Pere Ubu: Classic Or Dud

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Pere Ubu popped up in the multiple CoD thread and I thought they were well worthy of one of their own. So here it is.

― Richard Tunnicliffe, Wednesday, 2 May 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

"The Modern Dance" is essential. The following albums ("Dub Housing" etc) are good, but I can live without them. The later period isn't bad, but somehow just not very interesting either.

― Dr. C, Wednesday, 2 May 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

I agree that the late period stuff (Worlds in Collision, Ray Gun Suitcase etc), while pleasant enough, isn't anything to get excited about. But I'd make an exception for last year's release Apocalypse Now, a great live show which I think was recorded a decade or so back. Some funny stage banter from the ineffable David Thomas, a couple of punk surprises, and a beautiful version of 'We Have the Technology' alone make it a worthwhile purchase.

― scott bassett, Wednesday, 2 May 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

Mike Daddino will have his own thoughts on the matter (and good ones they are), but I'll agree with him that I have a lot more time these days for the early singles than I do for the entire back catalogue of the Stones.

"DON'T need a cure/DON'T need a cure!"

I had the surprise opportunity to run into David Thomas and I think Ravenstine at the station I was at in 1991. I asked him about the Living Colour and Peter Murphy covers of "Final Solution" -- said he hadn't heard the LC one, but that Mr. M 'got rid of the solo' but otherwise did a good job.

― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 2 May 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

Pere Ubu is one of those bands that I've wanted to like for quite a long time, but I can't really get past Thomas' voice. I know that it will click in with me at some point, because I definitely like some of the songs quite a lot, esp. "Final Solution" (yawn, how predictable). For now, it's in an undecided zone.

― Sean Carruthers, Wednesday, 2 May 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

The first three albums plus the singles and the associated live stuff from that period: Absolutely unbelievably classic. I think _New Picnic Time_ is one of the most underrated and affecting albums I've heard, and I've listened to the other stuff on the first two discs of the box set probably more than anything else overall in the last four years or so...

After those: Spotty. Some excellent stuff, though, in among the only okay stuff, and David Thomas hooking up with the very, very creative Spaceheads (Two Pale Boys) is a brilliant move, I think.

― Jacob Anderson, Wednesday, 2 May 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

I've got Dub Housing - i like it lots. The guy's voice is one of the most comically incredible i've ever heard in pop but for some reason i got over it. I actually bought the album for £1 without a case thinking it was Dub Reggae... Boy was i wrong, but then it turned out to be excellent anyway :-)

― dog latin, Thursday, 3 May 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

he sings like a cross between David Byrne and Tiny Tim.

― scott, Tuesday, 8 May 2001 00:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

1 month passes...

Classic.

Ubu are at their best recording "avant-garage" (late early period) than "pop/rock songs" (mid late period). That was a bit confusing. Let's just say 'New Picnic Time-Song Of The Baling Man' = "avant-garage". While 'The Modern Dance' or (mid late period) 'Story Of My Life' = "pop/rock songs". Yes, even 'The Modern Dance' plays to this weakness for song form, where Ubu are clearly best without song form = the point.

However, David Thomas (singer/leader) is as good (if not slightly better - let's just say different than Ubu, but in a good equal way) solo than as Pere Ubu. With his box set 'Monster' as proof.

But, certainly if one wants truly "classic" and truly interesting art-rock or art-punk...look no further. Some might go with Wire or The Fall. I'll take Pere Ubu, anytime.

*Also, Pere Ubu are one of the greatest live rock bands ever (yes, ever)...I've seen them twice - in support of 'Story of My Life' opening for They Might Be Giants (sort of like Public Enemy and how they used to open for the Beastie Boys) and again at a smaller club as headliner in support of 'Raygun Suitcase'. Both times, great. Second time, incredible. David Thomas is a natural on stage (oddly enough - in that, one could see him as some sort of "anti-social" if they didn't know better, with some of the lyrics and mumbling voice, etc).

― michael g. breece, Sunday, 1 July 2001 00:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

5 months pass...

boy this one died a fast death, didn't it? come on, i know -some- of you haf an opinion on ubu...mark s? tom? andrew? andy? dave? ANYONE??

my take: two classic albums, followed by a string of spotty-to- terrible ones, lost (to paraphrase i think mark) up their own arse of determined non-repetition. the singles collected on terminal tower, however, are a handful of the most towering documents in the history of this rock music thing. made all the more powerful by the fact that they were scrawled in black magic marker by wights from collapsing ohio factory backwaters.

