The Residents—The Tunes of Two Cities

The Residents—The Tunes of Two Cities

The Tunes of Two Cities—It is fitting that the Residents would not choose to make a traditional sequel to Mark of the Mole. They are not a transparent band, and Mole was not a clear-cut work. The follow-up is titled in respect to the Charles Dickens novel: The Tunes of Two Cities, which ironically is less of a recounting and more of a repository.

Tunes does actually satisfying the most burning question that Mole raised: What were the two cultures like before fate forever fused them? Mole did offer a portrait of Mole society, but it left much to the imagination, and Chubs were barely defined, existing primarily as villains. Tunes has a Chub right on the cover, and it's just as unflattering; he or she wears a Mole puppet that looks the same as the one on Mark of the Mole, which suggests the interesting implication that Mole was something akin to a stage show. This could be a somatic reference, as the Residents would kick off the ill-fated "Mole Show" around this time, which was topically successful but a logistical nightmare.

The liner notes explain, "The Tunes of Two Cities [...] is a documentation of the music of these two cultures as they were before fate threw them into turmoil. The tracks on this disc alternate between societies [...] making its point, not just by what is said... but by the listener's willingness to understand the globe-wrenching power of 'difference,'" implying that the Chubs are not necessarily malefactors, and that conclusions about the two peoples can be drawn a posteriori. Tunes must be analyzed in the larger context of its fiction, especially considering its songs are largely instrumental. Most of the Chub songs are styled like big band, jazz, and swing numbers or are outright adaptations of them. This music was sometimes seen in its time as a novelty: simple dance music enjoyed by the masses. The Moles' music is not crafted into songs per se, and echoes Mark of the Mole with dark, percussive noise and devotional-type chanting.

The song titles for the Mole pieces are vital to understanding the ideas, while the Chub song titles only serve to confuse. "God of Darkness" and "Praise for the Curse" are Mole hymns, while the other songs suggest tribal inclinations or rural life. The Chub titles are seemingly irreverent, such as "Smack Your Lips (Clap Your Teeth)" (which is "In the Mood" by Glenn Miller). The last two Chub songs break the cycle: "Song of the Wild" sounds like a blend of the two cultural styles, and "Happy Home," bearing the parenthetical text "Excerpt from Act II of 'Innisfree,'" takes a cue from the opening to Mark of the Mole and turns it into an ominous, lurching requiem.

The connotation seems to be that although the Moles and Chubs are wildly different, there is enough common ground to indicate the two can live in peace. This is supported by The Big Bubble (1985), whose story in the Residents' words says that several decades after the war in Mark of the Mole, some Moles and Chubs had blended socially and mixed marriages were common. The logical conclusion between this and the existence of the Mole Show seems to be that Mark of the Mole was, in fact, a theater production and not a first-hand account. If the phrase spoken in "Happy Home" is of Chub origin, and the song existed before the events of Mole (to reiterate: "the music of these two cultures as they were before"), it means this phrase was appended to the Mole production. It follows that this might cast doubt on the verity of Mark of the Mole, but the bias must reasonably come from a Mole-sympathizing Chub or a mixed-race individual.

Regarding the music outside the context of the saga, the Residents turn in a memorable performance. The sampling keyboard is used to great effect, as the noises produced by it sound more environmental than they do digital, adding atmosphere to a record that is dissonant by nature. The Mole songs are certainly the highlights, aside from the Chubs' inspired "Song of the Wild" and the at least engaging "Happy Home." It is understandable that there are four cheesy Chub tunes to even out the set, but for the listener, the point is made with just one or two; however, they are brief enough that they do not detract from the experience too greatly. The Tunes of Two Cities and its ensuing tour turned out to be near-doom for the Residents, but it is a good listen and a welcome addition to the Mole trilogy.