Track Listing
1. Navvy
2. On The Surface
3. Dub Housing
4. Caligari's Mirror
5. Thriller
6. I Will Wait
7. Drinkin' Wine Spo Dee O Dee
8. Ubu Dance Party
9. Blow Daddy O
10. Codex
Review
Well after the Modern Dance, just some days ago this didn't sound exactly as fresh, but it didn't sound any worse as well. It is probably a bit more accessible, although I have seen conflicting reports, some saying it is a harder-going album than Modern Dance and some the opposite. I frankly find it much more accessible. For that exact reason it isn't as experimental.
That said it is still a pretty nifty album, the vocals are totally insane, the playing is at a much, much higher level than most punk going on at the time, and the lyrics are equally genius.
Pere Ubu are quickly becoming one of my favourite bands on the basis of these two albums, and my friend Adam has told me that their new stuff is not half bad either. I might just have to check it out, if I ever have time with this fucking project hanging around my neck. And question of the day: What DO you do with a drunken sailor?
Track Highlights
1. Caligari's Mirror
2. Navvy
3. Codex
4. Ubu Dance Party
Final Grade
9/10
Trivia
From Wikipedia:
The title is an allusion to rows of identical public housing units, rather than an implication that the content is dub music. The photograph on the cover shows the apartment building on Prospect Avenue near downtown Cleveland in which members of the band lived when this album was recorded.
No video for this album on youtube but you get a video of Breath by Pere Ubu, what a freak:
4 comments:
punk like blondie?
Adam you vision of what is punk is a bit limited, yes as punk as Blondie, but different types of Punk.
Pere Ubu are going in an avant-garde direction while Blondie go on a bubblegum direction but they are both branching out of Punk. As a matter or fact the whole idea of New Wave is actually posterior to this, there was no distinction at the time between New Wave and Punk. People considered Blondie's Parallel Lines a sell out and too populist, but still punk.
Hell even the bubblegum isn't new in Punk, the Ramones were deeply influenced by bubble gum and doo-wop and you ain't gonna tell me they aren't punk.
I agree that there is a huge variety of 'punk' out there. in fact i know a hell of a lot more about it than you so please don't patronise me by claiming my view is limited.
You summed it up when you said, "People considered Blondie's Parallel Lines a sell out" it was a huge sell out. they had fucking Robert Fripp guest on guitar!
You just have to look at the progress of the band AFTER this album to see what I mean. compare it to the huge mainstream success of nirvana and their reaction to it.
Yes, but I am judging this album, not their posterior career.
And I know you know more about punk than me. Still if you don't like it it isn't punk. Limited views don't imply ignorance :P
The album has a variety of tracks, some of which are pretty much punk. If you say 'yeah, but heart of glass ain't punk', I'd have to agree. But the album is bigger than that track.
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