Eddie Murphy

Greatest Comedy Hits compiles most of Eddie Murphy's most famous comedy bits, as well as some that were never available on disc before. Murphy's hilarious riffs on Mick Jagger and James Brown, his classic routine on hit-and-run drivers, and his impressions of his drunken father -- they're all here. Included as well are recordings from his films Coming to America and Nutty Professor, as well as some riffs from his concert film, Raw, none of which were ever released on CD before. The real coup, though, consists of the seven previously unreleased recordings made at various club and stage appearances, some apparently from the late '80s and early '90s. Though the sound quality is uneven, which sometimes causes the jokes to be drowned out by the audience, there is still plenty of gold to be mined here. Murphy's take on Moses (most of his miracles were the result of a mistranslated speech impediment), his routine about a conversation with Little Richard, and his description of the birth of his first child are as classic as anything else here. His other new routines are too short (or in the case of "Almost Fucked a Midget," far too long) to be as vintage, but contain scattered laughs here and there. Fans may quibble over absent selections, such as his infamous gay Honeymooners bit, but for newcomers as well as longtime fans, Greatest Comedy Hits is a necessary purchase. ~ Victor W. Valdivia, All Music Guide