In 1979 "punk" music was all the rage. The Residents had gone though the punk stage three years earlier were ready for anything that was not punk. When it was finally released ESKIMO was a hit, both in sales and in reviews. The album tells the story, without words, of the assimilation of a ritualistic society into consumer culture. This story unfolds as Eskimo fables set to the grinding of sound effects and music. ESKIMO is, quite literally, a unique experience.