1989

THE KING AND EYE

Album

Blue Suede Shoes the baby king part 1 Don't Be Cruel Heartbreak Hotel All Shook Up Return to Sender the baby king part 2 Teddy Bear Devil in Disguise Stuck on You Big Hunk O' Love A Fool Such as I the baby king part 3 Little Sister His Latest Flame Burning Love Viva Las Vegas the baby king part 4 Love Me Tender the baby king part 5 Hound Dog

HISTORICAL CONTEXT*

After the successful first leg of the Cube-E tour returned from Europe, the Residents felt that the third E-Z piece, "The Baby King," was deserving of its own stand-alone studio project. So, in the late fall of 1989, "The Baby King" took on a second life as The King and Eye.

The studio album was little more than a reincarnation of "The Baby King," albeit with a different sequence to the songs and fewer dialogue segments. With no live visual context, however, it was undetectable (and perhaps irrelevant) that the narrator was an aging Elvis impersonator, and the Singing Resident dropped the persona and spoke in his own voice. Nor did the children (Homer Flynn's daughter Jana and Tom Timony's son Simon) address him as "Granddad" as the puppets had done in the Cube-E show. The plot does continue as before, however; the Singing Resident teaches the children that happiness doesn't come of making yourself king, even though "kings are good, and kings are strong, and kings are the best of everything."

Contrary to widespread belief, The King and Eye is not part of the American Composers Series—Elvis Presley did not compose any songs in his twenty-plus-year career.

REVIEW

RATING: 7

With The King and Eye, the Residents take music that someone else made famous, and reinterpret it their way. You know, that thing they've been doing for 30 years. This time's pretty cool—it's no Stars & Hank Forever, and it's sure as HELL no Third Reich 'N' Roll, but still pretty cool!

Sometimes it's actually fantastic. "His Latest Flame" is the standout: Elvis' hiccupy, frustrated rhythm disappears, and is replaced by a mournful dirge (with guest star song stylist Laurie Amat). "Burning Love" becomes a slow burn, and "Viva Las Vegas" becomes a song about nagging obsessions—perhaps the most direct statement about The King. But then, some songs are surprisingly faithful renditions, like "A Fool Such As I" and most of "Love Me Tender." I really dig all of them.

The fact remains, however, that the narrative is the best and most interesting part of the thing. It's incredibly fitting, and strangely reassuring, to hear Elvis called "the King of Need" and Gladys Presley called "Mama Madonna." But above all, it's very sweet to hear the singer's interaction with the kids, easily convincing me that Whoever-He-Is has children of his own (and not discouraging the theory that Homer Flynn is the singer).

The flaws: first of all, the songs themselves are only related in the fact that they're all Presley hits. There's no rhyme or reason to most of the selections, except "Viva Las Vegas" and, of course, "Love Me Tender." Which brings me to my next point: look, the comparison may not be fair, but Cube-E does Elvis' end much better. Here Elvis keeps trying to sing "Love Me Tender" under the assault of British Invaders, but live, he screams, "LOVE MEEEE! MY PEOPLE! LOOOOOOVE MEEEE!" as the Beatles repeat "Blue Suede Shoes—Blue Suede Shoes—Blue Suede Shoes" (from their version of "Roll Over Beethoven"). Still, the little girl is very moving when she whispers, "That was sad," at the close. Her feelings help make up for the loss of Elvis'.

Excellent, all told, but could've been more.

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