Bill Hicks takes on smoking and airplanes in this exclusive, never before heard bit

Bill Hicks is a comedy legend, and for good reason. He inspired dozens, if not hundreds, of today’s biggest comedians and helped bring quote-unquote “alternative comedy” to the masses. Hicks is also one of those guys whose material, thankfully, has mostly stood the test of time. That’s the case with “No Smoking On Airplanes (But They Allow Children),” a never before heard bit Hicks performed for his album Arizona Bay, which was released in 1997, three years after his death. Though it was recorded in the early ’90s, the bit features gags about corporate monkeys working on planes, frustrating kids, and those tempting levers on emergency exits, all of which is timely even now.

Comedy Dynamics will be releasing a new, extended version of Arizona Bay this Black Friday, November 27, with tracks like “No Smoking On Airplanes” included. Raw, uncut, and complete, the new version of Arizona Bay lets fans hear Hicks’ set without music and as it was originally performed.