A number of months ago, one of my fellow Delorean writers wrote an excellent piece on The Residents. While I am definitely not “offended” by The Residents, I will say that despite my multiple attempts to delve into the group’s art I can only respect what they did from a distance. They seem focused on creating a concept and visual work, but musically they miss the mark for me.
Despite my misgivings of The Residents, their record label, Ralph Records, was a consistent source of great music in its early 80s heyday. Situated comfortably alongside records by groups such as Tuxedomoon and Yello was one of the label’s most memorable and overlooked acts: Snakefinger.
Phillip Charles Lithman had long been an associate of The Residents, reportedly receiving the nickname “Snakefinger” while visiting the group in the early 70s due to his abilities with a guitar. Upon Lithman’s arrival back in the States he began collaborating with the group; rumors abound that Lithman was even a touring member for their “classic period.” Throughout the late 70s Lithman and The Residents continued their collaborations under the name Snakefinger.
I sometimes refer to Snakefinger’s Greener Postures and Chewing Hides the Sound as “The best albums by The Residents that weren’t by The Residents.” That assessment may be unwarranted — The Residents are a major part of the records, sharing a number of songwriting credits and acting as the backing band, but Snakefinger remains completely different mutant. The squirrely synthesizer that dominates a lot of The Residents’ recordings takes a back seat to Snakefinger’s minimalistic avant-blues guitar and ability to write simple yet catchy music. Lines can easily be drawn from the bizarre psychedelic blues of Beefheart and the speedy pop punk of the Ramones to the emerging new wave and avant-garde of the early 80s. The music that Lithman created, even when he leaned more towards his blues rock background in the mid to late 80s, was never easily placed in a definable category.
Snakefinger didn’t rely heavily on concepts to drive his records; he instead took the eccentricity that was so charming about The Residents and distilled it into a more approachable form. Snakefinger’s history, although intrinsically linked to the Resident’s mythos, doesn’t have to be known to appreciate the music.