Psychic... Powerless... Another Man's Sac

Psychic... Powerless... Another Man's Sac is the first full-length studio album by American rock band Butthole Surfers, released in December 1984 by Touch and Go Records in America and Fundamental Records in England. All songs were written and produced by the Butthole Surfers.

Psychic... Powerless... Another Man's Sac
Studio album by
Butthole Surfers
ReleasedDecember 1984 (US)
July 1985 (UK)
Recorded1984
Genre
Length35:04
LabelTouch and Go (US)
Fundamental (UK)
Latino Buggerveil (reissue)
ProducerButthole Surfers
Butthole Surfers chronology
Live PCPPEP
(1984)		 Psychic... Powerless... Another Man's Sac
(1984)		 Cream Corn from the Socket of Davis
(1985)
Back cover
Alternative cover
UK cover
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[1]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[2]
Robert ChristgauB+[3]
Rolling Stone[4]

This was Butthole Surfers' first album on Touch and Go, and was originally released on clear vinyl. It was reissued on Latino Buggerveil in 1999.

The album's back cover and label photos were produced by artist Michael Macioce.[5]

Music

After releasing their debut studio record on Alternative Tentacles, the band embarked on a decidedly more psychedelic direction with their first full-length LP. However, while the half the album—and in particular the song "Cherub"—have definite psychedelic qualities, elements of traditional punk ("Butthole Surfer"), blues ("Lady Sniff"), surf rock ("Mexican Caravan"), and country rock ("Gary Floyd") are also on display.

"Dum Dum" is also notable for being another song in Butthole Surfers' catalogue to be based around parts of a Black Sabbath song although the lyrics revolve around an entirely different concept from the original. Specifically, the drums are lifted from "Children of the Grave," from the Master of Reality album.

Many of Psychic...'s tracks were enhanced with extensive tape editing and, in some cases, the addition of non-traditional instrumentation, including the barrage of bizarre sounds (spitting, vomiting, a Spanish-language radio station, etc.) heard in "Lady Sniff." Lead vocalist Gibby Haynes debuted a new vocal technique by singing through a bullhorn for some songs, and played saxophone on "Negro Observer" and "Cowboy Bob". This was the first Butthole Surfers studio album to feature double drummers King Coffey and Teresa Nervosa, and the last with bass player Bill Jolly, who had also performed on the band's first two releases.

Approximately half the songs on this album, including "Negro Observer," "Lady Sniff," "Cherub," "Mexican Caravan," "Cowboy Bob," and "Gary Floyd," remained staples of Butthole Surfers' live shows.

Background

According to guitarist Paul Leary, Psychic... was recorded in a very substandard studio. Leary also claims he and Haynes were living in a tool shed at the time of the sessions.[6]

Butthole Surfers weren't under contract to any record label when they recorded this album. Upon its completion they offered it to Alternative Tentacles, who had released the band's first two EPs but could not afford to distribute the new project.[7] This, combined with questions the group had regarding Alternative Tentacles' handling of royalties from the band’s self-titled debut and the Live PCPPEP, resulted in the album ultimately being released on Touch and Go.[8]

Track listing

All songs written and produced by Butthole Surfers.

Side A
No.TitleLength
1."Concubine"2:27
2."Eye of the Chicken"1:36
3."Dum Dum"3:47
4."Woly Boly"2:45
5."Negro Observer (CD/LP versions only)"3:39
6."Butthole Surfer"3:02

Side B
No.TitleLength
7."Lady Sniff"3:45
8."Cherub"6:22
9."Mexican Caravan"2:46
10."Cowboy Bob"2:55
11."Gary Floyd"1:56
Total length:35:04

UK CD bonus tracks
  1. "Moving to Florida" – 4:32
  2. "Lou Reed" – 4:57
  3. "Two Part" – 4:20
  4. "Tornadoes" – 2:36

Personnel

Charts
Chart (1985) Peak
position
UK Indie Chart[9] 12

References
  1. Raggett, Ned. "allmusic ((( Psychic...Powerless...Another Man's Sac > Review )))". Allmusic. Retrieved March 17, 2010.
  2. Larkin, Colin (2011-05-27). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Omnibus Press. p. 2987. ISBN 9780857125958.
  3. Christgau, Robert. "Butthole Surfers". robertchristgau.com, Retrieved on March 17, 2010.
  4. Brackett, Nathan. "Butthole Surfers". The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. November 2004. pg. 123, cited March 17, 2010
  5. Michael Azerrad, Our Band Could Be Your Life: Scenes from the American Indie Underground 1981-1991 (New York, Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 2001) 306.
  6. Ken Lieck, "Reissuing the Butthole Surfers," The Austin Chronicle Newspaper Vol. 18 Issue 52 Archived 2007-11-10 at the Wayback Machine
  7. Michael Azerrad, Our Band Could Be Your Life: Scenes from the American Indie Underground 1981-1991 (New York, Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 2001) 281.
  8. Mark Paytress, “The Butthole Surfers: Mark Paytress Unravels the Career of the Cult American Band,” Record Collector No. 114, February 1989 Archived 2007-07-02 at the Wayback Machine, archived at Butthole Surfers fan website, Negro Observer Archived 2006-12-15 at the Wayback Machine
  9. Lazell, Barry (1997). Indie Hits 1980-1989. Cherry Red Books. Archived from the original on June 6, 2011. Retrieved September 5, 2014.
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