Controversy (The Last Word)
"Controversy" is the tenth and penultimate instalment of the blog The Last Word, authored by Will Rothers (better known as Big Brother, the former webmaster of The Residents' official website). It was published between April and July 2009 in the website's Historical sub-section.
The blog
Many Residents releases have stirred up controversy.
Meet The Residents - Ripped off the famous Beatle cover. Used an actual piece of “Nobody But Me” by the Human Beinz way before people were trying to sample music and disguise that they did it.
The Third Reich ‘N’ Roll - Still banned in Germany for its Hitler cover even though it was released in 1976.
Satisfaction - the lyrics were re written in a manner not too kind to Dinah Shore’s tits.
Fingerprince - takes a swipe at the concept of God.
Beatles Play The Residents - Where to begin? Cover photo of The Residents with their dicks tucked between their legs is a good start.
Duck Stab - Animal cruelty folks were outraged by the cover, but it was a plastic duck.
Eskimo - Yes the Inuit people find the word Eskimo offensive, and the stories are all faked.
Diskomo - Eskimo loving folks hated the very idea of a disco version of their fav album. The fact that it said, “Disco will never die” on the cover didn’t help either.
The Commercial Album - one-minute songs did upset some people.
The Mole Trilogy - This collection steps into racism and labor issues. But was that controversial? Not at all. It was The Big Bubble being sung in a made-up language that seems to spark the uproar.
George & James - Yes... The Residents actually covered a LIVE James Brown album.
Stars & Hank - The Residents recorded the Sousa marches, then pushed a playback system down the street in a shopping cart and rerecorded it to get the authentic sound of a passing band. The fans could care less. Not big fans of Sousa I suppose.
Kawliga - Billie Jean bass line. This was way before the popularity of sampling.
God in 3 Persons - Yes, a man does fuck Siamese twin faith healers. Got a problem with that?
King & Eye - Elvis.
Freak Show - Deformed people.
The Gingerbread Man - A transexual ponders the meaning of life. An old lady considers suicide.
Bad Day on the Midway - A Nazi owns a Midway. A serial killer, a deadly disease, and the government are terrorizing the place. The CDROM had to be altered in order to be sold in Germany.
I Murdered Mommy - Parents sometime kill their children. Children can also kill their parents.
Pollex Christie - What do Beethoven and the Theme from Star Trek have in common anyway? The big toe of Christ.
Disfigured Night - We are the World. Or are we?
Wormwood - The lovely Bible stories we love to hear over and over. The show was picketed in Boston.
High Horses - People take drugs? Yes they do.
Animal Lover - Penis is stolen, people are dead, humans change into animals. It is massive regression and mania.
River of Crime - Bad things happen to good people.
Tweedles - If you have a big dick and you know how to use it to make the girls and guys squeal, why not do it? Over and over.
The Voice of Midnight - Madness is not easily contained and leads to a bad place.
The Bunny Boy - Obsession becomes personified and goes real time with an email address.