Customer Reviews

Tunes of Two Cities

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The songs on his album alternate between bright bouncy Residential music and dark primitive gutteral music. it represents the social clashes between the Chub and Mole cultures introduced to us by the Resident's album, Mark of the Mole.

The whole concept parralells many times in history when two cultures collide. One culture, The Moles were forced to migrate after a disaster, and the other culture, the Chubs were at first thrilled a the prospect of cheap labor. But then the Chubs were less than welcoming when "The great Machine" made the Mole's labor obsolete and then unwelcome. This music sonicly demonstrates the difference between the cultures.

HOWEVER.. as happens in the real world, some Moles and Chubs interbreed, creating the Zinkonites! The Zinkonites preferred the aborigone "Mohelmot" culture of their Mole forbearers over the plastic Chub culture. To discover the Zinkonite struggles of the prodegy of the Mole/Chub war, and the efforts of the Zinkonite hero, Kulla Bocca, then you must buy Part 4 of The Mile Trilogy, The Resident's Big Bubble!

This is by far my favorite Residents cd. Entirely instrumental, it alternates between 2 different musical cultures ("Chubs" and "Moles"). The Chubs' music is bright and cheerful at first glance, like easy listening, but there are just enough 'wrong' notes thrown in to make it not so subtly disturbing. The music of the Moles is the opposite. Their songs are made from outwardly frightening sounds - heavy breathing, subterranean mechanical sounds and insect-like scuttles, but on repeated listens you'll find them darkly fun and festive. As the cd progresses, you start to hear the influences that the 2 cultures have on each other.

While I agree with other reviewers that the Residents are an acquired taste, once the acquisition is made 'The Tunes of Two Cities' is right up there with the very best of their work.

The concept itself is brilliant and makes for a follow up to 'Mark of the Mole' that actually surpasses its predecessor in my opinion. Where maybe they had taken themselves a bit too seriously with MOTM, here they are back to their irreverent best and through that irreverence they reach some profound musical moments.

Depicting the music of two different cultures as different as the two groups described in HG Wells' 'The Time Machine', they roam between the twisted and ridiculous big-band kitsch of the leisure class and the guttural, percussive moans and whines of the subterranean workers. Through this they somehow create a haunting atmosphere and manage to continue the class dialogue of 'Mark of the Mole' but in a more subtle and satisfying way. It needs a few listens but then most good things do.

hey, another Rz album - i like em all. The contrast between the moles and chubs makes for an interesting listen and you don't get bored. Happy Home is my favorite Rz track except for "never known questions" (from NOT AVAILABLE)

This album is the second released as part of the "Mole Trilogy" which was really planned to be six albums. Don't ask. I can't do the math either. The Residents are fond of concepts, and the concept for this album IS an intriguing one. The art group takes the two imaginary cultures from the _Mark of the Mole_ and presents their pop music. The songs alternate between the cultures, from the surrealist big band of the more highly developed people to the very primitive percussive music of the less developed culture. The juxtaposition is interesting, and the instrumental music is at times highly original and entertaining. However, if you're not a fan of the Residents, this isn't one of the first albums you should be buying. Start somewhere else, become addicted and obsessed, and then try to buy their whole catalogue like the rest of us have done.

Hey, this was the first Residents album I ever heard and it really had me busting a gut. If you don't like TOTC then you don't understand what this bands all about.

The first recording by The Resident(s) (as opposed to The Residents.) With this and the only slightly better "The Big Bubble," the new "group" attempts to regroup in the studio and get "their" groove back making original music, a feat only acheived decades later with "Wormwood" and the fabulous "Demons Dance Alone."

Give "Tunes" a miss.