The Residents: C/D;S&D

But none of that is generally accepted. What is generally accepted is that, of the two Residents left, Homer Flynn was both the lead vocalist and the main creative element in the band's graphic design (pretty important in this band) and that Hardy Fox (the 'keyboard player') was responsible (difficult to tell how much, though I could speculate) for a lot of their music. Can't be sure what Jay Clem did in the Residents, but has he done anything in music since? He does play the main character in the Vileness Fats film and he was, sort of, the face of the Cryptic Corporation and he definitely contributed vocals on occasion. Meanwhile it's generally accepted that, fourth member, John Kennedy was the 'money guy' in the band, but I'm not sure he even existed tbh! I've never heard of an interview with him or seen a photograph of him. There's film of the Residents 'at home' at 444 Grove Street in 1976 and Clem, Flynn and Fox are all there but no John Kennedy.

As for the decline, there could be all sorts of reasons beyond the two that left being the talented ones in the organization - for instance, moving over to digital had a deleterious effect on the quality of the band's music imo - but, hey, a band declining as they get older and not being as good in their 60s as they were in their 20s/30s, it's hardly a novel situation!

misspoke, I just didn't know it was generally accepted that there'd been four and two left, which seems to be what people do say. while I was going down the rabbit hole about this yesterday I found a post I didn't save on some prog-related forum that was kinda snooty but seemed otm - it said Clem was the musical brains of the outfit and talked about thirds over chords which I think is right, I think there was a strategy to the writing that goes missing after '82. Clem's an attorney now I think.

that said, I love Eskimo unreservedly, great record

I found a post I didn't save on some prog-related forum that was kinda snooty but seemed otm - it said Clem was the musical brains of the outfit and talked about thirds over chords which I think is right

Yeah, two left, but it seems it was much more a business disagreement than an artistic one, Clem & Kennedy thought taking the Mole Show out on the road would bankrupt them (and Ralph/Cryptic Corp.) and it virtually did. Which ties in with the idea that those two were more involved in the business side of the operation.

I don't know what thirds over chords means tbh, can you give an example of it in Residents' music before 1982? Maybe Jay Clem was the musical brains behind them but somehow I doubt it, who know though? Anyway I'm no expert on the Residents post-1982 but what I have heard sounds like the same keyboard player as their earlier music, i.e., Hardy Fox.

has anyone ever watched those "Cool 3D World" videos? gives me a vibe that nothing but the Residents weirdest stuff does.

New album, The Ghost of Hope, out March 24 (CD, vinyl). Also upcoming shows as The Real Residents, and mentions recent ones as Randy, Chuck and Bob, The World's Greatest Residents Cover Band:

http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?m=1102557630070&ca=df6cf40e-c50b-477d-8613-2f17f5aacb37

if that link doesn't work:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8DjpU7ompc

Following their long tradition of projects based on narrative themes, The Residents are pleased to announce the release of The Ghost of Hope, a historically accurate album based on train wrecks from the late 19th and early 20th Centuries.

After discovering a series of vintage news articles highlighting the dangers of train travel in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and inspired by the era's graceful language, the group contrast that eloquence against the sheer horror of these devastating events. In their own unique style, the band has constructed a highly original series of tone poems quite unlike the music of anyone else - except, of course, The Residents. The album features guest collaborator Eric Drew Feldman - who has worked with everybody cool, so he's already in your record collection.

If there's a primary metaphor within this collection it is certainly found in that humble word 'hope.' When powerful men of the world build political campaigns around this simple four-letter word and fail, one wonders what life might become without it. Regardless, whether it be historical and literal, symbolic and metaphorical or simply nonsense, The Residents remain mum.

THE GHOST OF HOPE

"My heart is warm with the friends I make and better friends, I'll not be knowing,
Yet there isn't a train I wouldn't take, no matter where it's going."
-Edna St Vincent Millay

While the great poet's romantic relationship with train travel was undoubtedly heartfelt, she was definitely not traveling by rail as the 19th century neared its end. The dangers posed by increasingly fast trains, coupled with heavier and heavier cargo loads, moving across an aging rail system, made derailment a common occurrence.

In addition, the primitive communications and safety mechanism of the era often resulted in either head-on collisions or, conversely, "telescoping," which occurred when a stationary or slow-moving train was hit from the rear by another train on the same tracks. When this happened, especially in winter when the cars were heated by coal-burning stoves and illuminated by kerosene lamps, the wooden passenger cars were quickly engulfed in flames, resulting in a quick and unpleasant death for those surviving the initial impact. In retrospect, a simple fact was obvious: this revolutionary technology was progressing faster than society could regulate or control it.

