Haha, I actually like Post-Punk (especially Cardiacs) though Jack...but ya know, I just can't help being a mite cynical when I see Joy Division and Sonic Youth on 8 out of 10 Top Ten Artist's lists. Makes me want to say "CMON FOOL, SURPRISE ME A BIT DAMNMIT!! SAY SOMETHING THAT YOUR FRIENDS AREN'T SAYING!"
Anyway, onto my first obscure review...on a concept album relating to obscurity itself!!
The Residents - Not Available (1978)
Track Listing
1. Edweena (9:29)
2. The Making of a Soul (9:59)
3. Ship's A'going Down (6:34)
4. Never Known Questions (7:00)
5. Epilogue (2:21)
Of the dozens of albums within The Residents discography that have cropped up since they started recording officially in the early 70's, there are few which are quite as....odd, I suppose, as this particular record, both in terms of sound and the history of the album itself. The Residents themselves recorded this work after their debut,
Meet The Residents, hit shelves in 1974, but afterwards locked it up for 4 years because they felt it provided
too easy an entry into their minds and musical philosophy for the listener. So basically, this album would have never become available to anyone if they hadn't been pressured by Cryptic Corporation (their label and spokesmen) to release it, and hence the album's title. They wanted this album to remain locked up forever, out of sight and mind. Good thing that little plan didn't pan out, because this material is far too good to remain buried in some locker. So...hooray for commercial interests! (for once, lol
)
Anyway, back on track here: the music itself is difficult to categorize.
Not Available is a concept album based around both a love triangle between three characters (Edweena, Porcupine and Catbird) while at the same time postulating about the Theory of Obscurity and the nature of non-existence. The vocals are atonal, the instruments for the most part melodic, and certain musical themes are drawn upon throughout the five tracks, giving it nice flow considering the experimental nature of
Not Available's premise. You can hear sax, orchestral elements, harps, lots of drums, guitar, bass, everything under the sun, and it interacts with the relatively dark nature of the lyrics and vocals in some curious, perhaps even unsettling, ways. These descriptions, however, don't do the music justice in any way, shape or form. While I don't do this very often when it comes to music...I can honestly say that this is an album you need to HEAR in order to grasp just how singular and distinctive this album is, not just within The Residents discography but within the whole of music history itself. Corny thing to say I know, but that's just the plain truth of the matter. There literally isn't anything else comparable to this, even within The Residents' discography. Really!!
So, for those of you interested in The Residents, the avant-garde (especially of the Captain Beefheart variety), or experimental music in general, this is a must-hear. While I would recommend
The Third Reich 'N Roll or
God In Three Persons as entry points into this band's mind-boggling catalogue, I consider
Not Available to be a logical next step for anyone who wants to hear these anonymous performers' at their best musically and conceptually. Its quite the interesting ride.
Album Verdict: 6/7
Here's a YouTube video of the first track, Edweena, for you guys' pleasure.