see Roy D is in danger of losing his "close to home" flavor as he makes several references to pop-culture favorites. Obviously an attempt to win over a wider range of audience. Roy's "victims" have a hard time understanding his colorful phrases and southern dialect, which was intended. However, it can be argued that some of the humor is lost in the dichtomy of the two clashing cultures. Overall a good effort, but could be better. Here's hoping Roy will always remain true to his roots

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