Hairway to Steven
Encyclopedia
Hairway to Steven is the fourth full-length studio album by American punk band Butthole Surfers
, released in February 1988. All songs were written by the Butthole Surfers, co-produced by the Surfers and Ric Wallace, and mixed by Wallace. The album was recorded at January Sound Studio in Dallas.
The album was originally released on Touch and Go
, and was reissued on Latino Buggerveil
in 1999.
Hairway to Stevens title is a play on Led Zeppelin
's popular song, "Stairway to Heaven
." Some of its tracks also make allusions to other famous musicians, such as Julio Iglesias
.
, bass
, and dual drummers
, it makes equally heavy use of the acoustic guitar
.
This was drummer Teresa Nervosa
's final studio recording with the Surfers.
Live performances of all the album's songs, with the exception of "Julio Iglesias," were included on 1989's Double Live
. "John E. Smoke" continues to be a regular feature of their concerts.
's label and in the CD's packaging. In the years since, fans have extrapolated the songs' actual names by cross-referencing this album with official and bootleg recordings of the Surfers' live performances, particularly 1989's Double Live
. Many online music services use these widely accepted titles (see "Track listing").
, the band had been performing most of these songs for years before recording them for this album. Many of the band's previous releases had been piecework affairs, recorded over several months in numerous studios, and their songs underwent far more in-studio development.
The Surfers opted to follow this album's blueprint on future recordings, entering the studio with more fully formed songs than they had in the past. Pinkus has expressed the opinion that these better-organized recording sessions stifled much of the spontaneous creativity that had propelled the group's previous albums.
, with the exception of "Julio Iglesias," which is inferred from the song's oft-repeated mention of the singer's name.
Butthole Surfers
Butthole Surfers is an American alternative rock band formed by Gibby Haynes and Paul Leary in San Antonio, Texas in 1981. The band has had numerous personnel changes, but its core lineup of Haynes, Leary, and drummer King Coffey has been consistent since 1983. Teresa Nervosa served as second...
, released in February 1988. All songs were written by the Butthole Surfers, co-produced by the Surfers and Ric Wallace, and mixed by Wallace. The album was recorded at January Sound Studio in Dallas.
The album was originally released on Touch and Go
Touch and Go Records
Touch and Go Records is an independent record label based in Chicago, Illinois, USA.After its genesis as a hand-made fanzine in 1979, it grew into one of the key record labels in the American 1980s alternative and underground rock scenes, Touch & Go carved out a reputation for releasing adventurous...
, and was reissued on Latino Buggerveil
Latino Buggerveil
Latino Buggerveil is an independent record label and publishing company that was founded by psychedelic noise-punk band the Butthole Surfers.The label's first release was the 1987 album A Texas Trip, a various artists compilation which was co-released by Caroline Records...
in 1999.
Hairway to Stevens title is a play on Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
's popular song, "Stairway to Heaven
Stairway to Heaven
"Stairway to Heaven" is a song by the English rock band Led Zeppelin, released in late 1971. It was composed by guitarist Jimmy Page and vocalist Robert Plant for the band's untitled fourth studio album . The song, running eight minutes and two seconds, is composed of several sections, which...
." Some of its tracks also make allusions to other famous musicians, such as Julio Iglesias
Julio Iglesias
Julio José Iglesias de la Cueva , better known simply as Julio Iglesias, is a Spanish singer who has sold over 300 million records worldwide in 14 languages and released 77 albums. According to Sony Music Entertainment, he is one of the top 15 best selling music artists in history,...
.
Music
The last full-length Surfers album of the 1980s marked a midway point in the band's career, straddling their psychedelic noise roots and the more accessible recordings that would follow. Like the Surfers' previous releases, Hairway to Steven uses non-traditional instrumentation, extensive tape editing, and sound modulation. Unlike its predecessors, which relied almost exclusively on a foundation of electric guitarElectric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
, bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, and dual drummers
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, it makes equally heavy use of the acoustic guitar
Acoustic guitar
An acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
.
