The Residents are artists of the unknown. They’re amazing. I find it incredible how with the era of the internet and social media, the members haven’t been unmasked, revealed (except for one member upon his death) and they’re still going.

@jurassicdesign1

Жыл бұрын

Well I know who at least two members are...

@billmatthias6229

Жыл бұрын

They are failed film-makers. That's what they think of themselves

@recordedandhoarded

Жыл бұрын

Such a really cool way to look at the band a really unique way of articulating what they do it’s like yes they are musicians like any band but what they do is avant garde is doing this stuff that is wildly obscure it’s got complexity the compositions require a level of complex thinking and piercing together. They require using those instruments in unorthodox ways. Just like as you said an artist with their paintbrushes they would paint and use the different techniques to create artistic pieces whether drawing lines and different textures or perhaps creating an expressionist piece of art. This is exactly what the residents do but with instruments. I would also throw throbbing gristle into this as well. The residents and Throbbing gristle to me are incredibly influential in the experimental electronic scenes 2 Very important bands.

@Ryguzapi

Жыл бұрын

@@jurassicdesign1 Hardy Fox and Snakefinger are not part of the "eyeball" members

@LambLiesDownOnBroadway

11 ай бұрын

@@billmatthias6229 Ooh, someone's jealous. ;)

Hardy Fox officially came out of The Resident closet as the main composer of The Residents just before his death a few years ago. RIP Hardy and thank you .

@MarkFavro

Жыл бұрын

kzread.info/dash/bejne/p2d506ujn73FYdo.html

@troutmask6800

2 ай бұрын

Homer Flynn is the last member of the original Residents and their main performer. The rest are hired musicians and other performers. Two of the other original members left in the 80’s due to financial problems they faced. I lived in the SF area from 76-86 and they got a lot of local coverage. I caught their 10th anniversary concert with all the original members and it was pretty awful. They were not used to performing live at the time and it showed. They seem to have gotten better over the last few decades. For me, Third Reich and Roll, Duck Stab, the Commercial Album (along with some really strange MTV music videos) are their best work. Some of their later stuff was interesting but I liked the original group lineup the best. One last item, I caught Snakefinger (their original guitarist) playing with a big band in Berkeley, California in the early 80’s. He was playing fairly conventional music at the concert.

In a hundred years time...the world still will not be ready to start catching up to the Residents.

What is amazing is we have tribute bands for The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Elvis, Led Zeppelin and so many many more than I can count. But decades and even centuries “THE RESIDENTS” will still be recording and touring. Not a Resident Tribute Band but THE RESIDENTS.

@medes5597

Жыл бұрын

According to the late Hardy Fox there's a cryptic corporation kill switch, that when the last cryptic dies the rights to the band are reverted to a third party who will lock them down to prevent misuse. He wasn't clear if this was all four original Cryptics or just him and Homer.

@charlytaylor1748

10 ай бұрын

Well, I was in a band that covered Simple Song (at my suggestion), so that's something

@QualeQualeson

7 ай бұрын

@@medes5597 That switch should have been hit a long time ago then. There's no recognizing, pardon the play on words, the band the last 2-3 decades from the decades before that. It's not primarily a question of artistic expression, though that factors in, but more a question of mentality and motivation. Last time I saw "them" (whoever they were) live must have been around the break of the millennium, and it was just bad and sad.

The Original Residents Were: Jay Clem, John Kennedy, Homer Flynn, and the late, Hardy Fox.🕯R.I.P.🕯

Man, I love The Residents. It'll be a sad day when they hang it up, because they're still putting out some strong material.

Good video! My top five Residents albums: 1. Eskimo (1979) 2. Duck Stab (1978) 3. Not Available (1978) 4. Commercial Album (1980) 5. Meet the Residents (1974)

@otto_maddox

7 ай бұрын

What about Fingerprince??

