Customer Reviews

Gingerbread Man

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

 

 

Perhaps my all-time-favorite Residential album (and I got em all). Who else but The Residents can portray the Grim Reaper as a cookie/cutout Gingerbread man, who reveals the inner tortures, fears, phobias and obsessions of 9 characters, as they slide past the prime of life into their graves. "Ginger" reveals how bitter and twisted some people can become in their eternal chase of the dreams they cannot achieve. As we hear the doomsday babble of all 9 characters, "Ginger" keeps reminding us: "Run, run, fast as you can, you can't catch me, I'm the Gingerbread Man!" If you are fortunate to find the expanded CD-Rom version, get it, It will permanently freak you out as you "see" the busts of the characters and manipulate their environments.

Why, you may ask, do I say "great song" not "great album", cuz for the most part of this almost-40-minute album, you're hearing the melody. Luckily, it IS a catchy melody. This was the first Rez album I had heard, and it got me hooked. The music is very listenable and the lyrics are derranged! =) I recommend it to everyone!

These guys are friggin strange! This album was surprisingly good. Considering the thrashing it has taken from some of the reviewers, I went in not expecting much. Every song begins with the same melody but ends with the same different melody. Its hard to explain. In between those melodies is your typical Residents' style that doesn't fail. Not their best, and certainly not their worst (I think Eskimo REALLY sucks).

Over the years, the Residents' style has evolved from very avant-garde to more cleanly orchestrated works. You could say that "Gingerbread Man" is much more polished than older albums like "Fingerprince", but like most material from the Residents, it still has that dark, wonderfully eerie trademark to it.

Each track (except for the ending epilogue) is about one of nine characters and follows a common format: 1) a short instrumental introduction that includes a recurring, catchy melody 2) a verse sung by the character that poetically sums up their pain and exhaustion with life, and finally 3) spoken comments and thoughts from the character set to music. The liner notes to the CD explains the story behind each character.

I know one criticism people have had about this album is that all the songs sound too similar. But I honestly think the repetition purposely fits here to make a musical/opera kind of format, where each chapter of the story begins with the same catchy melody. Scores for musicials tend to do this ("Cats" and The Who's "Tommy" come to mind).

Also worth mentioning: a nine minute medley of the album, "Gingerbread Man Concentrate", can be found on the Residents' compilation "Our Tired, Our Poor, Our Huddled Masses." This includes 6 of the 9 character songs strung together, without the spoken dialogues. There's also a video set to this medley on their DVD, "Icky Flix". Some might actually prefer this condensed version.

Great CD for those that like epic concept albums. It is right up there in my book with Foetus' "Nail" and Pink Floyd's "The Wall".

My first impression of the Gingerbread Man was the short film on Icky Flix. After watching this, it seemed imperative to own the CD in all its glory. (It also helped me get psyched up for it when a stupid guy I know said it was "the devil's music" and it was "telling him to kill himself!" ..ridiculous, but funny.)
Anyways, I ordered it and waited a couple weeks for it and then it came! To my dismay, all of the songs are around a mere three minutes each and all rely on the same srict formula: One structured versus and then a chaotic collage of the character's inner thought process. Don't get me wrong, I really like the concept behind this CD, but it lacks substance. No catchy tune can justify bland repetition. What a disappointment! I recommend this CD only to the strongest of Resident fans. The only reason I gave it 3 stars is that I dig the concept and I am biased to the Residents. At least it's just as original as their other concepts.

Most listenful album of the Residents. So easy I always whistle while listening

this album is not so bad, if you are a die hard residents fan, buy it, but i don't like because it's every time the same melody(it is a very good melody) i have it and i have not listen to it very much. You better buy : NOT AVAILABLE or THE COMMERCIAL ALBUM or ICKY FLIX, it's also available here on amazon and those album are much greater!!!