Commercial Album
Commercial Album | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Post Punk[2] | ||||
Length | 42:00 | |||
Label | Ralph Records | |||
Producer | The Residents | |||
The Residents chronology | ||||
|
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [3] |
Pitchfork | 7/10 |
Commercial Album is an album released by
The album features a number of guest musicians, notably drummer Chris Cutler and guitarist Fred Frith of the recently disbanded Henry Cow. The credits mention Frith as an "Extra-Hard Working Guest Musician." Frith told author Cole Gagne that he recorded parts for around 25 tracks and was later told by a band member that he appeared on at least 15 of the released cuts, but that he could only identify himself on three tracks where he played bass.[4] Other guests are credited under pseudonyms, such as Andy Partridge of XTC (as "Sandy Sandwich") and Lene Lovich (as "Mud's Sis"); Brian Eno and David Byrne appear on the album uncredited.
As a promotional stunt, the Residents purchased 40 one-minute advertising slots on San Francisco's most popular Top 40 radio station at the time,
Track listing
All tracks last exactly one minute, but with a three-second pause between songs making each last around 1:03. On the original LP, "Die in Terror" is incorrectly printed as track 14, between "The Nameless Souls" and "Love Leaks Out".
All tracks are written by The Residents.
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Easter Woman" | 1:03 |
2. | "Perfect Love" | 1:03 |
3. | "Picnic Boy" | 1:03 |
4. | "End of Home" | 1:03 |
5. | "Amber" | 1:03 |
6. | "Japanese Watercolor" | 1:03 |
7. | "Secrets" | 1:03 |
8. | "Die in Terror" | 1:03 |
9. | "Red Rider" | 1:03 |
10. | "My Second Wife" | 1:03 |
11. | "Floyd" | 1:03 |
12. | "Suburban Bathers" | 1:03 |
13. | "Dimples and Toes" | 1:03 |
14. | "The Nameless Souls" | 1:03 |
15. | "Love Leaks Out" | 1:03 |
16. | "Act of Being Polite" | 1:03 |
17. | "Medicine Man" | 1:03 |
18. | "Tragic Bells" | 1:03 |
19. | "Loss of Innocence" | 1:03 |
20. | "The Simple Song" | 1:03 |
Total length: | 21:39 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
21. | "Ups and Downs" | 1:03 |
22. | "Possessions" | 1:03 |
23. | "Give it to Someone Else" | 1:03 |
24. | "Phantom" | 1:03 |
25. | "Less Not More" | 1:03 |
26. | "My Work is So Behind" | 1:03 |
27. | "Birds in the Trees" | 1:03 |
28. | "Handful of Desire" | 1:03 |
29. | "Moisture" | 1:03 |
30. | "Love is..." | 1:03 |
31. | "Troubled Man" | 1:03 |
32. | "La La" | 1:03 |
33. | "Loneliness" | 1:03 |
34. | "Nice Old Man" | 1:03 |
35. | "The Talk of Creatures" | 1:03 |
36. | "Fingertips" | 1:03 |
37. | "In Between Dreams" | 1:03 |
38. | "Margaret Freeman" | 1:03 |
39. | "The Coming of the Crow" | 1:03 |
40. | "When We Were Young" | 1:03 |
Total length: | 21:39 |
1988 CD bonus tracks
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
41. | "Shut Up, Shut Up" | 1:00 | |
42. | "And I was Alone" | 1:00 | |
43. | "Theme for an American TV Show" | 1:27 | |
44. | "We're a Happy Family / Bali Ha'i" | The Ramones | 1:11 |
45. | "The Sleeper" | 2:58 | |
46. | "Boy in Love" | 2:56 | |
47. | "Diskomo" | 4:34 | |
48. | "Jailhouse Rock" | Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller | 3:08 |
49. | "This is a Man's Man's Man's World" | James Brown, Betty Jean Newsome | 3:44 |
50. | "Hit the Road Jack" | Percy Mayfield | 4:03 |
Total length: | 1:08:01 |
- Tracks 41 and 42 are outtakes from the album, released separately as the Commercial Single.
- Track 44 was recorded for the 1980 Morgan Fisher project Miniatures.
- Tracks 45-48 were previously released on the 1983 compilation Residue.
- Track 49 was previously released as a single in 1984.
- Track 50 was previously released as a single in 1987.
