Butthole Surfers redux

[Brutal Econo <hofmann@AMSAA.ARPA>]

Item:  The Butthole Surfers, 80 minute video from Touch and Go Records.

Recorded:  Late Febuary, Early March 1985 at TRAXX in DEtroit.

Summary:  Fascinating!  Worth the dollars ($24 PPD to be exact).

. This is a band that puts _ALOT_ of "professional, serious" bands to
  ever-loving shame.

. This is a band that it's trendy to like, not because of their music
  but because of the antics of their front man and his acidic and bent
  vision.

. FACT:  Forget the antics, the Buttholes play the most intense acid
  rock (and by "acid rock" I don't neccesarily mean 60's retread, merely
  the state of "acid rock" today) ever heard to this day and anyone
  who disagrees can eat Gibby's shorts (Gib being the vocal psychotic
  who sings most of their songs).

. The songs here are rejoined by shots of the band in a hotel bed (like
  John and Yoko) doing the best parody of band interviews ever seen and
  even improvising a song on the spot ending with a roistorious "Blow the
  Man Down" chorus.  Has to be seen to be believed.

. How to describe the music?  Here's what I've jotted down after watching this:

	"a strange (I mean STRANGE) assortment of non-influences, anti-
	 influences strung together by spontaneous musical experiments
	 both hilarious and terrifying as well as human beat-box blats,
	 on-stage industriotronicstapetricks, beat generation pointers
	 by the dozen, a real live Sousaphone players, Jesus Christ,
	 nudity, two inhumanly savage African style drummers, a guitarist
	 that acts like Robin did when he was captured by Catwoman and
	 put on drugs all fronted by this hardcore Zippy The Pinhead, who
	 just 70 years ago would have gone no further then either becoming
	 the village idiot or a solitary confinement case"

.  Last jam of the edited version puts the 80's Grateful Dead to shame.

.  Believe it or not, this isn't a vanity video.  Gibby and the others
   come off somewhat sad, pathetic and moronic.  Touch and Go didn't
   pull any punches.

.  This video comes with a clear, one-sided 5 inch plastic (not flexi)
   disk of "American Women" (remember Grand Funk?) done live.

.  If you wait long enough after the credits, my version had a nude version
   of "I shot the pope" wherein Gibby had his PJ's stolen by a bunch of
   skins.  This looks to be an older incarnation of the band and reeks of
   bootleg quality.  I figure it was stuck on long after the credits to
   divert any PMRC attention (not that it won't get any) away from it.  It's
   kind of sad to see an audience take the guys clothes away.  He apparently
   didn't appreciate it but kept on playing anyway.  Talk about "On with the
   Show" and all.

.  This is also the best line-up they've ever had.  Since then they've
   lost the girl drummer and the bassist (who seemed to have the second
   strongest personality of the group).

.  All their "hits" are included as well as very, very raw versions of
   To Parter and Mexican Caravan which showed up on the EP of last year,
   "Cream Corn ..."

.  Great introduction to the rock band of the 80's.