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Ask Sgt. Disco: 2011
Nash from Jalapa: Dear Sgt. Disco: Nice work guys! I can't get Welcome to the Jungle out of my head! ''Welcome to The Jungle, We've Got Fun And Games!" Dear Nash: Not a bad little tune, eh?
Judas Vigilante from Northern Ireland: Dear Sgt. Disco: Why are so many people dissing Mother Skinny? Even a slightly lesser Circus Devils album (which MS isn't) is better than 99% of the crap that's out there! Dear Judas: Some folks were expecting the softening trend of Gringo to continue and shape the circus devils sound. Nothing doing!
Grant from Kentucky. Dear Sgt. Disco: I can't stop wiping my boogers in my hair. I've been doing it for years, so now I have a sort of crusty helmet. It's f-ing sick, dude. When I heard the Circus Devils song about the necklace of warts, it gave me a great idea. Can you guess what I did? I didn't have enough of my own warts for the necklace so I gathered donations! Tom from St. Louis, USA: Dear Sgt. Disco: What’s next for circus devils? Dear Tom: An album is in the works for late 2011. Early reports claim that some of the album’s tracks sound a lot like the 70s soft rock super group BREAD. These reports cannot be confirmed. However, according to a reliable source (me), the band is attempting new strategies aimed at winning a female fan (yes, just the one). This might explain the soft rock direction.
Borskee Lashmer from Shim Shim Island: Dear Sgt. Disco: Will circus devils ever do a record just for me? Dear Borskee: It’s been on their minds for some time to do a different record for every circus devils fan. It shouldn’t take them very long.
Paqman from Cleveland, Ohio, USA: Dear Sgt. Disco: I don't understand the bad rap Mother Skinny is getting... I think it's brilliant... you guys gonna do a cool box set? Dear Paqman: Consider the following from Nostradamus: “Behold, a three-headed goat appears in the valley of Ghoel, where the great serpent lays its twin eggs. The goat’s murmurings shall trouble the cock, once loyal to Adelon, now raising pikes against his former king.” This quatrain is clearly about Circus Devils.
Marky Parks from New Jersey, USA: Dear Sgt. Disco: What’s this I hear about a Circus Devils film project?? Dear Marky Parks: First of all, I hope that’s your real name. The Circus Devils film will become real. Moneys are being sought to fund this project. I RAZOR is the title of the film. We believe it will be a sensation among males between the ages of 11 and 14. I shall be the picture's main star. I'm told I will perform in many love scenes with beautiful women. I will also die and be resurrected. I've promised not to give away the ending, so I can say no more.
Jim the Fish from North Bay: Dear Sgt. Disco: Ape insects of the wild and the such. I've written you before here on this board. The hard working bunch you are, albums - all classic, don't need suggestion towards current projects, but I have a question that may come off as a suggestion. Have the Devils ever considered approaching the Acid Ranch albums as the Spaceships have approached the Suitcase projects? Dear Jim: It’s an interesting suggestion, but Circus Devils is committed to squeezing new lemons.
Sam from Illinois, USA: Sgt. Disco: Who is responsible for all the circus devils videos on YouTube, and what is their inspiration? Dear Sam: Most of the videos are the work of Todd Tobias and Steve Five. The main source of inspiration is lack of money. To clarify, limited resources means taking trips to the thrift shop for costumes and digging in the basement or in the attic for props. Another source of inspiration is humor, which is often mistaken for maliciousness or mean-spiritedness. Nothing could be further from the truth! Lastly, the videos made by local boys Devo back in the 1970s have been a rich source of inspiration. In addition to Todd and Steve, Cory Race, a fellow Ohio lad, appears in many videos. In addition, a certain C. Horn (an Ohio native currently based in Germany) has also created a couple of fine videos for the band. To see the circus devils videos, go to the Circus Devils YouTube channel.
Charlie Hearse from Irgendwo, Deutschland: Dear Herr Disco: I heard from a reliable source that you stole the bass line from "China Girl" to use in "8 Legs To Love You." Can you confirm or deny this for me? Dear Charlie: It’s not exactly the same. But yes, it’s similar. Now go back and study the records and find the real rip-offs. I’ll give you a hint. John Denver and Anne Murray. That’s all I'm going to say.
Dennis deYoung from Canada: Dear Sgt. Disco: I've heard that circus devils does a cover of the Styx classic 'Come Sail Away' on the upcoming album-- Is that true??? And if so, who does the lead vocals? Dear Dennis: Don’t you remember coming to Kent, Ohio to lay down your vocal for that track? It was just a couple of weeks ago. I came to the studio with my son and you gave him your autograph, addressed to me.
