This may actually be a topic for Great Debates Maybe it’s a question that should never be answered… but… who are The Residents? At least, which names have been associated with membership in The Residents, and upon what evidence?
The band? Probably nobody special. They just put on funny masks so people will think they are.
I think one of The Residents is David Bourne from The Talking Heads. Not only was he involved in the generally fertile CBGB scene (which spawned not only The Talking Heads and The Residents, but the Ramones as well), but in one of the Big Secrets books, Poundstone linked him to The Residents’ main vocalist via voiceprint matching.
I’ll look it up when I have access to my main library.
That’s David Byrne. I strongly doubt he was in the Residents, Poundstone’s impressive career in investigative reporting notwithstanding.
For one thing, The Residents were a San Francisco band, and Byrne was strictly East Coast (from Rhode Island he moved to New York City). For another thing, Residents music does not sound like Talking Heads music. The Talking Heads sound had a lot to do with Byrne’s rhythm guitar playing, which (in my opinion) he learned from listening to James Brown records. Talking Heads music was minimalist pop with a strong funk/soul influence in the rhythm. Residents music was avant-garde experimental.
The simple truth is, the identity of the Residents to the SF music scene is really no big secret; none of the band members are famous for anything else. The David Byrne hypothesis is a common speculation, given his quirky nature and penchance for experimentation, but groundless. One popular rumour that was being tossed around for a while was that Les Claypool (Primus, Sausage) was a member; he oft refers to the Residents and their music in his songs, and covers their songs on stage. But this could simply reflect his own connection to the SF music scene.
If it’s no big secret, can you give the rest of us a hint? If Poundstone wasn’t able to find out (and if he had to resort to voiceprint, he wasn’t), could you lend a hand?
Please? 
They’re trying to tell you that there is no “big secret.” There are no hints to be given. They are just a bunch of guys with eyeballs on their heads, no one famous.
I’m curious too. Maybe Anomalocaris is saying that it’s no big secret cause the Eyball Mafia is probably a bunch of nobodies … i.e. it’s a small secret.
One thing I heard is that, while they have never revealed their identities or even stage names, they are consistent about eye color. That is, the blue eye is always worn by the same member of the band. Don’t know if it’s true.
The Residents have been around since the late 60’s and released their first record in 1972, so that rules out Les Claypool (born 1963) and probably David Byrne (born 1952) due to geographical/logistical reasons given in a prior post. Plus, IMHO, he would have been a bit young at that time.
From UBL:
from this website (http://www.residents.com/prehistory.html):
Primus covered a Residents song, which may be why the Claypool rumor exists.
So, my vote goes for “four dudes with eyeballs on their heads”.
:rolleyes: Hell, I don’t even listen to the Residents
So. Is their music any good?
The Residents performed at a Washington DC New Music America festival back in the mid eighties. I was a volunteer, and was the back stage/performer entrance security guy.
I saw all their faces before they put on their big Eye heads. I have no idea who they really were, but I didn’t see David Byrne. I would have recognized him. I’m pretty sure none of them were famous as some other personas, unless they wore masks in their other lives as well.
How can they sing with eyeballs on their heads?
I see no reason to doubt that The Residents are four guys from South Louisiana who went to San Francisco and miraculously (or through hard work and superb management) made great music while staying out of the clutches of the music industry. During the early 70’s they associated themselves with the Roz Tox manifesto (don’t remember who wrote it); Roz Tox being “Rock Stahs” inside out. The Rez wear masks not because they want to be thought of as someone famous (they are already famous; they are The Residents) but to avoid the distractions of fame for the sake of the music.
I never gave any weight to the Les Claypool rumour. I always put it down to the San Fransisco thing, and the fact that he is a rabid fan. I doubt he would drop hints anyway if it were the case. One other, more likely ruumour is that the membership of the band has changed over the years. You can imagine this scenario- the eyeballheads perform for a number of years, then pass their mantle (vitreous humour?) to studio musicians they have had sucess with- a kind of apprenticeship. But the stinking truth, as stated, is they are a bunch of nobodys really, and if you do enough nosing around you really can learn their names.
So, is their music any good?
The Residents are a band that must truly be heard to be believed. The defy categorization. The only catchall to describe them is bizzare- they go out of the way to sound otherworldly, creepy, strange. They were music video pioneers- in fact, many of their songs are exactly a minute long, as they were intended to be the soundtracks for their ‘one minute movies’ which were oft as bizzarre as the music. I have never been a huge fan or owned any albums, but I have followed their comings and goings esp. in the early '80s when MTV gave them wide exposure. They are definately a band worth checking out, and no doubt there are numerous fan sites on the band. For better or worse, check them out; you won’t forget them
Oops! That’s “Rozz-Tox”. Gary Panter. (Now you can search it.)
I tried to edit my above post, but I’m apparently too new- the system won’t give me access to my post.
I have an autographed brown vinyl copy of the Residents Mark Of The Mole album. It’s signed “Resident”, “Resi Dent”, “A Resident” and one other variation I can’t recall exactly.
I know at least one of the Residents, although I don’t believe he is in the current line-up. His wife was a former co-worker.
Unfortunately, as a former Top Secret Cryptolgic security clearance holder and intelligence analyst for NSA, I’m afraid that information can only be revealed on a need to know basis.
Actually, Poundstone, in his 1993 book Biggest Secrets, used voiceprint matching to rule out David Byrne as a member of The Residents. Also, Poundstone used voiceprint analysis to circumstantially demonstrate that one of the Residents’ spokesmen, Homer Flynn, is a Resident himself. Poundstone also speculates (sans voiceprint) that another band spokesman, Hardy Fox, is also a Resident.
Poundstone’s article on The Residents appears on pages 37-40 of the first edition paperback of Biggest Secrets.
Read more about The Residents here (no identities revealed).
Welcome aboard!
BTW, no one here can edit their posts (except mods).
Thank you. I was here once, was a jerk, left.
Can’t edit our posts? That’s unfortunate… I won’t ask why…I suspect I’ll find an irate thread about it somewhere in the archives. The FAQ says you can edit your posts, btw…how out of date is that?
It may be noticed I used the phrase “early 70’s” in connection with the Rozz-Tox Manifesto…unfortunately, a look at the catalog I read it in proves the Manifesto wasn’t published until 1980…and the theory that Rozz-Tox is the opposite of “Rox-Tozz” is my own.
I don’t know who they are but I keep getting their mail.