Swastikas on
Parade
Hitler Was A Vegetarian
THIRD REICH 'N' ROLL
Album
| Swastikas on
Parade |
|
The Residents indisputably made their name with Third Reich 'N' Roll, an album-length medley of oldies, done—well, Residents-style. The concept behind name, music, and cover (Dick Clark in a Nazi uniform, holding a carrot, while teenage Hitlers dance in the background) wasn't so inflammatory: "What if the record industry, that fascist regime, hadn't gotten in the way? These pop classics might've sounded like this!"
The metaphor was lost on many, however, and controversy surrounded the album. In Germany, where public display of the swastika was illegal, Third Reich 'N' Roll was banned from the record stores.
The Residents produced a short film to promote Third Reich 'N' Roll. The film is widely considered among the first music videos, and is on permanent display at New York's Museum of Modern Art.
RATING: 9
This album made it possible for the Residents to have a 30-year career (so far), and for good reason, it was completely familiar and utterly original all at once. Listen to them doing "Land of 1,000 Dances" or "My Baby Does the Hanky-Panky," and you will burst out laughing at least once. I promise. 3RNR has got to be the most potent combination of homage and parody ever made.
This should read like a glowing review, because it is. This record doesn't quite reach the high watermark of artistic quality that makes a 10 score, but even so this is THE classic Residents album: they do all your favorite songs, their way. It's funny, brilliant, avant-garde, imaginative, and sometimes really spooky. At the conclusion of the album, the band play five songs at the same time: "Hey Jude," "In-A-Gadda-da-Vida," "Sunshine of Your Love," "Sympathy for the Devil," and "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye." Frankly, while it's amazing, it sometimes sounds like the soundtrack in Hell. But, ohhhh, so good.
The bottom line is this: you might have every other Residents album in your library, but if you don't have this one, why did you bother with the others?