Subterranean Modern is a split album released on Ralph Records on August 28th 1979. The album features original tracks by four San Francisco groups: Chrome, MX-80 Sound, The Residents and Tuxedomoon.
After being reissued by Ralph in 1980 and 1983, Subterranean Modern remained out of print for almost three decades until its first CD release in April 2022 by Klanggalerie.[1]
History[]
In 1979, Ralph Records were tentatively dipping their toe into the world of likeminded musicians,[2] notably releasing Snakefinger's Chewing Hides The Sound (co-written and co-produced by The Residents) and licensing Art Bears' 'Winter Songs.' This culminated in a 13 track sampler album, Subterranean Modern, created by 'the four leaders of San Francisco avant-garde music during the late 70s.'[3]
The Residents, Tuxedomoon, MX-80 Sound & Chrome were chosen by Ralph and given 1/4 (exactly 10 minutes) of the LP to record whatever they wanted, although The Residents' one stipulation was that everyone had to include a cover of "I Left My Heart in San Francisco." None of the groups were particularly thrilled about recording the songs, and would sarcastically re-interpret it in seemingly lazy ways, with Chrome's cover being less that 30 seconds of white noise, and Tuxedomoon's using it as background noise to a telephone conversation to San Francisco lost and found. Hardy Fox, of The Cryptic Corportation, admitted that the original song was "not great", but it was chosen because of its status as the anthem of San Francisco.[4]
All recordings on the album were made with the project in mind,[5] and were themed around San Francisco[6], with The Residents' contributions made between April and June of 1979[3], perhaps during another break from the Eskimo production the Residents were known to take. Their contribution was a four-part suite entitled "The Replacement", about a dying man who finds himself replaced. The songs 'Dumbo, The Clown' and 'Time's Up' both feature guitar solos by former Arts Bears member Fred Frith, who would also later release a series of solo albums on Ralph.
Cover art[]
The artwork was created by Gary Panter, the first ever Ralph release to not feature artwork by Pore-Know Graphics (although a photo of The Residents taken by Pore-Know is featured on the back sleeve). To signify Panter's involvement, the back cover of the record also included the Rozz-Tox logo, which would be featured in other Ralph projects in the future.
The photo of The Residents featured on the back is the first ever published photo of The Residents' eyeball masks, predating their prominent appearance on the Eskimo album cover by one month.[7]
Release[]
Advertisement for the album.
Subterranean Modern was released around August 28th 1979[8] through Ralph Records in an edition of 25,000 copies.[7] It was the first releases of MX-80 Sound and Tuxedomoon through Ralph Records, and one of the earliest Tuxedomoon releases period.
Following the release of Subterranean Modern, both Tuxedomoon and MX-80 Sound signed with Ralph, and would go on to release several albums with them. Meanwhile, negotiations between the label and Chrome were unfruitful,[9] and the band instead chose to sign with British label Beggars Banquet. However, the track "Meet You In The Subway" would make a brief appearance on the Ralph Records 10th Anniversary Radio Special.
Ralph Records reissued the album the following year in largely identical packaging, save for an updated inner sleeve promoting Ralph's releases from earlier in the year.
Legacy[]
The Residents seem to hold "The Replacement" in high regard, as all tracks have either been featured on different greatest hits albums or performed live.
In September 1983, Ralph Records re-released the album in a reduced edition of 2,500 copies.[7] This version features alternative artwork and a sticker denoting that it featured the groups "Playing Music Especially Recorded For This Album!" The following year, The Residents' 'I Left My Heart In San Francisco' was featured on The Residents' Ralph Before '84 greatest hits compilation.
In 1987, the suite was released without the rest of Subterranean Modern as bonus material for the East Side Digital CD pressing of Eskimo.[10] The song 'Dumbo The Clown' was then featured on the 1995 greatest hits album Louisiana's Lick.
In 1996, rock band Heavy Vegetable covered 'Time's Up' for the official Eyesore tribute album. Two years later, The Residents' version of the song was featured on the Twenty-Five Years Of Eyeball Excellence best of. That same year, East Side Digital included the the full suite on Residue Deux, and later, in 2009, it was released by itself through the Robot Selling Device store. In 2010, Birdsong/Hayabusa Landings included it in their Eskimo repress, and in 2014, it was featured on the expanded vinyl re-issue of Residue Of The Residents.
Between 2014 - 2016, The Residents began performing 'Is He Really Bringing Roses?' regularly as part of their Shadowland tour. Shortly after this, Psychofon recording artist Brett Spivey released two separate covers of Dumbo The Clown, for the unofficial Who Killed Ralph series of downloads.
