''It's Only Right and Natural'' is the second
album
An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...
by the band
The Frogs
''The Frogs'' ( grc-gre, Βάτραχοι, Bátrakhoi, Frogs; la, Ranae, often abbreviated ''Ran.'' or ''Ra.'') is a comedy written by the Ancient Greek playwright Aristophanes. It was performed at the Lenaia, one of the Festivals of Dionysus i ...
and was released in 1989 by
Homestead Records
Homestead Records was a Long Island, New York-based sublabel of music distributor Dutch East India Trading that operated from 1983 to 1996. The label was known for not paying its artists and not spending any money on promotion.
History
The l ...
.
Gerard Cosloy
Gerard Cosloy (born 1964) is an American music industry executive.
Biography
Cosloy was raised in Wayland, Massachusetts, a western suburb of Boston. While he was in high school, he became involved in the local hardcore punk scene, put together m ...
, who was in charge of Homestead at the time, came into possession of some of the Flemion Brothers' improvised homemade tapes and signed them to the label. The Flemions were originally hoping that Homestead would release their debut album
The Frogs
''The Frogs'' ( grc-gre, Βάτραχοι, Bátrakhoi, Frogs; la, Ranae, often abbreviated ''Ran.'' or ''Ra.'') is a comedy written by the Ancient Greek playwright Aristophanes. It was performed at the Lenaia, one of the Festivals of Dionysus i ...
, but Cosloy convinced them to release a gay-themed album instead. The album was recorded on 4-Track reel-to-reel in Dennis's living room and was originally meant to be for the Flemion brothers and their friends' own amusement, and was not originally considered for release.
Most of the songs on the album deal with
stereotype
In social psychology, a stereotype is a generalized belief about a particular category of people. It is an expectation that people might have about every person of a particular group. The type of expectation can vary; it can be, for exampl ...
s associated with
homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions" to pe ...
, especially negative ones used by social
conservative
Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...
s. The lyrics are highly satirical and portray stereotypes in an absurdly over-the-top manner. Shortly before the album's release, the Flemions went forward with a gay-themed live act, with Dennis wearing a trademark pink sailor suit. Audiences who knew the Frogs from their earlier material were often confused by this change of direction. The album has since become an underground classic. The album's cover depicts a very young
Dennis Flemion
Dennis Flemion (June 6, 1955 – July 7, 2012) was a founding member, with his younger brother Jimmy, of the controversial independent rock band The Frogs. He was the primary percussionist for the band and was also a temporary member of The S ...
wearing a gay pride button. The album was a frequent target of conservative
Christians
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
at the time of its release, and was featured in the video series "
Hell's Bells: The Dangers of Rock 'N' Roll" (as chronicled on ''
Toy Porno
''Toy Porno'' (also known as ''Toy P'') is a self-released experimental art film by The Frogs. The amateur videotape was compiled in October 1993, as a gift for Kurt Cobain. It would soon become frequent viewing material on the Nirvana tour bu ...
'').
The band were chosen by
Animal Collective
Animal Collective is an American experimental pop band formed in Baltimore, Maryland. Its members consist of Avey Tare (David Portner), Panda Bear (Noah Lennox), Geologist (Brian Weitz), and Deakin (Josh Dibb). The band's work is characteri ...
to perform the album in its entirety at the
All Tomorrow's Parties
"All Tomorrow's Parties" is a song by the Velvet Underground and Nico, written by Lou Reed and released on the group's 1967 debut studio album, '' The Velvet Underground & Nico''.
Inspiration for the song came from Reed's observation of Andy War ...
festival that they curated in May 2011.
Track listing
# "I've Got Drugs (Out of the Mist)" – 2:20
# "I Don't Care If U Disrespect Me (Just So You Love Me)" – 2:04
# "Hot Cock Annie" – 2:19
# "These Are the Finest Queen Boys (I've Ever Seen)" – 2:12
# "Rosy Jack World" – 2:23
# "Someone's Pinning Me to the Ground" – 1:44
# "Baby Greaser George" – 1:54
# "(Thank God I Died in) The Car Crash" – 2:12
# "Gather 'Round for Savior #2" – 2:35
# "Richard Dick Richards" – 1:40
# "Men (Come on Men)" – 2:39
# "Dykes Are We" – 3:02
# "Been a Month Since I Had a Man" – 2:27
# "Homos" – 1:55
Personnel
*
Jimmy Flemion
Jimmy Flemion is a founding member, with his older brother Dennis Flemion, of controversial independent rock band The Frogs. Jimmy is mostly the lead singer and guitarist for the group. He has been known to play solo shows with just an acoustic g ...
