Butthole Surfers- Classic or dud?

pretty sure you couldn't say the word "Butthole" on TV during the Wapner era

also Eddie Haskell was played by Alice Cooper on Leave it to Beaver

pretty sure you couldn't say the word "Butthole" on TV during the Wapner era

― a dense custard of infinity (Shakey Mo Collier), Monday, July 2, 2012 12:52 PM (56 seconds ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

i heard that's what the case was about.

See, I've thought that over and am prepared to astonish everyone with my brilliant theory.

Before you knew of the Butthole Surfers, were you likely to put those two words together?
Now, imagine if you say something like

"I'm Gibby, of the Buh Hole Surfers"

pretty quick to an audience that does not recognize "Butthole Surfers" as a word, they probably are not especially likely to hear the "bad word." And if they did, they probably would not credit their own ears.

What I recall from the story was that they were being sued about some typical people's court bullshit, which is why it sounds so funny.

the video's been taken down but it does look like the Surf Punks (different band) were on People's Court. maybe that's what they were thinking of.

http://download-video-coolguy.blogspot.com/2009/10/court-tv-surf-punks-on-people-court-tv.html

merged with the L-l-l-l S-s-s-s D-d-d-d bedroom scenes from the Blind Eye Sees All video.

yeah, i have to believe that the butthole surfers story comes from someone misremembering or "spicing up" an account of the surf punks' appearance

Oh well. The world's a duller place if this story isn't true.

I just want to put in a good word for "PSY" from the first bad Butthole Surfers record Pioughd. PSY is their Marquee Moon, their Stairway to Heaven, buried on the record that would introduce their "inconsequential period" in which their main talent seemed to become getting unjustifiable record deals.

best BS tracks:

PCPPEP (all!!!!)
Psychic Powerless (all!!!)
Cream Corn: To Parter, Tornadoes
Rembrandt Pussyhorse: Creep in the Cellar, Sea Ferring
Locust Abortion Technician: it's a unity, so ALL
Hairway to Steven: ditto, it's all great
Widowermaker: Helicopter and Bong Song, but it's an EP so just play it all

The first record has versions of stuff that ended up on PCPPEP, where they were done better. But there's other good stuff on that hideous thing too.

Oh, by the way, I found the Jack Officers totally yummy throughout, but alas I haven't heard that one in ages. A first class pop novelty I'd say.

Butthole Surfers are CLASSIC, possibly putting out a larger quantity of good stuff in the 1980s than anybody else.

Oh, I forgot Perry from Rembrandt. Doing the Perry Mason theme was even funnier than doing American Woman.

haha finally saw that clip of Shakey Mo's kid :D

was just about to add, what about perry?! but you rectify that. rembrandt pussyhorse = so underrated!

"Whirling Hall of Knives" is my favorite. Guitar is just so awesome.

I think I need a better stereo system for whirling hall of knives

Maybe so, make it happen.

I'm a huge fan of Independant Worm Saloon, it was my first record of theirs, a very important record for me, I understand why people like the other stuff better, but this is probably my favorite record by them even though it doesnt represent what they do very well. IWS just has loads of amazing guitar playing, apart from the last few tracks I just adore the songs.

I'm still missing Widowermaker and Humpty Dumpty LSD, Jackofficers album, Leary's History Of Dogs, P (the 1995 album with Johnny Depp, anyone heard that?) and I havent bought anything by them in maybe five years.

Weird Revolution has some bad things on it but the Gibby Haynes album is the only thing that really didnt interest me much at all.

I saw them in glasgow on their last tour and it was okay, I enjoyed the support band Desalvo far more, who were really heavy and I had saw them support Dinosaur Jr before that. I think it would have been better if they had played new stuff, because while I enjoyed it a bit, they just couldnt compete with their 80s performances of the same material. I really do wonder if they could get the spark back, maybe Kramer could produce it. I think if they all got together and just tried to make something really deranged again, maybe it could work?

What have they all actually been doing? I heard Leary was producing pop records like Nelly Furtado and playing in John Paul Jones' band.

Weird Revolution is so underrated and such a genius piss-take on everything, including the Butthole Surfers. I think of it as the Jack-Officers 2nd LP.

P is real mishmash of nice buttlholian moments and really bad rock songs.