2019 pREServed edition bonus tracks
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
41. | "Shut Up, Shut Up" | 1:02 | |
42. | "And I was Alone" | 1:04 | |
43. | "Electronic Elaborate Waste" | 1:02 | |
44. | "Kraftwerk" | 1:03 | |
45. | "Cosmetics for Reality" | 1:06 | |
46. | "Rosco's Righteous Rodent" | 1:01 | |
47. | "Pretty Baby" | 1:04 | |
48. | "Tuxedos" | 1:08 | |
49. | "No Longer Unused" | 1:03 | |
50. | "Instant Hostility" | 3:04 | |
51. | "Elevator Lady" | 2:37 | |
52. | "We're a Happy Family" | The Ramones | 1:10 |
Total length: | 1:01:50 |
After a small bit of silence, an unlisted track plays, a "concentrate" mix of the advertisements that were aired in promotion of the album on KFRC.
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Shut Up, Shut Up (Residue version)" | 1:12 |
2. | "And I was Alone (alternate)" | 1:03 |
3. | "Ups and Downs (Residue version)" | 3:07 |
4. | "Boy in Love" | 2:55 |
5. | "Die in Terror (1982 rehearsal)" | 1:28 |
6. | "Give it to Someone Else (1982 rehearsal)" | 0:53 |
7. | "Love Leaks Out (1982 rehearsal)" | 1:09 |
8. | "The Talk of Creatures (1982 rehearsal)" | 1:04 |
9. | "Easter Woman (live 1986)" | 2:30 |
10. | "Amber (live 1986)" | 1:45 |
11. | "Red Rider (live 1986)" | 1:32 |
12. | "Die in Terror (live 1986)" | 1:26 |
13. | "The Coming of the Crow (live 1986)" | 1:45 |
14. | "Moisture (Icky Flix)" | 1:05 |
15. | "Act of Being Polite (Icky Flix)" | 1:03 |
16. | "Perfect Love (Icky Flix)" | 1:06 |
17. | "The Simple Song (Icky Flix)" | 1:04 |
18. | "Red Rider (Commercial DVD)" | 1:09 |
19. | "Moisture (Commercial DVD)" | 1:10 |
20. | "Commercial Album suite (live 2005)" | 5:48 |
21. | "Give it to Someone Else (live 2013)" | 3:04 |
22. | "Easter Woman (live 2015)" | 2:34 |
23. | "My Second Wife (live 2015)" | 2:28 |
24. | "Loss of Innocence (live 2015)" | 2:18 |
Total length: | 44:38 |
Personnel
- Guest musicians:
- Fred Frith: guitar on "Japanese Watercolor",[6] "Moisture",[7] and "The Coming of the Crow",[8] bass
- Special Appearances
- Chris Cutler – drums on "Love Leaks Out",[6] "Moisture",[7] and "The Coming of the Crow"[8]
- Don Jackovich – drums on "Love Leaks Out"[7]
- Sandy Sandwich (Andy Partridge) – vocals and guitar on "Margaret Freeman"[9]
- Mud's Sis (Lene Lovich) – special appearance[10]
- Snakefinger – "special appearance" on "Moisture",[7] vocals on "Ups and Downs"
- Secret Special Appearances
- Nessie Lessons – vocals on "Amber"[6]
- Brian Eno – synthesizer on "The Coming of the Crow"[11]
- David Byrne – backing vocals on "Suburban Bathers"[11]
- Cover design and art direction by Pore Know Graphics
References
- ^ https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-commercial-album-mw0000652383
- ^ https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-commercial-album-mw0000652383
- ^ "The Commercial Album Review by Rick Anderson". AllMusic. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
- ISBN 0-9625145-0-0. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
- ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved 28 March 2012.
- ^ a b c The Residents - Heaven? [RykoDisc RCD 20012] (1986) Track Credits
- ^ a b c d The Residents - Our Tired, Our Poor, Our Huddled Masses [Euro Ralph CD017] (1997) Track Credits
- ^ a b The Residents - Hell! [RykoDisc RCD 20013] (1986) Track Credits
- ^ Hall, Oliver (2016-09-23). "That time when XTC's Andy Partridge sang for the Residents". Dangerous Minds. Retrieved 2023-08-07.
- ^ The Residents - Commercial Album [Mute, CDSTUMM243] (2004) Track Credits
- ^ a b Knipfel, Jim (2018). The Residents Sell Out [Commercial Album pREServed Liner Notes]. Cherry Red Records, MVD Entertainment Group, New Ralph Too. p. 2.