Big Lizard in My Backyard

Big Lizard in My Backyard is the debut album by the Dead Milkmen, released by Restless Records in 1985.^[5][6]

Big Lizard in My Backyard
Studio album by the Dead Milkmen
Released	1985
Recorded	1985
Genre	Punk rock comedy rock alternative rock
Length	42:14
Label	Restless
Producer	The Dead Milkmen, John Wicks
The Dead Milkmen chronology
Big Lizard in My Backyard (1985) Eat Your Paisley! (1986)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
Robert Christgau	A−[2]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music	[3]
MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide	[4]

Although the album yielded no singles, it achieved enough notoriety to create a fan base for the band. Five of the album's tracks appear on the 1997 compilation Death Rides a Pale Cow: The Ultimate Collection; four tracks appear on the 1998 compilation Cream of the Crop.

Production

Big Lizard in My Backyard was produced by John Wicks and the band.^[4] The introduction to "Bitchin' Camaro" was improvised.^[7]

Cover artwork

The album's cover artwork was designed by the band's drummer, Dean Clean.^{[8][non-primary source needed]}

Critical reception

Big Lizard in My Backyard received strong reviews, with critics singling out "Bitchin' Camaro", calling it "hilarious" and "career-making."^[6][9] Maximum Rocknroll wrote that "these 20 satire-laced songs are real crack-ups, and backed up by tight playing that incorporates funk, country, and lots of other styles into their punk approach."^[10] Spin called the album "frenetic goof pop," writing that it's "full of the kind of scruff-and-tumble guitar and funtime lyrics that made 1977 punk such a refreshing blast."^[11]

Track listing

All tracks written by the Dead Milkmen

1. "Tiny Town" - 1:45
2. "Beach Song" - 2:00
3. "Plum Dumb" - 1:56
4. "Swordfish" - 1:31
5. "V.F.W. (Veterans of a Fucked Up World)" - 1:48
6. "Rastabilly" - 1:07
7. "Serrated Edge" - 1:59
8. "Lucky" - 2:10
9. "Big Lizard in My Backyard" - 1:59
10. "Gorilla Girl" - 1:33
11. "Bitchin' Camaro" - 3:01
12. "Filet of Sole" - 1:57
13. "Spit Sink" - 2:01 (Produced By Mike Ace & Jonny Earthshoe)
14. "Violent School" - 1:58
15. "Takin’ Retards to the Zoo" - 0:48 (Produced By Mike Ace & Jonny Earthshoe)
16. "Junkie" - 0:52
17. "Right Wing Pigeons" - 2:21
18. "Dean’s Dream" - 1:49
19. "Laundromat Song" - 1:47
20. "Nutrition" - 2:17
21. "Tugena" - 5:27 (instrumental)

"Gorilla Girl" was not included on the original U.S. Enigma/Fever LP release. "Tugena" was present on the original release (as the last track) but was unidentified and not labeled until later pressings.

Personnel

The Dead Milkmen

• Dave Blood – bass guitar
• Joe Jack Talcum – guitar, vocals
• Rodney Anonymous – vocals
• Dean Clean – drums

References

1. AllMusic
2. Christgau, Robert. "Album: The Dead Milkmen: Big Lizard in My Backyard". robertchristgau.com. Retrieved 2017-09-18.
3. Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 2. MUZE. p. 803.
4. MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1999. p. 319.
5. "Dead Milkmen | Biography & History". AllMusic.
6. "CMJ Silver Salute". CMJ New Music Report. CMJ Network, Inc. November 10, 2003 – via Google Books.
7. Weidman, Rich (2022). Punk: The Definitive Guide to the Blank Generation and Beyond. Backbeat Books. p. 149.
8. "Portfolio | Music Industry". DeanSabatino.com. Archived from the original on April 19, 2004. Retrieved August 25, 2022.
9. "TrouserPress.com :: Dead Milkmen". www.trouserpress.com.
10. "Big Lizard in My Backyard LP".
11. "Underground". Spin. 1 (6): 37. Oct 1985.

External links

• Official Site Discography