Taking Dark Sides: Peter Murphy Vs. Daniel Ash

1) Dali's Car was great, but neither as prolific nor as consistently good as Love + Rockets.

2) Daniel Ash's voice is not as good as Peter Murphy's, but certainly not bad enough to detract from point 1.

3) Daniel Ash's guitar playing was not that far ahead of Rowland Howard, Mick Harvey, Keith Levene, Arto Lindsay, et al, though it was probably one of the earliest examples of that chaotic noisy-post-punk guitar sound; the point is that Ash could have been replaced to little fanfare, but good luck finding a vocalist as simultaneously idiosyncratic and technically accomplished as Peter Murphy.

4) Daniel Ash has thus far not sabotaged his post-punk credibility as savagely or completely as Peter Murphy.

5) Daniel Ash has always been profoundly unattractive (particularly the hair, which makes me want to say Peter Murphy regardless of the above) but has aged better.

My judgment is a qualified "Daniel Ash."

Kevin Haskins is coolest of all for having his only recorded vocal lines being "Take it...easy," "Do you always keep your drumsticks in the piano?" and "Avoid risks, and if at all possible, stay at home."

I mean, if we were comparing based on Peter Murphy solo vs. Tones on Tail/Love and Rockets, utterly no comparison. Daniel Ash wins hands down. But within Bauhaus? Close call, but Daniel's "drumstick as eBow" trick wins over the Murph's Flaming Bat Of Death dance any day.

Ummmm....."Alive" anyone?

5) Daniel Ash has always been profoundly unattractive (particularly the hair, which makes me want to say Peter Murphy regardless of the above) but has aged better.

I don't think that's true. I think he's always had a pretty cool look.

PEOPLE, this is not about the estimable brothers Haskins. You want a debate Kev and Dave, then start a different threads. Sheesh!

Why is glam cred-destroying, anyway? Is it just because it was popular?

A point for Daniel in particular -- his solo show I caught a couple of years back was damn entertaining, played "Slice of Life," a few Tones on Tail songs, a slew of Love and Rockets ones ("An American Dream" FFS! Amazing!) and plenty of his own, and good they were.

A point for Peter in particular -- Dust was my favorite album of 2002 and his solo show I caught that year was absolutely majestic.

Find me a song either of them has sung on that's as good as "So Alive"

*confused* Well, since Daniel DID sing on "So Alive" that settles that.

But then again, on the downside, Motorcycle. ::Shudders::

So who was involved, apart from David J? I mean, show me one thing that any of the others have played on even half as cool as that song.

I need to hear this.

But then again, on the downside, Motorcycle

DOWNSIDE? That's a great song! Loud as fuck.

I need to hear this.

Yes you do.

Is Earth, Sun, Moon not actually one of their best, then? Maybe that was the wrong album of theirs to start out with.

x-post. The one you want is [[Express]] - I got the reissue recently and my god, what a gorgeous psychedelic mess of an album. Lovely.

That, I agree, was substandard.

I like Earth/Sun/Moon a lot but it is easily the calmest of their albums, and less kaleidoscopic.

Also, David J relinquished his claim to being the best Bauhaus alum when he released "For Bauhaus Lovers," which is a legacy cash-in if I've ever seen one.

http://www.capricious.org/albums/DavidJ/david_j_at_the_middle_east_march_31_2002b.jpg

http://www.angelfire.com/on/darknymph/images/j3.gif

errrrrrrrr..

http://www.werenotafraid.com/images/226/David_J.jpg

http://www.photographersdirect.com/news/200411images/David.jpg

http://www.pauseandplay.com/davidj.gif

xpost...well, that too.

It sounds like an approrpriate song for such a title, which really can't be a good thing.

-- kyle (akmonda...), November 3rd, 2005.

damn, am I glad to be on my side of the generation gap about this one.

Anyone with sense is going to pick "????" off that album.

Daniel Ash in a heartbeat. Peter Murphy has never really interested me away from Bauhaus.

I dare say that "Cry Me A River" by same is also a quadrillion times better than "So Alive".

It's not that the lyrics of "Motorcyle" are anything great -- it's simply THAT huge fucking guitar sound. So unweildy and massive and great -- that you can't appreciate it only underscores your (typical) failure to understand that which rocks.

