The Best and the Second Best of Car Talk

Face it, for most of us, our cars are our lives. The US post WWII is not as a rule built for pedestrians and if your car breaks down, you lose a lot of control over your world. Tom and Ray take a situation that's very stressful for most people and turn it into something that even the most stressed out person can laugh about. Truth is--someday you are going to look back on most of the hard situations in your life and laugh. You might as well start while they're happening. Knowing that you could be next, you're laughing with the poor schmuck who's called Click and Clack for some automotive advice. Plus, they do get some of the worst--and weirdest--cases around. My husband and I try to listen to "Car Talk" every Saturday morning and often will be commenting on the episodes through the next week. The "Car Talk" CDs are a great way to keep laughing when you need a break from a hard week.

This was the best Car Talk cd I've ever heard! There are some real gems here!

Those Tappett Bros. really are something, this truly is their best album if they say so or not. Obviously the best place to waste your time listening to this CD is in your car, especially on long trips. just enjoy them the best you can.

It would be a mistake to evaluate this double-CD as a stand-alone product. Instead, it is the byproduct of an authentic American phenomenon. I've been fortunate to live all over. Believe me: Click and Clack, the Tappet Brothers on National Public Radio could only happen here. I find these guys hilarious. Not everyone will. To make a long story short, these Boston greasepit goons (one of them has a PhD from MIT) started a call-in radio show years ago in New England called 'Car Talk'. The audience would call in to ask questions about their cars, which these two brothers would answer after a bit of Socratic questioning from their seemingly limitless knowledge of automobile innards. Little by little, people's car problems became the thin edge of the wedge for things much more interesting, personal, and hilarious. NPR picked up the show and it became required Saturday morning listening for gazillions of devotees. Like any media phenomenon that inspires intense loyalty, Car Talk also generates detractors. They are legion. But it would be a mistake not to give Click and Clack and their self-deprecating humor a chance. They so obviously love what they do. I love what they do, too. Some people don't. That's OK. Just give'em a chance. My hunch is you'll soon be helpless with laughter along with the Magliozzi brothers and their cameo-appearing Mom.

First, this is a two CD set. The first CD, "The Best of Car Talk," is the better CD. The second CD, therefore, is aptly titled: "The Second Best of Car Talk." If you are a fan of Car Talk, then you know what to expect. These are segments, twelve per CD, from their popular NPR radio show of the same name. They do a nice job of connecting these sessions so that each CD has unity. But the greatest value of these CDs is how much they enjoy being Click and Clack, the Tappet Brothers. Sometimes it is almost too much for them to carry on their conversation with their radio caller or to read their mail because they are laughing so hard. Yes, this is radio slap stick, but it is so natural to them that you find yourself laughing along. This evening, before I wrote these words, I got tied up in a tremendous traffic jam caused by our area's dependence on tunnels and bridges (Hampton Roads, VA). There is no better way to shut down our Interstates (and the million people living in this area) than to have an accident at one of these bottlenecks. Once the accident happens, there are few alternative routes going East, West, North or South. But I had this CD playing in the car, and almost didn't notice either the extra time or the frustration of bumper to bumper driving I encountered. Before I knew it, I was home and had enjoyed every minute I had spend listening to these CD's. So forget yourself and tune into Car Talk any time you wish. Let the Tappet Brothers improve your health with a strong dose of humor!