There's a complete 1985 show from Trenton NJ on youtube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Liv8WjWPBq4&feature=context-cha&playnext=1&list=PL6422179C8CE402F6

i'm going to listen to their complete discography in order today

i've never really listened to them much

I went to a show last night and the DJ played "U.S.S.A." right before the first band went on. I don't think I've heard that song in close to 20 years.

Not sure i've ever heard this band. Never got around to it.

Whoa, is this thread on acid?!

of all bands i don't really get where these guys were coming from

I loved them long before I got them. They're way more Texan than I understood before moving here.

Psychic Powerless, Rembrandt Pussyhorse and Locust Abortion are all unimpeachably all time for me. OPO: ''Cherub"

When Boredoms came along they kind of made me forget the surfers for a good 10 years, so thorough was their weaponizing/transcendence of their basic style. Also, the surfers drove their good name into the fucking dirt with that unbearable 90s shit. But yeah. They were once titans.

of all bands i don't really get where these guys were coming from

rlly? to me, buttholes = classic rock + punk + drugs + being "weird" (they saw themselves as outsiders and were damn proud of it). all that framed by a cruel sense of humor and an taste for extremes. kind of the quintessential late 80s/proto 90s indie-alt sensibility, imo.

edit: and yeah, texas-style, like ez says

Also: the surfers taught me to love Sabbath.

ums I envy you, you are in for a freaky treat

Bloody LeRoy: Barbecue sauce replacing tomato juice, garnish with rib bone. Invented by the Reverend Horton Heat and Gibby Haynes during the recording of The Full-Custom Gospel Sounds of the Reverend Horton Heat, which Haynes was producing.[16]

"She [amy carter] was wearing a psychedelic furs t shirt"

[longest sustained laughter of the interview]

Blind Eye Sees All might be the perfect introduction to the Surfers:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BW0mXU2mkgo

no i get it....just...i dunno...sort of a mystery like how did these crazed ppl get together and do this stuff? i just find them fascinating as ppl i guess, but i don't relate to them at all. at all.

but it's sort of morbidly compelling...not many bands were this art damaged in a idgaf kinda way.

basically the Butthole Surfers are jocks on drugs. I think Gibby was a frat dude but yeah "Texan" comment from EZ snappin kinda pegs it....like did these guys ever turn into Republicans? I could kinda see that....just a sort of amoral do what thou wilt kinda acid libertarianism run amok, ransacking the corpse of classic rock and psych shit

on rembrandt pussyhorse now

man "whirling hall of knives" is a fucking amazing trip

Way underrated lp tbrr.

This thread made me listen to Rembrandt Pussyhorse (through speakers, so my coworkers could enjoy it too) at lunchtime today. It really holds up.

It's the peak of the first evolution. The next few records got poppier, then they went into a demented butt rock stage most everyone deplores.

man this record is TRIPPING BALLS

they really stood on the edge and took a dump into the abyss

make shit like ween seem so cowardly

"Whirling Hall of Knives" is the best. Love that song so much.

they really stood on the edge and took a dump into the abyss

This is the best description of the Surfers ethos I've ever read. Kudos.

otm

hard for me to call a champ between rembrandt pussyhorse and locust abortion technician. while the former's more experimental and the latter more greasy, they're both about equally anticommercial. and trippy as fuck.

psychic powerless is getting slighted a little. it's uneven, but "cherub" and "concubine" might be my two favorite butthole surfers tracks.

My favorite is still LIve PCPPEP. First I heard, and I played it on the wrong speed without knowing it for months.

i understand why people don't like the 90s stuff but i think independent worm saloon is pretty good, i think this was one of the first ten CDs i ever bought

me too! though it didn't take me that long to figure it out. several of my friends have mentioned the same thing.

xp to ez

i'm okay with independent worm saloon. it's p great for what it is, but not really my kinda thing.

Whoa, is this thread on acid?!

― Josh in Chicago, Wednesday, July 10, 2013 12:21 PM (2 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

It's so great this thread has gone all purple, cuz yeah, Buttholes = Drugs.

There's good tunes on the 90s stuff, but it's a different vibe to the 80s work. I don't mind it, but given a choice I never take them out to listen.

And I do think most fans of the band denigrate those records, maybe a bit unjustly, but in my experience most think they're pretty crap.

Hairway is great imo. Something a bit Thin White Ropeish about some of those songs eg X-Ray Of A Girl Passing Gas.

Late 80s New Years Eve gig I saw in DC: Cramps, Butthole Surfers and Dead Milkmen.