Let’s Revisit That One Time Crispin Glover Released An Incredibly Weird Album
Crispin Glover.
For some people, his name immediately conjures up images of George McFly meekly taking advice from his unbeknownst-to-him son Marty in Back to the Future. For others, he’s the outcast driven to revenge with the aid of rats in Willard. For those who delight in slashers, his dancing in Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter is the stuff of legend.
The eccentric actor, who hails from New York City, is known for the quirky roles that only his shoes can fill. He takes on characters and traits that make him a unique performer, one who captures the attention during every frame he’s on-screen.
And while many immediately associate him with his acting over the years, there are some who think of Glover not as a thespian but rather as a musician. In 1989, after Glover took a break from acting for a few years, he released an album titled The Big Problem ≠ The Solution The Solution = Let It Be (aka The Big Problem Does Not Equal the Solution The Solution Equals Let It Be). The album features original compositions, such as the lead single “Clowny Clown Clown”, readings from his 1988 book Rat Catching as well as 1991’s Oak-Mot, and covers from artists such as Lee Hazelwood and Charles Manson.
The Big Problem ≠ The Solution The Solution = Let It Be, which was produced by Barnes & Barnes, the team behind 1978’s hit “Fish Heads”, is not your typical album. It unfolds like a phantasmagoria, each track unique, the journey from beginning to end a surreal riddle. The back of the album is a collage that features Adolf Hitler, Charles Manson, and Glover’s head pasted over a crucified Jesus Christ, and more. The header dares listeners to peel back the curtain of the experience, even going so far as to offer a (now disconnected) phone number to tell Glover what you make of the nine seemingly unrelated items.
“Clowny Clown Clown” makes a reference towards the end to a “Mr. Farr”, a connection to Glover’s film Rubin & Ed. While released in 1991, Glover appeared on The Late Show With David Letterman in 1987 as the character, suggesting that this story was long in the making. “These Boots Are Made For Walking” is a cover of Nancy Sinatra’s famous song. However, the confidence of the song is gone, replaced with a wailing, off-time Glover who warbles and wails, his howls breaking against the cartoonish horns. Glover angelically harmonizes his cover of “I’ll Never Say Never to Always” to chilling effect.
Glover’s eccentricity is put on full display with The Big Problem ≠ The Solution The Solution = Let It Be. It is exactly what you would expect from him while simultaneously being completely unpredictable.
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