John the Gaul from Bath, United Kingdom: Dear Sgt. Disco: What are you trying to get at with your records? I sense a satanic undertone. Dear John: Think about the following. You pump filth into the water system. What do you get? Lots of sick people. Do the same with the human mind, and you get the same result. Only the sickness is invisible because it infects consciousness, which unlike the physical body, cannot be properly diagnosed and treated. Psychic and spiritual filth is being siphoned into our heads on a daily basis. We just don't know it. It comes in the form of voices from media outlets, advertisements, insipid entertainment, and antiseptic music. It even comes from our friends and family, who unknowingly spread the infection just by opening their mouths to speak. Some of us suspect that the filth we ingest remains in the occult regions of the subconscious, like a mass of tapeworms that squeeze our souls and suck them dry, weakening us to the point of impotence. And all the while we smile and carry on as if all is normal and nothing is wrong. Well John, let me give you the facts. Something is gravely wrong! The human animal was not engineered for this sort of psychic invasion. We can't expect to take in reams of noxious mental stimuli without a consequence. Naturally, denial and dysfunction is the result. In some cases the result is much worse. The epidemic of self-medication that is upon us is a direct result of this invasion. Intuition tells us that something is wrong, but the conscious mind is unable to grasp it. For those of us who are unwilling to drug ourselves into a false state of well-being, and unable to join the religious lambs by laying down and taking it, so to speak, there is nothing left to do but confront the spiritual toxins, which swim about in the dark depths of the subconscious before emerging again on the conscious level in the form of symbolic expressions such as stories, poetry, songs and paintings. The human reaction to an invasion of spiritual and psychic parasites takes different forms. In our case, it takes the form of lyrics and music. Now, how do you beat the devil? Do you beat him by huddling in with the religious sheep and waiting for the shepherd to return? NO, you beat the devil by asserting your strength, and affirming your birthright as a free soul. You take the filth that was meant to smother and subdue your spirit, and you have fun with it. You play with it! You see, this infuriates the devil. The devil wants to see your spirit sicken, and eventually disintegrate in its weakness. In this sense, circus devils is Satan's biggest enemy, because our records are all about playing with the psychic and spiritual material that is meant to make us sick. And when we play with it, we perform a subtle magic trick. We stir up the toxins and parasites, and at the same time, we have a fun time, because we know that a childlike approach to all that is noxious to the soul is the essence of redemption and part and parcel to the undoing of evil.
Freddie Baby Jackson from Springboro, Ohio, USA: Dear Sgt. Disco: I've been a GBV fan for longer than half my life. I'm almost middle aged so I reckon that gives me street (or avenue) cred. I finally picked up PINBALL MARS this evening and am tickled by what it is doing to my ear holes and what nots. Frankly, I'm probably going to listen to this over and over for the rest of the evening... I'm 98.6% sure this will confirm this is the best $8 bucks I have spent in quite some time. Steve from Chicago, USA: Dear Sgt. Disco: Mother Skinny is the worst circus devils album, and possibly the worst album ever! Words can’t convey my disappointment. As far as I am concerned the coffin lid is shut on circus devils. Randy from Philadelphia, USA: Dear Sgt. Disco: After the excellent run of albums with Sgt. Disco, Ataxia and Gringo I am disappointed to see the Circus Devils turn in something as uninspired and tuneless as Mother Skinny. Why did the Circus Devils choose to forgo hooks or anything that gets my toe tapping? Even at their most dark & difficult I could always count on the Devils to give me a handful of tracks that would be lodged into my brain for weeks. None of the songs on Mother Skinny satisfy this need! Are the ugly sounds on this album a direct response to the pretty sounds of Gringo or is this ugliness simply a reflection of the world at large? I need answers before I can spend my hard earned money on the next Circus Devils release. Dear Randy: Don’t be scared to waste your money on circus devils. You only get the chance to do this once each year. Think about all the money you waste on mediocre food during any given week. All in all, Circus Devils is not a bad gamble. Do you really need to be told? Now, I can see that Mother Skinny has frightened you. The time has come to face your fear. Go back and listen to it some more.
Adam Cross from Prescott, Arizona, USA: Dear Sgt. Disco: Mother Skinny is great. Dear Adam: Let’s not get carried away.
Jim from Los Angeles, California: Dear Sgt. Disco: Mother Skinny is the Circus Devils’ SHIT SANDWICH. Dear Jim: Is a shit sandwich all that bad, say, compared with a camel’s rotten gall bladder sandwich? I've tried both, and the gall bladder sandwich made me much sicker.
Mark from Bufallo, New York, USA: Dear Sgt. Disco: Why are there too many of those songs… like… well. Before Circus Devils there were these kind of people who just knew about how songs could sound, but more like, they were listening to other songs but thinking it can sound that way too. Know what I mean? They think: How could songs sound more like this? If they try hard it won't always work, so just relax about the same things over and over. The more relaxed it can be. The more or less valuable these songs became. This is why. How many times can I select another station on the radio and never hear a Circus Devils song? Too many! Dear Mark: Are you sure you’re name is not Markvorn and that you used an online translator to transpose your question from your native Vornish? I think the gist of your question is clear, and I thank you for your observation. Circus Devils has never been charged with being derivative. In fact, the band seeks to explore frontiers in sound, and not to add to the growing mountain of derivative music that threatens to give music a bad name in the future. When the band runs out of original ideas, they will join the hordes of bands out there and begin to make derivative albums. Of course these albums will be hailed as the best of the band’s career. You see, the trouble is, most music listeners are content to camp at the base of the mountain of derivative music, and never leave.
