Renaldo & The Loaf Play Struvé & Sneff is the first album by British experimental duo Renaldo & The Loaf. Struvé & Sneff was recorded in Summer 1979 and released on cassette in October through their own label, Rotcod Productions.
Struvé & Sneff was reissued in 1984 on Ralph Records, in a re-arranged and edited version; this edition was their third album to be released on the label. The original cassette version of Struvé & Sneff was reissued in 1999, and again in 2013 on Klanggalerie, with additional live recordings made in 1979 and 2012.
History[]
Struvé & Sneff was recorded throughout the Summer of 1979. The creation progress was very routine, wherein the material would be discussed midweek and then recorded the next Saturday.
The opening track, Meanings Of W.E.I.R.D. was actually written for The Residents' fan club W.E.I.R.D, who held a competition for someone to figure out what W.E.I.R.D actually stood for.[1] The song's lyrics are all acronyms for WEIRD.
Having been burnt before by Raw Records, the label they had been signed to previously which had become defunct before its first release, the duo decided they'd have to release their material themselves. To do this they formed Rotcod Records and sold the album in local stores as well as through mail order.
The same month the album was released, Brian Poole (Renaldo), visited Ralph Records headquarters whilst on vacation in San Francisco and unknowingly met with a Resident, whom he gifted a copy of the album to. The Resident listened to the album instantly and after having heard the first three tracks, told Brian that it was excellent.[2]
When Brian returned to England, he and the Resident began a mail exchange, with the mysterious musician expressing interest in signing the group to Ralph Records, which they were, three years later.
1984 reissue[]
Midway through the long Elbow Is Taboo sessions, Renaldo & The Loaf began work on a reissue of Struvé & Sneff, which featured edits of certain songs and an alternate track listing including outtakes from the original sessions. This version was released by Ralph Records in 1984.
Track listing[]
Side One (26:30)
- Meanings Of W.E.I.R.D. (1:45)
- 16 Going On 17 (1:53)
- Absence (5:35)
- 120 Before Zero (4:24)
- Brittle People (2:05)
- Dying Inside (5:45)
- Kimbolton Gnome Song (3:03)
- The Bathroom Song (2:00)
Side Two (15:40)
- Untitled (5:35)
- Letters From Lee / I Believe In Bugs / Fennix (10:05)
Ralph Records version (1984)[]
Side One (21:11)
- Meanings Of W.E.I.R.D. (1:24)
- 16 Going On 17 (1:56)
- Absence (5:19)
- 120 Before Zero (4:27)
- Of Bad Teeth (2:27)
- My Favorite Things (2:28)
- Metro Stomp (3:10)
Side Two (19:48)
- Scottish Shuffle (3:50)
- Fluorescent Showboat To Tangier (3:18)
- Brittle People (2:07)
- Dying Inside (5:28)
- Kimbolton Gnome Song (3:05)
- The Bathroom Song (2:00)
2013 expanded edition[]
The 2013 Deluxe Editon features the original 1979 track listing, with additional live tracks recorded in 1980 and 2012.
- Meanings Of W.E.I.R.D. (2:06)
- 16 Going On 17 (2:10)
- Absence (4:59)
- 120 Before Zero (4:23)
- Brittle People (2:38)
- Dying Inside (5:11)
- Kimbolton Gnome Song (3:06)
- The Bathroom Song (2:02)
- Untitled (5:38)
- Letters From Lee (9:56)
- Introduction (0:49)
- Beginnings Are Endings (2:58)
- Beyond Bali (11:38)
- Bali Bred Mix (7:59)
- Live At The Bali Hai Suite 21st. April 1980 (17:27)
Ralph Records differences[]
The Ralph Records re-issue features,
Edited songs
- Meanings Of W.E.I.R.D. (21 seconds shorter)
- Absence (16 Seconds shorter)
- Dying Inside (17 Seconds shorter)
Added Songs
- Of Bad Teeth
- My Favorite Things
- Metro Stomp
- Scottish Shuffle
- Fluorescent Showboat To Tangier
Removed Songs
- Untitled
- Letters From Lee / I Believe In Bugs / Fennix
Credits[]
- Renaldo: Plays Guitar, Mandolin, Glockenspeil, Drums, Percussion, Macaroni & Voices
- Ted The Loaf: Plays Guitar, Clarinet, Mandolin & Tapes
- All Material: Struvé & Sneff
- Except '16 Going On 17' by: Rogers & Hammerstein.
Release History[]
| Year | Format | Label | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | Cass | Rotcod Productions | UK |
| 1984 | LP | Ralph Records | US |
| 1993 | |||
| T.E.C Tones | |||
| 1994 | CD | ||
| 1999 | Esoteric Music Group | ||
| 2019 | Cass | BlocGLOBAL & Mind's Ear |