Butthole Surfers (EP)
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Butthole Surfers | ||||
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EP by | ||||
Released | July 1983 | |||
Recorded | 1982–1983 San Antonio, Texas | |||
Studio | BOSS Studios | |||
Genre | Punk rock | |||
Length | 18:36 | |||
Label | Alternative Tentacles | |||
Producer | Butthole Surfers, Mike Taylor | |||
Butthole Surfers chronology | ||||
| ||||
Back cover | ||||
Alternative cover | ||||
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
Pitchfork Media | 6.2/10[6] |
Robert Christgau | A−[3] |
Rolling Stone | [2] |
Sputnikmusic | [4] |
Trouser Press | favorable[7] |
Butthole Surfers is the debut studio EP by American rock band Butthole Surfers, released in July 1983. It is also known as Brown Reason to Live and Pee Pee the Sailor (see "Title controversy"). All songs were written and produced by Butthole Surfers.
The album was originally released on
Music
The album consists of seven songs that mostly feature heavily
and drums on some tracks. Unlike later Butthole Surfers albums, no electronic instrumentation is present.Having parted ways with their original drummer, Scott Matthews, shortly before entering the studio, Butthole Surfers used a number of different percussionists on this album. The last of them, King Coffey, is still with the band to this day. Bassist Bill Jolly was also a relatively new addition, joining after original bass player Quinn Matthews quit at the same time as his brother, Scott.[10] Jolly would also play on the Surfers' first official live release, Live PCPPEP, and their first full-length album, Psychic... Powerless... Another Man's Sac.
Title controversy
Though this EP is also known as Brown Reason to Live, Butthole Surfers is its official title. Firstly, "Butthole Surfers" were the only words to appear on the front cover of its original release. Furthermore, Latino Buggerveil's 2003 reissue of the EP, together with 1984's Live PCPPEP on a single CD, is titled Butthole Surfers/Live PCPPEP. Perhaps most importantly, it is listed as Butthole Surfers in the "Discography" section of the band's official website.[11]
That said, Brown Reason to Live has a strong claim to title rights, and many fans refer to it by that name. The 12-inch
Background
The sessions for Butthole Surfers were made possible by an earlier Butthole Surfers concert at
According to
Track listing
All songs written and produced by Butthole Surfers.
Side 1
- "The Shah Sleeps in Lee Harvey's Grave" – 2:09
- "Hey" – 2:06
- "Something" – 4:36
Side 2
- "Bar-B-Q Pope" – 3:36
- "Wichita Cathedral" – 2:22
- "Suicide" – 1:24
- "The Revenge of Anus Presley" – 2:25
Personnel
- lead vocals ("Hey," "Wichita Cathedral," and "Suicide"), saxophone
- Paul Leary - guitar, lead vocals ("The Shah Sleeps in Lee Harvey's Grave," "Something," and "Bar-B-Q Pope")
- Bill Jolly - bass
- King Coffey - drums ("Bar-B-Q Pope" and "Wichita Cathedral")
- Brad Perkins - drums on "The Shah Sleeps in Lee Harvey's Grave" and "The Revenge of Anus Presley" [14]
- Various musicians - drums (all other tracks)
Charts
Chart (1984) | Peak position |
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UK Indie Chart[15]
|
21 |
References
- Allmusic. Retrieved March 17, 2010.
- ^ Brackett, Nathan. "Butthole Surfers". The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. November 2004. pg. 123, cited March 17, 2010
- ^ Christgau, Robert. "Butthole Surfers". robertchristgau.com, Retrieved on March 17, 2010.
- ^ "Butthole Surfers - Butthole Surfers (album review ) | Sputnikmusic". www.sputnikmusic.com.
- ^ "Butthole Surfers: Butthole Surfers + Live PCPPEP Album Review". www.austinchronicle.com.
- ^ "Butthole Surfers: Butthole Surfers/Live PCPPEP". Pitchfork.
- ^ "TrouserPress.com :: Butthole Surfers". trouserpress.com.
- ^ "Top 50 by Nirvana [MIXTAPE]". Archived from the original on 18 October 2014. Retrieved 8 May 2013.
- ISBN 978-0-7603-4521-4.
- ^ a b Michael Azerrad, Our Band Could Be Your Life: Scenes from the American Indie Underground 1981-1991 (New York, Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 2001) 279
- ^ Discography page at the Butthole Surfers' official website
- ^ Brown Reason to Live page Archived 2011-06-03 at the Wayback Machine, online store, Alternative Tentacles website
- ^ Joe Nick Patoski and John Morthland, "Feeding the Fish: An Oral History of the Butthole Surfers," Spin Magazine, 1996 Archived 2007-11-09 at the Wayback Machine, archived at Butthole Surfers fan website, Negro Observer Archived 2006-12-15 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Butthole Surfers - The Anal Obsession". www.buttholesurfersanalobsession.com.
- ^ Lazell, Barry (1997). Indie Hits 1980-1989. Cherry Red Books. Archived from the original on June 6, 2011. Retrieved September 5, 2014.