Search - Residents :: Tunes on Two Cities / Big Bubble

Gorgeous packaging highlights an important avant garde work

K. Tkacs | Connecticut, USA | 07/08/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

""Back in the day," I owned everything The Residents did on vinyl LP. Not having been able to listen to those for some years, I recently decided to order some of their discs from Amazon, including this one. The price seemed reasonable for a double-album set, but I basically felt that I was just replacing the old vinyl.



However, one thing that other reviewers aren't making enough noise about is that this double-CD set, as well as its companion (`Mark/Intermission') arrive in gorgeous new packaging. The two discs are stored in pockets in these little CD-sized hardcover books which are quite nice. There are 30-or-so glossy pages explaining the storyline, with lyrics and artwork.



Naturally, the CDs sound much improved over the vinyl I'd listened to for years. As for the music, The Residents are an acquired taste, squarely `avant garde.' This is music that is "lights out, headphones on, mind open." The band finger-paints with sound, using instruments in unconventional ways and not often adhering to a recognizable musical structure. These discs of the so-called `Mole Trilogy,' along with `Eskimo,' are their recognized masterworks, though I find that I often prefer the two albums of their American Composers series which have many high points and are often quite funny.



If you are new to The Residents, the Mole Trilogy may or may not be the best place to start. It's representative, so you can dive right in, but there are somewhat more accessible albums out there (such as the Commercial Album) if you like to ease into the water slowly. If you know about the group and the music, and are just wondering how this specific set compares, don't hesitate - for the money, these are VERY handsomely packaged editions. I wish more discs were available like this.

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