At first glance, the premise of a 70-plus-minute audio biography on may seem irresistible to enthusiasts of the controversial comic and First Amendment martyr. But what 2003's possesses in potential, it lacks in execution. 's somewhat disjointed text -- which is narrated by -- is presented in seven primarily chronological chapters. Complementing -- at times distractingly so -- the recitation is a recurring musical motif. The anachronistic light techno pop is completely out of context. However, its cardinal sin is that it is almost unbearably annoying. While factually accurate, the presentation is heavy on the more salacious details of 's life and subsequent death. Conversely, comparatively little is examined pertaining to his drug and sex-fueled madness, which he then turned into an artistic/political statement. To its credit, devotes a fair amount to 's early life and the unfettered insolence that paved his chosen pathway to indulgence. Scattered throughout are a variety of vintage soundbites and clips -- some of which feature on-stage -- in extremely low-fidelity vinyl recordings. In fact, both the comments from , 's mother and particularly those of his wife, , are practically inaudible thanks to the copious surface noise. commences as a teenaged served for two years (1941-1943) during World War II on the U.S.S. Brooklyn as a gunner's mate. Although when returning stateside he reunited with , she was reticent to encourage him to become an actor or standup comedian. 's infamous debut public appearance on the -hosted Amateur Hour radio show -- described here as a "false start" -- is followed by the crucial meeting with , who became a mentor to . ' ability to improvise and work off an audience, as opposed to simply retelling well-worn jokes, would become a crucial device in 's comedic arsenal. As the title suggests, is dedicated to the mutually impaired relationship between and his wife. Even as he could not stand to live with her, he was equally tormented by the prospect of being without her. This would lead to nark out his own wife -- who was working as a stripper in Hawaii at the time. His inability to sustain a meaningful relationship heavily informed his work with a new level of cynicism, if not downright detestation. 's burgeoning rise to national and international infamy is traced on with a retelling of his true-to-life account of the breakthrough gig at in San Francisco. In this segment, noted British drama critic speaks about his impressions of 's scathingly raw performance style, one in which there are no stones left unturned and absolutely no taboos that remained unexplored. Of course, it was not long before that ultimately led to being As if he didn't have enough problems, 's considerable infatuation with narcotics made him an easy target, while his legal were taking a collective toll on his creativity and, frankly, his sanity. The concluding is one of the more revealing tracks. An audio verite montage exposes the artist's increasing unwillingness to perform his old schtick and his blatant "tryin' to make a buck" mindset. His rapid decline came shortly after an arrest at in N.Y.C. This kicked off one of the costliest obscenity legal battles to have ever graced the American annals of jurisprudence. It also meant that would become and remain a pauper for the rest of his life. None of the all-too-gory details are spared, including actualities from his flatmate, famed audio engineer , who found 's body on August 3, 1966. But it is " " who gets the final word with a quick joke about finding salvation through the admission of frivolous sins. ~ Lindsay Planer