The Commercial Album
The Residents · 1980
42 min · 40 tracks
A surreal collage of short, experimental pieces that defy conventional song structure and narrative.
Why this album works
'The Commercial Album' is notable for its concept of 40 one-minute songs, challenging traditional music formats and expectations. It received critical acclaim for its originality, influencing later experimental artists and contributing to the post-punk movement's ethos of artistic freedom and exploration.
- Best for
- surreal snippets of everyday life quick bursts of experimental ideas fragmented pacing for curious minds
- Context
- Released in 1980, 'The Commercial Album' was The Residents' eighth studio album and marked a significant departure from their earlier work. At this point in their career, they had already developed a reputation for avant-garde music and visual art, solidifying their position as innovative pioneers in the underground scene.
Tracklist
Best experienced from track one — press play and let it unfold.
- 1 Easter Woman Standout 1:03
- 2 Perfect Love 1:03
- 3 Picnic Boy 1:01
- 4 End of Home 1:04
- 5 Amber 1:02
- 6 Japanese Watercolor Standout 1:02
- 7 Secrets 1:03
- 8 Die in Terror Standout 1:03
- 9 Red Rider 1:02
- 10 My Second Wife 1:02
- 11 Floyd 1:03
- 12 Suburban Bathers 1:04
- 13 Dimples and Toes 1:03
- 14 The Nameless Souls 1:04
- 15 Love Leaks Out 1:04
- 16 Act of Being Polite 1:03
- 17 Medicine Man 1:04
- 18 Tragic Bells 1:03
- 19 Loss of Innocence 1:04
- 20 The Simple Song 1:02
- 21 Ups and Downs 1:04
- 22 Possessions 1:03
- 23 Give It to Someone Else 1:03
- 24 Phantom 1:04
- 25 Less Not More 1:03
- 26 My Work Is So Behind 1:04
- 27 Birds in the Trees 1:04
- 28 Handful of Desire 1:04
- 29 Moisture 1:04
- 30 Love Is… 1:03
- 31 Troubled Man 1:04
- 32 La La 1:04
- 33 Loneliness 1:04
- 34 Nice Old Man 1:04
- 35 The Talk of Creatures 1:04
- 36 Fingertips 1:04
- 37 In Between Dreams 1:04
- 38 Margaret Freeman 1:03
- 39 The Coming of the Crow 1:04
- 40 When We Were Young 1:02
Reference: Wikipedia · MusicBrainz · Wikidata
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