Obscure Gems - 2 In A Series - The Mommyheads

Chances are you’ve never heard of “The Residents.” I don’t have any of their records. I’ve picked them up in the record stores and looked at the covers. One of their records, “Meet The Residents” features John Crawfish, Paul McCrawfish, George Crawfish and Ringo Starfish with crawfish (and a starfish!) dressed up in the Beatle-suits of 1963.

Funny stuff.

The few tracks I've heard from them are low-fi and hard to listen to for my tastes. (Watch the comments section - they have literally dozens rabid fans who surf the 'net and pounce on anyone who doesn't think they eclipse The Beatles!)

But I digress.

Even more obscure than The Residents were The Mommyheads, led by eccentric singer/songwriter/guitarist Adam Elk, (born Adam Cohen.) Changed his name as singer/songwriter Leonard Cohen sired a singer/songwriter and named him "Adam." I think Adam Elk is brilliant. He isn’t starving. He now writes jingles for one of the majors.

Anyway.

The Mommyheads is an awful name, isn’t it? I have to admit that it took me over two years to listen to any of their records because I assumed (unlike the Smuckers!) “with a name like that, they’d have to suck!”

Wrong.

They didn’t have universal appeal. They weren’t promoted at all. I don’t have the statistics, but I bet they sold less than 25,000 records.

Too bad.

Here is a power-pop track from “Bingham’s Hole” called “Only Star.” (Listen.) When I first heard it, I didn’t know what to make of it, but after one or two more listens, I ended up loving it. Listen to the way they build the suspense for the finale.

Favorite lines:

You said that he was sane
He thinks he's flying an aeroplane
On the way to the clinic
Where they pump him full of ideas and misconceptions

What does all of this have to do with The Residents anyway? Here are The Mommyheads with their much-improved remake of The Residents' obscure record “Moisture.” (Listen.) I think it is awesome.


You can buy "Bingham's Hole" from Not Lame records here.