― jess, Thursday, 27 December 2001 01:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

Seems to be a consensus that everything after The Modern Dance was spotty. I might agree with that - although I think there were some absolutely great moments on all of the later LPs. The Art of Walking - I believe it's "Misery Goats" I'm thinking of... (Can anyone fill me in on the that reference.. "Misery Goats" is an homage to something that I recognized a few months back... now I forget what it means...) and "I Will Wait" from Dub Housing, if I remember correctly, is one of Ubu's finest moments.

When I heard the Wooden Birds' last album (name escapes me..) I thought, Wow! That sounds a lot like typical Ubu... (Ref. "A Fact About Trains") I wonder if they'll change back into Ubu.... Sure enough, they did. But I must admit, I wasn't blown away when The Tenemement Year came out. I thought it was too "Rock & Roll". Cloudland was even more so... Great albums in their own right & kicking U2 and REM's asses at the time... so no reason to slouch. I'll take "Why Go It Alone" over "Stand" any time.

But it wasn't until Ray Gun Suitcase came out that I thought they had returned to what makes/made Ubu great - which was a heavy bassline behind some erratic guitar and some ranting (which is the same reason I like Saccharine Trust.)

I've seen Ubu many times over the years, starting with the warm-up tour for The Tenement Year. (The new songs were much better live than they were when the record was released.) - and I think Scott Krauss, Tony Maimone, Alan Ravenstein & Jim Jones (as a very suitable stand-in for Peter Laughner) brought amazing energy to the group - BUT, the last time I saw Ubu was about 2 years ago... the only member remaining was David Thomas .. The show was incredible. They played hard, they beat the shit out of their back catalogue. The only turn-off was that David Thomas seems to have developed into a bit of a dictator & a perfectionist - which is his perogative because it's now his band... but there's something to be said for the DIY sound... and that's why we love the Fall.

― Dave225, Thursday, 27 December 2001 01:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

FYI - That Wooden Birds LP was "Blame the Messenger". Highly recommended.

― Dave225, Thursday, 27 December 2001 01:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

Jess lists me last, and expects me to comment? You have SOME BALLS, boyo.

I owned thee boxset a while back, & sold it, of course, duh. The music was fine, but the cram-happy aesthetic ruined everything past Disc 2. (And I never gave the Ubu-related music much of a spin, and including live Ubu did nothing for me.) That said, I agree w/ Jess on Modern Dance & Terminal Tower. Rock & roll drunk on the couch with Pretentious Art, making out and drooling all over the place. Pass the funnel, woo!

Dub Housing might be a grower, though I can't recall it well because of the CRAP SEQUENCING on the boxset CDs, damn it. I have a tape copy of Cloudland, which sounds just fine (if a bit happy-go-lucky, which I don't expect from DT, despite his kiddie-clown voice). The newer stuff (on Tim Kerr & Thirsty Ear) scares me because of all the conflicting comments.

And what's this I hear about the 5-disc David Thomas boxset being unbelievably awesome? Is this the truth?

― David Raposa, Thursday, 27 December 2001 01:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

New Picnic Time = terrific; a concept alb about life in heaven

― mark s, Thursday, 27 December 2001 01:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

3 weeks pass...

I listened to The Wooden Birds' "Blame The Messenger" yesterday. (This was the record that reunited Ubu - 1986? ) Absolutely brilliant, more so than I remembered. If you have the means, I highly recommend picking it up. It's better than most Ubu records and almost as good as some of the best Ubu records.

― Dave225, Monday, 21 January 2002 01:00 (11 years ago) Permalink

7 months pass...

I haff rethink. Have recently repurchased Tenement Year, Cloudland, Worlds in Collision and Story of My Life, and am enjoying them all now. Will probably go back to the earliest stiff, too, which I never really gave fair shakes to...Always loved "Final Solution" but have discovered the glories of "30 Seconds Over Tokyo" and "The Modern Dance".

― Sean Carruthers (SeanC), Saturday, 24 August 2002 20:31 (10 years ago) Permalink

the earliest stiff is "the art of walking" haha (actually i wuv every note they ever played)

― mark s (mark s), Saturday, 24 August 2002 21:55 (10 years ago) Permalink

first four albums and the attending singles from their first period = classic.

The Tenemant Years is good but not classic.

Cloudland is half classic (the last Paul Harman engineered half), and half crap (the Stephen Hague produced first half).

Worlds In Collision and Story Of My Life are not so hot all -- especially Eric Drew Feldman on synth -- his cartoony work is terrible to these ears -- completely lacking Ravenstine's touch or Wheeler in the later period. Completely POP in a cut out all the good parts way. (also, I don't think Cutler was a good fit with the band either).

