Philip “Snakefinger” Lithman occupies a very special place in my heart. When I was an impressionable Bay Area youngster in the mid-80s I saw Snakefinger, The Residents, and the whole Ralph Records roster as living proof that San Francisco nurtured maniacal genius.
Snakefinger frequently collaborated with the Residents (his guitar playing is all over the phenomenal Duck Stab/Buster & Glen) and I was fortunate enough to see him perform twice with them on their 13th Anniversary Tour.
Snakefinger died of a heart attack in 1987. He was 38 years old. (It was said by one of his friends that he had “died of coffee and cigarettes.”)
This song (a collaboration with the Residents) was probably his biggest underground hit, and has one of the all-time great bass lines — if you can listen to it without moving, you also are a dead person.
Snakefinger – The Man In The Dark Sedan from Greener Postures (Like most of Snakefinger’s music, this album is out of print — some guy is trying to sell a CD for $89.99. That’s a ridiculous price to pay, but I don’t know where else you can get his music.)
[If you want to learn more about the man, there's an excellent bio on the Residents site.]
