Eskimo (1979)
Hard to get into, because you really can't tell this is
music. But be warned: it's also hard to get this out of
your mind again … Put this onto tape. Get yer walkman.
Drive to a desolate, snow covered wilderness, and enjoy!
This is the sort of sound that the Hunters soundtrack
should have been like. It might not be "music" to most
people, but allow yourself to slide into it, and the
rewards are superb. An extremely difficult (if not
impossible) album to get into … oddly enough, one of their
most popular albums!
Three years in the making, this album is a collection of
"arctic soundscapes", with occasional outbreaks of gorgeous
melody among the tribal drumming, guttural "eskimo" voices
(which if you listen carefully are chanting things like
"Coca-Cola adds life") and the ever present icy winds. Some
tracks are amusingly absurd, like one depicting a thrilling
chase across the snow complete with barking dog sounds and
cries of "mush! mush!", while others such as Birth are very
moving. The album is sparse and sometimes disturbing but
finishes with one of the most beautiful pieces of music
ever, Festival Of Death. The Residents recommend when
listening to this album that a relaxed state of mind is
essential and that warm clothing or a blanket should be
within easy reach.
Even though, with the preceding five albums, The Residents
had established the pattern of each release sounding
nothing like its predecessor, Eskimo is still a surprise.
Along with Not Available, it is unlike the first four
(released) albums which can be seen as a collection of
separate sides. NA and Eskimo are complete works, and the
extended period of concentration required pays big
dividends as the intricate sound-worlds, conjured up on the
records, unfold and spread out before your ears. A
masterpiece. And, in its original white vinyl, gatefold
cover release, form and content blend to produce perfect
packaging