Customer Reviews

Butthole Surfers Live Pcp Ep

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have had both of these albums for a long, long time, but having them easily accessible and far more portable than LP's is rather exciting. Throwing in bonuses like, "Gary Floyd" doesn't hurt, either. The only knock against the CD is you can't turn it down to 33 1/3 like you could the album, which always allowed the fun to be experienced at a slightly slower speed. If you like this band, you have no excuse for passing this collection up.

BUTTHOLE SURFERS
In 1983 the surfers were born with their debut EP. The record starts off with the delightfully Vulgar Song The Shah Sleeps in Lee Harvys Grave. It then takes a 180 degree turn with the Entertaining Hey, followed by the Butthole Classic "SOMETHING", a song apparently about Gibby Hanyes(singer) and how he's gonna get back at his girlfriend (violently).

Now Before Gibby invented the Gibbytronix, he would play the saxophone on certain songs, like Something and Bar B Q Pope. The next song Wichita Cathedral is probably my least favorite song on the record, its basically gibby rambling on how he got drunk in Wichita. Now I can tell you now that any Dead Kennedys fan would like the next song suicide, very punk.

The EP then closes with The Revenge of Anus Presley. It is easily my favorite song on the whole album. Whether its fear or humor you are seeking This song will get the job done. It actually starts out with Gibby Speaking in Tongues. Now if one were to Play it backwards we would hear part of "the Shah" when Gibby Yells "There's a time to live and a time to die, I smoke Elvis Presley's toenails, when i wanna get high. This EP goes by several names such as "A Brown Reason to Live", Pee Pee The sailor(thats actually the name or the drawing on the CD) and Butthole Surfers. The last actually being the right one.

Live PCPPEP
In 1984, The Surfers released a live follow up to the self title. It starts with Gibby on the saxophone of Cowboy Bob, a tune to later appear on "SAC". It then continues to a better version of bar b q pope, its better cause Gibby is rambling several things in between Chorus and Verse.

the next song simply puzzles me. Dance of the cobras is simply Paul fooling with his guitar with weird snake noises in the background, a total of 34 seconds. It never appears in later albums and is only found on here, so what is it? It's just that. Nothing.

We then hear a hilarious version of the shah sleeps in lee Harvey's grave. Halfway through the song the speakers give out for a few seconds on one side of the concert. We are then given an idea of the kind of crappy conditions the surfers had to "enjoy". At the end we hear Gibby and the audience telling each other to shut up. Then we hear live versions of Wichita cathedral, Hey and Something, all excellent.

BONUS TRACKS!!!!
As if the 2 EP's were not sweet enough, the Surfers added a 2 song encore, which consists of Gary Floyd-another song to appear on 'Sac' and Matchstick. Before Gary Floyd Starts we are subject to a hilarious plead from Gibby to the audience, to come up with a Butthole, Butthole Chant. Then we have the Track Sinister Crayon, which was put on the vinyl version of Humpty Dumpty LSD and contains the saxophone. And the album closes with a Demo Version of Something. The song actually becomes a little tiresome when you hear it for the third time on one CD, but it's great, none the less.

This is a great CD by the surfers and should be in every fan's collection, unless you have only heard Electric Larryland and Weird Revolution, then I would suggest going into some of the other stuff first.

