THE RESIDENTS – The Tunes Of Two Cities (Ralph Rec. – RZ 8202 / LP-1982)

Label: Ralph Records – RZ 8202

Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, 1st Pressing / Country: US Released: 1982

Style: Abstract, Experimental, Ambient

Locations recordings: P. del Scrappio, Sound Genesis of San Francisco.

Manufactured By – Ralph Records

Phonographic Copyright (p) – Cryptic Corporation

Copyright (c) – Cryptic Corporation

Published By – Pale Pachyderm Publishing

Cover – Poorknow Graphics

Mastered By – LKIKS / At – Sonic Arts

Matrix / Runout (Etchings Side A): RZ 8202 A Re2 LKIKS ▭◯▭

Matrix / Runout (Etchings Side B): RZ 8202 B Re2 LKIKS ▭◯▭

A1 - Serenade For Missy ....................................................................................... 3:20

A2 - A Maze Of Jigsaws ........................................................................................ 2:51

A3 - Mousetrap ...................................................................................................... 3:25

A4 - God Of Darkness ........................................................................................... 3:10

A5 - Smack Your Lips (Clap Your Teeth) ............................................................... 3:52

A6 - Praise For The Curse .................................................................................... 2:50

B1 - The Secret Seed ............................................................................................ 2:48

B2 - Smokebeams ................................................................................................. 2:44

B3 - Mourning The Undead ................................................................................... 3:05

B4 - Song Of The Wild .......................................................................................... 3:22

B5 - The Evil Disposer ........................................................................................... 3:17

B6 - Happy Home (Excerpt From Act II Of "Innisfree") ......................................... 4:50

Written-By, Performer – The Residents

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Snakefinger (Philip Charles Lithman) – guitar

Norman Salant – saxophone

Nessie Lessons – vocals (on track B6)

The Tunes of Two Cities is an album by The Residents, released in 1982. It is part two of the Mole Trilogy. Rather than forwarding the story of the battle between the Mole People and the Chubs, the record's concept is to display the differences between the two cultures through their music. The music of the Chubs is light cocktail jazz, while that of the Moles tends toward industrial hymns. A major feature of this album is that it was one of the first to use the E-mu Emulator, one of the earliest commercial digital samplers.

The Chub track "Mousetrap" bears a noticeable resemblance to Stan Kenton's "Eager Beaver." In one interview, band spokesman Homer Flynn acknowledged that the band listened to jazz big band artists including Kenton, as well as Charles Mingus and Sun Ra.

I like what The Residents do with their music in that they turn convention on its head and break through barriers and nobody can argue that they are an acquired taste. I wonder though what was in their minds when releasing this saga about the two races, the Chubs and The Moles. To reiterate for the uninitiated, the Chubs are the swinging jazz lovers that have the high life above ground and do what they want and have a blast not giving a toss about the hapless Moles who are 'working down below' and are determined to find some solace in the high life above. In Part 1 the Moles were forced out of their flooded tunnels to the surface and an uprising occurred where a war broke out and devastation resulted; a war of racial intolerance.

On this next part in the saga 'The Tunes of Two Cities' we have the inimitable Snakefinger which for me was a breath of fresh air as I always loved his part in the band as guitarist and vocalist. The Tunes are from the two races; the Moles are dark, deep resonating tunes, and the Chubs are jazz fusion atonalities. A nice idea that works better than the other albums in the saga. The album opens with instrumentals 'Serenade for Missy', jazzy dissonance, and 'A Maze of Jigsaws' just plain weirdness from the Moles side. 'Mousetrap' is a piano and synth competition. It has the quirky whimsical jazzy humour that the Residents are only capable of. I began to realise that this was an instrumental album primarily with just a few moments of la la las and that suits me fine.

On with the album, and we have 'God of Darkness' which is more tribal native music from the intrepid Moles clan. It is similar to a lot of what we hear on the first part of the trilogy, complete with chants and odd repeated noises. The saving grace of jazz atonality follows with 'Smack Your Lips (Clap Your Teeth)', from the Chubs race, that have more musical sense for my tastes. Snakefinger's guitar is a highlight as always, just a weird phased sound and there's some cool little synth lines and horns to add to the soundscape. The pieces representing The Moles are certainly as droll as those off of 'Mark of the Mole'. 'Praise for the Curse' is dark and dreary synth burblings with a drum beat, 'The Secret Seed' is chimes that twinkle and clank over a bass drum rhythm and is too long and monotonus. The swinging jazz of the Chubs is wonderful such as 'Smokebeams' with its cool jazz flavour, lots of horns, trumpets and jazz time sigs.

'Mourning the Undead' is a clattering machine noise that drones on like being in a factory reminding me of 'New Machine' from the first album in the trilogy. This is highly strange but compelling as one out of the box among these tracks. It would make a great song to play in a factory; Residents capture the monotonous atmosphere perfectly. 'Song of the Wild' is a sad little tune with some interesting effects on the synths. The sounds are high pitched and unsettling. 'The Evil Disposer' returns to the native sounds of Moles with a lot of percussion and doomy factory like synths. Home [Excerpt from Act II of Innisfree]' is a bass drum and improvised music on horn synths, and repeated noises... Very original and intriguing album.

Review by AtomicCrimsonRush

See also:

http://www.gio80.com/the-tunes-of-two-cities/

If you find it, buy this album!