Birthday Party - Classic or Dud

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Jennifer's Veil almost made my list.

― Ian Johnson (orion), Thursday, 6 May 2004 01:49 (twenty-two years ago)

does shivers count?

― mullygrubber (gaz), Thursday, 6 May 2004 01:50 (twenty-two years ago)

No "Hamlet (Pow, Pow, Pow)"?!?!

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Thursday, 6 May 2004 01:53 (twenty-two years ago)

I like "Hamlet", too. The misanthropy of that album tends to lose me a bit, though.

― jazz odysseus (jazz odysseus), Thursday, 6 May 2004 02:07 (twenty-two years ago)

"Friend Catcher" counts for sure but no pick-five Birthday Party may feature "The Dim Locator" while I yet draw breath, good sir

― J0hn Darn1elle (J0hn Darn1elle), Thursday, 6 May 2004 02:10 (twenty-two years ago)

*lowers head sheepishly and admits it's all about Rowland*

― jazz odysseus (jazz odysseus), Thursday, 6 May 2004 02:15 (twenty-two years ago)

Probably my favorite band ever, ever.. top 5? "Junkyard" "Mutiny in Heaven" "Big Jesus Trash Can" "Sonny's Burning" "Mr Clarinet" or maybe "Hamlet.." Nobody else that big on "Junkyard"? one of their best.

I kinda like some of the uh.. wackier stuff like "Capers" "Rowland Around in that Stuff" "Hats on Wrong" and "Waving My Arms" also. "Capers" has gone on many a mix tape.

― daria g (daria g), Thursday, 6 May 2004 08:07 (twenty-two years ago)

The great thing about "Cry" is Rowland singing "where no fish can swim" in the background. I don't know why, it's just bizarre.

― daria g (daria g), Thursday, 6 May 2004 08:09 (twenty-two years ago)

Hmm, top 5...

Jennifer's Veil
Mr. Clarinet
Friend Catcher
Wild World
Swampland

― Baaderoni (Fabfunk), Thursday, 6 May 2004 10:26 (twenty-two years ago)

Nobody else that big on "Junkyard"?

Junkyard changed my life, easily one of my favorite albums ever! Just don't want to over-represent it 'cause all phases of the Birthday Party are GREAT GREAT GREAT

― J0hn Darn1elle (J0hn Darn1elle), Thursday, 6 May 2004 11:30 (twenty-two years ago)

rowland is my hero

― the 'surface' 'noise' (electricsound), Thursday, 6 May 2004 11:32 (twenty-two years ago)

except for, y'know, the drugs bit

― the 'surface' 'noise' (electricsound), Thursday, 6 May 2004 11:32 (twenty-two years ago)

Shotgun Wedding, Rowland's album with Lydia Lunch, is also sooo classic

― Baaderoni (Fabfunk), Thursday, 6 May 2004 11:41 (twenty-two years ago)

his last solo record "teenage snuff film" is pretty darn good too. the oddest thing about it is that it thanks the NME journo that subsequently gave it a crap review in said organ.

― the 'surface' 'noise' (electricsound), Thursday, 6 May 2004 11:44 (twenty-two years ago)

If he thanks him again in his next one he'll be my hero too

― Mr Mime (Andrew Thames), Thursday, 6 May 2004 11:45 (twenty-two years ago)

it's the same guy who has points on the first Vines album

― the 'surface' 'noise' (electricsound), Thursday, 6 May 2004 11:47 (twenty-two years ago)

How'd he get points? Is he just a writer? This thread has made me get "Junkyard" out for later, yay.

― Mr Mime (Andrew Thames), Thursday, 6 May 2004 11:49 (twenty-two years ago)

don't know, but he probably "helped" with "publicity" at a guess

― the 'surface' 'noise' (electricsound), Thursday, 6 May 2004 11:53 (twenty-two years ago)

My list...

