The Residents
Whatever Happened To
Vileness Fats/
The Census Taker
© Cryptic/MVDaudio
October 5 - 11, 2025
Year of Release: 2014
Rating:
Whatever Happened To
Vileness Fats
Whatever Happened To
Vileness Fats
Atomic Shopping Carts
Adventures Of A
Troubled Heart
Search For The Short Man
The Importance Of Evergreen
Brocoli And Saxophone
Disguised As Meat
Thoughts Busily Betraying
Lord It's Lonely
The Knife Fight
The Census Taker
Creeping Dread
The Census Taker
Talk
End Of Home
Emotional Music
Secret Seed
Easter Woman/Simple Song
Hellno
Where Is She
Innocence Decayed
Romanian/Nice Old Man
Margaret Freeman
Light's Out
Passing The Bottle
The Census Taker Returns
See how this album ranks...
The Complete WSVNRadio Album Archive
History List
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z
purchase CD's from
Hear a song from this album as part of our Podcast Station! Click on the logo below
|
The Residents return this week (it's their second appearance here at WSVNRadio.net) - with two soundtracks:
Whatever Happened To Vileness Fats? (1984 video), and The Census Taker (1985).
Vileness Fats was an unfinished musical film project by avant-garde art collective The Residents, filmed
primarily between 1972 and 1976. The Residents shot over fourteen hours of film and videotape for the project, but they
cancelled the production less than two thirds of the way through shooting their incomplete script.
The Census Taker was a 1984 black comedy directed by Bruce R. Cook, strring Greg Mullavey, Meredith
MacRae, Timothy bottoms, and Garrett Morris. The film was The Residents' first film soundtrack commission when their
participation was suggested by Penn Jillette (of Penn & Teller) to Cook. It was released by Trans World Entertainment on
VHS in 1989 under the title Husbands, Wives, Money & Murder. PLOT: When George (Greg Mullavey) and Martha
(Meredith MacRae) let Harvey (Garrett Morris), an annoying census taker, into their home, they find themselves under a
barrage of increasingly abusive questions. Furious at his intrusiveness, and at their wit's end, they kill the census
taker and with the help of their friends Pete (Timothy Bottoms) and Eva (Austen Tayler), must hide the body from a
determined investigator.
Whatever Happened To Vileness Fats?
This soundtrack leads off with the title track. It's definitely sounds like a movie soundtrack entity. Experimental,
electronic. "Atomic Shopping Carts" sounds like a soundtrack piece from a horror movie. Continuing that horror
movie sound, has the next track, "Adventures Of A Troubled Heart." "Search For The Short Man"
could also fit the horror soundtrack, yet it sounds more electronic.
"The Importance Of Evergreen" is more electronic. It's second part fits the horror-styled soundtrack. It
then has a electronic toy-like sound. Part four returns to the horror sound, with what sounds like horns. Twilight Zone
type music, definitely, bizarre. "Brocolli And Saxophone" has a lead in to a newscast bumper, yet it does have
it's own strangeness (isn't that what The Residents were known for?) "Disguised As Meat" keeps continuing that
Residents' strangeness.
"Thoughts Busily Betraying" easily fits it's title - Strange music busily continuing, in a "betraying way."
Horror-type music again. "Lord It's Lonely" is a total opposite of past sounds - it's kinda jazzy, yet strange
(as usual). "The Knife Fight" ends this soundtrack, with it's horror-like sound and atmosphere. Definitely creepy,
eerie, with Halloween'ish sound effects, and spaceman-like talking.
The Census Taker
As the plot to The Census Taker is explained, it has it's dark theme. And with that, it only makes sense for
The Residents to present (more of) dark music. "Creeping Dread" (with it's obvious title), does have that "creeping"
horror-like sounds. "The Census Taker" is more on the up side, however, it does continue the strangeness of The
Residents' unique sounds of their music. It's vocals sounds as if they could be using what was called "the talk box,"
as heard from Stevie Wonder. "Talk" features spoken language from the movie (is my guess), with The Residents'
music. It's a very short piece. Then there's the strangeness (and electronic) of "End Of Home." Strange,
definitely. "Emotional Music" continues the horror sounds.
"Secret Seed" is quite bouncy, and, yes, strange. "Easter Woman/Simple Song" still has it's strangeness,
and as bouncy as the previous track, "Secret Seed." "Hellno" is more of a song (imagine that), with vocals. And
not bad to actually listen to. Yes, it's strange too, but we all knew that already, from how The Residents' music is.
Even "Where Is She" has it's "Rock" overtones, yet it's vocals makes it even more stranger. "Innocence
Decayed" returns back to the Twilight Zone eeriness. "Romanian/Nice Old Man" is another bouncy (and strange
Twilight Zone'ish) tune. "Margaret Freeman" continues the increasing strangeness, once again. One minute of pure,
Residents unqiueness. "Light's Out" is another dramatic horror-like track. This track builds into numerous
musical sounds of adrenaline situations. Likewise, the same can be said for the next track, "Passing The Bottle."
"The Census Taker Returns," ending this soundtrack, as it is very short, and another track in excitement in sound.
I'd be curious in viewing The Census Taker movie: Greg Mullavey was from Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman,
Meredith MacRae was from My Three Sons and Petticoat Junction. Garrett Morris was from the original first
cast of NBC's Saturday Night Live. With it's unique plot, it seems the movie would be out-of-the-ordinary.
The Residents' soundtracks of Whatever Happened To Vileness Fats and The Census Taker results in two
terms: Horror sounds, and strange. Overall, they fit for horror soundtracks, or just any film with a "strange"
storyline. The Residents have always been unique. Vileness Fats was based ona Residents video. The video
could have lead into it's own movie. A horror film? Maybe. The Census Taker has it's horror-like sounds,
and, other music alternatives. A broad range of sounds for the movie. The Residents takes us into another dimension
(just as The Twilight Zone). You will travel into a different world, of unqiue music, and that uniqueness is brought to
you by the one and only unique band, The Residents.
© 2025 WSVNRadio.net. All rights reserved.
Review or any portion may not be reproduced
without written permission. Cover art is the
intellectual property of Cryptic/MVDaudio Records
and is used for reference purposes only
|