Daddy short stick from Chi-Town, USA/ Bangkok, Thailand: Dear Sgt. Disco: Will circus devils be the house band at one of my bars in Thailand for a few weeks? I think it would be the perfect venue for you guys. I pay well and provide free drinks. However, girls will cost extra. Dear Daddy Short Stick: Circus Devils will play at your Bangkok go-go bar as long as they get to play all Creedence covers and grow their beards and get the girls for free, along with drinks. Let us know if it’s a go. The band is stoked about this.
JohnnyCake from Black Station: Dear Sgt. Disco: The circus devils are warlocks and must be destroyed. These are the words that came to me after I heard Mother Skinny, an atrocious record by the way. Even worse than OU812. Did you guys actually try to make a horrible record? It sounds like it. Dear JohnnyCakes: I relayed your question to the band. One of the band members replied with this: “Can we still be warlocks if we make another good record?”
Elvis A. Presley from Memphis, USA: Dear Sgt. Disco: Fellas, we don’t usually make comments on the computer-ma-jig, but we just had to tell you all, Momma Skinny is a fine record. Don’t listen to these other pinheads. I had Sonny make us a cassette, cause we need to listen in the car and we don’t use those compact discs or M plug thing-jigs. We’ve been a fan of the circus devils ever since Pinhead Mars. God bless the circus devils. Dear Elvis: The band could use a backup singer who can also play keys if you’re no longer busy doing your own music.
Gerald from Sandusky, Ohio, USA: Dear Sgt. Disco: What’s going on with Circus Devils? Dear Gerald: The band is tied up in the courts over claims that a certain Englishman of great acclaim who recorded a song titled “China Girl” back in the 1980s in fact stole the bass line from the Circus Devils song “8 Legs to Love You.” The fact that the Circus Devils song was released almost 30 years after “China Girl” has not hindered the band’s determination to see justice prevail.
Git MacBob, Earl of Lunch from Frothchrist on the Green, UK: Dear Sgt. Disco: I went and spent a few hard-earned quid on Mother Skinny. What beastly rot! Not a hummable tune on the disc. Shame on you circus devils for leading me on after the promise of NEW BOY, the finest song ever written in my humble opinion. I was so upset that my monacle shattered and I cut my cheek! You’ll be hearing from my proctor. Dear Git: We suggest you start a flea circus. It’s been years since we’ve seen a good flea circus here in Ohio. Start training those fleas as soon as possible. If you act now you can cover the market. I can see it in lights: THE NEW GIT MacBOB EPISCOPAL FLEA CIRCUS. You need to say it’s new so people will think you’ve been at it for years. You can have the fleas perform to the song NEW BOY. Trust me. It will be a smash.
Len from Pennsylvania, USA: What up, Sgt. Disco??? Dear Len: Yeah. Hi Len. Oslo Peters from Oslo, Norway: Dear Sgt. Disco: When is Circus Devils going to reunite the classic lineup and play Oslo again? Dear Oslo: The band is still the classic lineup. Dennis DeYoung will not be asked to join the band until 2017. No personnel changes have ever been made. It seems you are confused on this point. Once the band toyed with the idea of allowing a non-human to join the band. I will not go into further detail. All we can say is that there was a big diaper bill, and nasty bites that required stitches.
Christopher from Sayreville, New Jersey, USA: Dear Sgt. Disco: My roommates spent a majority of the night listening to really fast cruddy metal. I can still feel the barbwire in the cones of my ears. Luckily I have Circus Devils Discography to lull me into the sleep zone. Dear Christopher: Many thanks for your support. We are pleased to assist you in your endeavor to sleep. We hope that your dreams are as light and airy as the songs.
Evan from Walpole, UK: Dear Sgt. Disco: What flavour is Circus Devils? Dear Evan: Circus Devils is the flavour of hot Ape skin.
Nash from Jalapa: Dear Sgt. Disco: I met a fat girl last night who smells good! I think she liked me but I didn’t ask. What do you think, guy? Do I have a chance with her?!" Dear Nash: How old are you? Seven? Eight? This forum is for grown-ups.
Yon from Michigan, USA: Dear Sgt. Disco: When will circus devils stop making records. Isn’t 8 albums enough? I mean, come on. It’s just a matter of time before they start to suck. Oops, I spoke too soon. You just released Mother Skinny! HA HA HA HA HA HA HA! Dear Yon: There’s no disguising your naked adoration for circus devils. I think it’s time to face some unpleasant facts. A world without circus devils is upon us. Not today Yon, but some time down the road. It is clear that you are in denial about your fear over this change. Hence the overblown laughter and hysterical theatrics aimed at overcompensating for your private anguish. It's important that you prepare for this change. For now, consider the following question: What sort of world will it be without circus devils? And consider the answer: It will be no different than it is now! There, we've said it. Now take a deep breath.
