Under Review: Butthole Surfers

Texas Public Access program The Steve and Gary Show in 1984 - three years after the Butthole Surfers first formed.

When your Dad is Dallas-based kids' TV host "Mr. Peppermint" and your world goes from high school and collegiate basketball star to being an anonymous accountant staring down the barrel of 30 years in a tedious, soul-extracting accounting career - you tend to need a big change.

In the case of Gibby Haynes, you tell your boss to eat it, quit and then become the lead singer and founder of Texas band The Butthole Surfers. In doing so, you form one of the most infamous bands in rock history.

Gibby Haynes was a star on his high school's basketball team and attended Trinity University to study accounting. While at Trinity, Gibby was the captain of the basketball team, president of his fraternity, and was named "Accounting Student of the Year". After graduating, he went to work as an auditor for the accounting firm of Peat Marwick.

After a year of working in accounting, he formed the Butthole Surfers, a band who became notorious for their elaborate stage shows, black humor and intense blend of rock-a-billy and psychedelic music starting with their first show in 1981 in San Antonio, Texas.

Haynes, joined by bassist Jeff Pinkus and genius level guitarist Paul Leary, played saxophone and rhythm guitar on several albums, including the band's debut LP Psychic... Powerless... Another Man's Sac released in 1984 which featured key tracks such as Cherub, Lady Sniff, Mexican Caravan, Gary Floyd, Dum Dum which brilliantly combined punk, surf rock, country and heavy metal into original music.

Although intentionally shocking with their titles and tracks the band also was profound (Too Partner), morbid (22 Going On 23, Graveyard) and cerebral (Jimi).

Among the group's strongest albums are Psychic... Powerless... Another Man's Sac (1984), Rembrandt Pussyhorse (1986), Locust Abortion Technician (1987), Hairway to Steven (1988), piouhgd (1991) and Independent Worm Saloon (1993) produced by John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin.

After all the groups antics they even managed to have a certified #1 hit in 1996 which is absurd and wonderfull - a great way of thinking about this stand out band that was brilliant and incredulous at the same time.

References:

• Butthole Surfers, Official Site
• Wikipedia, Butthole Surfers
• Wikipedia, Gibby Haynes