Commercial Album
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Track listing
Show track credits
- A1 Easter Woman 1:00
- A2 Perfect Love 1:00
- A3 Picnic Boy 1:00
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vocals
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- A4 End of Home 1:00
- A5 Amber 1:00
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vocals
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- A6 Japanese Watercolor 1:00
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guitar
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- A7 Secrets 1:00
- A8 Red Rider 1:00
- A9 My Second Wife 1:00
- A10 Suburban Bathers 1:00
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backing vocals
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- A11 Floyd 1:00
- A12 Dimples and Toes 1:00
- A13 The Nameless Souls 1:00
- A14 Die in Terror 1:00
- A15 Love Leaks Out 1:00
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drums
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drums
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- A16 Act of Being Polite 1:00
- A17 Medicine Man 1:00
- A18 Tragic Bells 1:00
- A19 Loss of Innocence 1:00
- A20 The Simple Song 1:00
- B1 Ups and Downs 1:00
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vocals
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- B2 Possessions 1:00
- B3 Give It to Someone Else 1:00
- B4 Phantom 1:00
- B5 Less Not More 1:00
- B6 My Work Is So Behind 1:00
- B7 Birds in the Trees 1:00
- B8 Handfull of Desire 1:00
- B9 Moisture 1:00
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guitar
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drums
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- B10 Love Is . . . 1:00
- B11 Troubled Man 1:00
- B12 La La 1:00
- B13 Loneliness 1:00
- B14 Nice Old Man 1:00
- B15 The Talk of Creatures 1:00
- B16 Fingertips 1:00
- B17 In Between Dreams 1:00
- B18 Margaret Freeman 1:00
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vocals, guitar
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- B19 The Coming of the Crow 1:00
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guitar
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drums
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synthesizer
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- B20 When We Were Young 1:00
- Total length: 40:00
Rate/Catalog
Catalog
Set listening
Review
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23 Issues
- Release view [combined information for all issues]
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Commercial Album [p] 33 rpm
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Commercial Album 33 rpm
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Commercial Album 33 rpm
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Commercial Album 33 rpm
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Commercial Album 33 rpm
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Commercial Album 33 rpm1980 Vinyl LP RPH002
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Commercial Album Bonus Tracks
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Commercial Album 33 rpm, Colored Vinyl
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Commercial Album Bonus Tracks
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Commercial Album Remastered
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Commercial Album 25th Anniversary Edition Anniversary Edition, Digibook, Remastered
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Commercial Album Bonus Tracks, CD Sized Album Replica
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The Commercial Album Digital file, Streaming
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Commercial Album pREServed Edition Bonus CD, Bonus Tracks, Gatefold, Paper/Cardboard Sleeve, Remastered
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Commercial Album pREServed Edition Bonus Tracks, Digital file, Remastered, Streaming
63 Reviews
From 1980 - This Residents' album consists of 40 tracks - each running for a minute (actually slightly more) - Why - Well I quote from the sleeve notes -" Point One - Pop Music is mostly a repetition of two types of musical and lyrical phrases: The verse and the chorus. Point Two: These elements usually repeat three times-in-a-three minute song, the type usually found on Top 40 radio. Point Three: Cut out the fat, and a pop song is only one minute long. Then, record albums can hold their own Top 40:twenty minutes per side. Point Four: One minute is also the length of most commercials, and therefore their corresponding jingles. Point Five: Jingles are the music of America!" So do The Residents hate Pop music - on the evidence of "The Commercial Album - no - but these tracks are profoundly creepy - scary little nursery rhymes. Oh and Andy Partridge and Lene Lovich are on here as well as Fred Frith, Phil "Snakefinger" Lithman, Chris Cutler and Don Preston from The Mothers of Invention. But this is undoubtedly a Residents album.
Published
ESD 81282 CD (1997)
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I've actually taken the band's advice and played each song three times in a row before. It was...actually better than any hit pop song I've heard on the radio.
Published
For an album with 40 songs on it, there is surprisingly little filler.
Published
I think I'm the only person who finds the Commercial Album to be perfect for wallowing in my own depression.
Don't take your medication and listen to it. You'll understand.
Don't take your medication and listen to it. You'll understand.
Published
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1
Easter Woman
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2
Perfect Love
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3
Picnic Boy
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4
End of Home
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5
Amber
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6
Japanese Watercolor
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7
Secrets
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8
Die in Terror
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9
Red Rider
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10
My Second Wife
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11
Floyd
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12
Suburban Bathers
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13
Dimples and Toes
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14
The Nameless Souls
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15
Love Leaks Out
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16
Act of Being Polite
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17
Medicine Man
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18
Tragic Bells
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19
Loss of Innocence
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20
The Simple Song
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21
Ups and Downs
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22
Possessions
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23
Give It to Someone Else
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24
Phantom
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25
Less Not More
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26
My Work Is So Behind
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27
Birds in the Trees
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28
Handfull of Desire
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29
Moisture
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30
Love Is...
