(Translated from my original Italian text by ChatGPT and Piero Scaruffi)
Bill Mumy and Rob Haimer formed Barnes & Barnes in the early 1970s. It was another “novelty” project, which in their case leaned toward perverse satire in a Zappa-style.
Voobaha (Rhino, 1980 – Oglio, 1996) is a continued celebration of mischief, executed with the most psychotic and demented spirit, ranging from the grotesque Boogie Woogie Amputee with garage-surf organ, the driving rock’n’roll anthem of alienation Pumped Out Blues, the parody of 1950s gospel-soul Party In My Pants, the children’s rhyme Clip Clop worthy of Zappa’s silliest gags, the cartoon-soundtrack-style chorus of Fish Heads, a Parisian street song complete with fatalistic accordion (Gumby Jaws Lament), a vaudeville chant with murderous lyrics (I Hope She Dies), and a ridiculous, over-the-top blues (Sewey Hole).
Bill Mumy’s first solo album (1980) appeared quietly. The duo’s second album was never released, though some songs later surfaced on the late Loozanteen (1991). Meanwhile, the pair helped Wildman Fisher compose and release Pronounced Normal (Rhino, 1981), as well as Nothing Scary (Rhino, 1984) and the collection of unreleased tracks It’s a Hard Business (Rhino, 1986).
The third album, Spazchow (Rhino, 1981 – Oglio, 1997), added another couple of vignettes from their repulsive music hall style (Spooky Lady On Death Avenue, Swallow My Love).
The absurd single Soak It Up (1983) kept the attention alive. When it finally came out, Amazing Adult Fantasy (Rhino, 1984) turned out to be their most commercial album (featuring the pseudo-hits I Don’t Remember Tomorrow and Don’t You Wanna Go To The Moon).
Sicks (Rhino, 1986) presented their new heroic-comic masterpieces: Pineapple Princess, Pizza Face, and Pussy Whipped.
(Original English text by Piero Scaruffi)
Loozanteen (Rhino, 1991) contains a few leftovers, including tracks
from the unreleased second album and the 1989 single Touch Yourself.
After the Dinosaur Album (Rhino, 1993) and
This Land is Our Land (Rhino, 1993), neither credited to them but both
recorded by them, the duo ceased to exist.
Yeah (Oglio, 2000) is an anthology of the career, including songs from
their unreleased second album.
Mumy was active throughout the 1990s with all sorts of side projects:
The Golden Age (Beat Brothers, 1990), The Jenerators (Asil, 1993)
a collaboration with Sarah Taylor,
I've Got Some Presents For Santa (Rhino, 1994), and finally his
solo albums:
Dying To Be Heard (Infinite Visions, 1997),
In the Current (Renaissance, 1999),
Pandora's Box (Renaissance, 2000).
Rob Haimer died in 2023.