1. "Mutiny in Heaven"
2. "She's Hit"
3. "Nick the Stripper"
4. "Six Inch Gold Blade"
5. "Release the Bats"

6. "Blast Off"
7. "Deep in the Woods"
8. Their cover of the Stooges' "Loose" on The John Peel Sessions

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 6 May 2004 13:55 (twenty-two years ago)

Just to add that Die Haut's Burning the Ice album from 1983 or so has been reissued -- Nick Cave sings on four of the songs. Not *really* Birthday Party but this was towards the end of BP's active existence so...

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 6 May 2004 13:57 (twenty-two years ago)

Oh yeah, further thoughts of mine are here.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 6 May 2004 14:07 (twenty-two years ago)

and if you can hunt down the version of Dead Joe that Nick did on his solo Australian tour a few years back, GET IT. It's great. He just pummels the piano and screams that shit.

He did that on his solo American tour, too. I was really fucking amazed and happy to hear a Birthday Party song when I saw him in Chicago.

― hstencil (hstencil), Thursday, 6 May 2004 15:44 (twenty-two years ago)

Oh, CLASSSIC.

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Thursday, 6 May 2004 16:19 (twenty-two years ago)

Classic, classic, classic. If they only ever did Mutiny in Heaven, they would still be classic. But there was so much more.

Rrrrats in paradissssse, rrrrrats in paradisssse!

― kaliflwr (kaliflwr), Thursday, 6 May 2004 16:27 (twenty-two years ago)

my first impression was BP live 81'-82 affair and motherfuck that was one of the most knockout amazing vicious recordings i have ever heard. past that i dig Cave live (one of the best, a legend) but not massive on his recent stuff...

my 2 pennorth'

― v1nnymiller, Thursday, 6 May 2004 20:44 (twenty-two years ago)

I think These Immortal Souls' "I'm Never Gonna Die Again" and Crime and the City Solution's... well, everything before "Paradise Discotheque" are pretty stunning records, if anyone knows what i mean.

― jazz odysseus (jazz odysseus), Thursday, 6 May 2004 21:24 (twenty-two years ago)

I really don't know if I could make a top 5, I love too many songs. I'm surprised "Deep In the Woods" is not rated more on this thread, though.

― El Diablo Robotico (Nicole), Thursday, 6 May 2004 21:34 (twenty-two years ago)

Yeah, couldn't reduce this down to any list. Too much goodness to be had! Ah well, another group-I-could-never-have-seen.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 6 May 2004 22:56 (twenty-two years ago)

Jazz Odysseus OTM. I'm Never Gonna Die Again is surprisingly great. But it came out, what, more than 10 years ago? Has Rowland released anything since?

― Baaderoni (Fabfunk), Friday, 7 May 2004 06:06 (twenty-two years ago)

Xpost - John, I meant the song "Junkyard" in particular, especially the part where NC's yelling "honey-honey-honey," it's smashing. The whole album is great, of course.

When I was really obsessed with the Birthday Party I looked all over the place for Crime and the City Solution records (except the disappointing Paradise Discotheque) and couldn't find any - did anyone ever reissue them? maybe I should check on slsk.

― daria g (daria g), Friday, 7 May 2004 19:33 (twenty-two years ago)

Somehow I've ended up with four CatCS CDs over the years! And they're all pretty good in their own ways.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 7 May 2004 19:35 (twenty-two years ago)

On one of the last few drunken nights I was allowed before the stranglehold of fatherhood fastened its grip, I once was threatened with severe bodily harm after drunkenly grabbing a stranger by the lapels and barking a garbled snippet from "Mutiny in Heaven" (specifically "I TIED OFF...FUCKING WINGS BURST OUT MY BACK LIKE I WAS CUTTING TEETH...I TOOK OFF!!!!) on the corner of Prince and Elizabeth Streets. It had to be done.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 7 May 2004 20:17 (twenty-two years ago)

Most bold, sir.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 7 May 2004 20:23 (twenty-two years ago)

I believe the word you are looking for is "stupid"...or perhaps the hyphenated "ill-advised". But, y'know, I was conveniently with burly friends at the time, so I escaped unscathed.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 7 May 2004 20:25 (twenty-two years ago)

I couldn't get started on work tonight (term papers) so I put on "Mutiny in Heaven" really, really loud in an attempt to wake myself up. Hooray. PUNISHMENT!! REWARD!! It still took me until halfway through Jesus Lizard's Liar to pack my books and leave the house.