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31
Troubled Old Man
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32
La La
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33
Loneliness
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34
Nice Old Man
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35
The Talk of Creatures
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36
Fingertips
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37
In Between Dreams
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38
Margaret Freeman
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39
The Coming of the Crow
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40
When We Were Young
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41
Shut Up Shut Up
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42
And I Was Alone
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43
Theme for an American TV Show
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44
We're a Happy Family
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45
The Sleeper
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46
Boy in Love
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47
Diskomo
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48
Jailhouse Rock
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49
This Is a Man's Man's Man's World
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50
Hit the Road Jack
The album also features guest appearances from artists such as Snakefinger, Fred Frith, Lene Lovich, and XTC's Andy Partridge, and the whole package is just lovely. Some tracks aren't quite so good as others, but that's why you have 40 to choose from, no?
Original, diverse, and enjoyable. For what more can you ask? Hey, how about 10 more tracks? The East Side Digital CD adds 4 more 1-minute cuts, 4 tracks from the Residue of The Residents EP, and 2 cover singles. OK, so 50 songs is a bit of a haul for anybody... i dare you to name all 50 (or even the original 40) without looking. Even so, required listening for anyone who enjoys musical creativity. Yes.
performance credits not given, of course
credited guest musicians - Fred Frith, Chris Cutler, Don Jackovich, Sandy Sandwich, Mud's Sis, and Snakefinger
secret special appearances - ?
produced by The Residents
in my collection East Side Digital ESD 80202
acquired 27 Dec 1989 at Poindexter's, Durham, NC
RYM review 22 Dec 2004 #1370609
kenzie332 review 31 Jan 2008 #13538786
credited guest musicians - Fred Frith, Chris Cutler, Don Jackovich, Sandy Sandwich, Mud's Sis, and Snakefinger
secret special appearances - ?
produced by The Residents
in my collection East Side Digital ESD 80202
acquired 27 Dec 1989 at Poindexter's, Durham, NC
RYM review 22 Dec 2004 #1370609
kenzie332 review 31 Jan 2008 #13538786
Published
ESD 80202 CD (1988)
lene lovich was featured on this i think so i automatically like it
Published
ESD 80202 CD (1988)
The Residents are a weird ass band. Essentially anonymous performers (for 50 years) who have made some of the weirdest music to ever get even close to the mainstream. They've inspired a lot of interesting artists; Primus covered Hello Skinny & Constantinople form Duck Stab, for example. With this album, the appropriately named Commercial Album, the band came as close to the mainstream as they would ever get; David Byrne of Talking Heads and Brian Eno were recently confirmed to have appeared on the album. That being said, though, it's anything but 'commercial'.
This album is a critique of American consumerism, but in the Residents' special way; as a deconstruction of American pop music -- 3 minute pop songs with a repeating chorus -- all 40 songs are 1 minute long; liner notes say that to get the full experience of the album all songs need to be played 3 times in a row. I'm not going to do that, but it's an interesting idea. In a well known story, the band paid for 40 minute long ad spots on a San Francisco top 40 station, so as to expose the album to unsuspecting listeners. Interesting tactics for sure.
As an album, though, it's alright. Weird minimalist synths with an artsy edge are cool enough, but 40 tracks can get a little bit boring. The lyrics are obtuse as they should be, but even with the abstract ideas they present the 1 minute template doesn't give them near enough time to gestate. No tracks really stand out, it's consistently alright.
I like this album a lot more as a statement than as an album. I don't think it's one of the band's strongest works, although it's been a while since I've revisited their stuff. The songs' concept is unique but doesn't do the material justice, and as an album it definitely could've been stronger.
This album is a critique of American consumerism, but in the Residents' special way; as a deconstruction of American pop music -- 3 minute pop songs with a repeating chorus -- all 40 songs are 1 minute long; liner notes say that to get the full experience of the album all songs need to be played 3 times in a row. I'm not going to do that, but it's an interesting idea. In a well known story, the band paid for 40 minute long ad spots on a San Francisco top 40 station, so as to expose the album to unsuspecting listeners. Interesting tactics for sure.
As an album, though, it's alright. Weird minimalist synths with an artsy edge are cool enough, but 40 tracks can get a little bit boring. The lyrics are obtuse as they should be, but even with the abstract ideas they present the 1 minute template doesn't give them near enough time to gestate. No tracks really stand out, it's consistently alright.
I like this album a lot more as a statement than as an album. I don't think it's one of the band's strongest works, although it's been a while since I've revisited their stuff. The songs' concept is unique but doesn't do the material justice, and as an album it definitely could've been stronger.
Published
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Overall a very unique and interesting album.
The arrangement and formatting of all the songs in this album is nothing short of pure genius. The short format makes them easily loopable and relistenable, and even if you're listening through a song you don't like, it will not take too long. I have listened to this album more times than I can count, but that's not the only aspect I'm judging it on here, if it was, it would be an easy 5 since these tracks are infectious.
The songs themselves are great too. Succinct lyrics, really unique sounding synths, catchy melodies, and avant-garde enough to support the tastes of the high concept folks, while also being familiar enough to normal music so that an average radio listener won't find the album alienating.
In short, it's not THE MOST impressive technical wise, and nothing that will knock your socks off as far as composition either, but it's far from bad or even average. Strongly recommend picking this one up if you see it, it is well worth a listen.
Honorable mentions: Perfect Love, Picnic Boy, Amber
Dishonorable mentions: Margaret Freeman, Medicine Man, Loss of Innocence
Dishonorable mentions: Margaret Freeman, Medicine Man, Loss of Innocence
Published
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