@CarrieMorgan-wk6fn

2 ай бұрын

1. Not Available 2. Meet The Residents 3. Eskimo 4. The Third Reich 'n Roll 5. Fingerprince

Snakefinger played some brilliant stuff with them. He's the most underrated guitarist ever

@NAETEMUSIC

Жыл бұрын

Facts

@bobparker8294

Жыл бұрын

I saw the 13th Anniversary show in Boston. Snake was there. It was a transcendent night in my life.The picture at 2:16 looks exactly like what I saw that night.

@berndjenter4005

8 ай бұрын

Indeed , his 'Manual Of Errors' album is a masterpiece in my opinion !

@otto_maddox

7 ай бұрын

So true. RIP Snakefinger.

Thank you for making this. The Residents have quickly became one of my favorite bands of all time. They raised the bar of avant garde and experimental music. I'm a fan of yours now

@NAETEMUSIC

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much!

@wolfetteplays8894

2 жыл бұрын

Same

@chairylyme

Жыл бұрын

@@greenbeangreg2552 I absolutely love the Residents, Swans and Can. Recently I've been listening to a lot of music. Godspeed You! Black Emperor is one of my new favorites I love moths~

Lifelong fan of the Residents. Always glad to see new initiates giving them exposure and appreciation 👀👀

Back in 01' I was all about a band called Idiot Flesh and was buying up their entire catalog and that included a tribute alum to The Residents, a band I never heard of. Within two weeks after buying the tribute album I found out they were playing in Boston on their Icky Flix tour. I took a gamble and went without ever hearing them themselves. My mind was blown and has became one of my favorite shows ever. On a funny note, I bought everything they had at there merch table without thinking I still had to pay the fees at the parking garage. I ended up having to panhandle to get my car. Also had to panhandle my way through the tollbooth on the way hpme. I did say my mind was blown, haha.

@Baribrotzer

Жыл бұрын

Idiot Flesh were a great band. So were Sleepytime Gorilla Museum, and so are Free Salamander Exhibit.

@iwhoisheisi

Жыл бұрын

@@Baribrotzer Add Faun Fables to that list.

@Baribrotzer

Жыл бұрын

@@iwhoisheisi Yes, indeed.

@medes5597

Жыл бұрын

They're on Eyesore right? I think they did a version of Bach is Dead if my memory isn't failing me.

I found The Residents recently and I’ve absolutely fallen in love with them, I’m glad someone made a video like this about them, good job!

The way i see it The Residents are not musicians, but they are Artists who use instruments instead of paints

@jedidrummerjake

Жыл бұрын

No. They are/were musicians. Hardy and Homer are brilliant .

@dankwartdenkhardt5714

Жыл бұрын

I was also for a long time a fan of them, but with the gorgeous "Commercial-Album" they already have overceeded their creative zenit more than 40 years ago. I consider them as comedians with melodical means, like Spike Jones, for instance. I am sure they are inspired by him.

@PinkyJujubean

Жыл бұрын

I see their music as being like the canvas for all their other art. The music is brilliant and it's also the base that everything else they do is built upon

@vrai3078

8 ай бұрын

iM FoUrTeEn AnD ThIs Is DeEp

@Stratmanable

5 ай бұрын

If you make music, you're a musician by definition.

I was listening to their albums since 83-85. I had 4 or 5 of their albums and some of their material is really good. One word of caution, don't listen to their music if your doing acid , dmt or mushrooms. Please! For your own safety don't. Listening to their music on psychedelics could cause a psychotic break from which you may never return!

@Stratmanable

5 ай бұрын

*You're* doing acid. "You are". "Your" denotes ownership--i.e. "Your head is up your ass."

My High School teacher in 87. Told me pick up Residue of the Residents. Never turned back. Also the doc Theory of Obscurity pretty much spelled out those four were the original members of the band.

I have been a fan of The Residents since 1977. I have the original vinyl versions of the albums and most of the LPs. Duck Stab/Buster and Glen is still my favorite.