Raygun Suitcase through St. Arkansas are a return to form, the resurrection of a band that almost sank during the Eric Drew Feldman period. Especially great is the return of Tom Herman. Also to be noted is the underrated playing of Jim Jones, a man who has done many excellent things but hasn't got the kudos he deserves.

― jack cole (jackcole), Saturday, 24 August 2002 22:07 (10 years ago) Permalink

If you're going to harp on my typo, mister s, I want sales figures outta you. ;)

― Sean Carruthers (SeanC), Saturday, 24 August 2002 23:00 (10 years ago) Permalink

Classic, of course. Another one in a long list of bands that I saw in the '70s and insist on mentioning on ILM in the vain hope that people will worship me, while knowing that the info really translates in people's heads into "he's really old".

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Sunday, 25 August 2002 08:20 (10 years ago) Permalink

Only have a modern dance. Love it of course but nevah got round to anything myself. Nice to know sean is enjoying a lot of their other stuff as when I met him he was just buying some of those recs.

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Sunday, 25 August 2002 09:28 (10 years ago) Permalink

Just wondering how you pronouce the name.

I've never been too sure whether it's 'peh-ray ooboo' or 'pear ooboo' or possibly even another way, any helpers?

― Chewshabadoo (Chewshabadoo), Sunday, 25 August 2002 12:57 (10 years ago) Permalink

pear (it is dad punk haha)

― mark s (mark s), Sunday, 25 August 2002 13:04 (10 years ago) Permalink

isn't "misery .. " just the unlucky masonic goats, the "misery guts" of the circus bleating like kids from the harem ?

yeah picnic, walking where were i got dropped right in it, so dub was a bit too much popping dub and the guitar records too much guitar records like sonic youth

the late period stuff, well it's more measured austere and yet part of the continuum of not over till after the fat man's stopped singing that is pere ubu

these guys are carrying the torch for wacky alfred jarry and people complain about silly ok != surreal or sensible but maybe absurdist -- yet absurdism points fingers, reminds us we are the bourguiese (is that correct spelling ? just couldn't resist)

my gripe would be how easy to map to real world via absurdism (which in jarry's case mapped so well) is peter thomas ? anything to say ? (great effects dept.)

all credit to them though for being first to the millenium bug though via "Data Panic in the Year ..", so ahead of their time as much now as then someways -- do not C/D until, y'know, uh, loses some weight ??

― george gosset (gegoss), Sunday, 25 August 2002 13:38 (10 years ago) Permalink

Those early singles are my favorite Pere Ubu music. After the first two LPs, there music is just too much all over the place for me, except for "The Tenement Year" which is a pretty good record and seems to be a return to the sound of those earlier recordings.

"The Tenement Year" may be a bit harder to find, as I do not think it was ever reissued. I've had a vinyl for a long time and got it before I found the first two LPs and the reissue of the early singles.

― earlnash, Sunday, 25 August 2002 19:22 (10 years ago) Permalink

I found The Tenement Year on CD in one of my regular used shops, for relatively cheap...weird, because I thought they'd have realized how rare it was. At any rate, I now have a copy of that on vinyl that is up for grabs, if anyone wants it...email me.

― Sean Carruthers (SeanC), Sunday, 25 August 2002 22:14 (10 years ago) Permalink

11 months pass...

After giving all of the early Pere Ubu records a couple of listens over the past few weeks, I find that I think they really didn't drop off as much as I used to think. "Songs of the Bailing Man", "The Art of Walking" and "New Picnic Time" are maybe a notch below "Dub Housing", but not much more.

I think listening to quite a bit of electronic music in the past three or four years has changed my perspective of some of the more abstract/ambient/free form sounding songs.

I've never heard anything after "Pennsylvania" or the "St. Arkansas" albums, are they any count?

― earlnash, Monday, 28 July 2003 18:18 (9 years ago) Permalink

Was just driven around in a red convertable by a punk girl blasting (I think) The Tenement Year. Shit cool.

― Pete Scholtes, Monday, 28 July 2003 20:26 (9 years ago) Permalink

Classic, obviously - stupid question.

So is all Mr Thomas's solo / other stuff, especially Blame The Messenger, Mirror Man and the live CD with the "Monster" boxset.

"I've never heard anything after "Pennsylvania" or the "St. Arkansas" albums, are they any count?"

I don't believe you've missed any official releases since St Arkansas Earlnash, although there were a couple of live albums in between them: Apocalypse Now (which, as others have said above, is an excellent album) and The Shape Of Things (semi-official, dodgy 1976 live recordings, for completists only).

