Rembrandt Pussyhorse
Encyclopedia
Rembrandt Pussyhorse is the second full-length studio album by American experimental
punk
band Butthole Surfers
, released in April 1986. All songs were written and produced by the Butthole Surfers, except "American Woman
", which was written by Randy Bachman, Burton Cummings, Jim Kale, and Garry Peterson of The Guess Who
, and "Perry", which borrows the tune from the theme music to the old Perry Mason
TV show starring Raymond Burr.
The album was originally released on Touch and Go
, and was reissued on Latino Buggerveil
in 1999. Both Touch and Go & Latino Buggerveil's CD versions of the album include 1985's Cream Corn from the Socket of Davis
EP.
, organ
, and violin
, amongst other sounds, to the Surfers' then-usual battery of electric guitar, bass
, and dual drummers
. According to guitarist Paul Leary
and lead vocalist Gibby Haynes
, the Surfers were a four-piece for most of these sessions, with Leary playing the majority of the bass lines.
However, not all of the new instrumentation was performed by the band. The piano on "Creep in the Cellar", written by Haynes, and the organ on "Perry" were played by the recording studio's owner, who offered free studio time in exchange for being included on the album.
Also of note is the violin heard on "Creep in the Cellar." This was the result of the Surfers purchasing a used 16-track tape, on which a country & western
band had previously recorded. Upon playing their mix of "Creep in the Cellar," the band discovered they had inadvertently kept one of the country band's channels, which contained a backwards violin track. Liking the way it worked with the song, they opted to keep it. They were also too tired to care about editing it out.
Finally, the growls on "Mark Says Alright" are from a pit bull
that the band owned at the time, named Mark Farner of Grand Funk Railroad after the musician Mark Farner
of the band, Grand Funk Railroad
.
said that Rembrandt Pussyhorse was originally intended as an EP
, but eventually evolved into a full-length album. Recording took place over a number of months and in a handful of studios (primarily one in San Antonio, Texas
), so as to fit into the band's then-grueling touring schedule. Most of the songs were recorded on 16-track equipment.
The album was finished prior to 1985's Cream Corn from the Socket of Davis
, and, according to Coffey, was primarily recorded in 1984, approximately four months after the sessions for Psychic... Powerless... Another Man's Sac
. Like its predecessor, this album was also originally intended for release on Alternative Tentacles
, though with a different mix, song selection, and title (Rembrandt Pussy Horse). However, after delaying for nearly a year, the label refused to publish it. Though it eventually surfaced on Touch and Go
, its release was further delayed when the band opted to record two new songs to replace "To Parter" and "Tornadoes," rather than recycle them after their inclusion on the Cream Corn... EP. Outtakes from those sessions can be found on 2002's Humpty Dumpty LSD
.
Experimental rock
Experimental rock or avant-garde rock is a type of music based on rock which experiments with the basic elements of the genre, or which pushes the boundaries of common composition and performance technique....
punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
band Butthole Surfers
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 April 1986. All songs were written and produced by the Butthole Surfers, except "American Woman
American Woman (song)
"American Woman" is a song by Canadian rock band The Guess Who, first released in January 1970 on the album of the same name and later in March as a single, which reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song has been covered by many rock artists, including Lenny Kravitz, Krokus, and The Butthole...
", which was written by Randy Bachman, Burton Cummings, Jim Kale, and Garry Peterson of The Guess Who
The Guess Who
The Guess Who are a Canadian rock band from Winnipeg, Manitoba. Initially gaining recognition in Canada, they also found international success from the late 1960s through the mid-1970s with numerous hit singles, including "American Woman", "These Eyes" and "Share the Land"...
, and "Perry", which borrows the tune from the theme music to the old Perry Mason
Perry Mason (TV series)
Perry Mason is an American legal drama produced by Paisano Productions that ran from September 1957 to May 1966 on CBS. The title character, portrayed by Raymond Burr, is a fictional Los Angeles defense attorney who originally appeared in detective fiction by Erle Stanley Gardner...
TV show starring Raymond Burr.
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. Both Touch and Go & Latino Buggerveil's CD versions of the album include 1985's Cream Corn from the Socket of Davis
Cream Corn from the Socket of Davis
Cream Corn from the Socket of Davis is the second studio EP by American punk band Butthole Surfers, released in October 1985. All songs were written and produced by the Butthole Surfers....
EP.
Music
Rembrandt Pussyhorse is one of the most experimental releases in the Surfers' considerably experimental catalog. Making heavy use of in-studio tape editing and sound modulation, the album adds pianoPiano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, organ
Organ (music)
The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
, and violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
, amongst other sounds, to the Surfers' then-usual battery of electric guitar, 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 ....
. According to guitarist Paul Leary
Paul Leary
Paul 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...
and lead vocalist Gibby Haynes
Gibby Haynes
Gibson Jerome "Gibby" Haynes is an American musician, radio personality, and painter, and the lead singer of the group Butthole Surfers.-Early life and career:...