Utilizing various techniques, including music, sound effects and text from actual newspaper accounts from the era, The Ghost of Hope purports to recreate several of these horrific incidents. While the dangers described in these factual events are now largely confined to the past, humanity perseveres, valiantly thundering ahead into the uncharted realms of digital technology, genetic engineering, artificial intelligence and the attempt to spread our seed throughout the cosmos. Meanwhile, have we learned from the past or are we doomed to repeat our mistakes on an ever grander scale?

Tracklist:
Horrors Of The Night
The Crash At Crush
Death Harvest
Shroud Of Flames
The Great Circus Train Wreck of 1918
Train vs Elephant
Killed At A Crossing

The CD and Vinyl can be ordered at the MVD Shop or on Amazon

Website: http://www.residents.com

THE RESIDENTS

Alternately seen as a rock band, an arts collective and a spirit,The Residents have been regarded as icons in the world of experimental music for over forty years. In addition to their groundbreaking work in the areas of trance, world fusion, electronica, punk, industrial and lounge music, the group has also been credited with being among the originators of performance art and music video. Their early videos are in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art and their Freak Show CD-Rom was featured in MOMA's "Looking at Music 3.0" exhibition. Their four decade long career has also taken them into the world of film and television music, having scored numerous films and TV series as well as several projects for MTV. In addition, the group is also thriving in the world of digital media having released ten DVDs, and two internet series.

Recently, performing as Randy, Chuck & Bob, the World's Greatest Residents' Cover Band, the group celebrated its 40th anniversary with a trilogy of tours: The Talking Light, Wonder of Weird and Shadowland. No longer content to merely impersonate a band, The Residents unexpectedly morphed into a power trio, gleefully plundering their vast catalog of music to the delight to their fans. Not content to rest upon their justly lauded laurels, the group is currently reforming as The Real Residents, a four piece combo that will celebrate its debut at the prestigious Blue Note jazz club in Tokyo, performing six shows from March 21-23, 2017.

should I pick up this comp Y/N

https://rateyourmusic.com/release/comp/the-residents/80-aching-orphans-45-years-of-the-residents/

I've made it all the way through to the Mole Trilogy but don't have it in me to pick up 700 more albums

uh... wow

https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/rock/8094982/the-residents-reissues-vintage

It begins Friday (Jan. 19) with the reissues of 1974's Meet The Residents and 1976's The Third Reich 'N Roll, featuring more than 30 previously unreleased tracks between them

Oh wow

Didn't know Hardy Fox had left the Residents - shouldn't they just be called The Resident now?

http://freq.org.uk/reviews/the-residents-meet-the-residents-third-reichnroll/

http://www.klanggalerie.com/gg264

^^ first press release I've seen which basically drops all pretenses

the ethos of "anonymity" has changed a lot since 1971. it's a good time for hardy to take off the eyeball.

I really enjoy Fox's writing, a lot of it is scattered around his site but this compiles a fair chunk, and is something close to a memoir (45MB PDF)]

Got copies of the two reissues the other day and am listening to the expanded Meet the Residents now. Still such a strange...thing. I can never actually *place* it in 1974 or thereabouts, I can't place it anywhere in a personal sense of chronologic time. It just is.

The bonus tracks so far have been engaging. Even an alternate take on "Smelly Tongues" with what sounds like both a different vocal take and a different mix changes the song.

Not to mention a "Spotted Pinto Bean" sung clearly by some quavery voiced dude accompanied by what sounds like flute and toy piano!

And then there's the other alternate, "Spotted Pinto Queen," now sung quietly by a dude and sounding like a Disney song from a nightmare sequence.

That memoir link is amazing, thank you. This is the kind of "inside The Residents" view I've always wanted more of. Played some Negativeland last night and was immediately nostalgic for The Residents. I miss the bay area weirdo music scene that those two bands spearheaded. Stuff like Chino Amobi's Paradiso seems to have that theatrical wtf spirit, but somewhat lacks the intrepid silliness of that bay scene of yore.

