The Shaggs
 

What can you guys make of them? Frank Zappa called them better then the Beatles. Kurt Cobain also said he was a big fan.



I think the main appeal here is the honesty in the recordings. Let's face it... they weren't on to anything here. I think this quote from Cub Koda puts it best with "There's an innocence to these songs and their performances that's both charming and unsettling. Hacked-at drumbeats, whacked-around chords, songs that seem to have little or no meter to them ... being played on out-of-tune, pawn-shop-quality guitars all converge, creating dissonance and beauty, chaos and tranquility, causing any listener coming to this music to rearrange any pre-existing notions about the relationships between talent, originality, and ability. There is no album you might own that sounds remotely like this one."

I can't say I totally "get it". But what do you think?

This is more listenable than the previous material I've heard of them I believe...Though I only recall "My Pal Foot Foot", or something of the sort.
I don't know what to think, I find their music disturbing, yet fascinating.

Sounds like Flipperwith more organization if that makes any sense. I can see why it may appeal to some, I am a fan of a few bands that are awful but have a certain charm to them.

I actually have a couple of buddies who are in a band and sound like this. I thought they were just awful, but maybe they're geniuses!

Yeah, I still don't know ? It's hard to decide if it's just really bad or whether I'm missing something. Similar to some of Willy Nelson's guitar solos.

When I first heard Van Morrison I thought he was crap and couldn't sing. Now I'm a big fan so maybe this would grow on me if I could stand it for long enough.

Decision made! Life is too short to listen to any more of the Shaggs.

Gordon.

Well, apparently when recording they would stop several times and say one of the girls "made a mistake". Which left the producers wondering how they could tell. So, yeah maybe they were really into what they were doing. I myself got into it (but just so) about half way through the Philosophy of the World album.

I've never "gotten" The Shaggs either. I've read that Zappa quote before, and I really wonder if he was joking. I know someone who used to make fun of them and would recommend them to people as a joke, so I wonder if that's what Zappa was doing too.

It's a mystery to me man. Maybe one day I'll be pretentious enough to enjoy them.

Aww dude. I love The Shaggs. Their music is quirky, sincere, and just plain heartwarming. They're the epitome of unpretentiousness and heart in music.

Here's a great quote from shaggs.com:
It's true; saying they aren't great musicians is an extreme understatement. :p: They can't play for sh*t. But I'll be damned if The Shaggs don't bring a smile to my face every time.

Normally, I wouldn't recommend The Shaggs, because not a lot of people get it. But if you can understand what they are, then it might just change and challenge any past perceptions of ability, and talent you may have had.

I think liking outsider music in general is going to brand you a pretentious d-bag in someone's eyes eventually.

I have such happy memories attached to the shaggs. :D I agree with the previous speaker that they never fail to make me smile, and yes, they can't play for sh*t. Whenever I hear them, I always think of really sunny summer days that weren't unbearable. I heard that the father forced all the girls in the band to form it and was a raging alcoholic. Also that the grandmother predicted the success of the band which is why the father formed it.

I've never heard of them. But listening to this track above, I can make an allusion to naive painting - it has its charm. There's no form, only the expression, and if it works it's endearing to us, if not we laugh. There's no middle ground.

Arise, thread! I give you life!

Holy ****, it worked.
Are you Jesus?

As for The Shaggs, they're pretty fun to listen to, although I probably wouldn't make it through the whole album.
They don't just sound like the usual band of bad musicians, there's some really weird approach to songwriting itself and I can dig it.

Yeah, I also think they're fun to listen to. They're right up there with The Residents. :yeah:

The Shaggs' Dot Wiggin formed a new band a while ago and they perform note-for-note replications of original Shaggs songs. It's pretty awesome. I saw an interview with their guitarist recently where he claimed that there were actually charts for all the Shaggs songs. Who would have thought?

The Shaggs created some of the most beautifully crafted music ever recorded. Their sense of melody rivals Paul McCartney, Brian Wilson, and Daniel Johnston. They're brutally avant garde except it's totally gentle. The chemistry and musical intuitiveness is unparalleled. Their greatness on all levels cannot be overstated.