The Residents is another band that has been accompanying me since the mid/late 70s and the one I've seen most often live in concert. When Punk rock became popular, I must admit I hated most of what I heard; to me it was mainly rehashed rockabilly with Bryan Ferry wannabee vocalists. The whole attitude concerning 'old' rock music, the 'boring old farts', seemed contrived and insincere, because rock wasn't really that old and what these bands were playing wasn't really that new either. Therefore, when I first encountered The Residents' cover of 'Satisfaction', it was so much more the real thing: a malevolent crazy destruction of a classic rock song that sounded like nothing else I had ever heard before. It had mean ugly vocals and probably the most otherworldy guitar solo of all times, an ingenious new kind of music! All of their albums (and those of guitarist Snakefinger) in the 70s underscored this first impression and I've been collecting thier work ever since, they're still as prolific as ever. It's diificult to describe their music, at the time I would have said they were reinventing music with toy instruments, but with continuous listening you'd recognize much more finesse. Luckily I was an early fan and was able to see them with Snakefinger live several times, before he died in 1987 (on the day of his death his single, "There's No Justice in Life", was released). There will be many more songs on this list from both The Residents and Snakefinger to come. oh, and I still have that 7" single in yellow vinyl.
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