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Cock-a-Doodle 803 posts |
Sep 05, 2007, 03:18
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Well, it's fifteen years ago this month that i first heard The Commercial Album LP and i have been spending time going through The Resident's back catalogue to commemorate. At the time i was about 16 years old and i had such a good time searching out 'new' music. I lived near this store that sold mainly new stuff, chart stuff and dancey crap, but they also had a small, but utterly superb second hand section. It was here that i would locate countless bizarre, wonderful and down right rare gems for a couple of quid each (for example: Foetus Hole, Coil's Love's Secret Domain, TG, countless Cantebury related gems, Zappa, Cabaret Voltaire, Beefheart, Faust, Alternative TV's Vibing Up The Senile Man etc etc etc). It was a real treasure trove. Anyway, whilst rooting through one day, i came across The Commercial Album - great sleeve, 'why have i never seen this before?' Flipped over the sleeve which told me that it featured Fred Frith and Chris Cutler from Henry Cow - ok, i was a big Henry Cow fan at the time and so i knew i had to buy it. Once home, i put it on and out came the rather sinister sounding Easter Woman .... brilliant! When i buy a new album, in the past vinyl and presently, cd, i usually skip through it having played the first track - i didn't do this with the Commercial album - just played it through from start to finish. 40 one minute songs - some superb, some fascinating, some bizarre and numerous just plain weird. Great - this was just what i wanted. The next day, with a strong desire for more Residents, i visited another local record store and found 3rd Reich N Roll - another huge album and i knew i was onto something good. The very next day (i used to get pretty obsessive when i found a new group - as you can probably tell) i found George & James - not as great, but still very worthy and interesting. It went on and on - i amassed a pretty decent sized Residents collection within a few weeks. Anyway, i've always had time away from The Residents over the years - maybe not listening to them for a year or so, but they are one of the acts (like Copey, Throbbing Gristle etc) that i ALWAYS return to and cherish, before neglecting them for a few months. A wonderful group. However, i've not heard much past Freak Show (not my fave album, i must say), tho i have heard that their latest albums from the past few years have been pretty good - really? My top five faves......... 1. Fingerprince 2. Eskimo 3. The Commerical Album 4. Not Available 5. Third Reich N Roll Yeah, i guess that makes me a Clifford, of whatever the name is .... i don't care, their early albums are works of true genius. After the 1980 period, i really like The Tunes Of Two Cities, Mark Of The Mole, Intermission, George & James, Stars & Hank, the instrumental album from God In Three Persons, Vileness Fats and The Census Taker, but as good as thy are, they don't compete with those early albums.
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Citizensmurf 1703 posts |
Sep 05, 2007, 03:36
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Cock-a-Doodle wrote: Yeah, i guess that makes me a Clifford, of whatever the name is .... i don't care, their early albums are works of true genius. A lot of people really like their early stuff, and tolerate the rest. But the way I see it, if they had continued on making weird, groovy records to listen to in the bedroom, they would have stopped years ago. But they kept changing their sound, their instruments, and their approach to writing, recording and collaborating. I do love the early ones, but for me the 'golden period' is from Cube-E (a friggin' masterpiece if ever there was) to the cd-rom period (ending with the Hunters soundtrack). I didn't care much for the 'Molly' era, but can say that Demons Dance Alone is a great album. And Freak Show is my absolute favourite. Hands down, no fooling. Listen to that one for days on end, and you will be hooked.
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red peony 645 posts |
Sep 05, 2007, 03:44
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Freak Show is fantastic, I still love that album. I had the CD-ROM game over 13 years ago, and it too was fascinating to play on the computer. Moving from tent to tent and room to room looking for Harry the Head, etc. I love The Residents!
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Big Ed 110 posts |
Sep 05, 2007, 09:40
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I still get a big kick out of their later stuff. Thought the five episodes (so far?) of The River of Crime was superb - their take on 1940s radio crime programmes but with the Residents' sinister noir to the max. Tweedles is another narrator-driven piece but the main character is so unsympathetic I find it hard to listen to too often. But I know I'll still be rushing out to buy The Voice of Midnight when it appears.
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1001realapes 2384 posts |
Sep 05, 2007, 16:55
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Ah...The Residents , my faves for 29 (yikes !) years this fall . Those 70's recordings are the ones i love the most as well , the 80's had their moments, Mark of the Mole , Tunes , Vileness Fats Soundtrack . For me Freak Show is their best 90's album , the Prelude To Teds ep is way cool too ! 2000's i vote for Animal Lover , Demons has some choice tracks as well . Anyone score a copy of Night Of The Hunters ? A limited set of tracks from an abandoned project that became the Hunters soundtrack .
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Citizensmurf 1703 posts |
Sep 06, 2007, 00:36
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1001realapes wrote: Anyone score a copy of Night Of The Hunters ? A limited set of tracks from an abandoned project that became the Hunters soundtrack . Yes. Hunters was one of my favourite things they did, and this just upped it by a few. I really love instrumental Residents.
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laresident 861 posts |
Sep 06, 2007, 03:29
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I just read that my favourite "Not Available" was rereleased at some point with lots of extra tracks. I wonder if they shed any light onto what is it all about.
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Cock-a-Doodle 803 posts |
Sep 06, 2007, 05:23
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Yeah, it was rereleased in 1987 on ESD with tracks from the Residents/Ronaldo & The Loaf album 'Title In Limbo' - these tracks in fact ........... Intro: Version The Shoe Salesman Crashing Monkey and Bunny Mahogany Wood The Sailor Song Mahogany Wood is a classic.
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Jim Tones 5142 posts |
Sep 06, 2007, 07:30
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They're one of the best entities ever to grace the planet !! For those of you who haven't read it, I would strongly recommend Ian Shirley's book- "Meet The Residents - America's Most Eccentric Band"- an excellent read from SAF Publishing... Loads of other great stuff on there too!
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BUBBLEHEAD 982 posts |
Sep 06, 2007, 15:12
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Blimey, there's more than a few books on there i'd like to have a look at. I know some people here like them but I did find the title of the Gentle Giant book amusing, Acquiring The Taste indeed. What like, musical marmite from the pantry of prog ?
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