Search - Residents :: Demons Dance Alone

THE RESIDENTS-'Demons Dance Alone'(East Side Digital)

Mike Reed | USA | 12/14/2003

(3 out of 5 stars)

"It may be tough to classify The Residents music,but try experimental avant garde with elements of general quirkiness thrown in.The band has been at it since 1974,always being totally anonymous while rarely doing interviews and ALWAYS donning their trademark giant eyeball masks and a tux whenever playing live.Most of the tunes on 'Demons...'were penned since the day of the 9/ll tragedy.This CD may be a bit to 'out there' for some.As for myself,I tend to prefer the songs that feature a male's vocals,like "Life Would Be Wonderful","Caring",the somewhat sedate "Honey Bear","Neediness","Betty's Body",and "My Brother Paul".Some of the tunes that feature a female on lead vocals sounds a bit familiar.Call me insane,but check out "The Weatherman","Ghost Child",and "Car Thief" and tell me those cuts don't sound a lot like Syd Straw.Also was impressed with the instrumental "Thundering Skies".Call it mutated chamber music.Should appeal to fans of They Might Be Giants,Captain Beefheart,Devo and Be Bop Deluxe."

The Beginning Of A Beautiful Friendship

Joseph Kimsey | Pac NW | 12/21/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is the first disc that I ever heard from the Residents, and its power & poignancy hooked me. Since then I've developed an obsession with the formally dressed Eyes and their crazily eclectic & adventurous work. If you're reading this, you are probably already a Residents listener. Obviously, in that case you have your own opinions. If you are new to the Residents, then I suggest you approach them by getting DDA, Petting Zoo (a budget sampler like Frank Zappa's Cheap Thrills series), or Eskimo (the Residents most well-known work). Like most of their work, Demons Dance Alone is very satisfying & intriguing. Unlike most of their work, there is a (very small) chance in hell that a radio station would actually play some tracks off of it. Apparently the lyrics to Demons Dance Alone were inspired by 9/11/01. There is certainly a lot of sadness and thoughtfulness in songs like "Ghost Child", "Honey Bear", "Betty's Body", and "The Car Thief". Of course this IS a Residents release, so some goofy weirdness is in order. This approach is most self-evident on "Mickey Macaroni" & "Make Me Moo" (both of which feature a child singing), the manic tempo increase on "Neediness", as well as a musical interlude of "Jingle Bells". As far as musical textures are concerned, imagine combining Steve Reich's "Music for 18 Musicians", Enya's voice, Captain Beefheart's rhythmic adventurousness, Kraftwerk's electronic approach, Devo's eccentricity, and a more subdued Tom Waites on vocals, then you would have an idea as to the originality and vitality of Demons Dance Alone. For sheer musical audacity and artistic integrity, the Residents are beyond reproach."