Description
The Residents – The Third Reich N Roll – Vinyl Record
Released in 1976, The Third Reich ‘n Roll is the second studio album by The Residents, the avant-garde, anonymous collective known for their surreal, experimental approach to music and multimedia art. This album is a radical, satirical deconstruction of 1960s rock and pop music, blending elements of musique concrète, noise, tape manipulation, and absurdist humor into a chaotic, unsettling listening experience.
At its core, The Third Reich ‘n Roll is a bizarre, distorted collage of classic rock and pop hits from the 1960s, cut up, reassembled, and transformed into something entirely unrecognizable. The album critiques the commercialization and conformity of rock music, comparing its influence on youth culture to totalitarian propaganda—hence the provocative title and cover art, which features a black-and-white photo of Dick Clark in Nazi regalia, holding a carrot instead of a swastika. The Residents’ message is clear: mainstream rock music, like political propaganda, can be a tool of mass control and manipulation.
The Third Reich ‘n Roll is structured as two side-long suites:
“Swastikas on Parade” (Side A) – A surreal, nightmarish 17-minute medley of The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, The Doors, The Beach Boys, and other 1960s acts, twisted into a disorienting, grotesque soundscape.
“Hitler Was a Vegetarian” (Side B) – Another 17-minute piece, continuing the deconstruction of 1960s rock with warped renditions of The Supremes, The Troggs, The Box Tops, and more.
The Residents took familiar melodies and lyrics from the 1960s and warped them into something terrifying, as if rock’s biggest hits were being played by a band of malfunctioning robots or insane cultists.
While some songs are somewhat recognizable, most are buried under layers of dissonance and absurd vocal deliveries—at times resembling a demented circus performance or a fascist rally gone wrong.
Notable Covers & Deconstructions
Throughout the album, The Residents mutilate and recontextualize some of rock’s biggest hits, including:
“Satisfaction” (The Rolling Stones) – Warped and slowed down into a deranged, tribal chant.
“Hey Jude” (The Beatles) – Stripped of its anthemic quality and turned into an eerie, repetitive drone.
“Good Lovin’” (The Young Rascals) – Becomes a manic, demented march.
“Light My Fire” (The Doors) – Cut up and reconstructed as an unsettling, absurdist mantra.
“Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag” (James Brown) – Transformed into a grotesque mockery of its original funkiness.
“The Letter” (The Box Tops) – Reduced to a repetitive, robotic chant.
“Wipe Out” (The Surfaris) – No longer a fun surf rock anthem—now a jagged, chaotic explosion of noise.
These covers aren’t tributes or parodies—they’re brutal dismantlings, exposing the formulaic nature of pop music while stripping it of any commercial appeal.
Beyond the surface-level musical chaos, The Third Reich ‘n Roll is a deeply satirical, avant-garde critique of mainstream rock music. The Residents believed that rock—once a rebellious art form—had become a tool for consumerism and mindless entertainment, much like state-controlled propaganda in totalitarian regimes.
Key Themes:
Rock as Propaganda → The album suggests that the hit songs of the 1960s had a hypnotic, controlling effect on youth culture, similar to political propaganda.
The Death of Innovation in Rock → By 1976, rock music had become commercialized and formulaic, no longer the radical force it was in the early ‘60s.
Absurdity of Cultural Icons → By distorting beloved classics, The Residents expose the absurdity of pop culture’s obsession with nostalgia and hero worship.
The cover art, depicting Dick Clark (symbol of sanitized rock music) as a Nazi, reinforces the idea that the music industry can manipulate and control audiences in ways similar to authoritarian regimes.
Of course, the album’s intent was satirical, but its provocative imagery and sound made it one of the most controversial releases of its time.
Upon release, The Third Reich ‘n Roll received polarizing reactions—some critics dismissed it as pure nonsense, while others praised it as a groundbreaking work of deconstructionist art. Over time, it has become one of The Residents’ most acclaimed and influential albums, recognized as a pioneering work of plunderphonics and mashup culture → It foreshadowed the sampling techniques later used in hip-hop, electronic music, and avant-garde sound collage artists like John Oswald and Negativland. A major influence on industrial and noise music → The album’s distorted, unsettling atmosphere influenced bands like Throbbing Gristle, Nurse With Wound, and early industrial acts. A landmark in anti-music and avant-garde composition → It proved that music could be political, confrontational, and completely unlistenable if necessary.
The album is now regarded as a critical moment in The Residents’ career, setting the stage for their future work, including Eskimo (1979) – A concept album “recreating” the sounds of Inuit culture through experimental studio techniques and The Commercial Album (1980) – 40 songs, each exactly one minute long, mocking radio jingles and pop music structures.
Despite its initial controversy, The Third Reich ‘n Roll is now considered a must-listen for fans of avant-garde, experimental music, and deconstructionist art.
The Third Reich ‘n Roll is one of the most bizarre and provocative albums ever recorded. By taking beloved 1960s hits and turning them into grotesque, unsettling nightmares, The Residents expose the absurdity and power of pop music. While it may not be for casual listeners, those willing to engage with its satirical, deconstructive approach will find one of the most innovative and thought-provoking albums in avant-garde music history.
Includes free download code
2012 Reissue
Brand new, never played and still in the factory plastic seal
Track Listing
Swastikas On Parade
Hitler Was A Vegetarian
