Ready! Get! Go!

Ready! Get! Go!

The Shaggs’ 1969 album Philosophy of the World became a cult classic, counting rock critic Lester Bangs, Frank Zappa, NRBQ’s Terry Adams, and Kurt Cobain among its fans. The three teenage sisters from Fremont, N.H.—Dot, Helen, and Betty Wiggin—were produced by their proud papa, Austin. The unorthodox performances and songwriting were hailed for their deceptive simplicity and unusual naiveté. In 2013, 44 years after that debut, the lone surviving Wiggin sister, Dot, recorded this album for the Alternative Tentacles record label, once home to the hardcore punk band The Dead Kennedys. The album features never-recorded Shaggs songs, new material written by Wiggin and band, and a cover of Skeeter Davis’ “End of the World.” The performances vary, with some sounding close to The Shaggs (“Banana Bike”), others branching off into an avant-garde approach (“Speed Limit 2”), and some benefitting from the band's added skill (“Just Another Crazy Day at the Farm”). Fans of what’s sometimes called “outsider music” should find this entertaining.

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