The Shaggs-Philosophy of the World Review

         This album and the attention it has got has always puzzled me. I might be destroying some of my indie cred here, but I just don't get it. The story of the Shaggs is infamous in the annals of rock history. Briefly, father buys girls studio time and instruments, girls who can barely instruments record an album, album is found years later at a radio station, album is lauded and cherished by a generation of Gen X musicians who move towards more atonality and a much rawer sound.

    The album is either one of the best or worst albums you are likely to hear. Personally, I would rather spend an evening listening to the Jamie Foxx discography followed by a nice dose of William Shatner's "The Transformed Man" than ever make it through this flaming pile of dog poop again. The musicianship is simply non-existent, and guitars rarely make it into tune. The drumming makes Lars Ulrich look like Buddy Rich, and any semblance to being in time is simply non-existent.

     The lyrical "depth" of the album is limited to pets, parents, halloween, and Jesus. Lyrics barely matter, as you won't be able to look past the abysmal playing that grates the ears nearly induces vomiting. There is not a single redeeming track on this album and they are all equally horrible. If I had to pick, "It's Halloween" would be my personal "favorite" on the album, and maybe the only song that could fit the musical definition of a song.

     The album certainly has had its share of supporters. The late Kurt Cobain deemed this album to be one of his personal favorites, and I am actually not terrible shocked. Cobain transformed the musical landscape of the 1990s by introducing elements of "lo-fi" (this album is certainly the unintended pioneer of lo-fi) into mainstream music. To use the age old rock proverb; it is likely that most who listened to the Shaggs and enjoyed them started a band just like those who listened and bought records by the Velvet Underground.

   The important of this album certainly cannot be underestimated. It would influence countless and spawn musical debates for much of the 1990s and onward. The band is even referenced in the massively underrated Gen X film "Empire Records", where a main character professes his love for the band in order to impress Liv Tyler's character with his musical knowledge. In conclusion, the album is certainly important in terms of influence, but does that make it a good album? No, "Philosophy of the World" is the worst thing you can imagine. Anyone who enjoys music would be best to avoid this album at all costs. It does not get much worse than this, and I dare you to make it though without experiencing nausea or other ailments of the body and/or mind.

 Rating-0/10