The Residents — Meet The Resident(Preserved Edition)
This release is the first in the series of Preserved Edition reissues- which is seeing the ‘classic’ Residents albums getting a definitive reissues. All of the releases in this series will see the double discs presented in a six-panel mini gatefold- these feature new liner notes, and a host of recently rediscovered sonic material, of which most has never been heard before. On this release, we get a whopping twenty-four bonus tracks, and these are equally spread over the end of both discs, after the mono & stereo versions of the album.
From the very start of Meet The Residents, you're fully sucked into this unbalanced & sonically unwell reality- which picks recognizable genre elements & traits, then drops them down into the album's rudimental & unhinged sound world- making them both alien, yet somehow familiar. The album opens up with probably one of the most unlikely & odd covers of all time- "Boots", which of course was originally a big beat & sassy 60’s pop hit for Nancy Sinatra. The Residents boil & slur the track down to just under a minute of wailing & sinister male cartoon singing, uneven & wavering male backing vocals, drunken horn stabs, and sudden manic vibe runs. As we make our way through the album we go from repeatedly stabbing proto-industrial piano cords, unwell flute tails, and unhinged showy male vocals of “Guylum Bardot”. Onto the scurrying & wiry guitar strut & rudimentary chopping elector textures of “Smelly Tongues”. Through to music hall/ light opera gone unwell of “Spotted Pinto Bean”- with its often manic piano chops, wavering mess of female operatics, weird & bold male vocals, & sudden horn attacks. There really has been nothing before or since quite like Meet The Residents- sure The Residents continued to mold & refine their own distinct odd-ness, but on this debut it's was so fresh, crude, and vital.
As mentioned early this new reissue comes with both stereo & mono version- with the mono on disc one and the stereo on disc two. And you may, as I originally did, wonder quite what the point of this is beyond appealing to the audiophiles?. Well, this debut is often quoted as ‘the Residents in their underwear’ album, and the mono version really strips things back even further- to create a far more primal, crude, and skeletal strange-ness, where you can literally hear the project weaving its sonic odd-ness in a stark white light. As a long time fan of both The Residents and this album hearing this new version was a real revelation for me. But I can also see it appealing to a newbie to the project too, as it really does give, at times, quite a different take on things.
The stereo mix of the album is really remarkable- as it’s wonderfully balanced, yet still murky in it’s feel. So you pick up ever odd sonic morsel of the tracks make-up, yet you never lose the albums primal & wonky hazed atmosphere.
The extras are another big, big bonus here- these are spread over the end of each of the CDs. And total there are twenty-four tracks- with twelve on each disc. The first discs tracks focus in smaller sonic snippets & ideas that the project were working on, and really show both their creative ability & crude sonic flair in spades. Also on the first disc, you get a few alternate takes of album tracks, and once again these are most, most fascinating.
The second discs bonus tracks mainly focus in on longer works, and really these see the project push their oddness beyond the reaches of Meet The Residents constraints- so if you want an even deeper & longer exposure to the bands experimental & less controlled tendencies you’ll be in heaven here, and once again these offer up great insight into both the scope & the unhinged talent of the collective at this early stage
All in all, it’s great to have a definitive edition of this avant classic- and I can see it appealing to old-time fans, as well as those who have yet to taste the unique sonic world of The Residents. So really un-missable, pick one-up before it goes out of print!.