On the 2019 pREServed edition of Eskimo, the full suite was once again featured, alongside a previously unreleased outtake from the "Subterranean Modern," "Heart In SF." These were also featured in the 2021 reprint.
The album would be re-released or remastered in its entirety on April 20, 2022, when Klanggalerie issued it on CD for the first time,[11] using the slightly different cover art from the 1983 reissue.[1]
Track listing[]
Side A (19:09)[]
- Chrome - Anti-Fade (Edge/Creed) (3:52)
- Chrome - I Left My Heart In San Francisco (Cross/Cory) (0:27)
- Chrome - Meet You In The Subway (Edge/Creed) (5:15)
- MX-80 Sound - Lady In Pain (Anderson/Stim) (2:49)
- MX-80 Sound - I Left My Heart In San Francisco (Cross/Cory) (1:52)
- MX-80 Sound - Possessed (Anderson/Stim) (4:54)
Side B (19:22)[]
- The Residents - (I Left My Heart) In San Francisco (Cross/Cory)
- The Residents - Dumbo The Clown (Who Loved Christmas) (Residents) (2:07)
- The Residents - Is He Really Bringing Roses? (The Replacement) (Residents) (2:34)
- The Residents - Time's Up (Residents) (2:54)
- Tuxedomoon - I Left My Heart In San Francisco (Cross/Cory) (1:03)
- Tuxedomoon - Everything You Want (Brown) (4:14)
- Tuxedomoon - Waterfront Seat (Belfer) (4:28)
Press release[]
Three San Francisco based bands join The Residents for a romp through the modern underground. Chrome, Tuxedomoon, and MX-80 Sound give samples of their unique styles including a version of "I left My Heart In San Francisco" which was recorded by each of the four.
All of the material on this LP was specifically recorded for this project.[12]
Release history[]
| Year | Label | Format | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | Ralph Records | LP | USA |
| 1980 | |||
| 1983 | |||
| 2022 | Klanggalerie | CD | AT |
Buy Or Die![]
See also[]
- "I Left My Heart in San Francisco"
- Ralph Records
- Chrome
- MX-80 Sound
- Tuxedomoon
- "The Replacement"
- Gary Panter
- Fred Frith
External links and references[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Post by Walter Robotka in The Residents unofficial Facebook group, April 20th 2022
- ↑ "Subterranean Modern, released a month after Eskimo, was Ralph Records’ first tentative foray into releasing music by other like-minded artists (Snakefinger and Schwump had been friends). The album was a sampler that featured the cream of San Francisco’s avant-garde scene - Chrome, Tuxedomoon and MX-80 Sound were all given one fourth of an LP and artistic license to record whatever they pleased. The only rule laid down by The Residents was that each band had to contribute a version of Tony Bennett’s classic I Left My Heart In San Francisco.” - Ian Shirley, Never Known Questions
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "SUBTERRANEAN MODERN is a special Ralph Records project album, featuring the four leaders of San Francisco avant-garde music during the late ?O's -- Chrome, MX-80 Sound, Tuxedomoon, and The Residents. Each band was to perform a few original songs, as well as the Tony Bennett classic / Left My Heart in San Francisco. This recording was basically a "trial-run" for the three new bands, and soon led to the signing of MX-80 Sound and Tuxedomoon to exclusive recording contracts with Ralph. Fred Frith appears as guest musician on the Residents' cuts Dumbo the Clown and Time's Up. The abstract cover artwork was done by Gary Panter, and was the first Ralph Records art not done by Pore-Know Graphics. Also, the back cover picture of The Residents is the first display of the group in their new eyeball-wear, which is still their main trademark today. The first edition of SUBTERRANEAN MODERN (25,000 copies) sold out soon after its release. The second printing, released in 1983, was a limited edition of 2500 copies, and is distinguished by a small black and white box of text on the front cover, which lists the four groups featured on the album." - The Cryptic Guide to The Residents
- ↑ NME interview, 17th November, 1979
- ↑ Buy or Die #5 (April 1980)
- ↑ https://residents.com/historical/?page=subterraneanmodern
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Dave Warden, The Cryptic Guide to The Residents, Bach's Decay, 1986
- ↑ Sharing Air With Orioles (Subterranean Modern) | Grandpa Gio
- ↑ Subterranean Modern on The Residents' official webpage
- ↑ The Residents – Eskimo (1987, Shape Optimedia, Inc., CD) - Discogs
- ↑ Post on MX-80's official Facebook page, April 20th 2022
- ↑ Buy Or Die! no. 5, April 1980