Notes

---

"Snakefinger's History of the Blues, Live in Europe" - (1984)
Only 1,000 pressed. Snakefinger was Phil "Snakefinger" Lithman,
a member of the anonymous avant garde rock band, the Residents.

Joshua Ende -- Baritone
Steve Mackay -- Tenor
Richard Marriot -- Trumpet, Trombone, Tenor
Raoul N. Diseimore -- Piano
Jonny B. Ryan -- Drums
Michael Bertel -- Guitar
Eric Drew Feldman -- Bass
Phil "Snakefinger" Lithman -- Guitar, Vocals, Harmonica, Piano
Recorded by Radio Bremen & NDR-Hamburg, 1984

Snakefinger, a lover of the blues (some renditions, such as R. Johnson's Walkin' blues were recorded during the Chilli Willi period), toured Europe and recorded this excellent LP live in 1983 at Schauburg (Bremen), Markthalle (Hamburg) and Rote Fabrik (Zurich). Unfortunatelly, only 1000 albums were ever cut, making it extremely difficult to find. The Elmore James' classic It hurts me, too, recorded on that tour and not included in the album, can be found in the UWEB compilation.

(Miguel Bertel): It was Phillip's idea to do the entire History project, and it started out locally as Snakefinger's Men in Blue, and moved on to History, with the tour covering mostly Germany, Austria (best gig was in Linz), France, England, Switzerland, Italy, and I think Belgium.

Liner notes (Snakefinger in his own words):


As technology marches on, stomping with its great muddy boots over many of the things that make life worth living, one begins to wonder which is more important the work being done or the technology producing it. The content gets lighter and more superficial as the technology gets heavier and more predominant until we get to our present situation, where technology is art and the artist just the poor slob that pushes the buttons.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not against progress (as anyone who has heard my 3 Ralph albums or my work with the Residents can tell you) but there comes a time when we must say "whoa there big fella" the horse has sped away leaving the rider sitting in the stable.

I have fought back against this syndrome in the most brutal (but positive) way I could by doing this history of the blues. Music full of the life force, that stands on its own, crude and powerful: and played by musicians, not mechanics.

The whole album is *live*. All mistakes, etc. have been left in as they were actually played. My one concession to technology, is that this record is in *stereo*.

S. Fingerton

Line-up of the History of the Blues Tour:

Joshua Ende: Baritone sax / Stephen Mackay: Tenor sax / Richard Marriot: Trumpet, trombone, tenor sax / Raoul N. Diseimbote: Piano / Jonny B. Ryan: Drums / Michael Bertel: Guitar / Eric Drew Feldman: Bass / Snakefinger: Guitar, vocal, harmonica, piano