The 1981 Listening Post - Renaldo and the Loaf - Songs for Swinging Larvae

 Renaldo and the Loaf - Songs for Swinging Larvae

#28

January 1981

Renaldo and the Loaf

Songs for Swinging Larvae

Genre: The Residents

1.5 out of 5

How is this not The Residents? Certainly nothing The Residents have ever said can be trusted, they are the Fake News of music.

There’s no secret who the lead singer is and Homer Flynn won’t admit it. The chief writer, Hardy Fox, didn’t acknowledge his contribution until just near his death.

So here is a “band” signed to Ralph Records and sounds exactly like the band that created that label.

But without the incessant percussiveness that pervaded albums like Eskimo or the mashup musical deconstruction of Third Reich N Roll what it comes closest to is the minimalism of Commercial Album. But at least that record, despite the conceit that it was pop music without ever a need to repeat a verse or even utilize a bridge, was funny and, dare I say, listenable. 

Except for “Spratt’s Medium” but I can’t tell if it’s good or I was just over exposed to it via Residents’ media. 

This is like outtakes from Duck Stab. Or Fingerprints. It’s chore to get through. Experimentation for the sake of. 

https://music.apple.com/us/album/songs-for-swinging-larvae-songs-from-the-surgery/994989175

The 1983 Listening Post - Renaldo and the Loaf - Arabic Yodeling

Renaldo and the Loaf - Arabic Yodeling

1983 Housekeeping
Renaldo and the Loaf
Arabic Yodeling
4.5 out of 5

Highlights:
Bearded Cats
A Critical Dance
Like Some Kous Kous Western

I love The Residents but have never listened to Renaldo and the Loaf. For some reason, even though they had the endorsement of Hardy and the rest I couldn’t find the energy to pursue them. However…I have now.
Everything I like about The Residents, their simplistic, almost childlike musicality, is what this album reflects. I don’t know if R&TL are Hardy Fox and friends, influenced by him, or what, but they are so obviously cut from the same cloth.
What I find most fascinating here is that, just when a track overstays its welcome, it’s over. These two know when to stop. Arabic Yodeling is oddly accessible for an inaccessible record. And ranks with the best of The Residents.

The 1983 Listening Post - The Residents & Renaldo and the Loaf - Title in Limbo

The Residents & Renaldo and the Loaf - Title in Limbo

#221
1983 Housekeeping
The Residents and Renaldo and the Loaf
Title in Limbo
2.75 out of 5

Did Angelo Badalamenti listen to “Crashing” before composing for David Lynch? The echoes are remarkable.
This is the first real letdown for me from these guys.
It sounds like what it is: an attempt to generate cash by creating product. And it falls flat.
All too often The Residents sounds like a soundtrack in search of a theatrical piece to accompany. This is probably the best example of that but also of how turgid such a show could be.