the residents

[mburbank]

For early, classic stuff, I think "Not Available" is unbeatable. Duckstab, fingerprints are faves too.

Much of the modern stuff falls pretty short for me, but there are two absolute gems in there. "The King and I" in their American composer series I think really reaches a dark aspect of Elvis' work that is part of what makes him an artist who lasts. "Freakshow" is a great concept album and is accesible in a way that a lot of their stuff isn't, which is both good and bad. It's nowhere near as mysterious as some of thir stuff, which I miss, but they intend every lyric to be heard and so you get a feel for the writing which on some of their denser earlier stuff you don't.

Also, very rare but fun as hell is a Ralph Records compelation album hosted byPenn Gilette. This is going way back, he was in a performace art ensemble called, I think, The Asparagus Valley Cultural society. The premiss of the album is that he's trapped in a room and forced to listen to the entire Ralph Records catalogue, which features a lot of Residents stuff, but also Snakefinger and a few other acts I now longer recall.

I saw the Residents in concert in the early eaighties, and while it was already past their 'classic' period, it was a truly transcendent experience.

I honestly think they are in a class by themselves.