''God in Three Persons'' is a

rock opera A rock opera is a collection of rock music songs with lyrics that relate to a common story. Rock operas are typically released as concept albums and are not scripted for acting, which distinguishes them from operas, although several have been ad ...

concept album A concept album is an album whose tracks hold a larger purpose or meaning collectively than they do individually. This is typically achieved through a single central narrative or theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, or lyrical. Som ...

by American

art rock Art rock is a subgenre of rock music that generally reflects a challenging or avant-garde approach to rock, or which makes use of modernist, experimental, or unconventional elements. Art rock aspires to elevate rock from entertainment to an art ...

group

The Residents The Residents are an American art collective and art rock band best known for their avant-garde music and multimedia works. Since their first official release, ''Meet the Residents'' (1974), they have released over 60 albums, numerous music vi ...

, released in 1988. It is about a man—arbitrarily named 'Mr. X'—who befriends two

conjoined twins Conjoined twins – sometimes popularly referred to as Siamese twins – are twins joined ''in utero''. A very rare phenomenon, the occurrence is estimated to range from 1 in 49,000 births to 1 in 189,000 births, with a somewhat higher incidence ...

. The songs are all sung in a

rhythm Rhythm (from Greek , ''rhythmos'', "any regular recurring motion, symmetry") generally means a " movement marked by the regulated succession of strong and weak elements, or of opposite or different conditions". This general meaning of regular recu ...

spoken word Spoken word refers to an oral poetic performance art that is based mainly on the poem as well as the performer's aesthetic qualities. It is a late 20th century continuation of an ancient oral artistic tradition that focuses on the aesthetics of ...

fashion, similar to

talking blues Talking blues is a form of folk music and country music. It is characterized by rhythmic speech or near-speech where the melody is free, but the rhythm is strict. Christopher Allen Bouchillon, billed as "The Talking Comedian of the South", is cr ...

. The entire lyrical content of the album is written in

trochaic octameter Trochaic octameter is a poetic meter with eight trochaic metrical feet per line. Each foot has one stressed syllable followed by an unstressed syllable. Trochaic octameter is a rarely used meter. Description and uses The best known work in trochai ...

, a rare poetic meter most famously used in

Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe (; Edgar Poe; January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic. Poe is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales of mystery and the macabre. He is wide ...

's poem "

The Raven "The Raven" is a narrative poem by American writer Edgar Allan Poe. First published in January 1845, the poem is often noted for its musicality, stylized language, and supernatural atmosphere. It tells of a distraught lover who is paid a myste ...

". A central motif of the album is the organ riff from "

Double Shot (Of My Baby's Love) "Double Shot (Of My Baby's Love)" is a song first recorded by Dick Holler & the Holidays, written by Don Smith and Cyril Vetter. It was later recorded by the Swingin' Medallions who released it as their second single in 1966. Peaking at #17 on th ...

" by 1960s

frat rock Garage rock (sometimes called garage punk or 60s punk) is a raw and energetic style of rock and roll that flourished in the mid-1960s, most notably in the United States and Canada, and has experienced a series of subsequent revivals. The sty ...

band

The Swingin' Medallions The Swingin' Medallions are an American beach music group from Greenwood, South Carolina, United States. History The band was formed as The Medallions in 1962 adding the "Swingin'" in 1965; possibly as a tribute to the Swingin' Travelers, an R& ...

. A companion soundtrack album, featuring most of the instrumental backing tracks, was also released. ''God in Three Persons'' received a 5-star rating from

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

Storyline

The album is the story of a

Colonel Tom Parker Thomas Andrew Parker (born Andreas Cornelis van Kuijk; June 26, 1909 January 21, 1997),

-type character called ''Mr. X'', who finds a pair of conjoined twins who have miraculous healing powers. He convinces them to let him manage their careers, touring them as holy healers and conducting services during which they cure the masses. Mr. X begins to lust after the "female" twin, then realizes that the twins' sexes are fluid rather than fixed. When he discovers that the twins are far more worldly than he had believed, and therefore less under his control, he plots a vicious rape in which he severs the connection between the two, splitting them forever. In the denouement, he realizes that his feelings for the twins were not being imposed on him by the twins, but came from within himself. The story is narrated in the first person by Mr. X. He is accompanied throughout by instrumental music and sung commentary by Laurie Amat, who acts as a "Greek Chorus" (and sings the opening credits on the first track).

Track listing

#"Main Title from 'God in 3 Persons'" - 3:52 #"Hard & Tenderly" - 4:36 #"Devotion?" - 3:36 #"The Thing About Them" - 4:05 #"Their Early Years" - 4:39 #"Loss of a Loved One" - 4:50 #"The Touch" - 3:30 #"The Service" - 5:02 #"Confused (By What I Felt Inside)" - 4:37 #"Fine Fat Flies" - 4:26 #"Time" - 1:18 #"Silver, Sharp and Could Not Care" - 3:03 #"Kiss of Flesh" - 9:39 #"Pain and Pleasure" - 4:35 *''Soundtrack'' tracks: # "Main Titles (God in Three Persons)" - 3:38 # "Hard and Tenderly" - 3:44 # "The Thing About Them" - 3:25 # "Their Early Years" - 2:43 # "Loss of a Loved One" - 3:10 # "The Touch" - 2:08 # "The Service (Part 1)" - 2:51 # "The Service (Part 2)" - 1:28 # "Confused by What I Felt Inside" - 5:37 # "Kiss of Flesh" - 9:25 # "Pain and Pleasure" - 2:00

Live performances

Starting in May 2019, The Residents undertook a short tour performing exclusively tracks from the album, beginning at a Residents themed event at Bourges, France with a significantly shortened version of the album. The next performances of the show were in January 2020, featuring a significantly reworked and more theatrical set design. The first of these performances was a public dress rehearsal at The Lab in San Francisco, the rehearsal was received well, earning a favourable review from ''

The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American weekly magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. Founded as a weekly in 1925, the magazine is published 47 times annually, with five of these issues ...

''. An updated performance, which took place at the

Museum of Modern Art The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It plays a major role in developing and collecting modern art, and is often identified as one of ...

, received considerably more attention than the band's usual output, being reviewed by ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...

'', ''Brooklyn Vegan'', and ''The Art Forum''.

References

{{Authority control Rock operas The Residents albums 1988 albums