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Tuesday, 29 July 2003 07:18 (9 years ago) Permalink

got the 'terminal tower' singles comp since then. wonderful though i'm not sure what that live version of 'Humor me' is doing there. a bit unecessary.

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Tuesday, 29 July 2003 07:23 (9 years ago) Permalink

I believe I'm right in saying that the last few tracks on that CD were mopping up some oddments that would otherwise have been unavailable on CD because they had to missed off the Datapanik In The Year Zero box-set due to restrictions of CD length etc.

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Tuesday, 29 July 2003 07:53 (9 years ago) Permalink

... I think that's incorect - Terminal Tower was released 10 years prior to the Datapanik box. Seems more like it was just a release of a bunch of stuff they could get their hands on at the time. (Being Twin Tone & all.) While it's a great listen, it doesn't seem to have much of a reason to exist - other than there was no Pere Ubu record in print at the time. And Not Happy is cut short.

― dave225 (Dave225), Tuesday, 29 July 2003 10:36 (9 years ago) Permalink

well if you don't have the boxset its useful collection of the early singles. suerly that's a good enough reason for it to exist.

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Tuesday, 29 July 2003 10:41 (9 years ago) Permalink

.. Yeah - well, I have it and yeah, I recommend buying it.. But I mean, it's a bit of a hodgepodge .. some of it is the Datapanik EP, some of it is singles, some of it is rarities. It's not a collection of all the singles. It's not a rerelease of Datapanik. It's not really a collection of rarities. It's just "stuff". Again, probably the only stuff Twin Tone could get their hands on in 1985. Buy "no reason to exist" I meant from an Artist or record company perspective... As a fan, I was damn excited to have it and quite glad it existed.

― dave225 (Dave225), Tuesday, 29 July 2003 10:50 (9 years ago) Permalink

If you don't have the boxset the (final) solution is obvious....

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Tuesday, 29 July 2003 10:51 (9 years ago) Permalink

so what are they missing bcz this is a collection of singles up to 1980. is there another comp i could get hold of that has what's missing?

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Tuesday, 29 July 2003 10:53 (9 years ago) Permalink

I think the only single that isn't there is Street Waves.. And I don't even know if it's different from the one on The Modern Dance. But the version of Not Happy cuts out a big section in the middle. .. So it's not a huge loss - it's just not a totally complete compilation of the singles. ..

Actually, I just checked the Ubu web site & found this:
The left & right channels are reversed and the tape transfer left all songs running at a slower speed. All Rough Trade / Twin Tone cd & vinyl releases are affected. These faults were corrected by the 1994 digital transfer & eq. The 1998 cd reissue features the Mayo Thompson / Geoff Travis mixes of "Not Happy" and "Lonesome Cowboy Dave" as released on the 1981 Rough Trade single. The 1985 Twin Tone / Rough Trade releases use the David Thomas mixes done at Suma.

.. So I guess the CD is better than the LP.

― dave225 (Dave225), Tuesday, 29 July 2003 11:05 (9 years ago) Permalink

I suppose I could use an editor, what I meant to say was:

I've never heard anything after "Raygun Suitcase" are the "Pennsylvania" or the "St. Arkansas" albums any count?

At least from the reviews, it seems if you like Pere Ubu, the last two albums will be to your liking. They are on my list and I probably will look for them when I go up to Bloomington/Indianapolis at the end of August.

― earlnash, Tuesday, 29 July 2003 13:32 (9 years ago) Permalink

2 years pass...

I'm surprised to see no consensus here that Dub Housing is by far their peak. It was dark, eerie, powerful, experimental but still totally engaging. Quite a feat for an album with an obsessive focus on paranoia and mental instability. I have to admire their determination with New Picnic Time to avoid repeating themselves, but it seems they tried too hard, and it comes off forced and awkward.

― Fastnbulbous (Fastnbulbous), Thursday, 8 September 2005 03:23 (7 years ago) Permalink

Man, this made me dig out Dub Housing. It's one of those woozy albums that I think you either like or don't. I remember when I first heard it, it wasn't like anything else I'd ever heard...
Of course, I grew up listening to Waiting For Mary on an old Certain Damage sampler, so maybe I was predisposed...

― js (honestengine), Thursday, 8 September 2005 04:28 (7 years ago) Permalink

Love the Datapanik box, but is buying anything else neccessary?

― Sasha (sgh), Thursday, 8 September 2005 04:51 (7 years ago) Permalink

Consensus? ILM? Uh.. why aren't there a ton of threads on this band?

Dub Housing is so classic. Total paranoid schizo vibe. I suppose buying more albums of theirs isn't strictly necessary but surely if you like the box set you'd like others?

