Renaldo & the Loaf, The Elbow is Taboo (side A)

Renaldo & the Loaf were two Englishmen who became associated with the Residents. Their (vaguely) canonical album was 1981's Songs for Swinging Larvae, a primitive, hilarious romp through their odd minds. It didn't leave a clear blueprint for artistic evolution or progress, so the duo took two tries to find its more mature style, finally succeeding with 1987's The Elbow is Taboo. The melodies are a bit clearer, which somehow enhances their faux-ethnic quality. The vocals are a bit clearer as well, but they still sound extreme, blending the group's earlier processed approach with some cleaner (but still somehow absurd) vocal sounds. The punchy low-end on some kick drum-like sounds is a nice touch too. The funny cover photo shows lingeré covering a marble sculpture of elbows.