The infamous Warner Bros album for RSD 2018!

https://www.musiquemachine.com/articles/articles_template.php?id=435

Homer is selling out and I'm loving every minute of it ;)

That memoir link is amazing

Yeah, I wish they both would collaborate on a book, and write it straight. That collection of Fox's and the stuff for The Mole Show ('Diary' tab) and Not Available on the official site are really interesting. There's this tension between wanting to disclose as part of a mea culpa, and wanting to obfuscate the details to be consistent with the goals of the Residents 'art project'

If you're curious there's home movies/photos of them at the Mission studio, apologies if they've been mentioned before

There's also a really well-photographed performance of Mole on YT, which is neat not just for the show but cos one of the crew/dancers serves as an impromptu spokesman - Penn was in hospital for this show, appendix

Oh, and there's a demo of God In Three Persons up, where Fox is doing the singing-credits introduction before it was written, it's great

https://www.thestranger.com/slog/2018/01/25/25750684/seattle-studio-wiz-scott-colburn-on-remastering-the-residents-first-two-albums

I'm digging this online-only compilation called Morning Music today. I don't recognize most of the songs, so I gather it's latter-period stuff. Kind of an easy listening comp (by Residents standards) light on typical Residents vocals, oddly pretty.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQmZPH7GDtA

can anyone giv eme opinions as to this comment left on Discogs re: 3rd R&R reissue?

Bonus tracks are mostly interesting but, my god, the sound on this is truly horrific. Awful example of the loudness wars nonsense. Tragic.

for the 1st album 2CD REISSUE:

all those extras , great art work. great packaging but the sound quality is just unbearable . almost unlistenable so tinny and harsh. ive also pre ordered duck stab and fingerprince, but if its the same deal, i'm asking for money back.

the effort gone into getting these tracks from wherever they dwelled in residents world has been completely ruined by the shittiest mastering i have ever heard in my life.

Don't bother with this remaster. Even though the extras and packaging are nice, the production is like something you'd see on a modern metal album -- brickwalled to hell and harshly EQ'd. If you need to have this on CD, opt for one of the older ESD or Torso issues.

I heard the first one and I didn't think the EQing was horrible. Definitely a bit brick walled, or sounds like it at least (I haven't looked at waveforms). Much loudness.

I have the first two (with the other two on the way) and don’t think they sound horrible, although they’re definitely loud/brickwalled (but not as extreme as some of the more egregious offenders out there, I think). Bonus stuff is generally pretty interesting and worthwhile, though I could do without some of bonuses from this century.

Edit: some of *the* bonuses. (Eh, whatever.)

The live bad versions from the last few tours are NOT a positive bonus, even if I enjoyed seeing those tours.

I just got the first two (Meet... and 3R&R) and did a waveform comparison between the 2018 (Colburn) remastered stereo mix and the 1997 (Master & Servant) remastered stereo mix of "Meet..." (I don't have the original vinyl to compare.)

To reiterate what others said, the new mix is a little too loud, but it's not unlistenable.

Here are waveforms for "Infant Tango," "N-ER-GEE (Crisis Blues)," and "Smelly Tongues." In each picture, the top two channels are the 1997 mix and the bottom two are the 2018 mix.

Go here: https://imgur.com/a/SFAAc

Observation #1: peaks are squashed during loud sections, but it's not totally brickwalled.

Observation #2: the left and right channels are reversed between the mixes! I'm not sure which is "correct."

Observation #3: the 2018 mix of "N-ER-GEE (Crisis Blues)" is longer than the 1997 mix. It looks like small bits were removed, but then extra repetitions of the "Go home, America..." bit were added at the end. The new mix of "Infant Tango" is a little shorter than the 1997 mix.

they look pretty fuckin' brickwalled tbh

yeah that is very disappointing

I thought we were moving past the loudness wars argh

Looks like Hardy's about out

https://www.residents.com/news/?article=20180921-0732

aw man

deleted tweet:

@PsychedelicMag 41m41 minutes ago
RIP Hardy Fox. He grew up in Texas. After college he moved to San Francisco reveling in the free love days of 1967-68. He co-founded the much loved cult band, the Residents, where he was primary composer.https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DntiwtBXoAA67D9.jpg

If pic doesn't show, it's front cover of Meet The Residents.

HARDY FOX
Many of you may have noticed changes to Hardy Fox's website and Facebook page giving dates of 1945-2018, and understandably are wondering if he has passed away. The good news is that he was definitely alive when he made those updates.

The bad news, though, is that he is very ill and that end date of "2018" may prove to be true. Hardy, a longtime master of PR thanks to his decades as a Cryptic Corp spokesperson, has seized the opportunity to scoop everybody on an autobiographical detail that very few get the chance to share.

We at Cryptic are deeply saddened by this news, but while Mr. Fox is still alive we prefer to celebrate his life rather than dwell on his impending exit. And to respect his actions, we will not share any details he himself does not make public.

Hardy has been, and remains, a good friend, and we wish him nothing but peace and happiness in his remaining time.

