The Residents - recs requed

[JSngry]

Been aware of these guys for decades, never really taken the plunge into the catalog. Just ordered Meet The Residents...what do those who really know the works suggest as worthy followup(s)?

 

 

 

 

[Homefromtheforest]

I have their first 3 albums; personal fave was always "fingerprince".

[BFrank]

They're an acquired taste for sure, but very innovative and talented. I saw them last year at SXSW. It was the final performance for their keyboardist/percussionist Chuck, who "retired."

[Joe]

All of the 70s material is worth hearing, IMO. The "Beyond The Valley of A Day in the Life" / "Flying" 7-inch, now available on certain expanded reissues of THIRD REICH N ROLL, still may be my favorite of their all their recordings. COMMERCIAL ALBUM is great "fun," ESKIMO one of those jokes that turn serious midway through the telling, NOT AVAILABLE what "prog rock" could have been. The earliest stuff (THE WARNER BROS. RECORDINGS... an official release? I can't recall.) is the most Beefheartian / Zappa-esque. Once they discovered MIDI implementation, however, I find their sonic world much less interesting / inviting.

[MomsMobley]

Joe's right on with generally working your way forward but I aver there's great work in all their periods, albeit different sound worlds (inc. elements of what will be known as "industrial") & not all concepts work equally well. Also, I used to know more but the "band" changes over time reducing the GROUP "identity" as it were... "Residue of the Residents" is a great comp of their non-lp '70s / '80s brilliance--

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00I6535KS?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[alankin]

I liked "Eskimo"

[JSngry]

Gonna get this one sooner than later!

 

 

 

 

[Alexander Hawkins]

Not a direct answer to the question, but can I really recommend this project? https://helloskinny.bandcamp.com/album/hello-skinny

Tom Skinner is a fantastic drummer, with a really bewildering array of influences - The Residents being only one amongst many...this includes a great cover version...

[clifford_thornton]

I feel like the earlier the better, but admittedly don't know their full discog all that well.

[Hot Ptah]

I will be very interested in the recommendations here, because I have never heard a Residents album that I really wanted to listen to. To me, the idea of their music is interesting, but actually listening to their music is not enjoyable. However, I may not have heard the albums that I would like.

[romualdo]

My favourites are Third Reich & Roll, Meet The Residents & Not Available

At one stage it was rumoured that Don Van Vliet was a member of the band

They played here in Brisbane in the mid 80's - memorable concert (tophat-eye phase) - probably around the time of the Tokyo tour (with Snakefinger) - he wasn't present at our concert though

[JSngry]

They would appear to have a real affinity for James Brown's mojo. I don't know how you can be so right being this wrong unless you had a damn good handle on what it was you were dealing with, at least inside yourself.

 

 

5 hours ago, Alexander Hawkins said:

Not a direct answer to the question, but can I really recommend this project? https://helloskinny.bandcamp.com/album/hello-skinny

Tom Skinner is a fantastic drummer, with a really bewildering array of influences - The Residents being only one amongst many...this includes a great cover version...

You can if you feel it!

 

 

[BFrank]

46 minutes ago, Hot Ptah said:

I will be very interested in the recommendations here, because I have never heard a Residents album that I really wanted to listen to. To me, the idea of their music is interesting, but actually listening to their music is not enjoyable. However, I may not have heard the albums that I would like.

I'm in this camp, myself. I like the "idea" of the Residents more than I like their music. But like HP, I haven't spent enough time exploring their albums.

[Jazzmoose]

I came really close to trying out the Residents back in the mid-eighties, but screwed up and grabbed The Replacements (Let it Be) instead.  This turned out to be an even better screw up than the time I accidently bought XTC's Black Sea when looking for INXS.  I suppose I really ought to give them a chance,but after all this time I dunno.

[clifford_thornton]

probably better to stay put.

[JSngry]

So what's the deal, did they just do that one "thing" and not move anywhere with it? Because I'm really liking this first, fuller look at it, but 40 years of more or less "that"...that's a lot. 

[MomsMobley]

10 hours ago, JSngry said:

So what's the deal, did they just do that one "thing" and not move anywhere with it? Because I'm really liking this first, fuller look at it, but 40 years of more or less "that"...that's a lot. 

no, no, no, no... "they"-- in decreasing # of primacy until there was just one-- did many many many things & save technoloy-- MIDI etc changed their lives, the Residents' is not any kind kind of linear development. some folks do abandom ship in the early-mid '80s but I say stick around and if / when there's an album you don't dig, move on to the next one...  there are # of turning points to watch for: move from studio to live, analog to digital (in # of ways), what seems an unannounced loss of "original" ("defining") band members... "they" did CD-Rom projects, put increasing effort into video, theater (or 'theatrical') that did or didn't work (and weren't as great as ALL THAT JAZZ even when they did but that's saying their short of very best possible so...) By the time you hit the 1990s you might be worn out but there are moments yet to come....

2010s I'd hold off on for present.

pay particular attn, when he's present to guitarist Phil "Snakefinger" Lithman btw.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 19, 2016 by MomsMobley

[JSngry]

Any truth at all to the Shreveport thing, has that seen the light of verification yet?

I tell you, this is in so many ways a "failure", but in what is for me the most important way of all - clarity, of vision and objective, I'm impressed as hell.

 

 

14 hours ago, Joe said:

The earliest stuff (THE WARNER BROS. RECORDINGS... an official release? I can't recall.) is the most Beefheartian / Zappa-esque.

whoa...

 

 

Tempted to say that that's the "Warner Brothers Album" in that it sounds like if Van Dyke Parks was writing Smile with Beefheart instead of Brian...or looking for a less "commercial" successor to Song Cycle...

[romualdo]

their limited edition "Fridge" box set from 2012 was a marketing hoot

Only 10 copies & cost $100,000 (100, 000 pounds in the UK) - wonder if they sold the lot?

http://www.brooklynvegan.com/archives/2013/10/the_residents_s.html

[MomsMobley]

that said, it should be noted that lesser Residents can be annoying / precious as fuck-- but they / "he" (in time) was prolific and can be re-engaging. still, one should certainly internalize, say, the two Virgil Thomson / Gertrude Stein operas, and the best of the other Ralph Records artists, before getting too bogged down in, say, 

 

 

 

 

 

[MomsMobley]

whoa, I can see how the edit function is wacked out! last sentence above should conclude

... before getting too bogged down (unless also 'balls deep') in lesser arcana."

I do very much recommend Renaldo & the Loaf.

 

Edited January 19, 2016 by MomsMobley

[Joe]

IIRC, the WB ALBUM is the (in)famous demo tape the band sent to said label, then returned, addressed to "Residents," inspiring the collective's eventual name / identity. Some of this material has seen official release on WB:RMX.

As Moms has pointed out, the history of the collective is actually one of it becoming gradually less and less so, to the extent that "The Residents" might now be, for all intents and purposes, a solo act + "hired" players.

[JSngry]

Who would that Last Man be, and is he really from Shreveport?

[Joe]

Homer Flynn / "Randy." And while I've never encountered confirmation, I believe the Shreveport origins are authentic.

See also: http://residentsmovie.com/

Edited January 20, 2016 by Joe