― dar1a g (daria g), Thursday, 8 September 2005 05:26 (7 years ago) Permalink

Last time I tried to listen to Dub Housing, I just thought the songs weren't really there. I like early Pere Ubu, especially the singles.

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Thursday, 8 September 2005 05:32 (7 years ago) Permalink

I'm off to see them on Saturday, wonder how they'll be. Don't have great expectations, but hoping they're going to catch me by surprise. No idea who's in the band now. Chris Cutler perhaps?

― NickB (NickB), Thursday, 8 September 2005 07:15 (7 years ago) Permalink

Cloudland must be reissued/remastered. Now.

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Thursday, 8 September 2005 10:24 (7 years ago) Permalink

I preferred them as a rock band than as an art band, so:

Modern Dance > Dub Housing >>>>>>>>> everything else

― Raymond Douglas Dadaismus (Dada), Thursday, 8 September 2005 10:26 (7 years ago) Permalink

Love the Datapanik box, but is buying anything else neccessary?

The Wooden Birds - "Blame the Messenger"
Rockets from the Tombs
& the Peter Laughner disc.

-David Thomas solo records are also great, if you like 'Sentimental Journey'
-Home and Garden records are spotty, but I really love some of em.

― when something smacks of something (dave225.3), Thursday, 8 September 2005 11:36 (7 years ago) Permalink

I have The Day the Earth Met... and Rocket Redux. What's Laughner's solo stuff like?

― Sasha (sgh), Thursday, 8 September 2005 11:47 (7 years ago) Permalink

Laughner = classic. His style was schizophrenic -- Beefheart here, Thompson there, punk here, folk there - but I think he was mainly just interested in channeling his various interests. Rock It Down, Ain't It Fun, Sylvia Plath, and Baby's on Fire are all classic!

― TRG (TRG), Thursday, 8 September 2005 12:00 (7 years ago) Permalink

It's low-fi, bedroom recordings, but it's an insight into the early pere... Everyone seems to think it's fucking genious around here ... I don't hold it up that high. Laughner was a great guitarist, and it really shows in some of these recordings, but I still see it as more of a historical relic than some kind of masterpiece.

xpost...

― when something smacks of something (dave225.3), Thursday, 8 September 2005 12:04 (7 years ago) Permalink

Skipping 60 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

I bought the 'Datapanik in Year Zero' box today despite never really hearing Pere Ubu. Impulsive yes but I've had some good luck in the past buying box sets of stuff I've never heard before i.e the Robert Wyatt box and the first four factory records Durutti Column set.

Looking forward to diving in tonight.

― AnotherDeadHero, Friday, 12 March 2010 17:15 (3 years ago) Permalink

Or should I have listened to AMG?

"However, if you're simply interested in Pere Ubu, consider the set carefully before investing. Pere Ubu were indeed one of the most innovative and challenging bands of their era, which means that their music is an acquired taste. However, those willing to invest in the box will find a wealth of inventive, hard-edged avant rock & roll."

― AnotherDeadHero, Friday, 12 March 2010 17:16 (3 years ago) Permalink

i found i had to retune my brain in order to get Pere Ubu, but it was worth it. I am a real fan of their last album. i think i voted it number one on the 2009 albums poll.

― dog latin, Friday, 12 March 2010 17:18 (3 years ago) Permalink

it's a fantastic box set. dig in!

― tylerw, Friday, 12 March 2010 17:19 (3 years ago) Permalink

I lean heavily on the first two CDs, but certainly worth it.

― dan selzer, Friday, 12 March 2010 20:11 (3 years ago) Permalink

I basically listened to The Tenement Years every day last October ("Say Goodbye" and "We Have the Technology" especially)

― The Magnificent Colin Firth (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 12 March 2010 20:18 (3 years ago) Permalink

Yeah-- if anotherdeadhero buys one other disc to supplement his box set it should be Tenement Year.

― Edward Gibbon & Ruskin' Man (Jon Lewis), Friday, 12 March 2010 21:00 (3 years ago) Permalink

Or maybe it should be Cloudland.

― Facepalm. With a hammer. (Paul in Santa Cruz), Friday, 12 March 2010 21:18 (3 years ago) Permalink

Cloudland has some great highs but too many duds. And Tenement Year has actual OG Allen Ravenstine on squawks, bleeps and whirrs as opposed to a dude drafted in from late Beefheart.

― Edward Gibbon & Ruskin' Man (Jon Lewis), Friday, 12 March 2010 21:53 (3 years ago) Permalink

The highs on Cloudland >>>> The Tenement Year.

― The Magnificent Colin Firth (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 12 March 2010 22:21 (3 years ago) Permalink

Ooof. Have to revisit the materials if I wanna respond to that.