This was drummer Teresa Nervosa
Teresa Taylor
Teresa Taylor , also known as Teresa Nervosa, is an American musician and actor. She is best known as being a drummer for the American punk band Butthole Surfers.-Biography:...
's final studio recording with the Surfers.
Live performances of all the album's songs, with the exception of "Julio Iglesias," were included on 1989's Double Live
Double Live (Butthole Surfers album)
Double Live is a live double album by American punk band Butthole Surfers, released on vinyl and cassette tape in 1989. An expanded CD edition followed in 1990...
. "John E. Smoke" continues to be a regular feature of their concerts.
Song titles
This album used no actual song titles when originally released; each song was represented by an absurdist, often scatological cartoon printed on the vinyl recordGramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
's label and in the CD's packaging. In the years since, fans have extrapolated the songs' actual names by cross-referencing this album with official and bootleg recordings of the Surfers' live performances, particularly 1989's Double Live
Double Live (Butthole Surfers album)
Double Live is a live double album by American punk band Butthole Surfers, released on vinyl and cassette tape in 1989. An expanded CD edition followed in 1990...
. Many online music services use these widely accepted titles (see "Track listing").
Background
Hairway to Steven was recorded at one studio in a relatively short period of time. According to bassist Jeff PinkusJeff Pinkus
Jeff Pinkus is an American bassist, best known for his work with American punk band Butthole Surfers from 1986-1994.In 1990, he and Butthole Surfers lead vocalist Gibby Haynes released Digital Dump, the only album from their psychedelic house music side project, The Jackofficers.Upon leaving the...
, the band had been performing most of these songs for years before recording them for this album. Many of the band's previous releases had been piecework affairs, recorded over several months in numerous studios, and their songs underwent far more in-studio development.
The Surfers opted to follow this album's blueprint on future recordings, entering the studio with more fully formed songs than they had in the past. Pinkus has expressed the opinion that these better-organized recording sessions stifled much of the spontaneous creativity that had propelled the group's previous albums.
Track listing
All songs written and co-produced by the Butthole Surfers. The following titles were extrapolated by matching the songs to those found on 1989's Double LiveDouble Live (Butthole Surfers album)
Double Live is a live double album by American punk band Butthole Surfers, released on vinyl and cassette tape in 1989. An expanded CD edition followed in 1990...
, with the exception of "Julio Iglesias," which is inferred from the song's oft-repeated mention of the singer's name.
Side 1
- "Jimi" – 12:38 (first half 45 rpm)
- "Ricky" – 2:36
- "I Saw an X-Ray of a Girl Passing Gas" – 4:56
Side 2
- "John E. Smoke" – 6:40
- "Rocky" – 3:45
- "Julio Iglesias" – 3:05
- "Backass" – 6:07
- "Fast" (a.k.a. "Fart Song") – 1:35
Personnel
- Gibby HaynesGibby HaynesGibson Jerome "Gibby" Haynes is an American musician, radio personality, and painter, and the lead singer of the group Butthole Surfers.-Early life and career:...
– lead vocals - Paul LearyPaul LearyPaul Leary is an American musician from Austin, TX, best known as the guitarist for American rock band Butthole Surfers. He is also the producer of a number of songs and albums by other bands, including U2, Sublime, the Meat Puppets, Daniel Johnston, The Reverend Horton Heat, Pepper, Maggie...
– guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker... - Jeff PinkusJeff PinkusJeff Pinkus is an American bassist, best known for his work with American punk band Butthole Surfers from 1986-1994.In 1990, he and Butthole Surfers lead vocalist Gibby Haynes released Digital Dump, the only album from their psychedelic house music side project, The Jackofficers.Upon leaving the...
– bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - King CoffeyKing CoffeyKing Coffey is an American drummer, best known for being the drummer of the psychedelic/noise rock band the Butthole Surfers. He began drumming in a Fort Worth hardcore punk band called The Hugh Beaumont Experience. Around that same time he published a fanzine called Throbbing Cattle...
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person .... - Teresa NervosaTeresa TaylorTeresa Taylor , also known as Teresa Nervosa, is an American musician and actor. She is best known as being a drummer for the American punk band Butthole Surfers.-Biography:...
– drums