ESKIMO

The best thing about them in the 70's is that you'd no idea where they were going next. They were totally spontaneous and unpredictable from one album to the next.

'Eskimo' is a tough one to get into. There are no melodies at all, just whistling wind sounds, some percussion, occasional keyboards and loads of superstitious Eskimo vocals that sound like a toned down 'Several Picts Grooving...' from Floyd's 'Ummagumma'.

The liner notes really help though. In particular where we're told of 'spirits stealing children' which is accompanied by tiny wailings in falsetto voices. The sound of bursting walrus bladders is another part that made my hair stand on end.

'Eskimo' strides from 'Easy Listening' to 'Japanese torture' from track to track leaving me utterly bewildered like no other album in their entire catalogue.

There's lots of studio trickery involved in 'Eskimo' and it isn't as minimal as your ears would first believe. More importantly - (top) hats off to the Residents for this innovative and far reaching idea that no one had, or ever has attempted to investigate since.

Odd and intriguing and without bass or guitars. This is the only 70's Residents album that can be listened to in bed at night as you try to get to sleep. It'll give you queer nightmares though, where you eat triangles and hurdle jump bees, but it does flow very nicely in an atmospheric way. Borderline madness which is best listened to with a set of headphones on whilst reading the hefty booklet.

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