Roman Polanski from Twin Peaks: Dear Sgt. Disco: I LOOOOOOOVE Mother Skinny. When is the circus devils techno record coming out? Dear Roman: Frankly, I am tired of people like you writing to me under a cute moniker. There is no shame in contacting the Sgt. The band’s techno album was shelved due to creative conflicts within the group.
Nash from Jalapa: Dear Sgt. Disco: Your songs have driven my household mad! My mother is on the verge of a nervous collapse. My sister will no longer speak to me. Nice work guys! Dear Nash: Your plans to create strife within your household may be undermined when your family gives in and begins to hum circus devils tunes during their daily chores. This will happen eventually. Then what? Will you move on to different music? I suggest you try modern American pop music of any kind. At first, they will enjoy it, then after a couple weeks, they will beg you on their knees to make it stop. It’s funny how music can be, isn’t it?
Andy from Kentucky, USA: Dear Sgt. Disco: In the field behind our house I saw a hairy hand. It was severed at the wrist and just laying on the ground. It was like a human hand but hairy all over (not on the palm, but on the back). I thought it was a halloween prop, but it stunk and had flies on it. I picked up the hand and it made a fist. I got freaked out and dropped it, then it grabbed hold of my leg. It grabbed me and wouldn’t let go! That was 4 days ago. Now I'm hiding it under my pant leg. I know it sounds crazy but I don’t know what to do. I tried burning it with a lighter, and pounding it with a hammer. Nothing works. It won’t let go. Dear Andy: What do want us to do about it? Our advice is this: give your leg to the hand. After it gets what it wants, it might leave you alone.
Your Friend from America: Dear Sgt. Disco: I had a dream quite some time ago about owning Pinball Mars on cassette. I have since had many dreams about Circus Devils, airports, serpents, telephone conversations, spiders, a dream where a tiger roared in my face and a winged creature with a big bust flew by. I dreamed of a winged technicolour kangaroo and many other scary and enchanting things. I think these dreams are trying to communicate something important, but i'm not exactly sure what. What can Circus Devils tell me about dreaming? Dear Your Friend: Dreams are fun! And big busts are always a hit. Even scary dreams are fun because you can always wake up and laugh about them. Every element in a dream is a symbol with personal significance. Never listen to people who say “it was only a dream.” A dream is never just a dream. It always means something. This is the case because the human mind codes all meaning in the form of symbols, or representations that stand for something, be they sounds, pictures, written words, or hand gestures. Metaphors are never just metaphors. All dream elements refer to something real that perhaps cannot be manifested or expressed except through a symbolic image. For example, a stranger who appears in a dream is likely to represent some aspect of your own psyche which needs to be revealed and confronted, such as an inner sad child, or if you’re an asshole, your inner nazi death camp officer. Meaning underlies every operation of the mind, including dreams. All dreams have meaning, even if the meaning is simply to discharge an overloaded imagination with all sorts of crazy images and scenes. Nonsense is meaningful in that it allows us to play freely with our symbols without punishment from some governing authority. Rejoice in the magic of symbol play!
Nash from Jalapa: Dear Sgt. Disco: Circus Devils makes the best videos. I like the one where the guy in the moustache walks into the solid wall. I like to see magic stuff like that.
Geronimo Mason from The Wright Patterson Air Force Base, OHIO, USA: Dear Sgt. Disco: By now you will have heard the scattered reports of our collapse; now, vainly, I issue this brief missive for the historical record. In recent months, our assembled consortium has been engaged in efforts to decipher the Mother Skinny Artifact that appeared late this past March. Initial progress was slow; the early teams gave much, suffered many losses, endured countless setbacks. It was some time before the nature of the threat was known, before we knew the measures needed to begin the real work... Then, a fortnight ago, a breakthrough: it was learned that the Artifact itself does not exist materially, but is present only in an envelope of space created by the shadow of the upper planes of the 11th dimension projected onto the sides of nearby, curled multiverses. Beta team, in an effort as valiant as any this old trench soldier has ever seen, attempted to close this portal through an unguarded corridor of the infrared spectrum. Our attempts failed; the energy cardioid collapsed on our positions, the whole flank lost; we have been trapped here, ever since, somewhere along the thin band of sub-visible light through which the Mother Skinny Artifact first made egress onto Earth. We hold our courage, still; all is not yet lost. We are trying other channels, other frequencies. Do not forget us, now, do not attenuate our transmissions. Leave us not, for we are here still, deep inside the channel noise... Dear Geronimo: Everything you write has already been discussed at length in the book titled “Coming Home to Strangers: A personal history of Inter-dimensional travel” by Dr. Gregory Fleer. Dr. Fleer is a great fan of Circus Devils and the godfather of my homunculus.
