Three early Butthole Surfers releases are receiving vinyl repressings via Matador’s new reissue campaign of the band’s catalog spanning 1983 through 1991.
The first three reissues in the series include the band’s 1984 debut full-length, Psychic…Powerless…Another Man’s Sac, the 1984 Live PCPPEP EP, and 1986’s Rembrandt Pussyhorse. Remastered audio of the entire reissue series is now available via digital platforms (listen below), with vinyl pressings of the three aforementioned albums due out March 22nd.
The reissue campaign will feature “a number of key catalog titles” by the Texas band, all remastered under the group’s supervision. More reissues are expected to drop in the fall, bringing Butthole Surfers’ early discography back into print. According to the Matador’s digital catalog of the reissues, these EPs and LPs are also a part of the campaign (listed chronologically): the self-titled EP (1983), Locust Abortion Technician (1987), Hairway to Steven (1988), Pioughd + Widowmaker! (1991/1989), and the 2002 archival comp Humpty Dumpty LSD.
The first batch of reissues showcases the band at the peak of its experimental powers, creating twisted psychedelic noise that was often as affronting as it was beguiling. Butthole Surfers shows from this era are the stuff of twisted legend, and the band’s gonzo ethos is perhaps most palpable in these early-to-mid ’80s releases.
Wrote underground luminary Byron Coley in the press release for the reissues: “The early-mid ’80s had their share of insane combos – The Birthday Party, Black Flag and Minor Threat had the raw power to melt your mind in seconds. SWANS, Einsturzende Neubauten and Big Black created enough overwhelming sonic pressure their sounds might actually flatten you. And Sonic Youth displayed such a dizzyingly unpredictable mix of art, pop culture and violence you’d sometimes leave their shows drooling. The Buttholes shared elements with all of these groups, but added a wild psychedelic edge and a propensity for bizarre spectacle.”
You can pre-order the Butthole Surfers vinyl reissues via Matador. Stream the digital remasters of Psychic…Powerless…Another Man’s Sac, Rembrandt Pussyhorse, and Live PCPPEP below.
Psychic…Powerless…Another Man’s Sac Tracklist:
01. Concubine
02. Eye of the Chicken
03. Dum Dum
04. Woly Boly
05. Butthole Surfer
06. Lady Sniff
07. Cherub
08. Mexican Caravan
09. Cowboy Bob
10. Gary Floyd
Rembrandt Pussyhorse Tracklist:
01. Creep in the Cellar
02. Sea Ferring
03. American Woman
04. Waiting For Jimmy to Kick
05. Strangers Die Everyday
06. Perry
07. Whirling Hall of Knives
08. Mark Says Alright
09. In the Cellar
Live PCPPEP Tracklist:
01. Cowboy Bob
02. Bar-B-Q Pope
03. Dance of the Cobras
04. The Shah Sleeps in Lee Harvey’s Grave
05. Wichita Cathedral
06. Hey
07. Something
