The Residents Sing Everybody Else's Music
True to their form, The Residents force listeners to rethink their ideas of music with the introduction of the 'American Composers' series. Originally intended for a series of 16 composers, only 2 volumes were ever completed before The Residents returned to concept material (God in 3 Persons, Freak Show). The Residents temporarily parted ways with Ralph Records during this period which makes tracking their releases a little more complicated with 4 or 5 labels producing and reissuing their back catalog.
For Snakefinger fans, he plays prominatley on both of the 'American Composer' albums.
Stars and Hank Forever might be more accessible because the songs treated more directly. In the notes they mention that The Residents are interested in making music about music because of their respect for it as content as well as form. This release is John Philips Sousa and Hank Williams songs, which really take off with Michael Jackson inspired 'Kaw-Liga'. The Sousa pieces are treated as if you are listening to them in a parade, including crowd sounds as they are marching by. It makes for very interesting listening.
Continuing on with their cover material, The Residents present a story of "a baby and the baby wanted to be king because kings are good, kings are strong, and kings are the best of everything" or the rise and fall of Elvis explained to children by their grandfather. I think this is one of The Residents' strongest albums for not only capturing a slice of time and personal history, but also for how effectively they do it. This is genius.
The concept is that american music can be understood in 3 easy pieces. Act I is country western, Act II is jazz and blues (african-american) and Act III is rock 'n roll (Elvis covers). This is a cd from the live act and there are a few clips of that show at UTube.
First up is a side of George Gershwin and James Brown taken from his live 'Apollo' album. This is probably not material for purists unless they have a very open mind. The Residents treat the material not with mockery, but homage and I think the Gershwin material was improved with their treatment.
Rhapsody in Blue
I Got Rhythm
Summertime
Live at the Apollo
I'll Go Crazy
Try Me
Think
I Don't Mind
Lost Someone
Please Please Please
Night Train
Stars and Hank Forever might be more accessible because the songs treated more directly. In the notes they mention that The Residents are interested in making music about music because of their respect for it as content as well as form. This release is John Philips Sousa and Hank Williams songs, which really take off with Michael Jackson inspired 'Kaw-Liga'. The Sousa pieces are treated as if you are listening to them in a parade, including crowd sounds as they are marching by. It makes for very interesting listening.Stars and Hank Forever, Volume II 1986
Hey Good Lookin'
Six More Miles (To The Graveyard)
Kaw-Liga
Ramblin' Man
Jambalaya
Nobles of the Mystic Shrine
The Stars & Stripes Forever
The Thuderer
The Liberty Bell
Semper Fidelis
The Washington Post
Kaw-Linga (Prairie Mix)
Continuing on with their cover material, The Residents present a story of "a baby and the baby wanted to be king because kings are good, kings are strong, and kings are the best of everything" or the rise and fall of Elvis explained to children by their grandfather. I think this is one of The Residents' strongest albums for not only capturing a slice of time and personal history, but also for how effectively they do it. This is genius.For example, consider 'Viva Las Vegas', without changing a single word, The Residents take the standard up-tempo version of high energy, glitz and glamour into a version where Elvis spends countless drug-induced hours gambling away his pain, wishing "there were more than 24 hours in a day" of his show-business lifestyle by then.
They also have captured the prudish, moralist attitudes from that time period, which thought rock 'n roll was work of the devil to the extent that when Elvis first performed on television, he couldn't be shown below his waist. His hips were 'too suggestive' (Hmmm. What does that say about who?).
Anyone who prefers believing in the Elvis myth probably wouldn't share the admiration for this album that I do.
Blue Suede Shoes
The Baby King (part 1)
Don't Be Cruel
Heartbreak Hotel
All Shook Up
Return To Sender
The Baby King (part 2)
Teddy Bear
Devil in Disguise
Stuck on You
Big Hunk O' Love
A Fool Such As I
The Baby King (part 3)
Little Sister
His Latest Flame
Burning Love
Viva Las Vegas
The Baby King (part 4)
Love Me Tender
The Baby King (part 5)
The concept is that american music can be understood in 3 easy pieces. Act I is country western, Act II is jazz and blues (african-american) and Act III is rock 'n roll (Elvis covers). This is a cd from the live act and there are a few clips of that show at UTube. Cube E: Live in Holland (The History of American Music in 3 EZ Pieces) 1990
From the Plains to Mexico
Theme from Buckaroo Blues
The Stampede
The Trail Dance
Bury Me Not
Cowboy Waltz
Saddle Sores
Theme from Buckaroo Blues (reprise)
The Gospel Truth
Shortnin' Bread
Black Berry
Fourty-Four
Engine
New Orleans
Voodoo Queen
What Am I Gonna-Do
Organism
Ober
The Baby King (part I)
Don't Be Cruel
Devil in Disquise
Burning Love
Teddy Bear
Love Me Tender
The Baby King (part II)
Hound Dog - out
Burning Love
The Residents are going on tour again for Bunny Boy. All I can see right now are tickets for 2 shows in New York. (more)
3 comments :
Thank you for all The Residents and other good music you post. The Meat Beetles like your blog. Feel free to visit ours:
http://meatbeetles.blogspot.com
I thought "George and James" was the nadir for the Residents. The whole thing seemed really slipshod to me. I remember being particularly surprised by the blatantly cruddy, terrible cover graphics. Also, doing an album of covers, no matter how clever, always seems like a cheap move to me, and these seemed flabby and underdeveloped. I thought George and James was just an awful, awful album.
Granted, this was a tough time for them after the disastrous Mole Show tour.
I know I've said a few negative things about the Residents here, so I apologize for that. I guess it's because I loved their early stuff so much, and got frustrated later by the way they kept going back to the same well over and over. I guess I want them to be capable of doing so much better, but I keep reaching the conclusion that maybe they're not. I've found almost every release since Eskimo and The Commercial Album to be a disappointment (with a few bright spots).
To me the starkest contrast happens when you listen to Renaldo and The Loaf. There you find people absolutely stealing ideas wholesale from the Residents, and admitting it readily. But R&TL are simply more creative, and each album is more complex and surprising (and better executed) than the last. I think they utterly surpassed their inspiration, something the Residents themselves failed to do.
But anyway, I love your blog, and it's fun to think about all that Ralph stuff again! Keep up the good work!
Don't apologize for giving your opinion!
One of the things that kept pushing the Residents forward was they weren't afraid of failure and probably the reason for only 2 out of the planned 16-20 'volumes'.
But I wouldn't be surprised if most of the band changed during that time too. There's several big shifts they've made and I wouldn't be surprised to hear that upwards of 50 people have been Residents at some point.
They are concept-oriented, like in visual arts, it's not always the pretty picture that becomes the most important. I wouldn't have listened to Gershwin or Sousa on my own. Elvis was white noise to me while growing up. In that way, they did push the envelope even though the albums would have never placed in my top 10. I sorta wish they have found a way to finish the series.
I thought The Residents were heavily involved with RTL. I wasn't sure how to work that in.
I think the disappointment started with CA, by proving the public had the attention span of gnats. The Mole Show also proved they ran the risk of becoming too obscure, just like in visual arts.
Add to that, Ralph was focused on profits - the thing they wanted immunity from and I can see where it was lucky they survived at all, even if different (people).
The Residents website says the album covers are the 'first digital covers'. Hm. I don't know, but I think it had more to do with their breakup with Ralph and what they had rights to.
Eskimo and CA were brilliant and tough to follow. Starting with the Mole Show and this series, I tend to consider them as the second and third Resident's band. It feels like comparing apples to oranges. They aren't the same, but good in their own right.
It would be nice to know someday.
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