Shaggs' Own Thing

Shaggs' Own Thing is a compilation album including all songs from the band's 1969 debut album, Philosophy of the World, and others they made between then and 1975. Don't come to the Shaggs' for pop sensibility, or even for readily understandable melodies or rhythms. The original songs, mostly written by Dot Wiggins, almost sound as though they were precariously built, note-by-note, at the time of recording. The tunes wander up and down the scale, the way a song spontaneously created by a small child might do. The Wiggins sisters' (Dot, Helen, and Betty on the first album, joined by sister Rachel later) mastery of their instruments is rudimentary at best, and their sense of rhythm is somewhat unusual. Some song introductions sound convincingly as if the band is merely tuning up. Yet, on most of the songs, the sisters seem to be completely in synch with each other in terms of time and pitch, sharing some innate familial metronome. However, lack of musical expertise on the part of the Shaggs does not prevent this collection of songs from being a charming and intriguing listen. This is a rare, raw, look into the minds of a family of sweet, sad, but hopeful young girls, who are struggling to understand the world. The Shaggs' world is full of boyfriends who vacillate between being mean and being nice in an instant ("What Should I Do?," "Sweet Thing"), unrequited loves who don't know the girls are alive (the endearing "My Cutie") and beloved but misbehaving pets (the cult classic "My Pal Foot Foot"). The song "Philosophy of the World" echoes the age-old truism that people often want what they can't have. "Who Are Parents?" is a devoted tribute to the "ones who really care," even though they do make the rules. The title cut "Shaggs' Own Thing" is an engaging, off-kilter dialogue between the girls' father and a young male friend about a date stolen from the other, as the girls play an instrumental background. There are some cover songs in the set, but ironically, the girls play the original tunes much more tightly. Their expression of these seemly autobiographical songs is the core of what makes this album worthwhile, particularly for devotees of the Shaggs. ~ Susan Bachner