Forgive Neil Hamburger, O Lord, for he has sinned -- Laugh out Lord is not the Christian comedy record he has long promised his devoted flock, but a mishmash of gags, observational riffs, and musical numbers as jumbled and misbegotten as the congregation of a nondenominational church. Issued via the partnership of Drag City and the illustrious spiritual label Glory Home, Laugh out Lord dumps all of its Christian-themed material at the end of the disc, pondering such theological head-scratchers as the rationale behind God's creation of Alan Alda ("Because He needed a way to transport Golden Globe awards into Hell") and His invention of the Internet ("So He wouldn't be seen buying His gay pornography in public"). For the most part, Hamburger instead keeps his finger and other body parts on the pulse of popular culture, with topical humor excoriating hit movies ("Why did E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial love Reese's Pieces? Because they have the same flavor that cum does on his native planet"), boy bands ("Why did the Backstreet Boys engage in anal sex? Because they were feeling disconnected from their music"), and even America's Sweetheart ("Why did Julia Roberts rub sh*t on her vagina? Because she was horny!"). But Hamburger acknowledges a deeper spiritual subtext here: his obvious parallels with Jesus Christ. Both spread controversial messages that challenged the conventional wisdom of their times, both suffered for the sins of humankind, and both wore ill-fitting tuxedos. Oh, and one more thing: both of them are superstars. God bless you, Neil Hamburger!
© Jason Ankeny /TiVo