GINGERBREAD MAN

Where the Residents' previous album, "Freak Show", was a character study of performers in a carnival freak show, set to some lush and eerily beautiful music, this one, which also has some character studies, is much more restricted.

First of all, each piece begins with the same theme, with slight variations, before it veers into the theme of the character of the song. Because of this, each song is much to similar in rhythm and tone. It makes it very difficult to differentiate between each track. Adding to this, many of the lyrics are obscured behind vocal affectaions and digital effects. Even the talents of Todd Rundgren as some of the characters doesn't help much.

I hate to say it, but The Residents actually made an album that could be described as boring.