The Residents
Meet the Residents


5.0
classic

Review

by fmicale USER (4 Reviews)
January 12th, 2013 | 82 replies


Release Date: 1974 | Tracklist

Review Summary: The Residents make music like music had never been made before.

If there is a band that defines the word “weird” in music, it’s The Residents. From the start of their career, they have been making music so bizarre, so out of the ordinary, and so ***ed-up that it’s sometimes it’s hard to come to terms with that fact that this group exists. Instead of making upbeat and uplifting music that make you feel good to be alive, The Residents do the total opposite. Their music isn't catchy or happy, it’s ugly and terrifying. They give you a bitter and disturbing vision of what life really is: A cold, dark, and endless void of pain, suffering, and depression. It’s a harsh and scary way to look at life, but it’s the most truthful way. The Residents aren't for many people, and that is understandable. But, if you really want to hear how disturbing and unnerving “music” can get, how far it can go to completely mess with you, then The Residents first album, Meet The Residents, will surely make you think about music differently

Throughout the album, The Residents hit all the wrong notes in the right way. It opens up with a cover of Nancy Sinatra’s “These Boots Are Made For Walking” (which is now simply titled “Boots) that sounds absolutely NOTHING like the original. It’s brilliantly wrong that one wonders if The Residents had never even heard the original song, and did a cover only having the lyrics at hand.

The rest of the album is like this. Everything through the entire album is off. The production is terrible, the editing is atrocious, the singing is awful…I could go on. Those aren't complaints, by the way, but rather compliments. What makes this album so great is how The Residents turn something that is a chaotic mess into “music”. The awful production of this masterpiece only improves its strength rather than ruining it. If someone goes out and decides to remaster this album, or simply turn it from stereo to mono, it will surely ruin the album.

The best pieces of noise here are the longer and more drawn out tracks. On “Spotted Pinto Bean”, we hear a work of art that sounds like a Christmas Carol written by Satan; On “Infant Tango”, The Residents write a Captain Beefheart-like song that makes Captain Beefheart’s music seem normal; And finally, we come to the album’s nine minute grand finale: N-ER-GEE. There is no possible way on earth I can even begin to summarize this…thing. I’ll leave it to you to listen.

The album, from start to finish, shows us how far music can go beyond the limits. It shows us that music isn’t meant to be a part of a formula or meant to be superficial…it shows us that music is meant to be free and honest. The result of this album is a flawless masterpiece of flaws. The Residents keep on going after this, but never quite reached the level of brilliancy of Meet The Residents (although Third Reich and Roll is just as good). I recommend this album to anyone who hates music that’s catchy and predictable. Listen to this album, and you’ll never hear music the same way again.


user ratings (254)
4
excellent

Comments:Add a Comment 
fmicale
January 12th 2013


5 Comments

Album Rating: 5.0

(Note: On the fourth paragraph, I had meant to say "...from mono to stereo". But, that sentence makes no sense, as there IS a stereo verison of Meet The Residents. Please discard that, I often times miss things like that when I am writing.)



SgtPepper
Emeritus
January 12th 2013


4510 Comments


Pease discard that, I often times miss things like that when I am writing.


Hey, we all make mistakes. Go to your profile, under your profile picture there's going to be little menu bar beneath it and within that menu bar, you're going to see an option that says "Edit reviews" click on that and you can fix anything you want.



GiaNXGX
January 12th 2013


5466 Comments


great album

slipnslide
January 12th 2013


2639 Comments


Don't use those semi-colons in the fourth paragraph use periods. and the colon there doesn't really make sense when you used quotation marks four times immediately beforehand.

This is a formal piece you dont use ellipses (...) to accentuate your point with "...thing" and "... i could go on." . In general I think it's safe to say that if you are writing a music review you don't need ellipses.

don't capitalize an entire word try italics or bold or something http://www.sputnikmusic.com/forums/misc.php?do=bbcode
this shit is crazy bro

just offering some advice.

The Residents are dope! I'm in the midst of checking out their catalogue.



porch
January 13th 2013


8455 Comments


good album

YankeeDudel
January 13th 2013


9342 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

i dont believe you, but yea it is

Cygnatti
June 18th 2013


36114 Comments

Album Rating: 3.0

crazy stuff

deathschool
January 21st 2014


28875 Comments


How was this made in 1974? How does this exist at all?

deathschool
January 21st 2014


28875 Comments


Damn. I wish my boredom could conjure something this insane.

deathschool
January 21st 2014


28875 Comments


Welp, it's out there. How can I hear it?

deathschool
January 21st 2014


28875 Comments


Your music. Shoutbox me a link.

JokineAugustus
September 1st 2015


10943 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

This album is a whacky fun time

jsaf7
June 9th 2016


406 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

have to be in the mood to listen to this, but it's great when i am!!!

CaimanJesus
August 4th 2016


3815 Comments


Rest aria is great

Frippertronics
Emeritus
August 4th 2016


19566 Comments

Album Rating: 5.0

you know it

CaimanJesus
August 4th 2016


3815 Comments


I'm surprised how few ratings this has

Frippertronics
Emeritus
August 4th 2016


19566 Comments

Album Rating: 5.0

same ye

DoofusWainwright
September 26th 2016


19991 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

Walk all over - badum badum - you



Just lol

DoofusWainwright
September 26th 2016


19991 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

Huh eh its Christmas but they ain't nobuurdy raisin much of a fursss

Frippertronics
Emeritus
September 26th 2016


19566 Comments

Album Rating: 5.0

I GOT THE



EN



ER



GEE



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