Judas Vigilante from Northern Ireland: Dear Sgt. Disco: Why are so many people dissing Mother Skinny? Even a slightly lesser Circus Devils album (which MS isn't) is better than 99% of the crap that's out there! Dear Judas: Some folks were expecting the softening trend of Gringo to continue and shape the circus devils sound. Nothing doing!
Grant from Kentucky. Dear Sgt. Disco: I can't stop wiping my boogers in my hair. I've been doing it for years, so now I have a sort of crusty helmet. It's f-ing sick, dude. When I heard the Circus Devils song about the necklace of warts, it gave me a great idea. Can you guess what I did? I didn't have enough of my own warts for the necklace so I gathered donations! Tom from St. Louis, USA: Dear Sgt. Disco: What’s next for circus devils? Dear Tom: An album is in the works for late 2011. Early reports claim that some of the album’s tracks sound a lot like the 70s soft rock super group BREAD. These reports cannot be confirmed. However, according to a reliable source (me), the band is attempting new strategies aimed at winning a female fan (yes, just the one). This might explain the soft rock direction.
Borskee Lashmer from Shim Shim Island: Dear Sgt. Disco: Will circus devils ever do a record just for me? Dear Borskee: It’s been on their minds for some time to do a different record for every circus devils fan. It shouldn’t take them very long.
Paqman from Cleveland, Ohio, USA: Dear Sgt. Disco: I don't understand the bad rap Mother Skinny is getting... I think it's brilliant... you guys gonna do a cool box set? Dear Paqman: Consider the following from Nostradamus: “Behold, a three-headed goat appears in the valley of Ghoel, where the great serpent lays its twin eggs. The goat’s murmurings shall trouble the cock, once loyal to Adelon, now raising pikes against his former king.” This quatrain is clearly about Circus Devils.
Marky Parks from New Jersey, USA: Dear Sgt. Disco: What’s this I hear about a Circus Devils film project?? Dear Marky Parks: First of all, I hope that’s your real name. The Circus Devils film will become real. Moneys are being sought to fund this project. I RAZOR is the title of the film. We believe it will be a sensation among males between the ages of 11 and 14. I shall be the picture's main star. I'm told I will perform in many love scenes with beautiful women. I will also die and be resurrected. I've promised not to give away the ending, so I can say no more.
Jim the Fish from North Bay: Dear Sgt. Disco: Ape insects of the wild and the such. I've written you before here on this board. The hard working bunch you are, albums - all classic, don't need suggestion towards current projects, but I have a question that may come off as a suggestion. Have the Devils ever considered approaching the Acid Ranch albums as the Spaceships have approached the Suitcase projects? Dear Jim: It’s an interesting suggestion, but Circus Devils is committed to squeezing new lemons.
Sam from Illinois, USA: Sgt. Disco: Who is responsible for all the circus devils videos on YouTube, and what is their inspiration? Dear Sam: Most of the videos are the work of Todd Tobias and Steve Five. The main source of inspiration is lack of money. To clarify, limited resources means taking trips to the thrift shop for costumes and digging in the basement or in the attic for props. Another source of inspiration is humor, which is often mistaken for maliciousness or mean-spiritedness. Nothing could be further from the truth! Lastly, the videos made by local boys Devo back in the 1970s have been a rich source of inspiration. In addition to Todd and Steve, Cory Race, a fellow Ohio lad, appears in many videos. In addition, a certain C. Horn (an Ohio native currently based in Germany) has also created a couple of fine videos for the band. To see the circus devils videos, go to the Circus Devils YouTube channel.
Charlie Hearse from Irgendwo, Deutschland: Dear Herr Disco: I heard from a reliable source that you stole the bass line from "China Girl" to use in "8 Legs To Love You." Can you confirm or deny this for me? Dear Charlie: It’s not exactly the same. But yes, it’s similar. Now go back and study the records and find the real rip-offs. I’ll give you a hint. John Denver and Anne Murray. That’s all I'm going to say.
Dennis deYoung from Canada: Dear Sgt. Disco: I've heard that circus devils does a cover of the Styx classic 'Come Sail Away' on the upcoming album-- Is that true??? And if so, who does the lead vocals? Dear Dennis: Don’t you remember coming to Kent, Ohio to lay down your vocal for that track? It was just a couple of weeks ago. I came to the studio with my son and you gave him your autograph, addressed to me.
