Search - Residents :: God in Three Persons

Abstract Storytelling

02/27/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"In 1988 the Residents embarked on a series on concept albums that explore the emotional world of people with physical deformities. "God in Three Persons" is a triangulated tale of a male and female set of joined twins who have mysterious healing powers, and a man, Mr. X, who befriends and exploits them. The trio plays out the dynamics between bisexual men and the straight men who love them. The twins are blessed with a godlike compassion for all unfortunate people, including Mr. X. However, now that the twins have 'saved' Mr. X, he now seeks to control and isolate them for his own gratification. To his dismay, Mr. X's sexual encounters with the female twin always include the male twin, ultimately leading to disaster.The cover art of the CD sums it all up. The cover depicts a snapshot from Mr. X's scrapbook in which he tries to make it look like two women are adoring him rather than the male and female set of twins."

Awesome (Rock)Opera by the Residents

James Lopez | Los Angeles, CA USA | 11/06/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is the second Residents album which I have heard, and it's totally awesome! It is like a soundtrack/musical score (complete with the lines and soliloquies) of some avant garde film or musical. For those of you who are not familiar with the Residents' work, this would not really be a good introduction into their twisted world. It is, however, a high-quality release complete with strange electronics, jazzy structures, and sinister, haunting melodies that contribute to the creation and establishment of various moods (most of them rather grim). The main character "Mr. X" is the protagonist of this album, and most of the vocal tracks consist of his drama-like dialogue taking the place of lead singing. The music, which is not exactly in the background, is very often at odds with the comic delivery of Mr.X's dialogue, which makes the album nonetheless more entertaining. The first track is an intro to the album not unlike that of the Rocky Horror Picture Show (although stylistically it is an entirely different delivery). After the intro, the sinister-sounding, piano-dominated "Hard and Tenderly" comes into play; it is, musically, one of the best tracks on the album. The rest of the album proceeds with some great musical tracks and great storytelling/acting (all in sync with a strange plot indeed!). The eleventh track "Time" builds up to the climax of the last three songs on the album with a dark, dangerous mood not unlike that of a "chase scene" from some sinister space-age/sci-fi movie. The conclusion of the album is great, and the listener understands (finally) what the story is about. Although it is a great album, God in Three Persons is not a good starter album to buy from the Residents; a good starter album is The Commercial Album, which leads the listener in to the world of the Residents (although it is still a fairly subtle introduction). However, if you are open-minded and are up for the challenge of a classic Residents album, you should buy this title. A great buy for lovers of great music."