SAVE 005 CD Psychic, Powerless... Another Man's Sac
No production credits
Released on 1985
no chart information
Find it at GEMM
SAVE 005 CD cover
[high resolution scan]		  

O h, man, we are not even on the same fuckin’ planet as Kansas anymore. These are acid trips into the netherworld of the ego. The first proper album from The Butthole Surfers is so wonderfully improper: hallucinogenic shapes emerge, terrifying in their implications, and Paul Leary commands feedback from his guitar like some satanic snake charmer. Then there are the tribal rhythms of King Coffey and Theresa Nervosa that pummel the whole thing home. Of course, the real freakshow is Gibby Haynes; to say he’s insane just doesn’t do his insanity justice. Imagine Primus drunk off their ass, and you’re getting close. But there’s a genius at work on Psychic, Powerless... Another Man’s Sac that won’t be denied. “Negro Observer,” “Lady Sniff,” “Mexican Caravan,” they won’t let go of my mind. As I said before, terrifying. Pere Ubu may have paved the way for music like this, but it took Butthole Surfers to litter it with roadkill. So is this punk, sculpture or madness? “Butthole Surfer” is punk, sure, but the rest of it is uberpunk: a middle finger shoved where the sun don’t shine. As revolutionary as it is, the Surfers were bound to be branded sell-outs sooner or later. You just can’t maintain this kind of edge indefinitely. If you enjoy music that exists outside of the mainstream (Pere Ubu, Primus), this’ll take you way, way out. And “Lady Sniff” might be the most hilarious song I’m not sure I really heard. As for the expanded CD version that tacks their next EP on the end, let’s just say things get even weirder.

SAVE 005 CD gatefold sleeve SAVE 005 CD back sleeve
SAVE 005 CD gatefold sleeve SAVE 005 CD back sleeve

TRACK LISTING

  1. CONCUBINE
  2. EYE OF THE CHICKEN
  3. DUM DUM
  4. WOLY BOLY
  5. NEGRO OBSERVER
  6. BUTTHOLE SURFER
  7. LADY SNIFF
  8. CHERUB
  9. MEXICAN CARAVAN
  10. COWBOY BOB
  11. GARY FLOYD

    Expanded CD bonus tracks
  12. MOVING TO FLORIDA
  13. LOU REED
  14. TWO PART
  15. TORNADOES

CREDITS

return to THE BUTTHOLE SURFERS discography

REGION RELEASE DATE LABEL MEDIA ID NUMBER FEATURES
UK 1985 Fundamental LP SAVE 5  
UK   Fundamental CDX SAVE 005 CD w. CREAM CORN FROM THE SOCKET OF DAVIS EP
US July 20, 1999 Latino Bugger Veil CD LBV-03CD  

 

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