The Tunes of Two Cities
The Tunes of Two Cities is an album by The Residents, released in 1982. It is part two of the Mole Trilogy. Rather than forwarding the story of the battle between the Mole People and the Chubs, the record's concept is to display the differences between the two cultures through their music. The music of the Chubs is light cocktail jazz, while that of the Moles tends toward industrial hymns. A major feature of this album is that it was one of the first to use the E-mu Emulator, one of the earliest commercial digital samplers.
| The Tunes of Two Cities | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | March 1982 | |||
| Recorded | October 1980-January 1982 | |||
| Genre | Avant-garde, noise rock | |||
| Length | 39:50 | |||
| Label | Ralph | |||
| Producer | The Cryptic Corporation | |||
| The Residents chronology | ||||
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| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   |
The Chub track "Mousetrap" bears a noticeable resemblance to Stan Kenton's "Eager Beaver." In one 1998 interview, band spokesman Homer Flynn acknowledged that the band listened to jazz big band artists including Kenton, as well as Charles Mingus and Sun Ra.[2]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Serenade for Missy" | 3:16 |
| 2. | "A Maze of Jigsaws" | 2:52 |
| 3. | "Mousetrap" | 3:32 |
| 4. | "God of Darkness" | 3:18 |
| 5. | "Smack Your Lips (Clap Your Teeth)" | 3:59 |
| 6. | "Praise for the Curse" | 2:52 |
| 7. | "The Secret Seed" | 2:47 |
| 8. | "Smokebeams" | 2:43 |
| 9. | "Mourning the Undead" | 3:05 |
| 10. | "Song of the Wild" | 3:24 |
| 11. | "The Evil Disposer" | 3:16 |
| 12. | "Happy Home" | 4:46 |
| Total length: | 39:50 | |
- Bonus Tracks (1988 CD release only)
7. "Open Up"
8. "Anvil Forest"
9. "Scent of Mint"
Personnel
The Residents: Performance
Snakefinger: Guitar
Nessie Lessons: Vocals
Norman Salant: Saxophone
References
- Mills, Ted. The Tunes of Two Cities at AllMusic
- Homer Flynn Interview