Regular Guy Review
Horatio Lee Jenkins - Drunker Than Satan
(I've had the title track for a while, but just recently received the entire EP for review, so here we go....)
If you enjoy the unique musical stylings of country satirist Gary Floater, you'll love Horatio Lee Jenkins. HLJ is one honky-tonkin', outlaw son of a bitch and on top of that, he's a legend for outdrinking Satan himself.
A la "The Devil Went Down to Georgia," "Drunker Than Satan" finds Mr. Jenkins challenging the dark lord to a competition based on shared talents, which in this case is downing alcoholic beverages rather than ripping on the fiddle. Horatio Lee rises to the occasion, leaving ol' Scratch puking, claiming as his prize for winning, of course, more beer!
Throughout the rest of this wonderfully absurd EP, Jenkins and others remind you of his conquest of Hell's head man, working it into nearly every other tune. He parlays his drinking fame into the bedding of multiple women, but laments that all can't be present one night In "Girl, This Bed is Too Big Without All 12 of You." He's a proponent of homosexuality (if only so he, the straightest man in America the world, can have his pick of more women) in "It's Okay to Be Gay."
After Horatio's 4 tracks of insanity, things get REALLY weird. A psychadelic band called Big Drugs performs a ridiculously cheesy hippie-tastic love and intoxicants fest. I'm guessing Horatio approves of the message or is, in fact, a founding member of Big Drugs.
Next, Scream Engine and the Carnage Caboose gives us the scream-metal send up, "I Kick Ass Because I Hate Not Kicking Ass." Intentionally or not, this tune has Hank III dead in its satirical sights.
Finally, Horatio's pianist, Carl Dangers, delivers a peculiar, loving ode to his hero, Horatio Lee Jenkins, who in case you missed it earlier, once outdrank Satan.
Throughout the album, we're treated to a veritable cornucopia of instrumental delights, (Gary Floater would like that cliche) from a kazoo solo to power ballad worthy electric guitar licks. This thing's strange, folks.
As much fun as this was to listen to sober, I can only imagine that it's even more so under the influence of some of Lee's beloved attitude adjusters.
Album available for purchase here.
