Manual of Errors

Manual of Errors is the third solo album by frequent Residents collaborator, Snakefinger. It was released on Ralph Records in March 1982.

Although the group wrote two of the album's songs, it is Snakefinger's first solo album without The Residents as producers.

Background

The LP is Snakefinger's first project with co-producer Eric Drew Feldman, and the first of many Residents-related projects for Feldman. He sought to collaborate with The Residents after hearing their 1979 compilation album Nibbles, and was introduced to Snakefinger by the group, with him joining Snakefinger's backing band by July of 1981on keyboards, with Miguel Bertel on guitar, George B. George on bass and Johnny B. Ryan on drums) Songs from Manual of Errors also began appearing in live setlists around this time.

The Residents co-wrote two songs for Manual of Errors, "Bring Back Reality," and "Eva's Warning," the latter of which being adapted from an earlier outtake titled "Now It Is Too Late."

The LP was released in late March, 1982, alongside The Residents' Tunes of Two Cities. Manual would by Snakefinger's last release on Ralph as a solo artist; he stated in an interview that May that "the chances are good [that the next LP] isn't [going to be on] Ralph. [...] They just don't have the money, I don't think. All they can do is basically concentrate on trying to get something happening with The Residents, so at least The Residents can survive on Ralph. [...] They've just realised that they've stretched themselves a bit too far."

Snakefinger's next, and final LP as as solo artist, was released on Rough Trade in 1984; he later returned to Ralph as a member of Club Foot Orchestra and Snakefinger's Vestal Virgins, who had LPs on Ralph in 1986 and 1987 respectively.

Track Listing

Side One

1. Yeti: What Are You? _{(Snakefinger)} (4:01)
2. Beatnik Party _{(Snakefinger/Feldman)} (3:42)
3. The Garden Of Earthly Delights _{(J. Byrd/D. Moskowitz)} (3:00)
4. You Sliced Up My Wife _{(Snakefinger)} (1:59)
5. I Followed George's Dream _{(Snakefinger)} (5:16)

Side Two

1. Bring Back Reality _{(Snakefinger/Residents)} (5:06)
2. Shining Faces ("I Am Nino") _(Rota) (2:19)
3. Eva's Warning _{(Snakefinger/Residents)} (4:33)
4. Private Universe / The Life On Nebulov _{(Snakefinger)} (7:25)

1990 TEC Tones CD Track Listing

1. Yeti: What Are You? _{(Snakefinger)} (4:10)
2. Beatnik Party - Ft. Eric Drew Feldman _{(Snakefinger/Feldman)} (3:42)
3. The Garden Of Earthly Delights _{(J. Byrd/D. Moskowitz)} (3:02)
4. You Sliced Up My Wife _{(Snakefinger)} (2:01)
5. I Followed George's Dream _{(Snakefinger)} (5:24)
6. Bring Back Reality _{(Snakefinger/Residents)} (5:07)
7. Shining Faces ("I Am Nino") _(Rota) (2:22)
8. Eva's Warning _{(Snakefinger/Residents)} (4:37)
9. Private Universe / The Life On Nebulov _{(Snakefinger)} (7:35)
10. I Love You Too Much To Respect You _{(Snakefinger)} (3:37)
11. The Vivian Girls _{(Snakefinger/Residents)} (2:09)
12. Talking In The Town _{(Snakefinger/Residents)} (2:36)
13. Womb To Worm _{(Snakefinger)} (3:17)
14. The Jungle Princess _{(Snakefinger/Residents)} (3:47)

The 1990 TEC Tones re-issue included several rare, including singles, compilation only songs, as well as tracks from Snakefinger's first two then out of print albums.

35th Anniversary Track Listing

1. Yeti: What Are You? _{(Snakefinger)} (4:10)
2. Beatnik Party - Ft. Eric Drew Feldman _{(Snakefinger/Feldman)} (3:43)
3. The Garden Of Earthly Delights _{(J. Byrd/D. Moskowitz)} (3:03)
4. You Sliced Up My Wife _{(Snakefinger)} (2:01)
5. I Followed George's Dream _{(Snakefinger)} (5:20)
6. Bring Back Reality _{(Snakefinger/Residents)} (5:08)
7. Shining Faces ("I Am Nino") _(Rota) (2:22)
8. Eva's Warning _{(Snakefinger/Residents)} (4:37)
9. Private Universe / The Life On Nebulov _{(Snakefinger)} (7:35)
10. I Love You Too Much To Respect You _{(Snakefinger)} (3:37)
11. The Vivian Girls _{(Snakefinger/Residents)} (2:09)
12. Womb To Worm _{(Snakefinger)} (3:17)
13. The Jungle Princess _{(Snakefinger/Residents)} (3:47)
14. Trashing All The Loves Of History _{(Snakefinger)} (3:09)
15. Don't Lie _{(Snakefinger/Residents)} (2:58)
16. Living In Vain _{(Snakefinger/Residents)} (3:12)
17. Golden Goat _{(Snakefinger/Residents)} (4:14)
18. Corrupted Man _{(Snakefinger)} (2:15)
19. The Man In The Dark Sedan _{(Snakefinger/Residents)} (3:44)

The 35th Anniversary CD, released by Klangallerie, included the bonus tracks released on the 1990 CD, as well as six tracks from the Snakefinger Live In Melbourne Album. Snakefinger is credited as the writer on Corrupted Man, but, it was in fact written by Pablo Moses.

Tour

• January 15th, 1982 - San Francisco, CA, USA
• April 16th, 1982 - The Starship, Milwaukee, WI, USA
• April 25th, 1982 - Nickelodeon, Toronto, Canada
• May 2nd, 1982 - CBGBs, New York, NY, USA
• May 5th, 1982 - Mudd Club, New York, NY, USA
• May 8th, 1982 - The Rat, Boston, MA, USA
• May 9th, 1982 - Danceteria, New York, NY, USA
• May 11th, 1982 - The Marble Bar, Baltimore, MD, USA
• May 22nd, 1982 - Hot Klub, Dallas, TX, USA

Concerts in BOLD exists as Bootleg Recordings

Credits

• Snakefinger: Guitar, Sing
• George B. George: Bass, Sing
• Eric Drew Feldman: Keyboards, Synthesizers
• Miguel Bertel: Guitar, Sing
• Jonny B. Ryan: Drums

Technical

• Produced by: Snakefinger & Eric Drew Feldman
• Sound Tec: Jonathon Formula
• Engineer: Richard Van Dorn
• Ast. Engineer: Baby Minehoff Wedonit
• Cover Art: Mark Beyer

Release history

Year	Label	Format	Region
1982	Ralph Records	LP	US
1985
1987	Torso		NL
	Virgin		GR
1990	T.E.C. Tones	CD	US
2017	Klanggalerie		AT