... for any discriminating music afficionado. I bought this on sight in 1986, unheard, just because of the band's name. "Ha ha ha, Punk Rock! THEN I put this sucker on the turntable, had my reality shifted PERMANENTLY. The original vinyl was a 12", but recorded at 45 speed (or 69, if you believe the band.) So, upon first unenlightened play at 33 1/3, it souded like Satan beating Black Sabbath with their own instruments. Truly horrific. But in a good way, y'know? Upon play at the correct speed, it should have sounded... right. But it didn't. It was still frightening. But in a good way. An early press release by the band stated, "...as their ability to play their instruments improved, so did their ability to judge right from wrong." Funny, yes, but wholly believable after experiencing this recording.
What you will have, in your hands upon purchase, is the Rosetta stone of True Underground Music, an American original taking monstrous, hallucinatory baby steps to legend. Highlights: "Cowboy Bob" unreels like a horror-film soundtrack, all menacing bass and clashing guitars and horns, and ends with Gibby inexplicably proclaiming, "Aye Calypso." "The Shah Sleeps In Lee Harvey's Grave", now a classic, surely inspired countless DIY bands that they, too, could bellow insane ramblings over flat-out thrash, hang a ridiculous name on it, and call it a masterpiece. They all were wrong. "Hey", much better here live than on their first studio ep (included on the CD), is the perfect first song for that mix tape you're gonna make for your latest crush. If they ask, "What's with that creepy song about going to hell? Are you some sort of weirdo?" then they're not the one for you- trust me. Our little concert ends with Gibby taunting those rudely leaving without the courtesy of requesting an encore: "F---ers... hope you get to work on time."
That being said, you can now take your Frampton Comes Alive! and your Kiss Alive and your Live at the Fillmore East and toss 'em in the woodchipper. In a dark room, pile up the resulting bits of vinyl and light on fire. When you've got some good, toxic smoke going, turn on your strobe light and put on Live PCPpep at full volume. If you're not on the bus at this point, I can't help you.

I'm so glad to hear from other reviews that my friends and I were not the only ones hopped up on too much LSD, playing that distended belly BS album on 33 1/3. The original label suggests the playing speed to be 69 rpms...a seemingly intentional invitation to mess around with the speeds. Didn't try it so much with the live album; but if you really want to get the full effect of this album, get the LP and play it on 33 1/3. Now that's freakin punk rock. To this day I prefer the slowed down version, and could never live with the set speed CD. Long live vinyl!

Live PCPPEP", Butthole Surfers - Truly idiotic and revolting, the Butthole Surfers wouldn't have had it any other way. Many songs appear twice, both in the original album version and then on the live EP that follows (others are on "Rembrandt Pussyhorse"). "The Shah Sleeps In Lee Harvey's Grave" is utter lunacy, and it's good fun, especially the weird "shut up" chorus at the end. "Hey" is more sedate, and nearly a pop song. I've listened to this album a bunch of times trying to "get" it, even nearly 25 years after its release. "Something" is, of course, irritating, with its screeched vocals. "Bar-B-Q-Pope" is hooting and screeching. "Wichita Cathedral" is boring and repetitive and bizarre (think "Going to Florida"), but "Suicide" is a great old buzzing hardcore song that starts off like an early Black Flag anthem before evolving into another mad Gibby sputtering, perhaps one of their best songs. "The Revenge of Anus Presley" is a sort of like the howl of a mad pro wrestler taunting Satan to "do his worst", or something. "Cowboy Bob" is all about screams and Gibby groans. The live version of "Bar-B-Q-Pope" is much better fun, starting off with the "I, Calypso" chant, and then a full golf commentary before it gets into the usual screaming nuttiness. Don't be fooled by "Dance of the Cobras," it's just formless squalling. A live "The Shah Sleeps In Lee Harvey's Grave" does all sorts of hollering and strange "shut-up" calling to the audience, which responds charitably with more shut-ups. A live "Wichita Cathedral" is so-so, and a live "Hey" is pretty slow. The live version of "Something" is nutty and very long, with tons of strange noise and feedback and saxophone, as well as some bad onstage banter about people leaving early. "Gary Floyd" is raunchy country, and "Matchstick" is quite punky. "Sinister Crayon" is nearly like spy music, with the weird echoing guitar track, but there's plenty of goofy bass and saxophone along with Gibby's vocals. A demo of "Something" marks the song's third appearance on this release, and by this time... but if you don't have enough Buttholes to fill you up, try their website where more songs are available.

