Of all the groups that the Residents signed to their Ralph Records, Renaldo & the Loaf were the closest to their label heads in sound. Twisted, high-pitched vocals, child-like melodies, an atmosphere of menace and unease with a stripped-down approach to instrumentation characterised their output.
By their own assertion, they achieved their unique sound in part by striving to get unnatural synthesizer-like sounds using only what instruments they had available (acoustic ones.) To that end they routinely used muffled and de-tuned instruments, and often to striking effect, tape loops/manipulation. The two released four full-length albums, one collection, various songs on compilation albums, and several self-produced demos. They were "discovered" by The Residents when Brian dropped off a tape at Ralph Records headquarters in San Francisco, during a visit to the US. After being signed to Ralph, they collaborated with The Residents on Title in Limbo.
By 1989, the collaboration had lost its steam, and the duo disbanded after recording a sea shanty, "Haul on the Bowline," which appeared only on a Ralph various artists release. Brian Poole ("Renaldo") contributed to sporadic recordings in the 1990s. In 2006 upon the launch of the new Renaldo & the Loaf web site, the duo were reunited for the first time in the better part of two decades.
In October of 2016 they released their first studio album in 29 years, entitled "Gurdy Hurding". Vienna Label Klanggalerie has since re-issued all their albums. In June 2018 Renaldo & The Loaf played their very first genuine live show at Klanggalerie's 25th anniversary in Vienna, documented in the album "Long Time Coming."
External Links:
Website
Renaldo & the Loaf Myspace
The Loaf's Myspace
Renaldo's Myspace
The Elbow Is Taboo
Renaldo & the Loaf Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He want to smell it
He want to touch, but
The woman's too naive
She think it risque
Too illicit
It's so explicit
(So she) talk to waldo
He tell her something
It shock her rigid
Now there's no arm controls!
(He say) it dead tradition
To hide the mountain
The edge of woman
That she never show ya
As if it really mattered
The elbow is taboo
"Is this true of all cultures?"
"Not any more"
So waldo touch her
He lick the corner
She smile of happy
She not so naive!
The Elbow Is Taboo by Renaldo and The Loaf seems to be a song about breaking societal boundaries and taboos. The song starts with the male protagonist wanting to experience and touch a woman's elbow but the woman is hesitant and considers it taboo as it represents a certain level of nudity. She confides in Waldo who shocks her with the revelation that hiding the female body and its edges is a dead tradition. He encourages her to break free from these societal guidelines and explore her body in its entirety. The woman is hesitant but Waldo goes ahead to touch her elbow and lick the corner, which seems to bring both of them pleasure.
The song seems to raise questions about society's strict laws, taboos, and restrictions, particularly regarding nudity and sexual freedom. It suggests that women, in general, should not be confined within strict social norms but should be free to explore their bodies, including the parts that are often considered taboo. The lyrics offer a fresh perspective on what was once considered shameful and invites us to break away from these old traditions that no longer serve any purpose.
Line by Line Meaning
He want to see it
He desires to see it
He want to smell it
He desires to smell it
He want to touch, but
He desires to touch it, but
The woman's too naive
The woman is too innocent
She think it risque
She considers it risque
Too illicit
Too forbidden
It's so explicit
It is very explicit
It just the skin and the bone
It's just the bare essentials
(So she) talk to waldo
So she talks to Waldo
He tell her something
He tells her something
It shock her rigid
It shocks her severely
Now there's no arm controls!
Now she has lost control
(He say) it dead tradition
He says it's a dead tradition
To hide the mountain
To hide the female anatomy
The edge of woman
The feminine boundary
That she never show ya
That she never shows you
As if it really mattered
As if it were really significant
The elbow is taboo
The elbow is considered forbidden
"Is this true of all cultures?"
"Is this true for all cultures?"
"Not any more"
"Not anymore"
So waldo touch her
So Waldo touches her
He lick the corner
He licks the corner
She smile of happy
She smiles happily
She not so naive!
She is not as innocent anymore!
Contributed by Molly J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Poogedy S
More people should know about this glorious thing.
terrypussypower
Fantastic. In 1987 I pre-ordered a copy of this from Ralph Records in San Fran, and received a clear vinyl copy in a plain white sleeve, with a black and white sticker on the front with a drawing by Charles Sexton, and the words
“Apologies To Mail Order Customers Version, Special 1987 Premature Late Desperation Issue Of:
Renaldo & The Loaf ‘The Elbow Is Taboo’ “ printed above and below the drawing!
Apart from that it’s the same as the normal version.
Klaus-Peter Woyke
... es gibt nur wenige Schöpfungen, die dermaßen überirdisch schön & genial sind. Danke, danke, danke ...
Klaus-Peter Woyke
Da Da 100 Jahre später - einfach herrlich!
Sven Ivar Fløttkjær
Weird and wonderfull, what more is to say?
Esolog5 Phil
listen to ghedalia tazartes, ostrich von nipple and igorrr
Jerry Korten
How can it be nobody is listening to this?
Robert Syrett
why is are elbows made of marble though?
Cretin 666
Real elbows cant be shown. Too taboo
Klaus-Peter Woyke
Überirdisch!