MEET THE RESIDENTS

Glancing at previous reviews and I honestly forgot that anonymity was such a big deal for this band ("anonymous lineup" haha). And really, quite the novelty for when they came onto the scene. Also with timing, cool this was only 10 years after Meet The Beatles. I don't have to feel this to be true: so much happened culturally and specifically in music in that span of time. Of course, Progressive Rock and Art musics generally increased in popularity, but also its foundation in Psych and Space Rock was 'happening' in that time; the advent of Fusion and Heavy Metal occurred. A lot was goin' on. And then there's this... Avant-Rock a la America.

When the album started, I had to bring myself back to reality with who it was I was hearing haha. Bizarro doo-wop in "Boots"?! I'm sure people figured the Mothers of Invention were key to this sound. "Numb Erone" is as sour as it gets. And it gives way to this build of instrumentation and complexity (and weirdness) on "Guylum Bardot" with woodwinds... It's with this song that I hear the potential for a future Les Claypool?! Obviously, as he, they were referencing then something-something old-timey.

Rolling right along to the next elements with "Breath and Length". Really cool, strange instrumentation. The female vox are a nice, eerie touch. "Consuelo's Departure" continues in this theme with some electronic elements and... what sounds like paper being sliced? Probably not. Some wild experimentation here. Electronic scurrying and weird far-off sampling continues the affair on "Smelly Tongues", which I really quite like. Plenty going on, though it may first appear incredibly minimal. And that's the end of this medley of bizarre happenings.

Next is "Rest Aria", an appropriate name if there ever was one. Solo piano plays sourly in some distant corner of the room. It is met with some sharp chiming percussion and what sounds like accordion? It rises and falls: pretty static. The saxophone at the end is real nice, I must say. Then the final sub-2-minute track, "Skratz", was mmediately more my thang. It has this weird, nodding sort of effect. The vocals are creepy and the brushing of the cymbals and the reeds and all else are a fine match.

"Spotted Pinto Bean" feels like a call-back to Musique Concrete. Very strange and random. Creepy, but... familiar? It's pretty good. Onto "Infant Tango", and now I'm understanding why people are talking about it. This has funk and then swing, but all around it has charm. Some of the most bizarro vocals on the album. It's dancey and experimental in the greatest of ways. "Seasoned Greetings" reminded me of something by Eno ("Some of Them Are Old"?). Onto the creep on the final track, "N-ER-GEE (Crisis Blues)"--thank you, The Residents; I had no idea how to pronounce that. Banging on pianos. Sharp strikes of guitar. Some fine vocals, this'n? Then we're back into the swing, with something that sounds very familiar: "Nobody But Me" originally by the Isley Brothers in 1962. I say who cares if they're an inspiration at all (surprising as it would be). Calls to mind The Mothers' use of "Louie Louie" some 7 years before.

It's looking like I may be in the minority that feels this landmark debut isn't necessarily "Excellent". Important for the time? No doubt about it. And I'm seeing people call to its uniqueness. But of course, nothing has ever been made in a vacuum. The fact that, for instance, this was made a year after Henry Cow's Legend, I'd rather take that. It's hard not to make comparisons, and I did that aplenty here. The thing that can be noted is that this level of avant-garde experimentation feels like call-backs to 20 years before, but also feels like it's 10+ years ahead of the curve. A punk-level of not-giving-a-f*ck about what you think about their oddity.

True Rate: 3.5/5.0