Nice story, parallels my own as I found a 13th anniversary show box set in a roadside rubbish pile in 1991, if you heard any of their 80s material you'd be instantly intrigued & exploring their discography is a rabbit hole, it's been 30 years & I'll be surprised if I've heard ⅔ of it... As you said the history of the Residents is long, complex & never boring but you've done well to squeeze it down...

Glad you did this. BTW the last album released is a whole new "group" though they were chosen by the original Residents.

@gregguillot404

Жыл бұрын

Not a whole new group. Homer Flynn, the lead vocalist, is an original member. And the guitarist has been with them since Wormwood in the 90s.

The residents are the most creative band I’ve ever listened too

this video helped me alot actually!!! i only just VERY recently got into the residents, and when i wanted to learn more i hopped on a fanmade wiki (?)… lets just say i was totally confused. so i ran to youtube haha. thank you!! my favorite song by the residents is final confrontation :)

The Residents have pretty much always been Hardy Fox and Homer Flynn and whoever else was hanging around. Jay Clem played a big role in the early days, and most of the other people who contributed who weren't official Residents were credited on the albums (some people, like David Byrne and Brian Eno who played on The Commercial Album, went uncredited until very recently)

@simoneric8183

2 жыл бұрын

I am quite surprised to learn that Byrne and Eno played on the Commercial Album : could you tell us what is your source please ?

@donaldronson1387

2 жыл бұрын

@@simoneric8183 Pretty sure it's in the pREServed liner notes. Byrne doubles Hardy on the "I see the sea, the sea sees me" line in Suburban Bathers and Eno plays synth on The Coming Of The Crow. IIRC they were doing overdubs for My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts at Different Fur studios in San Francisco while The Residents were there doing stuff for The Commercial Album.

@VincentPresley

Жыл бұрын

Think so?

@incumbentvinyl9291

Жыл бұрын

@@donaldronson1387 Are you sure about that?

@donaldronson1387

Жыл бұрын

@@incumbentvinyl9291 Oh yeah

Cool video! I feel in love with these guys the moment I heard them, around 1985, the George And James album.

I recall reading Robert Fripp in the credits in an album cover back around 1979.

Right on! Just found out about them very recently in a book called 'Audio Culture' that got recommended to me. Never knew. Amazing. Great work on the video and thanks. Subscribed.

Very good video, very good info. My favorite Residents album's is "God in three Person's" and "Duck Stab!" Thank you for the video Greetings from Peru

You're dead wrong ,they are from here Shreveport, Louisiana

@nedstarkravingmad1799

Жыл бұрын

I have heard Slidell too

@tgore276

8 күн бұрын

@@nedstarkravingmad1799 that would be wrong, too

Nice to see someone remember the act - not sure you 'got' the act - but any mention to the next gen is always appreciated. (judging isn't appreciative of exposure - and you've done great work to the latter - and you have a special place for that (wherever that is). A good follow-up would be Negativland. Great to meetcha - and good luck. Oh and of course - I subbed - and yes, I'm from the area when all this went down. Another GREAT video-centric band to explore is Emergency Broadcast Systems (which got a bit of fame from u2's ZooTV tour - easier to cover for sure). And if you're going to cover NoCal legends - you need to cover Primus. Take care!

I've been into the Residents for years, and I found it very interesting to hear a fresh take on them by someone who is just discovering their music. BTW, have you ever noticed how the more salad you eat, the more you crave chips and cookies?

I've just subscribed to your channel and I love it! I've been a fan of the residents since the summer of 1981. it was in a book that came out that year called the new music by glenn a baker and stuart coupe. keep up the good work!

It took me a good ten years of occasionally listening to some of their stuff before I realized they were pure genius.

I would recommend starting with Duck Stab/Buster and Glen if you've never heard the Residents...