― Edward Gibbon & Ruskin' Man (Jon Lewis), Friday, 12 March 2010 22:28 (3 years ago) Permalink

I can listen to "Waiting for Mary," "Breathe," "Bus Called Happiness" and "Love Love Love" on an endless loop.

― The Magnificent Colin Firth (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 12 March 2010 22:31 (3 years ago) Permalink

Hmmm by wild coincidence I just noticed 'Long Live Pere Ubu- The Spectacle American' is happening march 28 here in nyc at Le Poisson Rouge...

― Edward Gibbon & Ruskin' Man (Jon Lewis), Friday, 12 March 2010 22:34 (3 years ago) Permalink

so weird, I had "waiting for mary" in my head a few days ago but could not remember what song it was or who it was by. I kind of like this sub-talking heads period of pere ubu.

― akm, Friday, 12 March 2010 22:40 (3 years ago) Permalink

Yeah there's something endearingly quixotic about it. Right down to the record label they were on-- Imago (lol).

― Edward Gibbon & Ruskin' Man (Jon Lewis), Friday, 12 March 2010 22:41 (3 years ago) Permalink

I can listen to "Waiting for Mary," "Breathe," "Bus Called Happiness" and "Love Love Love" on an endless loop.Those would definitely be my four picks from the album, if I could only pick four.

― Facepalm. With a hammer. (Paul in Santa Cruz), Friday, 12 March 2010 23:23 (3 years ago) Permalink

(line break)

― Facepalm. With a hammer. (Paul in Santa Cruz), Friday, 12 March 2010 23:24 (3 years ago) Permalink

I saw thenm on a double bill around the time of Tenement Year with John Cale. good show.

― velko, Friday, 12 March 2010 23:25 (3 years ago) Permalink

never understood them, like Material or 23 skidoo.

― meisenfek, Friday, 12 March 2010 23:32 (3 years ago) Permalink

I like all three, to varying degrees...but Pere Ubu have way more to offer. While I can imagine struggling with some of the weirder early album stuff, I'm not sure what's not to understand about Heart of Darkness, Final Solution, Nonalignment Pact etc...pretty modern rock-n-roll, but not the most obtuse stuff.

― dan selzer, Friday, 12 March 2010 23:53 (3 years ago) Permalink

Well, aided by something calling itself plant feeder I stayed up till 6 am with my good woman blasting tunes.

Managed to get through the first two discs (focusing mostly on 'The Modern Dance' and 'Dub Housing'). Really enjoyed a lot of the creative guitar playing. Lots of it sounded nothing like I expected and I was quite surprised by a lot of the mellower moments. 'Humour Me' from 'The Modern Dance' stood out, the rest was a schizophrenic blast of all sorts. Good stuff though. Looking forward to returning. I particularly dug the production. Lots of crazy noise. Even went down well with my girlfriend.

Dunno if I'm wrong but I'm sure I recall hearing that there's quite a divide between those who prefer 'The Modern Dance' and 'Dub Housing'. 'The Modern Dance' probably edged it for me on first listen. Really need to pull out 'Rip it up and Start Again' and re-read the Ubu chapter.

― AnotherDeadHero, Saturday, 13 March 2010 15:32 (3 years ago) Permalink

Cloudland has some great highs but too many duds. And Tenement Year has actual OG Allen Ravenstine on squawks, bleeps and whirrs as opposed to a dude drafted in from late Beefheart.

Allen's legendary (analog) EML synths provide the squawks, bleeps and whirrs on both 'Cloudland' and 'Tenement Year.'

It wasn't until 'Worlds in Collision' that he was replaced by the estimable Eric Drew Feldman, formerly of Snakefinger's band & the Shiny Beast thru Ice Cream for Crow-era Magic Band, and later "the 5th Pixie" and a frequent Frank Black-collaborator (not too shabby an avant-rock resume for a nice Jewish boy from L.A.).

― Wub-Fur Internet Radio, Sunday, 14 March 2010 06:25 (3 years ago) Permalink

Cool fact: I saw 'em at a club called Velvet Underground. So the ticket stub suggests an Ubu/Velvets double bill.

― Half lies and gorilla dust (Myonga Vön Bontee), Sunday, 14 March 2010 07:01 (3 years ago) Permalink

"Really need to pull out 'Rip it up and Start Again' and re-read the Ubu chapter." From the Velvets to the Voidoids by Clinton Heylin has some really good background on Pere Ubu and what was going on in Cleveland in the mid-70s. It is an older book at this point, but a good read.

