Mark of the Mole


Mark of the Mole is an album by The Residents, released in 1981 on Ralph Records. The first in what was intended to be a "trilogy" with a narrative centred on a conflict between two rival peoples, the Moles and the Chubs.

Concept

Mark of the Mole introduces the Moles who are forced to abandon their tunnels due to flooding at the start of the album. The Moles enter the land of the Chubs, seeking work and a new home.
Initially, the Moles are welcomed with open arms because the Chubs despise hard labor. Conflict arises when a Chub scientist invents a machine that can do the work instead, making the Moles obsolete and sparking a brief war. The short instrumental track "Resolution?" ends the album without giving a clear conclusion to the narrative; the liner notes to the album The Big Bubble states that the war ended with no clear winner, and the two ethnic groups live together in uneasy peace into the next generation.

History

Mark of the Mole and its follow-up album, The Tunes of Two Cities, became the basis for The Residents' first international touring production, The Mole Show. Penn Jillette, who appeared as MC of the Mole Show, has an uncredited appearance as a weatherman on "Voices of the Air."
An Atari 2600 game based on the album was being developed by Greg Easter in 1983, but it was later cancelled.

Track listing

  1. "Lights Out"
  2. "Shorty's Lament"
  3. "The Moles Are Coming"
  4. "Would We Be Alive?"
  5. "The New Hymn"