The Residents - Spotted Pinto Bean (Vinyl, 1974) singer Pamela Zeibak

“Meet The Residents” is possibly the greatest debut album ever; with more idea per track that many bands, including leading avant-garde pioneers, have on a whole album. Sloppily edited and with a lo-fi production that wasn’t really what the makers would have classed as ideal; but somehow really adds to what was going on at this early point in their ‘career’; the album was unlike anything else that was around at that time, or before. In fact the only things that sound like this that have come out since have been releases by the same outfit. Even then, they never did do anything quite like this album again. More or less any track from this album could be selected as an example, and it just so happens to be this sprawling, wayward track from a wayward, sprawling debut album; where opera, Show tunes, and deformed honky tonk all nuzzle up alongside each other . It’s also worth noting that one of their early collaborators, the singer Pamela Zeibak, lends her vocal skills and Residential magic to ‘Spotted Pinto Bean’.