The Residents

Genre: Experimental

Grade: A

The Residents are, according to allmusic, 'an enigma of Sphinx-like proportions'.

It may sound like a massive over-exaggeration, but they're actually pretty spot-on, here. I mean, besides being among the most illustrious and surprisingly innovative bands in rock music, they're pretty widely abstruse (not to mention that their heads are eyeballs...or they might as well be).

Despite releasing over 60 albums since 1974, the Residents have successfully avoided success and, in doing it, avoided divulging any personal information about themselves to the world.

Hm.

Now, onto the music.

No one likes the Residents immediately. It's just...humanly inconceivable. Totally impossible.

When I first experienced "Constantinople" (and trust me, it wasn't just a listen or a viewing; it was an experience), I thought I was either going to fall out of my seat laughing...or fall out of my seat crying. Both are applicable.

The eyeball people, the morbidly obese naked man, and all of the other inexplicable and unsettling aspects of this band were too much to take in at once. I, basically, hated them.

However, I was fascinated. My Residential experiences slowly became more and more enjoyable.

And they're currently one of my favorite groups.

Their unexplainable combination of dissonance, synthesizers, and visual arts is something everyone should 'experience' at one point in their life.

Once more, don't judge these guys on the first listen. It only becomes more and more brilliant as you go.

And, of course, the all-encompassing line that sums up their entire career:

"I did not mean to hurt her when I fell asleep last night. I was just exhausted from the act of being polite!"

Essential recordings: The Third Reich n' Roll (1976), Eskimo (1979), God in Three Persons (1988)

Other recommended recordings: Not Available (1978), Duck Stab/Buster & Glen (1978), Commercial Album (1980), Wormwood: Curious Stories from the Bible (1998), Demons Dance Alone (2002), River of Crime (2006), Tweedles! (2006)

Stay away from these: Freak Show (1990), Gingerbread Man (1994)

Diversity - 10/10

Few bands are as diverse, musically and visually, as the Residents. The synthesizer-driven new wave of the Commercial Album and the ambient soundscapes of Eskimo are about as different as day and night. No two Residents albums sound the same.

Listenability - 6.4/10

This is where the group suffers. Although their music becomes increasingly infectious as you listen more and more, it's almost unlistenable in the beginning.

Originality - 10/10

Again, very few bands can even compare to the Residents regarding originality. They wear eyeball costumes, refuse to identify themselves, and have written hundreds upon hundreds of songs, very few of which sound similar whatsoever.

Quality - 9.5/10

Their diversity and individuality makes for a guaranteed high rating. The number of albums they've released that I wouldn't recommend is a very, very small number. Like, four, or something.

Importance - 10/10

I can count the amount of alternative bands that weren't influenced in some way by the Residents on one hand.

Overall: 9.1/10

Thus, an A on the scale.