― daria g (daria g), Saturday, 8 May 2004 06:19 (twenty-two years ago)

any love for the simon bonney alt country records?

― mullygrubber (gaz), Saturday, 8 May 2004 06:27 (twenty-two years ago)

wings off flies is a nice conceit.

― mullygrubber (gaz), Saturday, 8 May 2004 06:36 (twenty-two years ago)

Baaderoni: rowland has released one (very good) solo album since that last TIS album: "teenage snuff film". he plays shows on a multiple-weekly basis around melbourne but doesn't appear to do much in the way of recording..

― the 'surface' 'noise' (electricsound), Saturday, 8 May 2004 06:48 (twenty-two years ago)

daria marry me ok?

― Ian Johnson (orion), Saturday, 8 May 2004 06:55 (twenty-two years ago)

any love for the simon bonney alt country records?

I like the two I've heard.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 8 May 2004 13:19 (twenty-two years ago)

I like the first one, and there are some lovely songs on the second ("Everyman") like "Don't Walk Away From Love" and the version of "Blue Eyes Crying In the Rain", but it bothers me that he'll use the same chord progression for most of the songs (it's the one Neil Young uses in "Helpless") and I'm surprised someone (producer, maybe) didn't insist that it be varied a bit.

― jazz odysseus (jazz odysseus), Saturday, 8 May 2004 15:32 (twenty-two years ago)

there has clearly not been enough love for KING INK on this thread. that guitar riff is brutal, setting the template for like.. ever Jesus Lizard song ever. and nick just goes out of his mind screaming gibberish. love it.

― Ian Johnson (orion), Sunday, 9 May 2004 02:49 (twenty-two years ago)

The band is very hit-or-miss, so I don't know that I'd call them classic. But Release The Bats is fantastic.

― Atnevon (Atnevon), Sunday, 9 May 2004 13:19 (twenty-two years ago)

What a band.

I pulled out Prayers On Fire for the first time in a while cuz of this thread.

Insanely great.

― Broheems (diamond), Monday, 10 May 2004 03:04 (twenty-two years ago)

one year passes...

God, I love this band. I've got Live 81-82 turned way the hell up and I'm wearing my Hee-Haw shirt. I feel like I could seduce someone or kill them just by training my eyes on them.

― Ian Riese-Moraine's all but an ark-lark! (Eastern Mantra), Friday, 3 June 2005 18:35 (twenty-one years ago)

The DVD reissue of the Factory Video 'Sometimes Pleasure Heads Must Burn' has some tasty extras, including the band going berserk on the cheesy set of some Oz lite-entertainment program around Junkyard-time. Tracey bending over backwards and ending up with his head in the bass drum. Insane.

― Soukesian, Friday, 3 June 2005 20:03 (twenty-one years ago)

Alex, did he do something to you first?!

― Sundar (sundar), Friday, 3 June 2005 20:20 (twenty-one years ago)

including the band going berserk on the cheesy set of some Oz lite-entertainment program around Junkyard-time. Tracey bending over backwards and ending up with his head in the bass drum. Insane.
I think some Nick Cave/BP site had a clip of that up! Inspiring shit. I need that DVD. And the Peel Sessions. Otherwise I have everything else.

― Ian Riese-Moraine's all but an ark-lark! (Eastern Mantra), Friday, 3 June 2005 21:33 (twenty-one years ago)

Alex, did he do something to you first?!

