Rating: 
Summary: An Important Warning
Review: Be warned: I ordered a copy of this with great anticipation, only to discover that contrary to all the packaging (right down to the cassette itself) - I had received not "Guy Noir", but an entirely different (and not nearly so interesting) Garrison Keillor live-on-tour performance tape. Possibly a one-off error, or there may be a whole batch like this.
Rating: 
Summary: Amusing in Small Doses
Review: Guy Noir is sort of a Philip Marlowe/Sam Spade kind of a guy. His friend of 30 years, Pete, might pass for Miles Archer, Spade's late, lamented partner in "The Maltese Falcon." Each skit involves Guy confronting Pete over some incongruous issue. The duo devise deliciously alliterative dialog, but become belligerent, and the burgeoning bellicosity soon embroils them in a gun battle. They invariably wind up killing each other. Cliche's from the golden age of radio drama abound as the two "friends" deal with all sorts of modern day issues. My first thought upon listening to the first episode was "Dr. Phil meets Philip Marlowe." The first two or three episodes had me laughing out loud, but the longer I listened, the less funny it became. Don't listen to the episodes straight through. Listen to them one at a time, and give yourself a couple of weeks between episodes.
Rating:
Summary: Amusing in Small Doses
Review: Guy Noir is sort of a Philip Marlowe/Sam Spade kind of a guy. His friend of 30 years, Pete, might pass for Miles Archer, Spade's late, lamented partner in "The Maltese Falcon." Each skit involves Guy confronting Pete over some incongruous issue. The duo devise deliciously alliterative dialog, but become belligerent, and the burgeoning bellicosity soon embroils them in a gun battle. They invariably wind up killing each other. Cliche's from the golden age of radio drama abound as the two "friends" deal with all sorts of modern day issues. My first thought upon listening to the first episode was "Dr. Phil meets Philip Marlowe." The first two or three episodes had me laughing out loud, but the longer I listened, the less funny it became. Don't listen to the episodes straight through. Listen to them one at a time, and give yourself a couple of weeks between episodes.
Rating: 
Summary: Good, solid Guy Noir
Review: I did receive the correct product and it's pretty good. The stories all share the same predictable plot, but Keillor and company's tongue-twister-type dialogue keep things interesting.
Rating:
Summary: Longtime listener
Review: I have played this tape so often that it's worn out. I have some of his other tapes but this one is by far my favorite. I especially like the rendition of Lida Rose. Also, if you admire alliteration and all that amusement, you'll absolutely adore it!
Rating:
Summary: Very Funny, and something very different from Lake Woebegon!
Review: I love GK's Lake Woebegon stuff, but this tape is even funnier! I've worn mine out by listening to it so many times, and am now having to order a new one! These stories are such a cheesy take-off on the old mysteries from radio's golden years, and it is totally hysterical that Pete gets killed in each episode. (I wonder if the creators of South Park got the idea to kill Kenny in each episode by listening to Pete get killed in each Guy Noir episode?!?!) I'd give this five stars, but I don't like Garrison's "singing" at the beginning of each side of the tape -- although he has a nice speaking voice, his singing voice is awful, and the songs are too long (they're only 3-4 minutes at most, but that's 3-4 minutes too long!)
Rating:
Summary: Very Funny, and something very different from Lake Woebegon!
Review: I love GK's Lake Woebegon stuff, but this tape is even funnier! I've worn mine out by listening to it so many times, and am now having to order a new one! These stories are such a cheesy take-off on the old mysteries from radio's golden years, and it is totally hysterical that Pete gets killed in each episode. (I wonder if the creators of South Park got the idea to kill Kenny in each episode by listening to Pete get killed in each Guy Noir episode?!?!) I'd give this five stars, but I don't like Garrison's "singing" at the beginning of each side of the tape -- although he has a nice speaking voice, his singing voice is awful, and the songs are too long (they're only 3-4 minutes at most, but that's 3-4 minutes too long!)
Rating:
Summary: Misses the humor of the live Noir broadcasts.
Review: I love Keillor, and enjoy listening to his show every week. The 'Guy Noir' bits are usually excellent, but this CD fails to fully capture the humor in the radio broadcasts. The pieces on this CD don't have the same topical/current events humor the live bits do (probably because they would date the CD quickly), and feel much more 'slick' and rehearsed than the live broadcasts. Feeling rehearsed would normally be a good thing, but in this case it takes some of the edge off the humor you normally get from Noir. In addition, I agree with the other posters - every episode ending with Noir getting shot is an idea that sounds great on paper, but falls flat in execution. If you're listening, Mr. Keillor, I suggest you put a compilation CD out that simply pulls from some of the funniest Noir pieces, as you do with the Wobegon series. You'll do much better that way!
Rating: 
Summary: You itchy, me scratchy.
Review: The Guy Noir episodes are simply hilarious. Keillor and his crew have absolutely outdone themselves. After getting this tape as a gift several years ago, I ran out and bought everything else Keillor I could find. While I do enjoy much of Keillor's other works, nothing comes close to the Guy Noir series. You'd think that after listening to this tape 2 or 3 times that one would tire of it. Quite the contrary. Every time I hear this tape I like it more. My only lament is that it isn't available on CD. Actually, I'm purchasing my 4th copy since I've lent the last three to friends who keep on conveniently forgetting to return them. I saw other reviewer's fault the performance for having the same endings... they just didn't get it. It's the fact that practically all the episodes come to the same conclusion that makes it so funny. In fact I've laughed so hard that I came down with a case of Loon throat...
Rating:
Summary: You itchy, me scratchy.
Review: The Guy Noir episodes are simply hilarious. Keillor and his crew have absolutely outdone themselves. After getting this tape as a gift several years ago, I ran out and bought everything else Keillor I could find. While I do enjoy much of Keillor's other works, nothing comes close to the Guy Noir series. You'd think that after listening to this tape 2 or 3 times that one would tire of it. Quite the contrary. Every time I hear this tape I like it more. My only lament is that it isn't available on CD. Actually, I'm purchasing my 4th copy since I've lent the last three to friends who keep on conveniently forgetting to return them. I saw other reviewer's fault the performance for having the same endings... they just didn't get it. It's the fact that practically all the episodes come to the same conclusion that makes it so funny. In fact I've laughed so hard that I came down with a case of Loon throat...
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