John the Gaul from Bath, United Kingdom: Dear Sgt. Disco: What are you trying to get at with your records? I sense a satanic undertone. Dear John: Think about the following. You pump filth into the water system. What do you get? Lots of sick people. Do the same with the human mind, and you get the same result. Only the sickness is invisible because it infects consciousness, which unlike the physical body, cannot be properly diagnosed and treated. Psychic and spiritual filth is being siphoned into our heads on a daily basis. We just don't know it. It comes in the form of voices from media outlets, advertisements, insipid entertainment, and antiseptic music. It even comes from our friends and family, who unknowingly spread the infection just by opening their mouths to speak. Some of us suspect that the filth we ingest remains in the occult regions of the subconscious, like a mass of tapeworms that squeeze our souls and suck them dry, weakening us to the point of impotence. And all the while we smile and carry on as if all is normal and nothing is wrong. Well John, let me give you the facts. Something is gravely wrong! The human animal was not engineered for this sort of psychic invasion. We can't expect to take in reams of noxious mental stimuli without a consequence. Naturally, denial and dysfunction is the result. In some cases the result is much worse. The epidemic of self-medication that is upon us is a direct result of this invasion. Intuition tells us that something is wrong, but the conscious mind is unable to grasp it. For those of us who are unwilling to drug ourselves into a false state of well-being, and unable to join the religious lambs by laying down and taking it, so to speak, there is nothing left to do but confront the spiritual toxins, which swim about in the dark depths of the subconscious before emerging again on the conscious level in the form of symbolic expressions such as stories, poetry, songs and paintings. The human reaction to an invasion of spiritual and psychic parasites takes different forms. In our case, it takes the form of lyrics and music. Now, how do you beat the devil? Do you beat him by huddling in with the religious sheep and waiting for the shepherd to return? NO, you beat the devil by asserting your strength, and affirming your birthright as a free soul. You take the filth that was meant to smother and subdue your spirit, and you have fun with it. You play with it! You see, this infuriates the devil. The devil wants to see your spirit sicken, and eventually disintegrate in its weakness. In this sense, circus devils is Satan's biggest enemy, because our records are all about playing with the psychic and spiritual material that is meant to make us sick. And when we play with it, we perform a subtle magic trick. We stir up the toxins and parasites, and at the same time, we have a fun time, because we know that a childlike approach to all that is noxious to the soul is the essence of redemption and part and parcel to the undoing of evil.
Freddie Baby Jackson from Springboro, Ohio, USA: Dear Sgt. Disco: I've been a GBV fan for longer than half my life. I'm almost middle aged so I reckon that gives me street (or avenue) cred. I finally picked up PINBALL MARS this evening and am tickled by what it is doing to my ear holes and what nots. Frankly, I'm probably going to listen to this over and over for the rest of the evening... I'm 98.6% sure this will confirm this is the best $8 bucks I have spent in quite some time. Steve from Chicago, USA: Dear Sgt. Disco: Mother Skinny is the worst circus devils album, and possibly the worst album ever! Words can’t convey my disappointment. As far as I am concerned the coffin lid is shut on circus devils. Randy from Philadelphia, USA: Dear Sgt. Disco: After the excellent run of albums with Sgt. Disco, Ataxia and Gringo I am disappointed to see the Circus Devils turn in something as uninspired and tuneless as Mother Skinny. Why did the Circus Devils choose to forgo hooks or anything that gets my toe tapping? Even at their most dark & difficult I could always count on the Devils to give me a handful of tracks that would be lodged into my brain for weeks. None of the songs on Mother Skinny satisfy this need! Are the ugly sounds on this album a direct response to the pretty sounds of Gringo or is this ugliness simply a reflection of the world at large? I need answers before I can spend my hard earned money on the next Circus Devils release. Dear Randy: Don’t be scared to waste your money on circus devils. You only get the chance to do this once each year. Think about all the money you waste on mediocre food during any given week. All in all, Circus Devils is not a bad gamble. Do you really need to be told? Now, I can see that Mother Skinny has frightened you. The time has come to face your fear. Go back and listen to it some more.
Adam Cross from Prescott, Arizona, USA: Dear Sgt. Disco: Mother Skinny is great. Dear Adam: Let’s not get carried away.
Jim from Los Angeles, California: Dear Sgt. Disco: Mother Skinny is the Circus Devils’ SHIT SANDWICH. Dear Jim: Is a shit sandwich all that bad, say, compared with a camel’s rotten gall bladder sandwich? I've tried both, and the gall bladder sandwich made me much sicker.
Mark from Bufallo, New York, USA: Dear Sgt. Disco: Why are there too many of those songs… like… well. Before Circus Devils there were these kind of people who just knew about how songs could sound, but more like, they were listening to other songs but thinking it can sound that way too. Know what I mean? They think: How could songs sound more like this? If they try hard it won't always work, so just relax about the same things over and over. The more relaxed it can be. The more or less valuable these songs became. This is why. How many times can I select another station on the radio and never hear a Circus Devils song? Too many! Dear Mark: Are you sure you’re name is not Markvorn and that you used an online translator to transpose your question from your native Vornish? I think the gist of your question is clear, and I thank you for your observation. Circus Devils has never been charged with being derivative. In fact, the band seeks to explore frontiers in sound, and not to add to the growing mountain of derivative music that threatens to give music a bad name in the future. When the band runs out of original ideas, they will join the hordes of bands out there and begin to make derivative albums. Of course these albums will be hailed as the best of the band’s career. You see, the trouble is, most music listeners are content to camp at the base of the mountain of derivative music, and never leave.
