''Shaggs' Own Thing'' is a 1982

compilation album A compilation album comprises Album#Tracks, tracks, which may be previously released or unreleased, usually from several separate recordings by either one or several Performing arts#Performers, performers. If by one artist, then generally the tr ...

by the American band

the Shaggs The Shaggs were an American rock band formed in Fremont, New Hampshire, in 1965. The band was composed of the sisters Dorothy "Dot" Wiggin (vocals and lead guitar), Betty Wiggin (vocals and rhythm guitar), Helen Wiggin (drums) and, later, Rach ...

, containing unreleased recordings made between 1969 and 1975. In 1988, ''Philosophy of the World'' and ''Shaggs' Own Thing'' were remastered and rereleased by Rounder Records as the compilation ''The Shaggs''.

History

The Shaggs were an American rock band formed in

Fremont, New Hampshire Fremont is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 4,739 at the 2020 census, up from 4,283 at the 2010 census. Fremont is crossed by the Rockingham Recreation Trail (a rail trail) and NH Route 107. History ...

, in 1965, at the insistence of their father, Austin Wiggin, who believed that his mother had predicted their rise to fame. In 1969, Austin paid for the Shaggs to record an album, '' Philosophy of the World'', at Fleetwood Studios in

Revere, Massachusetts Revere is a city in Suffolk County, Massachusetts, United States, located approximately from Downtown Crossing, downtown Boston. Founded as North Chelsea in 1846, it was renamed in 1871 after the American Revolutionary War Patriot (American Re ...

. Though it received no attention on release, during the 1970s it developed a

cult following A cult following refers to a group of fans who are highly dedicated to some person, idea, object, movement, or work, often an artist, in particular a performing artist, or an artwork in some medium. The lattermost is often called a cult classic. ...

, notable for its lack of technical proficiency, with bizarre melodies and rhythms. In 1975, Austin took the Shaggs to Fleetwood Studios for another recording session.Chusid Though they had become more proficient through hundreds of hours of practice, the engineer wrote: "As the day progressed, I overcame my disappointment and started feeling sorry for this family paying $60 an hour for studio time to record — this?" The recordings went unreleased. Shortly after, Austin died of a heart attack and the Shaggs disbanded. In 1980, Terry Adams and Tom Ardolino of the American band

NRBQ NRBQ is an American rock band founded by Terry Adams (piano), Steve Ferguson (guitar) and Joey Spampinato (bass). Originally the "New Rhythm and Blues Quintet", the group was formed around 1965. Adams disbanded it for a time, and the group re-f ...

convinced the Shaggs sisters to reissue ''Philosophy of the World'' under their record label,

Rounder Records Rounder Records is an independent record label founded in 1970 in Somerville, Massachusetts by Marian Leighton Levy, Ken Irwin, and Bill Nowlin. Focused on American roots music, Rounder's catalogue of more than 3000 titles includes records by Al ...

. ''Shaggs' Own Thing'', featuring material recorded in the 1975 session, was curated by Adams and Ardolino and released in 1982''.'' In 1988, ''Philosophy of the World'' and ''Shaggs' Own Thing'' were remastered and rereleased by Rounder Records as the compilation ''The Shaggs''.

Content

''Shaggs' Own Thing'' contains previously unreleased recordings made between 1969 and 1975. It includes contributions from the Shaggs' father Austin Jr., their younger sister Rachel, and their brother Robert. It also includes several covers of popular songs of the early 1970s, in addition to new original songs and a re-recording of "My Pal Foot Foot" from ''Philosophy of the World''.

Reception

''Shaggs' Own Thing'' was noted for greater stylistic variety and a higher level of musicianship compared to ''Philosophy of the World''. The title track is a duet between Austin and his eldest son, Robert. ''Pitchfork'' described it as "particularly disturbing" and unintentionally Oedipal, noting that Austin sings of catching another man, his son, "doin' it" with "his girl".

Track listing

12 appears on both the LP and CD reissues; 13-15 are CD only. 13 and 14 are also recordings made circa 1973, and were previously released in 2016 by Light in the Attic as a numbered edition of 3000 7" singles for

Record Store Day Record Store Day is an annual event inaugurated in 2007 and held on one Saturday (typically the third) every April and every Black Friday in November to "celebrate the culture of the independently owned record store". The day brings together fa ...

References

* Chusid, Irwin. ''

Songs in the Key of Z ''Songs in the Key of Z'' is a book and two compilation albums written and compiled by Irwin Chusid. The book and albums explore the field of what Chusid coined as "outsider music". Chusid defines outsider music as; "crackpot and visionary music, w ...

: The Curious Universe of Outsider Music''. (Chicago) A Cappella, 2000. . The Shaggs 1982 compilation albums Rounder Records compilation albums The Shaggs albums {{1980s-compilation-album-stub