FROM THE PLAINS TO MEXICO
45rpm Single
| SIDE A - From the Plains to Mexico |
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IMAGE AVAILABLE |
The Residents' inspiration for the Cube-E project came when they found a collection of old cowboy songs from the 1840s. At first they were taken enough with their discovery to record a song from it as a one-off project; eventually, however, they shelved the recording and expanded the single song into "Buckaroo Blues" for Cube-E.
The Residents only released this one-sided single as a premium to include with an Italian book, The Residents - An Almost Complete Collection of Lyrics, 1972 to 1988. They included the track on the "Singles History" disc of the 1997 boxed set Our Tired, Our Poor, Our Huddled Masses, as well as the expanded Residue Deux release from the following year.
RATING: 6
The opening of the Cube-E setlist, "From the Plains" is probably the highlight of the "Buckaroo Blues" E-Z piece...and is better there. This version is more reflective and sad, where the live recording is very intense—a genuine outpouring of grief and regret. Of course, the single here is very good, with really nice guitar and synthesized strings, a fitting mood, and that gorgeous electronic saxophone (though here it's buried under the vocals! Curses!!!). But it should remain an afterthought to the live album. I think so, anyway.