Scatological Alchemy, a ‘gnostic biography’ of The Butthole Surfers written by Ben Graham is set to be made available via Newhaven-based indie publisher Eleusinian Press in September, and a Kickstarter campaign has now been launched to fund upfront costs for its production.
The book is described as "an attempt to pull the true significance of The Butthole Surfers’ legacy from the wreckage", with Graham taking a close look at the band’s recorded output to provide an in-depth look at the band’s motivations when they were chiefly active around three decades ago.
The description continues: "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."
Contributing to the Kickstarter will allow you to pre-order a copy at a cheaper price than the eventual price of the book upon its official release in September, while there is also an option to contribute for a signed copy of the biography. You can find out more details and offer your backing place the text you want as hyperlink here.
If you would like an early fix of Ben Graham writing about Butthole Surfers, you can read our recent 30th anniversary feature on their album Locust Abortion Technician in which he talks to the band’s guitarist Paul Leary here.