I actually am listening to the Terminal Drive CD tonight and the Ububox quite a bit of late. Overall, I think their sound has held up pretty well.

― earlnash, Sunday, 14 March 2010 07:44 (3 years ago) Permalink

Seconding the From The Velvets To The Voidoids recommendation. Excellent material on Ubu and Television.

― Edward Gibbon & Ruskin' Man (Jon Lewis), Sunday, 14 March 2010 16:13 (3 years ago) Permalink

yeah, i love that book, though i've talked to some people who say a lot of the info could use some fact checking. still a great read.
as opposed to a dude drafted in from late Beefheart.
dunno, you could do worse than eric drew feldman -- he seems like a great musician.

― tylerw, Sunday, 14 March 2010 16:17 (3 years ago) Permalink

Yeah I was just being a dick. Feldman is good. Actually, so is the very Ravenstine-esque operator they had in the band last time I saw them live (2003). Keyboards are fine and dandy but there's nothing like watching a guy frantically unplugging and switching patch cords on an antediluvian synth while simultaneously operating a theremin.

― Edward Gibbon & Ruskin' Man (Jon Lewis), Sunday, 14 March 2010 16:32 (3 years ago) Permalink

yeah, Ravenstine definitely gets props because he *invented* that sound/way of playing (and did it in the mid-70s, when that shit must have been hard!).

― tylerw, Sunday, 14 March 2010 16:35 (3 years ago) Permalink

I'd have to say Eno invented that style! Or other precedents like United States of America?

From the Velvets to the Voidoids was huge for me...and every other music dork who went to Oberlin and discovered the Cleveland scene. There just isn't/wasn't other easy to find sources to read about the Styrenes and Electric Eels.

Speaking of which, Styrenes are about to start at 35th anniversary tour...

http://www.thestyrenes.com/

― dan selzer, Sunday, 14 March 2010 16:49 (3 years ago) Permalink

I think you could give Eno props for the synth on those first couple of Roxy Music records being out before Pere Ubu, but by the timeline, I think it is very possible that Ravenstine was already doing what he was doing just not in a band that was releasing records. I'd say both of them would have had to heard United States of America or Mother Mallard or early Cluster and certainly early Tangerine Dream.

― earlnash, Sunday, 14 March 2010 17:39 (3 years ago) Permalink

re: from the velvets to the voidoids. i was always surprised that "please kill me" didn't include more on the cleveland scene along w/all the dead boys stuff

― the mighty the mighty BOHANNON (m coleman), Sunday, 14 March 2010 21:23 (3 years ago) Permalink

What about DikMik and his "audio generator" (whatever that was)?

― Half lies and gorilla dust (Myonga Vön Bontee), Monday, 15 March 2010 04:46 (3 years ago) Permalink

("Velvets to Voidoids" recommendation thirded, fourthed, whatever)

― Half lies and gorilla dust (Myonga Vön Bontee), Monday, 15 March 2010 04:49 (3 years ago) Permalink

probz gonna go see 'em next week

― Anton Levain (jdchurchill), Monday, 15 March 2010 22:01 (3 years ago) Permalink

Yeah likewise in NYC.

― Chatbot LeFonque (Jon Lewis), Monday, 15 March 2010 22:13 (3 years ago) Permalink

Was enjoying Bay City by David Thomas and Foreigners quite a bit this morning. Kind of an odd man out amongst semi-recent Thomas stuff as it is not an Ubu record nor does it feature Two Pale Boys. Same kind of noir-ish mood of some of that stuff though, just feels more loose.

― Vaguely Threatening CAPTCHAs, Monday, 15 March 2010 22:38 (3 years ago) Permalink

4 months pass...

Ive only heard the first three albums and like them all... truly a unique sound and band!

― Max Cupo, Sunday, 18 July 2010 06:56 (2 years ago) Permalink

Last one; Why I Hate Women is great.

Destroy: The coverart of Worlds in Collision. I like the album though.

― lowwave (S-), Monday, 19 July 2010 02:41 (2 years ago) Permalink

1 year passes...

I know the first 3 albums and EP are generally considered their best work, but I'd think you could make a killer 2 or 3 disc anthology by picking the best tracks from later albums.

― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Wednesday, October 12, 2011 4:18 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark

For Gerald and anyone else who's interested, here are some highlights from the self-described "modern era" of the band, along with tracks from David Thomas's albums with Two Pale Boys and "Foreigners" from the same period. All of it's on Spotify except for the St. Arkansas album (which includes my personal favorite Ubu song, "Slow Walking Daddy"), so I linked to some youtubes for that one. Probably runs about two hours total.

http://open.spotify.com/user/123383973/playlist/2u2JGdebORLtpBWdbdRlmg

Raygun Suitcase (Pere Ubu - 1995)

Beach Boys
Turquoise Fins
Three Things
Red Sky
Down by the River II

Erewhon (David Thomas and Two Pale Boys - 1996)

Obsession
Planet of Fools
Nowheresville

Pennsylvania (Pere Ubu - 1998)

Woolie Bullie
SAD.TXT

Bay City (David Thomas and Foreigners - 2000)

White Room
Charlotte

Surf's Up! (David Thomas and Two Pale Boys - 2001)

Man in the Dark
Night Driving

St. Arkansas (Pere Ubu - 2002)

The Fevered Dream of Hernando DeSoto
Slow Walking Daddy
333
Phone Home Jonah
Dark

18 Monkeys on a Dead Man's Chest (David Thomas and Two Pale Boys - 2004)

New Orleans Fuzz
Numbers Man
Little Sister
Golden Surf
Prepare for the End

Why I Hate Women (Pere Ubu - 2006)

Caroleen
Flames Over Nebraska
Mona
Texas Overture

― Vaguely Threatening CAPTCHAs, Thursday, 13 October 2011 23:55 (1 year ago) Permalink

4 months pass...

Pere Ubu has finally clicked for me, in a big way. Tracked down the original 5 disc box (the reissue ditched the live disc!) and love it all much to my surprise, because in the past disc 3 really grated whereas now the best bits shine and the wonky stuff amuses me.

And actually the live disc is shockingly enjoyable - how do the other live albums from this period ("390 degrees of Simulated Stereo Vol. 1" and "One Man Drives While The Other Man Screams") compare?

― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Thursday, 1 March 2012 00:31 (1 year ago) Permalink

"The Modern Dance" is essential. The following albums ("Dub Housing" etc) are good, but I can live without them. The later period isn't bad, but somehow just not very interesting either.
― Dr. C
aww, jeez...Dub Housing is actaully "better" but i dunno how you can like one (1) and find the rest not of innerst....i still need to spend more time with disc 3 of datapanik but i already know it's got greatness (looking at you "Birdies")

― epigram addict (outdoor_miner), Thursday, 1 March 2012 02:17 (1 year ago) Permalink

sorry, kinda fun stories: saw PU twice around 1991. first show at a small club in L.A. someone was heckling David throughout. he cut the set short saying "i'm sorry we couldn't be friends". sounds lame but was brilliant. then a few months later i moved to SF and saw Norm from Cheers at a PU show @ Slim's (blanking on his name right now) at the bar. i thought to myself maybe he thought they said Beer ubu

― epigram addict (outdoor_miner), Thursday, 1 March 2012 02:22 (1 year ago) Permalink

how do the other live albums from this period ("390 degrees of Simulated Stereo Vol. 1" and "One Man Drives While The Other Man Screams") compare?

390 degrees is excellent, never heard one man drives

― Little GTFO (contenderizer), Thursday, 1 March 2012 02:23 (1 year ago) Permalink

One Man Drives isn't horrible, but it's heavy on the mayo (Thompson), largely responsible for the largely annoying Art Of Walking era. 360, however, is totally essential.

― Let A Man Come In And Do The Cop Porn (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Thursday, 1 March 2012 04:12 (1 year ago) Permalink

I never loved the Mayo era...and I'm a huge fan of a great amount of his work through the years.

― dan selzer, Thursday, 1 March 2012 04:27 (1 year ago) Permalink

i love that Shape of Things live recording too, from 76. Murky sound quality but some ridiculously good performances. good transition period between rftt and ubu.

― tylerw, Thursday, 1 March 2012 04:30 (1 year ago) Permalink

― epigram addict (outdoor_miner), Thursday, March 1, 2012 2:22 AM (11 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

semi surprised you recognised it was him. George Wendt's a lot taller than he seems in Cheers.
I did hear he was a big fan of bands like Husker du. So these possibly aren't that wild a jump.

― Stevolende, Thursday, 1 March 2012 15:50 (1 year ago) Permalink

Plus he's physically like ol' Crocus...

― Mark G, Thursday, 1 March 2012 15:56 (1 year ago) Permalink

only saw him sitting so i had no idea he had height to speak of. must've been the fact that he was sitting at a bar that made me instantly recognize (?)

― epigram addict (outdoor_miner), Thursday, 1 March 2012 17:46 (1 year ago) Permalink

9 months pass...

http://louderthanwar.com/pere-ubu-announce-new-album-lady-from-shanghai/

― nostormo, Tuesday, 4 December 2012 17:51 (5 months ago) Permalink

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