Rest Aria

"Rest Aria" (working title "Russian Love Song") is an instrumental composition by The Residents from their debut album Meet The Residents, released April 1st 1974 on Ralph Records. It was excerpted on the promotional Meet The Residents Sampler flexidisc prior to the release of the album.
== History ==
=== Russian Love Song ===
The earliest known version of "Rest Aria" was recorded by Residents, Uninc. in 1972 under the working title "Russian Love Song". Seemingly performed on a pump organ, this piece of music was likely considered for the score to the group's feature film Vileness Fats, then just beginning production. 
The 1972 recording was unknown to the public until 2019, when it was included as an unlisted bonus track on the 2019 two disc pREServed edition of The Residents' second album Not Available (where it appears after ten minutes of silence on the second disc). A representative of Cherry Red Records indicated that the piece was the earliest known recording related to the Not Available project.
=== Rest Aria ===
"Rest Aria" was recorded in May 1973. It first appeared as an excerpt in the Meet The Residents Flexi single. This single version features a brief horn section removed from the final version. In 1977 it was remixed into Stereo, subtracting 32 seconds from the total runtime. 
The title 'Rest Aria' may be a play on the phrase 'Rest Area,' which is a place for vehicles to stop on long journeys. An 'Aria' is a piece of music written for one instrument.
Charles Bobuck re-recorded the song in 2014 for a potential 40th Anniversary project, this version was released in 2017 on the EP, Clank Clank Clank.
The song was also featured on the I Am A Resident! Bonus disc, with a cover by Couvercle.
Rest Aria has been performed live only once, at The Residents' 50th Anniversary secret show on January 14th, 2023, with respected concert pianist Sarah Cahill on piano.
== List of releases ==
* Meet The Residents Sampler (1974)1973 Mono Version Excerpt (1:46)
* Meet The Residents (1974)1973 Mono Version (5:41)
* Meet The Residents Stereo (1977)1973 Stereo Version (5:09)
* Please Do Not Steal It! (1979)1973 Stereo Version Excerpt (2:20)
* Twenty-Five Years Of Eyeball Excellence (1998)
* The Sycamore Street Studio (1974-77 Embracing Obscurity) (2014) 1973 Stereo Version Excerpt (0:35)
* Clank Clank Clank (2017)2014 Bobuck Version (2:02)
* I Am A Resident! (2018)2018 Couvercle version (7:23)
* Not Available pREServed edition (2019) - unlisted, "Russian Love Song" 1972 demo ("Russian Love Song")
=== List of versions ===
==See also==
* Vileness Fats
*"X Is For Xtra (A Conclusion)"
Category:Meet The Residents
Category:Instrumentals
Category:Clank Clank Clank
Category:Vileness Fats
Category:Not Available
Category:X Is For Xtra
Category:Songs
Category:Twenty-Five Years of Eyeball Excellence
Category:50th Anniversary secret show