- Guitars, Cello, Lead Vocals on 01, 07, 09, 12-14, Backing Vocals on 05
*
Dennis Flemion
Dennis Flemion (June 6, 1955 – July 7, 2012) was a founding member, with his younger brother Jimmy, of the controversial independent rock band The Frogs. He was the primary percussionist for the band and was also a temporary member of The S ...
- Drums, Keyboards, Lead Vocals on 01-06, 08, 10-11, Backing Vocals on 12
*
Scott LaBerge
Scott may refer to:
Places Canada
* Scott, Quebec, municipality in the Nouvelle-Beauce regional municipality in Quebec
* Scott, Saskatchewan, a town in the Rural Municipality of Tramping Lake No. 380
* Rural Municipality of Scott No. 98, Saskat ...
- Additional Cello
Influence
* The album was one of
Kurt Cobain's favorites. It was on the
Nirvana Top 50 albums list.
* The quip "That was a good drum break" from the song "I Don't Care If U Disrespect Me (Just So You Love Me)" was
sample
Sample or samples may refer to:
Base meaning
* Sample (statistics), a subset of a population – complete data set
* Sample (signal), a digital discrete sample of a continuous analog signal
* Sample (material), a specimen or small quantity of so ...
d for the song "
Where It's At" by
Beck
Beck David Hansen (born Bek David Campbell; July 8, 1970) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He rose to fame in the early 1990s with his experimental and lo-fi style, and became known for creating musical colla ...
.
* DJ Rozwell, under the alias of "KFC Murder Chicks", sampled the pre-first verse instrumental part of "I Don't Care If U Disrespect Me (Just So You Love Me)" for his song "Tsundere".
*
Nick Oliveri
Nick Steven Oliveri (born October 21, 1971) is an American multi-instrumentalist, singer and songwriter. He is perhaps best known as a former bassist of Kyuss and later Queens of the Stone Age from 1998 to 2004. Oliveri is also a solo artist and ...
's band
Mondo Generator
Mondo Generator (sometimes known as Nick Oliveri and the Mondo Generator) is an American rock band founded in 1997 by Nick Oliveri.
History
Formation and ''Cocaine Rodeo'' (1997–2002)
Nick Oliveri (under the moniker ''Rex Everything'') ...
named their album ''
A Drug Problem That Never Existed
''A Drug Problem That Never Existed'' is the second studio album by American rock band Mondo Generator. It takes its name from a line in The Frogs' "I've Got Drugs (Out of the Mist)", from their album '' It's Only Right and Natural''. Much of the ...
'' (2003), after a lyric in the song "I've Got Drugs (Out Of The Mist)".
*
Blake Babies
Blake Babies were an American college rock band formed in 1986 in Boston, Massachusetts. The three primary members were John Strohm, Freda Love, and Juliana Hatfield. They recorded three albums before splitting up in 1991. They reformed to rec ...
named an EP ''
Rosy Jack World'' after this album's fifth song.
* Australian punk band
Frenzal Rhomb
Frenzal Rhomb are an Australian punk rock band that formed in 1992 in Sydney. Three of the group's albums have entered the top 20 on the ARIA Albums Chart: ''A Man's Not a Camel'' (1999), ''Hi-Vis High Tea'' (2017) and '' Smoko at the P ...
covered the song "Homos" from this album, which was released on their "i miss my lung" single and also in the traveling flea circus releas
*
The Lemonheads
The Lemonheads are an American alternative rock band formed in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1986 by Evan Dando, Ben Deily, and Jesse Peretz. Dando has remained the band's only constant member.
After their initial punk-influenced releases and to ...
have performed "Homos" and possibly other Frogs songs in concert.
References
External links
Lyrics to ''It's Only Right and Natural''*https://web.archive.org/web/20041224094732/http://www.geocities.com/mjareviews/thefrogs.html
*http://whiskeyclone.net/ghost/songinfo.php?songID=321
{{DEFAULTSORT:It's Only Right And Natural
1989 albums
The Frogs (band) albums
Comedy rock albums
LGBT-related albums
Homestead Records albums