, the Surfers were a four-piece for most of these sessions, with Leary playing the majority of the bass lines.
However, not all of the new instrumentation was performed by the band. The piano on "Creep in the Cellar", written by Haynes, and the organ on "Perry" were played by the recording studio's owner, who offered free studio time in exchange for being included on the album.
Also of note is the violin heard on "Creep in the Cellar." This was the result of the Surfers purchasing a used 16-track tape, on which a country & western
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
band had previously recorded. Upon playing their mix of "Creep in the Cellar," the band discovered they had inadvertently kept one of the country band's channels, which contained a backwards violin track. Liking the way it worked with the song, they opted to keep it. They were also too tired to care about editing it out.
Finally, the growls on "Mark Says Alright" are from a pit bull
Pit bull
A Pit bull is any of several breeds of dog in the molosser breed group.Many jurisdictions that restrict pit bulls, including Ontario, Canada,, Miami, Florida, U.S...
that the band owned at the time, named Mark Farner of Grand Funk Railroad after the musician Mark Farner
Mark Farner
Mark Fredrick Farner is an American singer, guitarist and songwriter, best known as the lead singer and lead guitarist for Grand Funk Railroad, and later as a Contemporary Christian Musician.-Early life and career:...
of the band, Grand Funk Railroad
Grand Funk Railroad
Grand Funk Railroad is an American rock band that was highly popular during the 1970s. Grand Funk Railroad toured constantly to packed arenas worldwide. A popular take on the band during its heyday was that, although the critics hated them, audiences loved them...
.
Background
Drummer King CoffeyKing Coffey
King 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...
said that Rembrandt Pussyhorse was originally intended as an EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
, but eventually evolved into a full-length album. Recording took place over a number of months and in a handful of studios (primarily one in San Antonio, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
), so as to fit into the band's then-grueling touring schedule. Most of the songs were recorded on 16-track equipment.
The album was finished prior to 1985's Cream Corn from the Socket of Davis
Cream Corn from the Socket of Davis
Cream Corn from the Socket of Davis is the second studio EP by American punk band Butthole Surfers, released in October 1985. All songs were written and produced by the Butthole Surfers....
, and, according to Coffey, was primarily recorded in 1984, approximately four months after the sessions for Psychic... Powerless... Another Man's Sac
Psychic... Powerless... Another Man's Sac
Psychic... Powerless... Another Man's Sac is the first full-length studio album by American punk band Butthole Surfers, released in December 1984 by Touch and Go Records and Fundamental Records. All songs were written and produced by the Butthole Surfers....
. Like its predecessor, this album was also originally intended for release on Alternative Tentacles
Alternative Tentacles
Alternative Tentacles is an independent record label originally based in San Francisco, California and was established in 1979. It was originally used as the label name by the Dead Kennedys for the self-produced single "California Über Alles", and after realizing the potential for an independent...
, though with a different mix, song selection, and title (Rembrandt Pussy Horse). However, after delaying for nearly a year, the label refused to publish it. Though it eventually surfaced 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...
, its release was further delayed when the band opted to record two new songs to replace "To Parter" and "Tornadoes," rather than recycle them after their inclusion on the Cream Corn... EP. Outtakes from those sessions can be found on 2002's Humpty Dumpty LSD
Humpty Dumpty LSD
Humpty Dumpty LSD is the second compilation album by American experimental rock band Butthole Surfers, released in July 2002. All songs were written by the Butthole Surfers, except for "Earthquake," which is a cover version of the 13th Floor Elevators song.The album was released on the band's own...
.
Side 1
- "Creep in the Cellar" – 2:05
- "Sea Ferring" – 4:00
- "American WomanAmerican Woman (song)"American Woman" is a song by Canadian rock band The Guess Who, first released in January 1970 on the album of the same name and later in March as a single, which reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song has been covered by many rock artists, including Lenny Kravitz, Krokus, and The Butthole...
" (Bachman, Cummings, Kale, Peterson) – 5:33 - "Waiting for Jimi to Kick" – 2:21
- "Strangers Die Everyday" – 3:08
Side 2
- "Perry" – 3:32
- "Whirling Hall of Knives" – 4:44
- "Mark Says Alright" – 4:08
- "In the Cellar" – 3:18
US CD reissue bonus tracks
- "Moving to Florida" – 4:32
- "Comb" – 4:57
- "To Parter" – 4:20
- "Tornadoes" – 2:36
- Tracks 10-13 from the Cream Corn from the Socket of DavisCream Corn from the Socket of DavisCream Corn from the Socket of Davis is the second studio EP by American punk band Butthole Surfers, released in October 1985. All songs were written and produced by the Butthole Surfers....
EP.
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...
, bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - Trevor Malcolm – bass (on "Sea Ferring" and "Mark Says Alright")
- 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