Yello : Bimbo
In 1980 The Residents' San Francisco based record company, Ralph Records, was going strong sending mutant rock out to the masses via mail order. On October 15, Solid Pleasure , the debut album by the Swiss trio Yello was released. This album would be hugely influential on the electronic and dance music scenes. Dieter Meier, the spiritual head of Yello, is an eccentric millionaire who provides vocals and lyrics like :
Look at myself in the window of a glass door
Look in my eyes
Look at myself in the window of a toy store
Wink at the size
The Residents : Easter Woman
The Residents followed up their winning concept album Eskimo with another solid exercise. The Commercial Album consists of 40 commercial length tracks. Why? The five part answer is in the liner notes:
Point One - Pop Music is mostly a repetition of two types of musical and lyrical phrases: The verse and the chorus. Point Two: These elements usually repeat three times-in-a-three minute song, the type usually found on Top 40 radio. Point Three: Cut out the fat, and a pop song is only one minute long. Then, record albums can hold their own Top 40:twenty minutes per side. Point Four: One minute is also the length of most commercials, and therefore their corresponding jingles. Point Five: Jingles are the music of America!
Andy Partridge, Lene Lovich and Phil "Snakefinger" Lithman all play on the album.
Snakefinger : Golden Goat
The Residents' weirdness rubs off on UK artist Snakefinger who brings twisted takes on everything. The opening track contains the lyrics "I have seen the Golden Goat and he would like to lick my throat. I know his mane, I know his spoor, I know he waits outside my door."
Fred Firth : Dancing In The Street
Henry Cow guitarist Fred Frith released Gravity, his second solo album on Ralph Records. It's full of experimental dance music of all things, including a frantic cover of "Dancing In The Streets", the #6 best Indie single of 1980 according to Trouser Press.
