Whatever you might want to think about the '90s as a decade, it has spawned some of the funniest comedians we've ever been graced with. People like Denis Leary, the late Bill Hicks, the late Sam Kinison, Dennis Miller and Adam Sandler have raised laughter to a whole new level in the last few years.

Jeff Foxworthy is another one of those elite comedians, someone who can make us laugh at him and any stereotypes we might hold of a group like Southerners. By making us laugh about it, he helps break down the invisible barrier between the South and the North. His second major label album, Games Rednecks Play, keeps Foxworthy's winning streak going by creating a comedy album just as good, if not better, than its predecessor - with one exception, which we'll talk about later.

Foxworthy is best known for his series of comparisons called "You Might Be A Redneck If...", a string he only touches on during the encore of this performance. While some might mourn the disappearance of a good portion of this famed routine, it does force us to recognize that Foxworthy isn't a one-gag comedian. The bulk of the material he performs is just as funny as the "Redneck" ramblings. (For what it's worth, I didn't think the particular bunch of "Redneck" jokes on this album were up to par.)

Foxworthy constantly lampoons his native South, such as how his fellow residents of Atlanta would screw up the Olympics in 1996 and how his relatives stood out when they went on a Hawaiian vacation. Some might see the comments as prejudicial, but how can they be? Foxworthy is as much a product of those jokes as the people he pokes fun at. If anything, I think these jokes show us through laughter how much we all have in common.

Games Rednecks Play also touches on some basic subjects in comedy, such as parenthood ("I Love Being A Parent") and the wild days of youth ("Seek And Destroy"), all done with the same gentle humor that Foxworthy mixes into every part of his routine. When he does show wrath, he tempers it in a way that all of us can appreciate. For example, he knocks people who go on talk shows and blame their parents for all the problems in their life; out loud, Foxworthy wishes someone would go on and say, "You know, my momma was all right, my poppa was all right... I'm just a shithead." Ka-pow.

For all the good that Games Rednecks Play has on it, the one mistake made on the tape is the inclusion of the song "Party All Night," a song featuring Little Texas and Scott Rouse, which is nothing more than a specific routine featured on Foxworthy's last album You Might Be A Redneck If... . Why this was even included on this album I have no idea, though it serves as a warning of what was to come on Crank It Up - The Music Album.

Foxworthy's talents as a stand-up comedian are clearly demonstrated on Games Rednecks Play, and is clear proof that his time in the spotlight has been earned.

Rating: B+

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