R. Stevie Moore is an outsider musician. In my opinion, he is the best outsider musician. He hails from Nashville originally and comes from as musical background as his father was Elvis Presley's favorite bassist and a member of the Nashville A-Team, making R. Stevie one of the first second-generation rock musicians. After this record, which was originally released via his uncle on only only 100 copies he relocated to Bloomfield, New Jersey where he has lived ever since. He is the father of home recorded rock and is idolized by the likes of Ariel Pink (who has covered two tracks off this album - "Hobbies Galore" and "She Don't Know What To Do With Herself"), The Elephant 6 collective, and many more. The sound on this album is almost like a lo-fi take on Todd Rundgren's Something/Anything? and is no less American. From the epic instrumental "Melbourne" to the tacked on bonus tracks coming from the extensive work he had already accomplished before this record everything is flawless. The songwriting is brilliant and it's all done with a great sense of humor that extends to some hilariously offbeat skits between songs. Bottom line: this album is a masterpiece. This is outsider music at it's best, if you hear this and still prefer Daniel Johnston you need to give up on music because you will never get it. In addition to every track I've already mentioned so far, "You and Me," "Goodbye Piano," "California Rhythm," "I Want You In My Life," and "Why Should I Love You" are some of the best.
R. Stevie Moore - Phonography (1976)
Additionally, here's a great video of Mr. Moore on Floyd Vivino's WNJN faux-children's show (proto-Pee-Wee's Playhouse) The Uncle Floyd Show on which he would regularly appear:
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