On Hardyfox.com, following the above bit excerpted in the deleted Psychedelic Baby Magazine tweet:
Hardy retired from The Residents in 2015 but continued to compose for the group through 2018. In addition to his work with that band, he has recorded as a solo artist under various names including Charles Bobuck, Combo de Mechanico, Sonido de la Noche, Chuck, TAR, among others.

Also from his site (via The Official Residents On Twitter account:
From The Desk of Hardy Fox
Hi from me, Hardy. Yes, got sick, making my pass out of this world, but it is "all" okay. I have something in my brain that will last to a brief end. I am 73 as you might know. Brains go down. But maybe here is my brain functioning as I'm almost a dead person just a bit of go yet. Doctors have put me on drugs, LOL, for right now.

Anyway. Probably the last of seeing me. Thanks for checking in.

Love you all.

Incredible attitude... much respect.

Yes, and what an amazing body of work over 6 decades. A true artist!

Aw man, I knew him as Don. He lived near the Korbel cellars up in West Sonoma (just off the Russian River) and was involved in many social projects in keeping that stretch of the coast culturally vibrant and resisting corporate encroachment. His son was making a lot of films (including one on his dad's band a few years back).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKpw4i9iYw0

Members of the Residents' founder Hardy Fox's email list received the following message today: "RIP Brain Cancer Hardy Fox 1945 - 2018" 👁️ pic.twitter.com/npGUjiHk0M

— Aidin Vaziri (@MusicSF) October 30, 2018

The wording of that statement is so weird that I'm clinging to the hope that it's the brain cancer that's dead and not Hardy. Talk about clutching at straws!

Official announcment, RIP Hardy.

https://www.residents.com/news/?article=20181030-0621

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-ISfhLLJpc

Fascinating guy!!! R.I.P.

Backstory and lots of Homer quotes:
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/03/obituaries/hardy-fox-dead.html

A still more detailed overview/backview & quotes of Chuck/Hardy, whoms the author was in some degree of contact with:
https://www.npr.org/2018/11/07/664314033/the-residents-unmasking-death-hardy-fox-composer-america-weirdest-band

I wouldn't call myself a fan now, but I definitely was in high school, and the Cube-E tour in NYC in 1989 was one of the coolest shows I've ever been to. There's a 7CD box coming out from Cherry Red, and I think I need it.

Cube-E Box – The History Of American Music In 3 E-Z Pieces pREServed

In the late 1980s The Residents embarked on what many fans still consider their greatest live project. “Cube-E – The History Of American Music In 3 E-Z Pieces” spanned almost four years and proposed to do nothing less than its title suggested, telling the story of American popular music, from its birth around the campfires of a non-existent Old West to its death at the hands of Elvis and the British Invasion, all in three easy pieces.

Performed on TV and on stage around the world between 1987 and 1990, the show saw The Residents fully embrace their loves of elaborate and imaginative staging, the latest in music technology and, of course, The King – Elvis Aaron Presley. It goes without saying that there was barely a dry seat in the house, and alongside live recordings and contemporaneous studio material this pREServed set includes the previously unreleased demos for the entire “King & Eye” album, which saw the group tackle twenty-something (you can count ’em!) of Mr. Swivel Hips’ hottest hits.

Spread across an inescapably unwieldy 7CDs at the group’s insistence, “Cube-E pREServed” is the final word in Americana cool. Or so it says here!

Remastered, expanded, and pREServed for future generations, this is the latest in a series of archival Residents reissues that will continue throughout 2020 and beyond. Look out for “Freak Show” and “Gingerbread Man” sets, coming to a record store near you!

TRACK LISTING

DISC ONE
BUCKAROO BLUES LIVE IN AMSTERDAM
1. FROM THE PLAINS TO MEXICO
2. THE THEME FROM BUCKAROO BLUES
3. THE STAMPEDE
4. TRAIL DANCE
5. BURY ME NOT
6. COWBOY WALTZ
7. SADDLE SORES
8. THE THEME FROM BUCKAROO BLUES (REPRISE)
BONUS BUCKS
9. SUZANNA
10. BUCKAROO BLUES
(STUDIO INSTRUMENTAL)*
11. FROM THE PLAINS TO MEXICO
(ITALIAN VERSION)
12. FROM THE PLAINS TO MEXICO (NIGHT MUSIC)
13. BUCKAROO BLUES THEME
(LIVE IN LONDON, 2001)
14. FROM THE PLAINS TO MEXICO
(LIVE IN NEW YORK, 2002)
15. BURY ME NOT
(LIVE IN SAN FRANCISCO, 2011)
16. FROM THE PLAINS TO MEXICO
(LIVE IN SAN FRANCISCO, 2018)