Daddy short stick from Chi-Town, USA/ Bangkok, Thailand: Dear Sgt. Disco: Will circus devils be the house band at one of my bars in Thailand for a few weeks? I think it would be the perfect venue for you guys. I pay well and provide free drinks. However, girls will cost extra. Dear Daddy Short Stick: Circus Devils will play at your Bangkok go-go bar as long as they get to play all Creedence covers and grow their beards and get the girls for free, along with drinks. Let us know if it’s a go. The band is stoked about this.
JohnnyCake from Black Station: Dear Sgt. Disco: The circus devils are warlocks and must be destroyed. These are the words that came to me after I heard Mother Skinny, an atrocious record by the way. Even worse than OU812. Did you guys actually try to make a horrible record? It sounds like it. Dear JohnnyCakes: I relayed your question to the band. One of the band members replied with this: “Can we still be warlocks if we make another good record?”
Elvis A. Presley from Memphis, USA: Dear Sgt. Disco: Fellas, we don’t usually make comments on the computer-ma-jig, but we just had to tell you all, Momma Skinny is a fine record. Don’t listen to these other pinheads. I had Sonny make us a cassette, cause we need to listen in the car and we don’t use those compact discs or M plug thing-jigs. We’ve been a fan of the circus devils ever since Pinhead Mars. God bless the circus devils. Dear Elvis: The band could use a backup singer who can also play keys if you’re no longer busy doing your own music.
Gerald from Sandusky, Ohio, USA: Dear Sgt. Disco: What’s going on with Circus Devils? Dear Gerald: The band is tied up in the courts over claims that a certain Englishman of great acclaim who recorded a song titled “China Girl” back in the 1980s in fact stole the bass line from the Circus Devils song “8 Legs to Love You.” The fact that the Circus Devils song was released almost 30 years after “China Girl” has not hindered the band’s determination to see justice prevail.
Git MacBob, Earl of Lunch from Frothchrist on the Green, UK: Dear Sgt. Disco: I went and spent a few hard-earned quid on Mother Skinny. What beastly rot! Not a hummable tune on the disc. Shame on you circus devils for leading me on after the promise of NEW BOY, the finest song ever written in my humble opinion. I was so upset that my monacle shattered and I cut my cheek! You’ll be hearing from my proctor. Dear Git: We suggest you start a flea circus. It’s been years since we’ve seen a good flea circus here in Ohio. Start training those fleas as soon as possible. If you act now you can cover the market. I can see it in lights: THE NEW GIT MacBOB EPISCOPAL FLEA CIRCUS. You need to say it’s new so people will think you’ve been at it for years. You can have the fleas perform to the song NEW BOY. Trust me. It will be a smash.
Len from Pennsylvania, USA: What up, Sgt. Disco??? Dear Len: Yeah. Hi Len. Oslo Peters from Oslo, Norway: Dear Sgt. Disco: When is Circus Devils going to reunite the classic lineup and play Oslo again? Dear Oslo: The band is still the classic lineup. Dennis DeYoung will not be asked to join the band until 2017. No personnel changes have ever been made. It seems you are confused on this point. Once the band toyed with the idea of allowing a non-human to join the band. I will not go into further detail. All we can say is that there was a big diaper bill, and nasty bites that required stitches.
Christopher from Sayreville, New Jersey, USA: Dear Sgt. Disco: My roommates spent a majority of the night listening to really fast cruddy metal. I can still feel the barbwire in the cones of my ears. Luckily I have Circus Devils Discography to lull me into the sleep zone. Dear Christopher: Many thanks for your support. We are pleased to assist you in your endeavor to sleep. We hope that your dreams are as light and airy as the songs.
Evan from Walpole, UK: Dear Sgt. Disco: What flavour is Circus Devils? Dear Evan: Circus Devils is the flavour of hot Ape skin.
Nash from Jalapa: Dear Sgt. Disco: I met a fat girl last night who smells good! I think she liked me but I didn’t ask. What do you think, guy? Do I have a chance with her?!" Dear Nash: How old are you? Seven? Eight? This forum is for grown-ups.
Yon from Michigan, USA: Dear Sgt. Disco: When will circus devils stop making records. Isn’t 8 albums enough? I mean, come on. It’s just a matter of time before they start to suck. Oops, I spoke too soon. You just released Mother Skinny! HA HA HA HA HA HA HA! Dear Yon: There’s no disguising your naked adoration for circus devils. I think it’s time to face some unpleasant facts. A world without circus devils is upon us. Not today Yon, but some time down the road. It is clear that you are in denial about your fear over this change. Hence the overblown laughter and hysterical theatrics aimed at overcompensating for your private anguish. It's important that you prepare for this change. For now, consider the following question: What sort of world will it be without circus devils? And consider the answer: It will be no different than it is now! There, we've said it. Now take a deep breath.
