Keeping up with the trend of strange albums I present Hairway to Steven. This album sat in the unplayed pile for more than 5 years until today. Its memory just evoked visions of teeth gnashing with hacked up smoker’s phlegm smooshed into long, oily hair. I just couldn’t handle the flashbacks of 1 West.
However, the listen today made me once again realize that tastes can change for the better because this album is fantastic. It’s best used to neutralize the awful yelping of your neighbor’s dog. Once this bad boy began spinning amidst the open windows and supple Kentucky spring breeze the mutt dog (cute but far too boisterous) adjacent to my house stopped his usual abused dog soapbox spiel and took listen to the horribly brilliant sounds of the Butthole. I can only imagine what strange ultrasonic transmissions he received.
The following album notes were handwritten on the album sleeve when I got it. They’re from some long-lost disc jockey affiliated with either WYCC (Google brings up a Chicago PBS station…I highly doubt this disc spent a tenure at the dignified digs of Public Broadcasting) or WMSR in Oxford, OH. I thought his or her insight into the disc were the real icing on the butt cake. If anyone knows what the abbreviations mean before each track description please enlighten the audience.
Unfortunately (depending on how you look at it), no song titles have been supplied. Instead there are kinda rude drawings for each tune. We’ll just think of them as song #1, #2, etc.
SIDE ONE:
Song #1: MT/MAJOR SHIFT, SOUNDS LIKE A NEW SONG/VERY QUICK FADE
Kinda typical surfers, lots of drums & wigged-out guitars w/ occasional mutated voice. Barnyard noises are included in the second, more sedate half of the song.
Song #2: MUT/COLD
considerably more “normal” dark psychedelia
Song #3: MT/Fade
“I saw an x-ray of a girl passing gas.”
and why not?
Side 2
Song #4 (live): MT/FADE on clapping
about smoking, love & hate
Song #5: MUT/FLN
Song #6: MUT/FLN
rockabilly about Julio Iglesia (I think)
Song #7: MT/FLN
like song #1
Song #8: MUT/COLD
like song #1 and #7 only shorter and faster
The Butthole surfers are from Texas and are very weird. See them live if you can.
Click here to download Hairway To Steven at 320 kbps from vinyl
