A small British publishing house is turning to fans via a new Kickstarter campaign to raise the remaining funds needed to publish “Scatological Alchemy: A Gnostic Biography of the Butthole Surfers,” a new book by Ben Graham about the legendary Texas psychedelic rockers.
As The Wire notes, Eleusinian Press is seeking funds to cover the costs of copy-editing, typesetting and proofreading the finished book. The campaign, in fact, already is close to meeting its $1,738 goal.
Graham, an author and music journalist, interviewed band member Paul Leary earlier this year for The Quietus on the 30th anniversary of the Butthole Surfers’ Locust Abortion Technician.
Here’s a description of “Scatological Alchemy” from the project’s Kickstarter page:
“‘Scatological Alchemy’ is an attempt to pull the true significance of The Butthole Surfers’ legacy from the wreckage. As well as telling the story of their epic adventures on the fringes of culture it looks in-depth at their recorded body of work, extracting possible meanings and resonances from music often dismissed as disposable and absurd (not least by the band themselves) but which has stood the test of time and still stands head and shoulders above their contemporaries in sound-tracking the dreams and nightmares of a generation.”
The book is expected to be published later this year.
PREVIOUSLY ON SLICING UP EYEBALLS
- Butthole Surfers’ ‘Independent Worm Saloon’ to receive 180-gram vinyl reissue
- Butthole Surfers to reissue 4 out-of-print Touch and Go albums on vinyl this fall
- Stream: Butthole Surfers’ Gibby Haynes teams with Jack White for 7-inch
- Butthole Surfers’ reunited ’80s lineup heads out on North American tour this fall
