21 for 21: #16—Enormous Richard "Answers All Your Questions"

I'll be shocked if anyone has even heard of the band and the album at #16 on my list of top 21 CDs in my collection. Enormous Richard was a local St. Louis band who achieved the peak of their local notoriety in the early 1990s. The album "Answers All Your Questions" was bought at one of their many live performances that I attended in the summer and fall of 1992.

I graduated with my Master's degree from the University of Missouri in May of 1992 and got a job doing graphic design work for the United Way of Greater St. Louis. The woman who did video production in my department is the sister of Chris Bess, who sang and played accordion in the band. She invited me out to see one of their shows, and I was instantly hooked.

The genre of music they played is hard to describe—they called it "skuntry," supposedly a mix of ska and country, but in reality, it was a style all its own. The songs are a mix of St. Louis area experiences ("Planet Granite," "The Hill," "Been to the Fair"), relationship songs ("Support System," "People in Pairs," "Freezer Full of Meat," "Hole in My Record Collection"), and strange personal confessions ("My Morbid Self-Absorption," "The Chemistry Song," "I Feel Crummy").

What was best about Enormous Richard (other than the dirty joke worthy of Shakespeare himself) was their live performances. I probably saw them most often at the Hi-Pointe Café near Forest Park, and it was always a great show. The places they played were mainly cramped bars, so they were just a few feet away from the audience.

There's just something about a local band that hasn't made it big and moved on from neighborhood gigs; whether you know the band personally or not, it's like they're your friends. I should add that the last night I went out for a few (read: many, many, many) drinks, it was to the Hi-Pointe to see the band. I saw them sober a few times after that monumental night, and was thrilled to discover they were just as much fun as before—no alcohol required!

I couldn't find any decent quality videos on the intertubes, but I'm including a link to a webpage (CLICK HERE!) that provides audio tracks for the whole album. I recommend the whole album, of course, but if you only listen to one song, choose the subtly hilarious "The Chemistry Song." Anyone who has ever suffered through a college level chemistry class (college bud Bill Williams used to regularly question his existence after Organic Chem) should be able to relate to this little gem. Enjoy!