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After George & James got harshly bashed on by pretty much everyone, it seemed like the American Composer series wasn't going to be as interesting as it sounded, especially when it's The Residents playing. They were going through a phase where none of the stuff they released at the time was that much interesting, and that's a real bummer. Especially because I kinda like George & James and The Big Bubble, but that's just me.
And then, Stars & Hank Forever was released. Boy, what an amazing album. It's definitely one of the coolest things they have ever done. While George & James "ruined" the music of George Gershwin and James Brown, this album tackled the music of Hank Williams Sr. and John Philip Sousa. Kind of an unusual duo, but it works so freaking well.
The Hank songs are simply perfect. If I were to make a Greatest Hits playlist for The Residents, I'd put all five songs in it. They're not really different from each other in style (except for "Kaw-liga"), but they don't sound really similar either. It's an actual music group playing their own music without experimenting too much. "Jambalaya" and "Kaw-liga" are the best, but the other three are amazing as well.
"Kaw-liga" is actually much different from the other Hank songs, though. Right from the beginning, you can see that this song is going to be the coolest experience you've ever had with The Residents' music. I'm not telling you what happens in the song. See for yourself, and be amazed.
Now, about the Sousa side. People don't really like these songs as much as the Hank ones, and I perfectly understand why. These songs are all instrumental (obviously), and they were organized to sound like you're listening to an actual parade. You hear people talking and walking around, and then the first band comes marching in from the left speaker. Then they start playing their song, and when they're finished, they march out to the right speaker, while the second band marches in, and so on.
My favorite song from the Sousaside (that's what they call it) is "The Thunderer", with "Nobles of the Mystic Shrine" and "The Liberty Bell" coming right after. The former two sound ridiculously badass, considering the music is coming from MIDI instruments. The latter has a really sweet intro, with some birds chirping around... the other three songs are cool too, but these are just the ones I like the most.
With all that said, Stars & Hank Forever should be at least near the top of your "Residents Albums I Really Should Buy" list. It's THAT awesome. You won't regret it.
And then, Stars & Hank Forever was released. Boy, what an amazing album. It's definitely one of the coolest things they have ever done. While George & James "ruined" the music of George Gershwin and James Brown, this album tackled the music of Hank Williams Sr. and John Philip Sousa. Kind of an unusual duo, but it works so freaking well.
The Hank songs are simply perfect. If I were to make a Greatest Hits playlist for The Residents, I'd put all five songs in it. They're not really different from each other in style (except for "Kaw-liga"), but they don't sound really similar either. It's an actual music group playing their own music without experimenting too much. "Jambalaya" and "Kaw-liga" are the best, but the other three are amazing as well.
"Kaw-liga" is actually much different from the other Hank songs, though. Right from the beginning, you can see that this song is going to be the coolest experience you've ever had with The Residents' music. I'm not telling you what happens in the song. See for yourself, and be amazed.
Now, about the Sousa side. People don't really like these songs as much as the Hank ones, and I perfectly understand why. These songs are all instrumental (obviously), and they were organized to sound like you're listening to an actual parade. You hear people talking and walking around, and then the first band comes marching in from the left speaker. Then they start playing their song, and when they're finished, they march out to the right speaker, while the second band marches in, and so on.
My favorite song from the Sousaside (that's what they call it) is "The Thunderer", with "Nobles of the Mystic Shrine" and "The Liberty Bell" coming right after. The former two sound ridiculously badass, considering the music is coming from MIDI instruments. The latter has a really sweet intro, with some birds chirping around... the other three songs are cool too, but these are just the ones I like the most.
With all that said, Stars & Hank Forever should be at least near the top of your "Residents Albums I Really Should Buy" list. It's THAT awesome. You won't regret it.