As someone else said, Hardy Fox admitted to being one of the Residents. He made it clear, what anyone with ears could hear, that Homer Flynn was as well. For some reason, he never outed John Kennedy or Jay Clem, who are almost certainly the other two of the original four. I love these guys, and have seen them live, and own most of their recordings. I'm sad to say, that after Hardy left, the music changed, and it's just not the same. I saw them on the next tour after Hardy retired, and something was missing, it was not the same. I hadn't found out about his having died yet, his autobiography "This Is For Readers" hadn't been released yet, either. After I read his autobiography, I connected the dots, and understood what the difference was, why the sound had changed. I'm so glad I saw them in the more or less late classic era.

Their output is huge.

i'm pushing 60, a weirdo freak from the 80s. glad to know that young ppl appreciate them. i believe they're all gone now but live on in their recordings. homer and hardy may have been the same person. i understand every album had a very different and varied line up many of whom were in other ralph records bands. love to all.

Commercial Album is magnificent.

Been a fan since mid 80s. Saw them finally last year in London in small church ! Amazing !

Where can I find information about the first album, as well as some of the others, being recorded using this collage technique? I'm intimately familiar with that as well as all their classic era recordings. I've never heard any of these as collages of pre-recorded sounds. It sounds like typical recording using overdubs of various instruments, some of them treated, such as the distorted piano on Meet the Residents. Duck Stab/Buster and Glen definitely sounds like recording via overdubs, which is standard recording technique.

My favorite song by the residents is beyond the valley of a day in the life

@WallyPDoyle111

Жыл бұрын

When I worked at KEXP years ago on an overnight radio slot, I played A Day In The Life and cut it off during that pregnant pause, then pushed play on Beyond The Valley. It worked perfectly, and we were getting emails about what in the hell that was! Mission Accomplished

Great video! I was just talking to my cousin who is a massive Primus fan about how much I think they're influenced by The Residents and this popped up in my recommended. I like the personal anecdote you use to frame it all. What's up with the weird audio cuts though? Am I supposed to loop the video a certain way to get a secret message? Just kidding I know it's probably those S and T sounds.

I started listening to them in about 1975, beginning with not available. Excellent group, I’m especially fond of their early work, up to the commercial album.

I first saw pictures of them in a big black book about rock n' roll hall of fame, or something along those lines for a title, waaaaay back in middle school when volunteering as a library page for my local library's summer reading program. I will say this, it led me down a wonderful road of exploration once the internet improved throughout in the 2000s. Not until say early 2010s is when I would listen to The Residents. Even my local station of KUNM 89.9 FM plays their music now and then during night shows.

I'm so glad that your friend had that last late night thought, and you actually dug it. I've tried many times over the years to find a way and a perfect time to introduce friends to them, but it's never really worked out. Luckily I've met friends along the way that share the same tastes in music as me, and The Residents are always the litmus test. Although I've never officially converted anyone, I've found a core circle to share them with. Thank you for the video!

You missed Ghost of Hope which is one of my favorites! I almost went to see them live for Metal, Meat, and Bone but then COVID happened and now it just waiting for my next chance. Anyways, great video!

I'm a 63 yr old man . I Love these Guys , Have 36 albums of theirs and Saw them in Tucson last year . Hope to see them again 👁

I would argue that there is pretty definitive proof that Hardy and Homer were Residents members, as their voices are easily recognizable on many Residents tracks

Salad session = jazz cabbage.

So THIS is the story of The Residents my Dad was talking about. I grew up hearing about how no one know who they were. It's actually STILL TRUE? That's fantastic. Maybe people don't want to know. What a legendarily weird band. Major pioneers for sure.

