By the time
the Jerky Boys released
The Jerky Boys 4 in the fall of 1997, the joke had pretty much worn thin. The first album was a prank-call masterpiece, one of the definitive comedy records of the '90s, and the second collection was less inspired, but still good. With the third they ran out of steam, but on this fourth installment, they are simply out of ideas. The best moments on
Jerky Boys 4 come from some previously unreleased calls from the pair's golden era. Those are the pranks that sound vital -- the rest sound tired, and the multimedia section is nearly as bad. Only diehard fans will find something of worth here, and casual fans will wonder why they cared in the first place. [
Jerky Boys 4 was released in an edited version with all of the profanity removed.] ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine