The problem with comedy records is that once you’ve heard the joke, the fun’s over. Which is why the Austin Lounge Lizards have always been a better live attraction than a recording act.
Employee Of The Month, the Lizards’ sixth full-length album, does offer some musical merit, with solid arrangements and guest appearances from Lloyd Maines and Ranger Doug Green, among others. But the music invariably takes a backseat to the gags — and this time out, the Lizards have put aside their tendency toward political satire, which only dulls their edge further.
Much of Employee Of The Month plays like skits from A Prairie Home Companion — fun to hear once, and by the same token so obvious that it’s not necessarily anything you’ll want around the house to play repeatedly. After you’ve heard the punchline to “Last Words” (“Could I have all your stuff when you’re dead?”), “Monkey on My Back” (“and it looks like you”) and “Momma Don’t Allow” (a nuclear explosion), there’s not much more to be gleaned from further listening.
On the upside, “Leonard Cohen’s Day Job” is an admittedly great conceit, casting everybody’s favorite morose cult icon as a mechanic who always finds an excuse to quote from his own songs: “If you need speedy lubin’, I’ll prove/I’m your man.” And if you’ve ever wondered what a 1964-vintage Beach Boys ode to soccer moms would sound like, wonder no more, because the Lizards have done the job for ‘em with “Hey, Little Minivan”. A modest achievement, but an achievement nonetheless.