Nope. Well, he was busy being a hepcat.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 3 June 2005 21:50 (twenty-one years ago)

Reason enough. A fine last hurrah for Alex, methinks.

I'm here to confess my love for 'Nick the Stripper' and 'Deep In The Woods', and the Birthday Party in general. Can I also say how much I love the 'Nick the Stripper' video? Fucked-up Nick truly is his best incarnation. It's the hair, I think. Oh and the dead stare...

― VegemiteGrrl (VegemiteGrrl), Saturday, 4 June 2005 00:51 (twenty-one years ago)

Skipping 176 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

I’ll take animations over a talking head of effusive Bono, but seems like you have to pick your poison these days.

― Theracane Gratifaction (bendy), Saturday, 29 June 2024 17:39 (one year ago)

oof yeah. agree that Pew was the absolute bedrock of this band, the key to it all.

― I painted my teeth (sleeve), Saturday, 29 June 2024 17:51 (one year ago)

It did good job of showing that if the ambition was to combine intellect and thuggishness, Pew was the mostly thuggishly intellectual.

― Theracane Gratifaction (bendy), Saturday, 29 June 2024 18:16 (one year ago)

it was definitely much more standard than i had expected - hated the animation section but wasn’t too much of that

a lot of the interview footage with Cave or Harvey seemed to be from older footage which was a bit disappointing … seemed like 1 or 2 old interviews w Howard but they used a lot from him & it is nice to see all that … nothing from Pew but i wasn’t so surprised idk that he talked on camera much? still he didn’t seem to figure in the narrative of the doc - it was really only seeing him on stage that told you how important he was

i think a better doc might have tried to bring in family or ppl who knew him so that he’s less like a ghost haunting the movie idk

what i did like was the extent of the live footage, and how much it was used - lots of great long sections of various performances that really gave you the visceral feeling & power of their shows

so i guess overall it was fine for what it was and good for casual fams but i think most oldheads would be left wanting more

not much insight, just vibes
is how i would sum it up to an extent

― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Saturday, 29 June 2024 18:17 (one year ago)

Maybe I don’t want this band demystified too much. Cave is doing a job of that in his dotage.

― Theracane Gratifaction (bendy), Saturday, 29 June 2024 18:21 (one year ago)

that’s true

― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Saturday, 29 June 2024 18:44 (one year ago)

BTW, the Rowland S. Howard documentary (Autoluminscent) is also rentable on Amazon. That one is an absolute must see. (I'd see that one first actually)

I still need to see this one

― curmudgeon, Saturday, 29 June 2024 22:38 (one year ago)

Autoluminescent has a rental discount right now for $.74, no time to watch soon but I'll have to see if rentals expire on Prime

― papal hotwife (milo z), Saturday, 29 June 2024 23:27 (one year ago)

oh 30 days to start watching, not bad

― papal hotwife (milo z), Saturday, 29 June 2024 23:28 (one year ago)

i heard it’s on tubi maybe?

― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Sunday, 30 June 2024 00:49 (one year ago)

are you thinking of when milo said the Birthday Party doco is on tubi, in this thread, last week

― bae (sic), Sunday, 30 June 2024 02:09 (one year ago)

no! i swear i thought someone else *not* itt told me Autoluminescence was on Tubi? but maybe i was thinking of Prime

― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Sunday, 30 June 2024 08:03 (one year ago)

one month passes...

the documentary DVD is finally on its way I guess? it's been with Belgian customs for almost a Month now. :-/

also: well done on the AI cover and the wrong spelling of Sydney, Apple Music: https://www.discogs.com/release/27806013-The-Birthday-Party-Live-In-Sidney-1980

― StanM, Wednesday, 7 August 2024 09:46 (one year ago)

Maybe Nick Cave was inside Sidney in Sydney

― papal hotwife (milo z), Wednesday, 7 August 2024 18:53 (one year ago)

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