There's a bug in the soundhole. The woggle bug is thoroughly educated and higly magnified but the sticky traps come out of nowhere. The edges of the traps are littered with little legs ripped from the abdomen of unsuspecting woggle bugs. The soundhole is the only safe place. One can learn so much when missing a leg or two. ✌️

After all the years I've known the band I still like Eskimo the most. BTW..@NAETE Nice video, you should do one on Caroliner

I've loved The Residents since stumbling upon them in '89 on "City Limits", the old "alternative" video show on after midnight on Fridays on MuchMusic (in Canada - like MTV we also use that same phrase "back when MuchMusic played music lol). Hello Skinny first... then the cover of It's a Man's Man's Man's Man's World. My own journey meandered but by 2016 I had most of the catalogue! :D My favourites of all time to this day, though, remain Eskimo and Mark of the Mole. The Mole story, though superficial and short, worked great for their "story in 6 cycles" format. Actually - Eskimo did, too. It was their thing. Mole had some great primitive analogue synth in there, I'm a sucker/enthusiast for that lol. I've also lived in the arctic - there's nothing "authentic" about Eskimo, but the artwork and story in the liner notes together with the soundscapes - a landmark album. This was a good overview, I hope the "kings of obscurity" are never forgotten.

Been a fan since I discovered them in the early 80s, proud to have met one of their main representatives Homer Flynn here in UK last year.

Homer Flynn (Randy Rose, also N. Senada) Jay Clement (he left) Hardy Fox (Bobuck) Snakefinger (guitar player until his death) Nolan Cook (actual guitar player) There was a guitar player, I can't remember his name, but he was the guitar player on The Mole Show. Mr. Blue and Mr. Green It was women who wore those outfits during the 13th anniversary show. In the Album, God in three persons, Mr. Blue, Mr. Green and Mr. Skull were women. Also Molly Harvey and Carla Fabrizo are some of the femenine voices.

@chestyvulva

2 жыл бұрын

There's a fungus underneath the skin of the green one that drives the rhythm section.

@alexacruz1782

2 жыл бұрын

Yes

@VincentPresley

Жыл бұрын

Think so, huh?

That Obscurity movie should have been a tell-all on the truth behind the band. They already covered that in The Eyes Scream. Maybe Animal Lover was their last real record you can call The Residents. At a certain point it became an arts collective.

3:06 I was at that very concert on Rockefeller in Oslo!

Yea they are the weirdest.... i've seen them live twice.

I read about them through Der Plan, a German experimental electronic band.

how many on here know that Hardy Fox was a member of the band the Residents

this channel is criminally underrated holy shit

@NAETEMUSIC

2 жыл бұрын

Ey ey thank you

4:12 pretty sure underground electronic music artists from the UK follow this word advice too. Burial being an example of this.

The Commercial Album is still one of my favourite albums of all time. BTW I noticed a place called Ensenada somewhere in Mexico.

I saw their one minute movies when I was five... It traumatized me. These days I think they're awesome.

I love a good salad too 😃

@NAETEMUSIC

2 жыл бұрын

!!!!!

Great video!! God in three persons is definitely my favorite of their albums

@NAETEMUSIC

2 жыл бұрын

Definitely one of the most unique albums ever.

If you notice on their first album cover is that they from North, Louisiana precisely Shreveport. I know because I live here and I know their history. I like New Orleans, but it's Shreveport as there beginning.

Epic.... These are the Ancestors of Bucket Head.

@sketchesforyou8020

Жыл бұрын

Fr.

@Johnnysmithy24

Жыл бұрын

Yep

My college roommate back in the 80s had 2 favorite bands. The Residents and Skinny Puppy.

@NAETEMUSIC

Жыл бұрын

sounds like a cool roommate tbh.

Early albums I liked duck stab is my Favourite. Snake finger . He was the Guitarist. With the residents. He Had a song called man in the dark Sedan. The residents played on that Song. And album.40 year's I've been Listening to them. Primus play Residents music also.

Last year I went through most of Frank Zappa's work. He's an amazing musician and can be a bit of Avant Garde, but one night, I see this weird album cover recommended on my Spotify. Not Available. Part One: Edweena should not be played at 3am.