Anyone with sense is going to pick "????" off that album.

Do you mean "Jungle Law"? It's fucking brilliant.

Daniel Ash in a heartbeat. Peter Murphy has never really interested me away from Bauhaus.

I like quite a bit of Murphy's solo stuff, but sort've lost interest circa Holy Smoke.

*notes explosion in NYC area*

Huh, odd. Anyway.

Sounds like a cue for a new thread....

TS: Bauhaus vs. Killing Joke

.... and retire immediately

Owen, you must stop taking these drugs.

http://www.knifton.com/images/yoda/yoda.h1.jpg
"That is why you fail!"

Funnily enough, this very statement came up when I did a Google search with the following words: "stack", "crap", "stack of crap".

AFAIK all of Love And Rockets backed Mr Fish up on numerous tracks.

Still, Ash wins.

-- The Good Dr. Bill (fadeout9...), November 3rd, 2005 11:41 AM. (The Good Dr. Bill)

Dr. Bill how do you survive in a world so completely opposite from reality?

L&R are even namechecked (and sing!) on "The Devil Is My Friend"

Stewart has spoken the truth. As far as frontmen go though, I'd chose Peter.

Yeah, I love that first solo album -- really fantastic and just as trippily crazed as the fourth Love and Rockets album, all over the place and better for it.

L&R are even namechecked (and sing!) on "The Devil Is My Friend"

Ah, now this is very true. :-)

You are correct, sir. Great album cover too:

http://www2.ocn.ne.jp/~real/image32.jpg

Me on the album.

Anyway, Ash - no doubt. Pete is a clown.

On planet girl, we go for a whirl... etc. oh yeah, best spin off ever.

Daniel was never involved in the Jazz Butcher. David played on a couple of albums and tours, I think Kevin did one session at least. But usually drums were played by Owen P. Jones (Apparently they woke up one day and found him living in their house "ask him if he plays drums!" said Pat "But he's got a beard!" protested Max. "Well, tell him to shave it off, and he's in," replied Pat - goes the story) and guitar was played the stupendously fantastic Max Eider.

However, Max Eider does rule, and "Drink" is the best song ever about the joys of sweet alcohol.

"Falling apart in bars
I like to suffer for my art
Just one more before we part..."

(For the uninitiated, imagine this being delivered and sung in the kind of light-hearted, breezy 30s jazz that Eric Idle specializes in for his Monty Python songs.)

Any deeper thoughts on the Daniel Ash solo discography? I mean, Coming Down sounds alright enough (if not a patch on anything Love and Rockets released before their last couple), but I can't find much use for Ash's next two solo albums. And it's not for lack of trying, either -- I'm a pretty big fan of Bauhaus (obv.), L&R, Tones on Tail, Dali's Car, Peter solo... just can't get into the Ash solo stuff very much.

peter solo = give me Love Hysteria and Deep and that's all I'll ever really need

Tones on Tail > Bauhaus and I think I appreciate daniel ash's role in bauhaus more than peter murphy's so I have to go with daniel ash here.

i kinda couldn't take any of ash's solo stuff. so much of it was sooooo lazy in that bad later L&R way. lazy rhymes, lazy guitar playing. nothing songs.

i never posted on this thread? then ASH for me! cuz he was in three bands that i love and murphy only in one.

plus, he's one of my fave guitarists. and i dig him as a vocalist way more than murphy too.

I got my public radio member card the other day and the name of the enrollment management guy in charge of writing thank you letters was named Daniel Ash. I thought of this DA and loled to myself thinking of him having a day job like that.

"We really appreciate everything you do for public radio!"
http://chicagoist.com/attachments/chicagoist_tankboy/2007_09_daniel_ash.gif

My favorite Ash moment:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jP5S4l1zEc

At least Daniel Ash was not in a Twilight movie.

like he'd say no

Depends on whether or not they'd let him wear leather onscreen.

Depends on whether he proves a nefarious sartorial influence on young Pattinson.

Imagining him with Ash's pineapple hair and seizing up.

Dust and Hot Trip to Heaven are both completely underrated.

Daniel is 55 today.

That...is strange to hear.

Tones on Tail FTW.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scUbXATC70w

it is very good advice to believe only what an artist does

lol https://soundcloud.com/daniel-ash-383422151