Live PCPPEP", Butthole Surfers - Truly idiotic and revolting, the Butthole Surfers wouldn't have had it any other way. Many songs appear twice, both in the original album version and then on the live EP that follows (others are on "Rembrandt Pussyhorse"). "The Shah Sleeps In Lee Harvey's Grave" is utter lunacy, and it's good fun, especially the weird "shut up" chorus at the end. "Hey" is more sedate, and nearly a pop song. I've listened to this album a bunch of times trying to "get" it, even nearly 25 years after its release. "Something" is, of course, irritating, with its screeched vocals. "Bar-B-Q-Pope" is hooting and screeching. "Wichita Cathedral" is boring and repetitive and bizarre (think "Going to Florida"), but "Suicide" is a great old buzzing hardcore song that starts off like an early Black Flag anthem before evolving into another mad Gibby sputtering, perhaps one of their best songs. "The Revenge of Anus Presley" is a sort of like the howl of a mad pro wrestler taunting Satan to "do his worst", or something. "Cowboy Bob" is all about screams and Gibby groans. The live version of "Bar-B-Q-Pope" is much better fun, starting off with the "I, Calypso" chant, and then a full golf commentary before it gets into the usual screaming nuttiness. Don't be fooled by "Dance of the Cobras," it's just formless squalling. A live "The Shah Sleeps In Lee Harvey's Grave" does all sorts of hollering and strange "shut-up" calling to the audience, which responds charitably with more shut-ups. A live "Wichita Cathedral" is so-so, and a live "Hey" is pretty slow. The live version of "Something" is nutty and very long, with tons of strange noise and feedback and saxophone, as well as some bad onstage banter about people leaving early. "Gary Floyd" is raunchy country, and "Matchstick" is quite punky. "Sinister Crayon" is nearly like spy music, with the weird echoing guitar track, but there's plenty of goofy bass and saxophone along with Gibby's vocals. A demo of "Something" marks the song's third appearance on this release, and by this time... but if you don't have enough Buttholes to fill you up, try their website where more songs are available.

Absolutely classic Butthole Surfers before they went alternative. Never thought these EPs would ever see light outside of vinyl and the bonus tracks are excellent. Now if they'd only re-release the Double Live concert video...

this album was worth it for track 2 !!!
otherwise, this was the Butthole music that I didn't really go for
(unlike 'Psychic Powerless' which kicks all!)

It's nice to finally have the eponymous first BHS album on CD. However,if you are familiar with the album be forewarned: this is a little strange! On the original LP the music and voices were altered (i.e. both were slowed down and modified)through production. After listening to the LP for years, this is the sound that one becomes accustomed to. The CD release presents the music and voices in real time and and without much modification. It's still fun, but different; somehow not quite as spooky or disturbing. The "bonus" material is exactly that...it's a real treat to lay hands on this previously hard to find material. Now if we could just get a CD version of the double live BHS limited edition vinyl release.

Before becoming the technobabbly faceless group they became in the 90s (SEE: Pepper), BHS were a one of a kind, charmingly low-fi group of Austin weirdoes who seemed to revel in their own decadence. This disc, a compilation of their first two EPs (recorded for Jello Biafra's Alternative Tentacles label), shows just how disturbing and weird they could be at their best (or worst, depending on your point of view). Thrashing, noisy cuts like "The Shah Sleeps in Lee Harvey's Grave" and "Bar-B-Q Pope" show both a punk sensability and a wicked, out there sense of humor. The emphasis here is more on attitude than musical style (the synths, loop machines and other sonic toys would show up in their music later), even though guitarist Paul Leary is one of the best around, and side by side drummers King and Teresa Coffey make a formidable rhythm section. The "PCPPep" part of this disk is live versions of most of the
"Brown Reason to Live" EP. I would strongly recommend the fairly recent release "Humpty Dumpty LSD"--a compilation of works going all the way back to 1982--for more of the Butties at their very best.