Roman Polanski from Twin Peaks: Dear Sgt. Disco: I LOOOOOOOVE Mother Skinny. When is the circus devils techno record coming out? Dear Roman: Frankly, I am tired of people like you writing to me under a cute moniker. There is no shame in contacting the Sgt. The band’s techno album was shelved due to creative conflicts within the group.
Nash from Jalapa: Dear Sgt. Disco: Your songs have driven my household mad! My mother is on the verge of a nervous collapse. My sister will no longer speak to me. Nice work guys! Dear Nash: Your plans to create strife within your household may be undermined when your family gives in and begins to hum circus devils tunes during their daily chores. This will happen eventually. Then what? Will you move on to different music? I suggest you try modern American pop music of any kind. At first, they will enjoy it, then after a couple weeks, they will beg you on their knees to make it stop. It’s funny how music can be, isn’t it?
Andy from Kentucky, USA: Dear Sgt. Disco: In the field behind our house I saw a hairy hand. It was severed at the wrist and just laying on the ground. It was like a human hand but hairy all over (not on the palm, but on the back). I thought it was a halloween prop, but it stunk and had flies on it. I picked up the hand and it made a fist. I got freaked out and dropped it, then it grabbed hold of my leg. It grabbed me and wouldn’t let go! That was 4 days ago. Now I'm hiding it under my pant leg. I know it sounds crazy but I don’t know what to do. I tried burning it with a lighter, and pounding it with a hammer. Nothing works. It won’t let go. Dear Andy: What do want us to do about it? Our advice is this: give your leg to the hand. After it gets what it wants, it might leave you alone.
Your Friend from America: Dear Sgt. Disco: I had a dream quite some time ago about owning Pinball Mars on cassette. I have since had many dreams about Circus Devils, airports, serpents, telephone conversations, spiders, a dream where a tiger roared in my face and a winged creature with a big bust flew by. I dreamed of a winged technicolour kangaroo and many other scary and enchanting things. I think these dreams are trying to communicate something important, but i'm not exactly sure what. What can Circus Devils tell me about dreaming? Dear Your Friend: Dreams are fun! And big busts are always a hit. Even scary dreams are fun because you can always wake up and laugh about them. Every element in a dream is a symbol with personal significance. Never listen to people who say “it was only a dream.” A dream is never just a dream. It always means something. This is the case because the human mind codes all meaning in the form of symbols, or representations that stand for something, be they sounds, pictures, written words, or hand gestures. Metaphors are never just metaphors. All dream elements refer to something real that perhaps cannot be manifested or expressed except through a symbolic image. For example, a stranger who appears in a dream is likely to represent some aspect of your own psyche which needs to be revealed and confronted, such as an inner sad child, or if you’re an asshole, your inner nazi death camp officer. Meaning underlies every operation of the mind, including dreams. All dreams have meaning, even if the meaning is simply to discharge an overloaded imagination with all sorts of crazy images and scenes. Nonsense is meaningful in that it allows us to play freely with our symbols without punishment from some governing authority. Rejoice in the magic of symbol play!
Nash from Jalapa: Dear Sgt. Disco: Circus Devils makes the best videos. I like the one where the guy in the moustache walks into the solid wall. I like to see magic stuff like that.
Geronimo Mason from The Wright Patterson Air Force Base, OHIO, USA: Dear Sgt. Disco: By now you will have heard the scattered reports of our collapse; now, vainly, I issue this brief missive for the historical record. In recent months, our assembled consortium has been engaged in efforts to decipher the Mother Skinny Artifact that appeared late this past March. Initial progress was slow; the early teams gave much, suffered many losses, endured countless setbacks. It was some time before the nature of the threat was known, before we knew the measures needed to begin the real work... Then, a fortnight ago, a breakthrough: it was learned that the Artifact itself does not exist materially, but is present only in an envelope of space created by the shadow of the upper planes of the 11th dimension projected onto the sides of nearby, curled multiverses. Beta team, in an effort as valiant as any this old trench soldier has ever seen, attempted to close this portal through an unguarded corridor of the infrared spectrum. Our attempts failed; the energy cardioid collapsed on our positions, the whole flank lost; we have been trapped here, ever since, somewhere along the thin band of sub-visible light through which the Mother Skinny Artifact first made egress onto Earth. We hold our courage, still; all is not yet lost. We are trying other channels, other frequencies. Do not forget us, now, do not attenuate our transmissions. Leave us not, for we are here still, deep inside the channel noise... Dear Geronimo: Everything you write has already been discussed at length in the book titled “Coming Home to Strangers: A personal history of Inter-dimensional travel” by Dr. Gregory Fleer. Dr. Fleer is a great fan of Circus Devils and the godfather of my homunculus.
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