The Elbow Is Taboo

The elbow Is Taboo

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LP: Ralph Records (1987 - US)
LP: some bizz are .rD5 (1987 - UK)
LP: Torso (Holland)
CD: T. E. C. Tones 93782
CD: some bizz are (1999 - UK)
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Contemporary Review: from NME Magazine
the elbow is taboo cover

You know how it is sometimes when you're looking for inspiration -- maybe, every once in a while you catch a snippet of conversation or read a choice phrase that kick-starts an idea for a song title or lyric and suddenly it's playtime.

Now, these instances can be few and far between; that's how it was for some of this, Renaldo and the Loaf's final album, which took over 3 years to put together despite the advantage of 8 track recording and early digital effects to help us on our way.

We were fired up by intriguing phrases like 'The Elbow is Taboo', 'Here's To the Oblong Boys' and 'A Street Called Straight'. In the instance of 'Hambu Hodo' that was seen on the side of a distressed fast-food wagon where som of the letters from 'Hamburgers/Hotdogs' had fallen off; so, naturally, the lyrics had to be equally distressed. 'Boule!' was recorded for a project by the French band Ptose, who invited us to produce a cover version of their song about an itinerant dog. Similarly, 'Extracting the Re-re' was prepared for a touch tapes (UK) project on ritual.
Each song attempts to tell its own story, be it a child's desire to control (A Street Called Straight), the ridiculous purdah of an innocent part of the body (The Elbow is Taboo), a call for help in times of angst (Here's To the Oblong Boys), the rigours of a bread fetish (The Bread Song), the anger of a dance teacher to the terminally inept (Critical/Dance) or a ritual call to prayer, somewhere (Extracting the Re-re).

Personally important is that each song is also a distinct memory of a time, place or observation; a diary of the odd scenarios and obtuse thoughts that, back then, went buzzing through our heads.

Brian 1993

LP SIDE 1
1 A Street Called Straight
brian: dulcimer, hoover tube, casio 202, snare, voice
dave: bouzouki, tape loop, electronic drums
2 Boule!
dave: 12-string acoustic guitar, percussion, thumbpiano
brian: casio 202, percussion
3 The Elbow is Taboo
brian: bouzouki, Egyptian drum, cymbal, harmonica, voice
dave: mandolin.
both: dice generated random percussion program.
4 Hambu Hodo
dave: guitar, casio 202, clarinet, sample voice
brian: casio 202, 'bass' guitar, sample voice & percussion, voice
both: random drum program.
end clarinet orchestra blown by dave, played by brian.

LP SIDE 2
5 Dance for Sonambulists
dave: guitars, casio 202
brian: casio 202, glockenspiel, percussion
6 Here's To The Oblong Boys
brian: casio 202, guitar, voice
dave: guitars (fuzzed and hammered)
both: drum program & samples
7 The Bread Song
dave: 12-string acoustic guitar
brian: bouzouki, Chinese cymbal, voice
both: bowed koto from 'Frisco
8 Critical/Dance
brian: casio 202, violin, treble guitars, voice, voice samples & claps
dave: clarinet
both: drum program & samples
9 Extracting the Re-Re
dave: casio 202, voice loops
brian: bass casio, pickle jar, percussive inserts, voice, voice loop choreography

renaldo & the loaf are brian poole and dave janssen
all songs written, recorded & produced by renaldo & the loaf
--except for 'boule!' written by ptôse, arranged r.a.t.l.
recorded chez struvé, master cut by ian cooper, townhouse, london.

sleeve concept: r.a.t.l.
design & realisation: me co.
c.d. package design: steven cerio
typesetting: face up
elbows cast by: simon stringer
marbled by: ahmed sidki
cover photos by: dave warden
a rotcod production 1987

thanks to: trevor gilbert who played & arranged
treble & descant recorders on 'street called straight.'
--- 'g' (lady voice) & 'h' (inquizative american)
on 'elbow is taboo'

ptôse for permission to play 'boule!'
'extracting the re-re' originally conceived for
'magnetic north' project, touch tapes, london.

waldo said: "bite the wax tadpole".

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