So does anyone know the story of what happened to the discord? I actually had some pretty good discussions on there and it just suddenly disappeared. Had no idea if there was a story behind it or what?
That's wild...in the U.S. I haven't seen it for more than $25 -- and it's on Cherry Red, so it may be an import here!
I listened to it a few times today...I confess it's fairly marginal, but entertaining, and it seems to be genuine '70s/early '80s outtakes and not new recordings pretending to be old. Sound quality and pressing are nice, with a printed inner sleeve containing copious notes. Hearing alternate vocals/lyrics to "Hello Skinny" and "Semolina" is pretty neat, but they clearly were correct to change their approach to these tracks. The side of Mole Show outtakes is fun as well... My advice would to snag a cheap one on Discogs (they are down to $18.99 as of this post), but don't go out of your way to pay full price...
FYI, I'm letting go of some of my Residents rarities. If anyone is interested, message me here and I'll send you my Discogs profile.
I ordered a LAA? and probably overpaid for it, but I had serious FOMO - I missed on For Elsie vinyl. I see the first Leftovers Again for reasonable 2nd hand prices. Has anyone ordered 2 CD bundles? Have you seen doubles?
I did two. Got a for Elsie in each. Otherwise all different. Weirdly they had a different cd bundle available at shows and I bought two of those and also got for Elsie in each so I have had 4 for Elsie’s though I have been able to get two of them to new homes happily.
That is really strange that they would have kept so many copies of such a limited release. Was there a problem with the release at the time?
AFAIK it was given away to fans attending the CUBE N-Y-E show back in '89. No idea how many were made though.
Ah, you are right. This is what Discogs says: "Edition of 500 copies. Part of a free gift pack given away to everyone at New Years Eve 1989-1990 show, Cowell Theater, San Francisco, CA."
I also couldn't resist and ordered the bundle and will receive it soon. Several people got WB:RMX, which I got this for 8 € on amazon last year and is still available for a decent price. Hopefully I can avoid this one and get For Elsie instead.
It was available from the Ralph catalog in the very early 90s. I know, cause I ordered one and don’t recall seeing it listed there again. I can’t recall what I payed but it probably was around $30. Surprised so many people are receiving it now…maybe it is a true case of a misplaced box resurfacing.
I ordered it through the UWEB fan club, it was available there as well back then. I checked my old newsletters; UWEB had 400 copies to start with, at $19.97. Later, when they were down to only 50, asking price was $29.97. And finally, when there were about 20 left, it was $39.97...
Thanks for doing the hard research there! I stand corrected, I probably bought it from the UWEB catalog. That makes more sense. The nearly $30 price sticks in my mind cause that was pretty pricy for a CD for me back in those teenaged days. It was worth it though. I played the crap outta that one. Peak later mid-Eighties Rez style electric guitar around then. Think The Big Bubble guitar sound. I’m a fan.
I think I ordered very early on at $19.97. I also remember spending $39 at Ralph on an autographed Mark of the Mole around the same time though.
I got an average bundle I guess: For Elsie - at least I got this one wish Santa Dog '92 Demons Dance Alone (Bomba Records) - good, I wanted some Japanese CD, and I don't have DDA, but pREServed is coming The Voice of Midnight (jewel case) - not bad. I ordered a VoM book pack late last year with a weird delivery time of 6-8 months. Canceled now, maybe it didn't even exist. Bad ones: Absolutely Live 2003 (I actually tried to order the "Absolutely Live 2013" edition here Absolutely Live 2013 | Konzertagentur Seliger , which had a My Window version on it, but never got a reply. 2003 must have been the worst compilation from the archives) WB:Rmx (a non-rarity I have twice now, as feared) From the bundles I've seen, I would have loved to get something Bunny Boy related, American Composer related or good compilations (Heaven, Hell, Our Tired...).
Latest newsletter fyi. Ambuguous statement About American composers. Behold! Welcome to the latest update from the extremely untidy desk of New Ralph (Too) and all things Residents. We assure you that all four Residents are currently healthy and more or less happy, and working away on not one but two new projects.... The new album, tentatively titled 'Dr Dark', is nearing completion and, we hope, due with us over the summer - as we speak preparations for the final recording sessions are being made after a brief break in proceedings to accommodate various schedules and extra long lie-ins. But it was time well spent - whilst they waited for the stars to align our Eyeballed heroes also began work on another new and unrelated mini-album, which has come together pleasingly quickly. Everybody seems enthusiastic to act on impulse (like we did back in the day) and get the music out there asap, so watch the skies for more on that one. In the meantime, The Residents have announced the next in their pREServed reissue series - 'Demons Dance Alone' will be released on 2LP and 3CD in June. The latter is packed with unreleased demos, alternate versions and live-in-the-studio material, all of which shines a lovely, soft light on one of the works the group remains most proud of. You can find out all about it, pre-order and so on right Next up in the pREServed series, you can expect either 'Animal Lover' or the 'American Composers Series' set. Both are prepared and ready to roll, with a proposed 'Film and TV' set also in the works. Oh, and there's an accompanying book. Possibly. Maybe. The Residents have dabbled more often than you'd think with the silver screen, so that looks to be an interesting release, once they get their heads around how to put it all together. And as ever, there are several half-formed projects bubbling away behind the scenes and jostling for position whilst all of the above happens. A film, thoughts on the recent 'Eskimo' live performance, hopes of further collaborations, experimenting with AI technology and all the other wonderful things you might imagine The Residents spend their days doing. As ever, you'll be the first to know should any of it bear fruit. Oh, and there was a Record Store Day release - we almost forgot! 'Leftovers Again AGAIN?!?' was (is?) a magnificent compilation of mid-late '70s and '80s' stuff found as part of a small cache of lost and forgotten tapes back in January 2023. I know it sounds unlikely, but that's a true story. It's vital stuff, and we're told that copies are still available via Discogs, online record shops and so on - in a world of plentiful Residents material and musical releases, it's a certified must-have. If you can find a copy, we do hope you'll enjoy it. And that's about it for now. All that remains is an offering... The Residents do hope you recognise their appreciation of you and those you love. No CD, T-shirt or ticket purchase goes unnoticed, and they like to hand out these little treats from time to time in acknowledgement. So here are a couple of things you may enjoy: firstly, something which didn't make the cut for the 'Demons Dance Alone' reissue - 'Low Horses' is a pre-mix, pre-overdub version of what was to become 'High Horses', an instrumental EP released back in 2001. It's cute, right? And they've also thrown in a little taster of the demo material to be found on the 'Demons Dance Alone' pREServed release, namely 'The Beekeeper's Daughter'. As ever, The Residents hope you enjoy it all, stay weird, keep that third eye clear and focussed at all times and, most importantly of all, allow love to envelope you and those you care about. In the end, that's all that really matters. TTFN, Your Pals @ New Ralph (Too)
If anyone has a spare For Elsie knocking about - ideally in the UK or Europe - and wants to trade or sell I'd be interested. I never got that one and as I've seen so many turn up in the mystery bundle I think this might be a good time to finally get a hold of the thing. Let me know. Also, the film & TV series sounds interesting. What do we know?... Vileness Fats The Census Taker Earth vs. Flying Saucers Pee-Wee's Playhouse Hunters Were there other unused soundtracks from back in the day? And....American Composer Series being ready to roll is great news.
If Animal Lover and the American Composers set are both ready, I assume that the batting order is still to be agreed with Cherry Red, especially with two lots of new material now to be factored in rather than one. Again, my working assumption is that CR will release both Dr Dark and the EP but perhaps they won't. They'll still want to avoid any clashes.
