Track Listing

1. Concubine
2. Eye Of The Chicken
3. Dum Dum
4. Woly Boly
5. Negro Observer
6. Butthole Surfer
7. Lady Sniff
8. Cherub
9. Mexican Caravan
10. Cowboy Bob
11. Gary Floyd

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #20291 in Music
• Released on: 2000-04-24
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered, Import
• Dimensions: .13 pounds

CD Description
From its bizarre cover art to its absurd title to its gleefully chaotic and thematically offensive songs, the Butthole Surfers' 1985 full-length debut, PSYCHIC...POWERLESS...ANOTHER MAN'S SAC, perfectly exemplifies the Texas-spawned ensemble's twisted, ungodly aesthetic. On this wildly unhinged first outing, frontman Gibby Haynes and guitarist Paul Leary lead listeners on a surreal exploration of rock's sub-basement, occasionally surfacing in a nightmarish brothel (the sinisterly obscene "Concubine" and the humorously vulgar "Lady Sniff"), a seedy punk/rockabilly club (the Dead Kennedys-esque"Butthole Surfer" and the revved-up "Mexican Caravan") and other strange locales. Throughout this amazingly odd journey, Haynes caterwauls and croons through layers of electronic vocal distortions, and Leary responds in kind with skittering and squealing guitar lines that careen over frequently pummeling, near-tribal rhythms. Though many fans swear by REMBRANDT PUSSYHORSE or LOCUST ABORTION TECHNICIAN as the group'sfinest record, those who appreciate these Lone Star misfitsin their most unrefined state will usually site PSYCHIC as their favorite Butthole Surfers concoction.

Customer Reviews

genuine evil
at this time, 1984, the butthole surfer had just split from alternitive tentacles, and moved to touch and go, but traces of DK's and black flag hardcore are still evident here. leary's guitars are as grinding and jarring as ever, like shards of glass crammed into your ears. gibby's vocals are frighteningly understandable, being untreated, but still endlessly nasty, and he even plays sax at the start of some tracks. i personally think the frightening sax solo's contribute further to the highly enjoyable degradation and insanity. i really love this album because it resembles the chaos in my mind, also because it will endlessly makes me laugh like a hyeina. the guitars are more than enough to wreck the balance in your head. this is so much better than the later stuff, like electriclarryland, so if you prefer poppier-type hardcore, then this isnt really for you. the great thing is how this album meshes so many style together, like avant-garde and R and B, blues and hardcore. the best song without a adoubt is the insane "lady sniff" or the "gary floyd" there are more straightforward songs, such as "negro observer", about singles bar dwelling aliens known as "negro observers". if you like your hardcore with a surrealist dadaist arty atonal edge then you will really love this.

the best surfers album
i cant think of anyone capable of producing an album like this today. yes it's disturbing, and psycodelic but not lazy or conceptual. it doesn't sonically smash you in the face or pummel you into submission. they put something in your tea and expand your mind.

concubine is pretty freaky , woly boly and negro observer are excellent and more conventional and cherub a definite one to listen to with the lights out.

if acid was like this i'd be hooked.

a must for your next dinner party