Brian Wilson! You know Brian Wilson is a master of harmony, that he has struggled with weight gain and mental illness. You can hum every major Beach Boys tune, whether you like it or not. You may have heard his late-career opus, Smile, or read the fictionalized biography Whale Music. Fewer people, however, are aware of his brief turn as a rapper. “Smart Girls,” though it may seem like parody, is authentic Brian Wilson and comes from the unreleased, appropriately titled album Sweet Insanity. The album also featured performances by Weird Al Yankovic and Bob Dylan, but “Smart Girls” takes the cake. Take a trip back to 1989 with Brian Wilson:
Whoa. Never knew this one existed! It's not fundamentalist Christian rap like I usually listen to, but still pretty insane.
ReplyDeleteOne more thing...Do you know The Tiger Lillies?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.tigerlillies.com/
Couple warnings: I've lost friends by recommending this band. I'm pretty confident this time though. I think they're up your alley.
Oh, another warning...the subject matter isn't anything that a fundamentalist rapper would generally approve of. If humorous songs about bestiality aren't your cup of tea...and yes, they have a bestiality concept album.
'The Brothel to the Cemetery' is the first one I'd grab if you don't know them...if you need me to try to send you something, I'll probabably owe you one...
I dig the Tiger Lillies! I found their Edward Gorey tribute album in a bargain bin one day and went back through Strewelpeter and one I think that was about Punch and Judy...
ReplyDeleteI caught their live act awhile back in Montreal, though, and haven't listened since. It's unfortunate, because I think it was the first stop on their tour and they probably deserve a second chance. The front man seemed really grumpy in a not-entirely-theatrical way, flubbed some lyrics, and gave the impression of being very in love with his own shock value, even though pissing on the Virgin Mary's grave is a pretty everyday thing for me. The drummer, though, was a joy to watch and I distinctly remember him drumming away with thigh bones and baby dolls. I'll look up "The Brothel to the Cemetery" and give 'em a second chance. Thanks for the recommendation!
I saw the 'Shockheaded Peter' stage show a few days after 9/11 and then made the couple hour trip up to Chicago to see them again the following night. They all seemed to be in a really good mood then, and yeah, I really enjoyed watching the drummer.
ReplyDeleteI think the Gorey one is so-so; same with Strewelpeter. P&J I think I heard once. I definitely like the earlier stuff better, but that might be because I heard that stuff first.
The Virgin Mary is buried in Canada?
I think she's buried in Canada, else I owe somebody an apology.
ReplyDeleteYour copy of Yuxo is ready to go, just send me your email address and I'll ship it out!