I own god in 3 persons one of my favorite albums it's so weird

I'm probably in the extreme minority, but the Rez ceased being the Rez once Hardy Fox left the collective. His musical style and sense defined the Residents. They have not sounded the same since he retired from recording and touring with the Residents. They seemed to manage just fine without the other two original Rez, but Homer and Hardy really were the essential core to that unit. (notice I didn't say band. There are other Residents, although not central or core)

Not a bad concise overview. Hardy Fox and Homer Flynn (and others) are the Residents, and augumented the group with other musicians to fill out the sound over the years. Also, they have used other backing vocalists, dancers, and performance artists to make the full vision of the Residents come alive in the studio and onstage. The best thing about this is that as Hardy has passed away and Homer is now 74, the concept and work of the Residents can go on. Remaining Faceless has become, not only their Face, but a means to an end. When Homer leaves us, there may be unfinished work released, but the Residents will go on. Beautiful.

been a fan for 6 years. love them so much

First seen a video of them in the 80s. Crazy

I think the cover of "Satisfaction" has the first black metal style vocals

what was the background music?

Found out about these guys thru a Sebadoh 7" from Jason Loewenstain covering they're songs - interesting band

"AH CAN'T BE GOOD 'CAUZE AU'M BAAAAD" ...I've loved them forever . Awesome vid, shall be shared.

A great volume of work,saw them live,unforgettable,brillaint

As the former orphanage of The Residents, I appeciate your video and friendly exasperated tone. Always use gloves when handling your lightning, dear sir.

Saw them live in 198? it was excellent.

ONE OF MY FAVOURITE ALBUMS IS DUCK STAB. THE COVER THE MUSIC AND SNAKE FINGER MY COLLECTION IS EARLY STUFF ONLY. CHEERS

a correction. shreveport*, not new orleans

what are your thoughts on negativland? they're like the residents but (in the past, i guess) they'd rather focus on their own art as a way to make bold statements using methods that are just stupid.

@deastman2

2 жыл бұрын

I’ve been a fan of Negativland since the 80’s, probably even more than The Residents. There are definite similarities, while at the same time both groups are utterly unique.

@NAETEMUSIC

Жыл бұрын

I am not hip…… but I am def gonna check them out now!

the Residents are my all time favorite band . Been into them since 1979. They are the Greatest Band the World does not know....

Um Homer Flynn is Randy... that one and Hardy Fox when he passed was also mentioned as a member and not just a part of The Cryptic Corp... so two of the o.g. members have been identified

The residents are pure art anf I love it. However we do know at least one member.

I do believe the Residents are from Shreveport not New Orleans

Can't accuse them of sleeping on the job.

Great !!! 🙂 Listen them from 1998.

".....famous fans stretching [to] Les Claypool ....." No surprise there. Les sings with the same woozy, cartoonish country drawl as "Randy, the singer from The Residents", also sometimes known as Homer Flynn.

@NAETEMUSIC

Жыл бұрын

Yeah everyone from Perry Farrell, to Mike Patton, to Les Claypool are all hugely into The Residents

So i listend to a few of their alblums and yeah this is EASILY the weirdest music ive ever heard i always thought nurse with wound was weird and yeah it is but this music is even stranger maybe not always as creppy but yeah defenitley the weirdest music ive ever heard

You listen to them during “salad” sessions? I prefer to listen to them during “shaved ice” sessions.

And Snake finger...?...rip......

Weird is class

You over did the "salad" jokes and comments

Could be wrong or misinformed but I thought they came from Shreveport Louisiana? I’m from that area and have met locals who grew up with them

Yeah who are these guys and what are they about,,,? Being weird,,,?

Thank you Tebe (earl sweatshirt) again

Dear Lord I'd kill for a nice salad right now!!!

THEY ARE NOT FROM NEW ORLEANS BUT FROM SHREVEPORT ! :-)