"Words are my work, they're my play, they're my passion," Carlin intones at the beginning of his famous "Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television" bit. He's made a career, a very funny career, of making good on that quote, examining, dissecting, and spoofing America's linguistic foibles, from our fascination with "Sex in Commercials" to our shared "Childhood Clichés." Throughout "Classic Gold" (which combines three early-1970s cornerstones, "FM & AM", "Class Clown", and "Occupation: Foole"), he turns words back in on themselves, mocking the hypocrisy of the Catholic Church he was schooled in, the shallowness of the radio broadcasting he did for a living, and the inanity and insanity of everyday conversation. Few comics are as educated, embracing, or observant as Carlin--or as funny. "--Michael Ruby"