new Lenny Bruce box set

"Most young people today don't know a thing about Lenny Bruce or why he's important," says Willner. "The thing that's not widely understood about Lenny is how much he influenced mainstream comedy. Lenny was the first to do 25-minute routines using five different characters--something that was later picked up by Bill Cosby and many other comedians, and that's where his genius was. Forget all the controversy. He had the ability to completely transport you as a monologist. You just want to listen to him talk."