"Voices of the Air" is the opening track of The Residents' concept album Mark of the Mole (Part One of The Mole Trilogy), released September 15th 1981 on Ralph Records. It features (originally uncredited) guest vocal appearances from Penn Jillette and Nessie Lessons.
It was the opening song on The Residents' debut live tour The Mole Show from 1982 to 1983.
History[]
Vocalist Nessie Lessons performing "Voices of the Air" live with The Residents in The Mole Show, October 1982
"Voices of the Air" is a short prologue which introduces recurring melodies heard throughout The Mole Trilogy, and sets the scene for the events that follow on Mark of the Mole, with a "pseudo radio broadcast" delivered by Penn Jillette warning of a large, impending storm affecting the distant desert region colloquially known as "The Pit",[1] home to the Mohelmot (or "Moles"), the central figures of the album and trilogy.
The song features a lyric and melody later expanded into the song "Happy Home", heard on the second album of the trilogy, The Tunes of Two Cities, released the following year. In both "Voices of the Air" and "Happy Home", the lyric is performed by Nessie Lessons, then-wife of The Residents' producer Hardy Fox.
It was the opening song on The Residents' debut tour The Mole Show from 1982 to 1983 (following the pre-recorded introduction "Lights Out"). For most dates, the group were joined onstage by Lessons for the song, however Jillette's "radio broadcast" was instead performed by The Singing Resident.
Synopsis[]
The radio burped its usual assortment of music, news, weather, sports. But who really listened, anyway? Only a couple of bars of music were memorable, "Happy Home", the tune from that new show based on the life of Innisfree, and that rock revival thing that's so hard to remember the title of. Radio just wasn't what it used to be. Even the weather report was more interesting, from the way the announcer spoke, it sounded like the pit was no place to be today.[2]
Lyrics[]
People must be left alone Unless they have a happy home
"...to partly cloudy. The central part of the country, especially the pit area, currently has clear skies but that condition could soon change due to an unusual influx of unseasonably cool winds sweeping down into the infamous pit heat. Meanwhile here on the west coast, the weather has continued much as it has been for the last week."
When it was back when We would not pretend We were only friends
"We interrupt our regular program for this special announcement... Our telometer is reporting that a large storm has developed in the vicinity of The Pit area. Any travelers who might be headed toward that distant region are encouraged to delay further plans until this storm has passed."[2][1]
List of releases[]
- Mark of the Mole (1981) [Version 1]
- Mole Show (1983) [Version 2]
- Assorted Secrets (1984) [Version 3]
- Mole Show/Whatever Happened To Vileness Fats? VHS (1984) [Version 4]
- Mole Show: Live In Holland (1989) [Version 5]
- In Memoriam Torso (1994) [Version 1]
- Mole Show DVD (2009) [Version 6]
- Mole Box: The Complete Mole Trilogy pREServed (2019) [Version 1] [Version 7] [Version 2] [Version 8]
- Mole Dance 82 (2021) [Version 7]
List of versions[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Grove Street studio recording, October 1980 - July 1981 (2:55)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Mole Show live recording, The Roxy Theatre, Los Angeles, October 30th 1982 (3:07)
- ↑ Mole Show live recording, The House, San Francisco, California, April 10th 1982 (3:12)
- ↑ Mole Show live recording, 1982 - 1983 (2:43)
- ↑ Mole Show live recording, Muziekcentrum, Utrecht, Holland, June 4th 1983 (3:05)
- ↑ Mole Show live recording, Kabuki Theater, San Francisco, California, October 1982 (4:27)
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Grove Street live studio rehearsal, March - April 1982 (3:13)
- ↑ Uncle Sam Mole Show live recording, National Building Museum, Washington D.C., October 7th 1983 (4:26)
See also[]
- Mark of the Mole
- Nessie Lessons
- Penn Jillette
- The Mole Show
- The Mole Trilogy
- "Happy Home"
- Mohelmot
- The Pit
Buy Or Die![]
- Mole Box: The Complete Mole Trilogy pREServed at MVDShop (US)
- Mole Box: The Complete Mole Trilogy pREServed at Cherry Red Records (UK/EU)
Listen online[]
- "Voices of the Air" on Spotify
- "Voices of the Air" on Apple Music
- "Voices of the Air" (pREServed remaster) on Spotify
- "Voices of the Air" live studio rehearsal on Spotify
- "Voices of the Air" live at the Roxy on Spotify
- "Voices of the Air" live at the Uncle Sam Mole Show on Spotify
External links and references[]
- Mark of the Mole at The Residents Historical
- Mark of the Mole at RZWeb (archived via archive.org)
- Mark of the Mole at Discogs
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Mark of the Mole + Intermission Mute CD reissue liner notes, 2005
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Ima Buddy, Ima Buddy's Totally Impartial Companion to Uncle Willie's Highly Opinionated BIG MAMAS, 1992
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Mark of the Mole Part One of The Mole Trilogy (1981) Side A: Hole-Workers at the Mercy of Nature |
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The Mole Show (1982-1983) Set list |
