The Era Concept (The Last Word)
"The Era Concept" is the first instalment of the blog The Last Word, authored by Will Rothers (better known as Big Brother, the former webmaster of The Residents' official website).
The blog entry delineates The Residents' history (up to that time) into thematic "eras". It was later updated to include the group's late 2000s "eras".
The blog
Original version (2007)
The Era Concept
- The Residents do not work using an era concept. I have created this contrivance. They do tend to pursue certain directions that persevere through several projects and I have observed these patterns and assigned them names as "eras." Put as much belief in my system as you wish, there is no reality.
The Vileness Fats Era (early 1970's)
The video/movie musical that is the mother of everything Residential.
The Organized Noise Era (the mid - late 1970's)
At this time The Residents were experimenting with sound and structure.
EXAMPLES:
Not Available - The Third Reich 'N' Roll - Eskimo
The Performance Era (the 1980's)
The Residents leave the studio and tour three different conceptual shows.
EXAMPLES:
The Mole Show - The 13th Anniversary Show - CUBE E
The Multimedia Era (the first half of the 1990's)
The Residents venture into the world of interactive media.
EXAMPLES:
Freak Show CDR - Bad Day on the Midway CDR - The Gingerbread Man CDR
The Band Era (late 1990's and early 2000's)
The Residents form a core band and tour three conceptual shows utilizing the band.
EXAMPLES:
Wormwood tour - Icky Flix tour - Demons Dance Alone tour
The Storyteller Era (mid - late 2000's)
Though The Residents have always been storytellers, these projects use story as the primary element.
EXAMPLES:
River of Crime - Tweedles - The Voice of Midnight
But what about...?
Okay it isn't perfect. Masterwork, God in 3 Persons came out in 1988 and squarely belongs in the storyteller era.
Equally important, Animal Lover (2005), foreshadows the storyteller era, but is boldly experimental in sound and structure.
© 2007 The Cryptic Corporation