The Shaggs – Philosophy Of The World
Third Word Records (Third World 3001) [1969]
Philosophy Of The World – That Little Sports Car – Who Are Parents? – My Pal Foot Foot – My Companion – I’m So Happy When You’re Near – Things I Wonder – Sweet Thing – It’s Halloween – Why Do I Feel? – What Should I Do? – We Have A Savior
I sort my records into three main categories. The good ones, the bad ones and… The Shaggs. After all those years, I still don’t know what to think about it. I even came to doubt the story that goes along with this album and sometimes believe it’s a hoax. It was supposedly recorded in 1969 by three sisters (Dorothy, Betty, and Helen Wiggins) and produced by their father. The first surprise comes with the cover. What is this? Excuse me, but are they men with wigs? But wait until the needle hits the groove or whatever you call it in those digital times.
The Wiggins sisters can’t play to save their lives! They don’t even know how to tune their instruments, and the drummer can’t keep a steady beat for more than two bars. The Shaggs play by their own rules, which makes this album hard to judge. They seem to play three different songs simultaneously in a parody of the worst free jazz you could ever hear. The lyrics are simply dumb but convey a rare sort of sadness. But you don’t even care about them because their voices are simply unbearable! Somehow, despite being painful to listen to, this record is fascinating. Maybe it’s their will to play despite all these handicaps, the testimony of a father’s love, or something you can’t put into words. It’s so naïve that you come to think it’s calculated. Finally, more than music, you feel like owning a piece of conceptual art coming straight from Fremont, NH, or something like that. Later, Frank Zappa admitted that “Philosophy Of The World” was one of his favorite records, which is, after all, logical. It’s the kind of platter you hardly play but want to own.
Fred “Virgil” Turgis