DISC TWO
BLACK BARRY LIVE IN AMSTERDAM
1. THE GOSPEL TRUTH
2. SHORTNIN’ BREAD
3. BLACK BARRY
4. FORTY-FOUR
5. ENGINE 44
6. NEW ORLEANS
7. VOODOO QUEEN
8. WHAT AM I GONNA DO?
9. ORGANISM
BONUS BARRIES
10. WISTFUL BREAK
11. VOODOO QUEEN/WHAT AM I GONNA DO? (REHEARSAL)
12. NEW ORLEANS (STUDIO JAM)
13. HOUSEHOLD WORK*
14. AMAZON*
15. FEVER DREAM*
16. THE TOY FACTORY (FANFARE MIX)*
17. GHOST MUSIC
18. FORTY-FOUR
(LIVE IN SAN FRANCISCO, 1997)
19. FORTY-FOUR (LIVE IN NANTES, 2014)
20. BLACK BARRY DYNASONE

DISC THREE
THE BABY KING LIVE IN AMSTERDAM
1. OBER
2. THE BABY KING PT. 1
3. DON’T BE CRUEL
4. HEARTBREAK HOTEL
5. FOOL SUCH AS I
6. ALL SHOOK UP
7. THE BABY KING PT. 2
8. DEVIL IN DISGUISE
9. BURNING LOVE
10. TEDDY BEAR
11. VIVA LAS VEGAS
12. THE BABY KING PT. 3
13. LOVE ME TENDER
14. THE BABY KING PT. 4
15. HOUND DOG / OUT
BONUS BABIES
16. DON’T BE CRUEL (VIDEO EDIT)*
17. DON’T
18. SURRENDER
19. BURNING LOVE (TELE5 DEMO)
20. BURNING LOVE (TELE5 PERFORMANCE)
21. OBER (LIVE IN AUSTRALIA, 2005)
22. TEDDY BEAR (LIVE IN AUSTRALIA, 2005)
23. TEDDY BEAR (LIVE IN SAN FRANCISCO, 2018)

DISC FOUR
CUBE-E LIVE IN SAN FRANCISCO, 1989
1. BUCKAROO BLUES
2. BLACK BARRY

DISC FIVE
CUBE-E LIVE IN SAN FRANCISCO AND RECKLINGHAUSEN, 1989
1. THE BABY KING BEGINNING*
2. THE BABY KING MIDDLE*
3. THE BABY KING END*
PLUS
4. MR SKULL’S NYE SONG

DISC SIX
THE KING & EYE REMASTERED
1. BLUE SUEDE SHOES
2. THE BABY KING PT 1
3. DON’T BE CRUEL
4. HEARTBREAK HOTEL
5. ALL SHOOK UP
6. RETURN TO SENDER
7. THE BABY KING PT 2
8. TEDDY BEAR
9. DEVIL IN DISGUISE
10. STUCK ON YOU
11. BIG HUNK O LOVE
12. A FOOL SUCH AS I
13. THE BABY KING PT 3
14. LITTLE SISTER
15. HIS LATEST FLAME
16. BURNING LOVE
17. VIVA LAS VEGAS
18. THE BABY KING PT 4
19. LOVE ME TENDER
20. THE BABY KING PT 5
21. HOUND DOG
BONUS KINGS
22. DOG GLUE
23. JAILHOUSE ROCK RMX
24. SURRENDER RMX
25. HEARTBREAK HOTEL RMX
26. LITTLE SISTER RMX
27. BURNING LOVE RMX
28. A FOOL SUCH AS I RMX

DISC SEVEN
THE KING & EYE DEMOS
1. BLUE SUEDE SHOES*
2. THE BABY KING PT 1*
3. DON’T BE CRUEL*
4. HEARTBREAK HOTEL*
5. ALL SHOOK UP*
6. RETURN TO SENDER*
7. THE BABY KING PT 2*
8. TEDDY BEAR*
9. DEVIL IN DISGUISE*
10. STUCK ON YOU*
11. BIG HUNK O LOVE*
12. A FOOL SUCH AS I*
13. THE BABY KING PT 3*
14. LITTLE SISTER*
15. BURNING LOVE*
16. VIVA LAS VEGAS*
17. THE BABY KING PT 4*
18. LOVE ME TENDER*
19. THE BABY KING PT 5*
20. HOUND DOG*
21. I CAN’T HELP FALLING IN LOVE WITH YOU*
22. DON’T*
23. SURRENDER*

*previously unreleased