Search - Residents :: Our Tired Our Poor Our Huddled Masses

If you only buy one release from this band, buy this one

Bill M. | MA, USA | 11/09/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The band has had numerous compilations over the years, but this one definitely had the most effort put into it. The songs are more or less in reverse chronological order, letting you hear how their diverse sounds have changed over the years. The first CD ("Unum") covers 1981-96, while the second CD ("Pluribus") covers the "Classic" album years of 1980-1972. One thing that makes this particlar compilations special are the several "concentrates" -- medlies created from several or all songs from a particular album. They concentrates aren't just space fillers though; they flow really well for the albums they were selected for. Even if you do have most of the major releases from The Residents, this compilation includes a good number of rarities and general non-album songs. You don't have to get them just for the sake of completion though: in all honesty, they're really good songs! The booklet was also very well done, including an informative biography, tons of great photos, and track-by-track descriptions of the songs and their sources. The booklet has two cover photos, so you can display either one on the front by flippling the booklet over.There was also a 4-CD version of this release, but I don't think it's still in print. It included everything from the 2-CD version, plus tons of more rarities, and more concentrates for albums not covered at all in the 2-CD release (Meet The Residents, Not Available, the albums for the Cube E and Mark of the Mole tours, the Hunters soundtrack, etc.) So for those of you wondering "why didn't they include material from album so-and-so", that's the reason why.This is the very first release I ever bought from The Residents. Music has always been one of my passions, but just when I thought I had heard every style and genre, The Residents came into my life and turned my perceptions upside-down. They're incredibly weird and dissonant at a first listen, but once you aquire the taste...wow, you can't get enough."

Avant Gorgeous

Solo Goodspeed | Granada Hills, CA United States | 02/17/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"There are a lot of highly talented musicians, thousands actually, in the recording industry today, posessing great gifts, skills, chops, senses of pitch, manual precision, on-tune voices, professionality ..... and we have to ask ourselves: just what are they doing with it?Answer: pretty much what they've always done. The same as each other, with occasional attempts to do it better.Then you have The Residents. No one knows who they are so much as what they are, a collective consciousness that produces recordings and media quite unlike anyone else. Their musical chops may not be the most highly competent, but that's not the point. The point is, once you've heard the music of The Residents, you don't forget it. They have created their own classification, one I like to call "Techno-Naiive", a very raw, phonetic, intuitive impression of the art we call "music", and have invited us to view it with all the wide-eyed wonderment of discovering it for the first time.I haven't heard this collection, and don't really need to. Most of it I have on the albums the material is from. It seems to be a good sampling for the curious beginner - a first listening of any of their recordings should determine whether one loves or hates them. Imagine a small group of marginally talented performers producing the most determinedly disturbing recordings they can, unleashing them on an unsuspecting public, and doing it for nearly 30 years under a strict veil of anonymity, and you have The Residents. Imagine (if you can) the ultimate alternative to so-called "Alternative" music, and once again, you have The Residents.When you are fed up with everything else .... thank God, you ALWAYS have The Residents. Help yourself to this appetizer, and if it digests well, go for the feast. Bon appetit!"

Great. weird. wonderful.

Solo Goodspeed | 04/05/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"i think its amazing. its great for any old residents fan or may also be a great beginning for new listeners. what i think i like most about it is that besides rare b sides and live recording, their albums are put into 'concentrated' forms, compressing whole albums into tracks that run around ten minutes each. definitly a great starting point, you get to hear what kind of stuff they have been doing all throughout their career."