| Philosophy of the World | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | June 15, 1969 | |||
| Recorded | March 9, 1969 | |||
| Studio |
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| Genre | ||||
| Length | 31:39 | |||
| Label | Third World | |||
| Producer | Austin Wiggin Jr. | |||
| The Shaggs chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Philosophy of the World | ||||
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Philosophy of the World is the only studio album by the American band the Shaggs, released in 1969.
The Shaggs formed at the insistence of their father, Austin Wiggin, who believed that his mother had predicted their rise to fame. Philosophy of the World was recorded in 1969 in Revere, Massachusetts, and released in limited quantities by a local record label. It received no attention and the Shaggs disbanded in 1975 after Austin's death.
The Shaggs had no interest in becoming musicians and never became proficient in songwriting or performing. Philosophy of the World features bizarre songs with badly tuned guitars, erratically shifting time signatures, disconnected drum parts, wandering melodies and rudimentary lyrics about pets and families. It has been described as both among the worst records of all time and a work of "accidental genius".
Over the decades, Philosophy of the World circulated among musicians and attracted fans including NRBQ, Frank Zappa and Kurt Cobain. After it was reissued on Rounder Records in 1980, it received enthusiastic reviews for its uniqueness in Rolling Stone and The Village Voice.
- ^ a b Cite error: The named reference
AllMusicwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Blevins, Joe (November 2, 2015). "Ultra-rare live footage of outsider rockers The Shaggs unearthed". The A.V. Club. Retrieved July 12, 2021.