what's the deal w/ Datapanik being so cheap in the UK? Is it the same thing being reissued?
― tylerw, Tuesday, 15 September 2009 18:32 (fourteen years ago) link
Well, if they come to your town and you actively avoid seeing them you are making a mistake cuz they are still fucking great live.
― Trip Maker, Tuesday, 15 September 2009 18:36 (fourteen years ago) link
i've never seen Pere Ubu, but I did see the reunited Rocket from the Tombs, and would def. put Thomas up there as one of the top 10 best/scariest frontmen I've ever seen.
― tylerw, Tuesday, 15 September 2009 18:42 (fourteen years ago) link
Am I crazy or is this performance simply stunning?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hYqvtHzr48
― Sam Weller, Wednesday, 16 December 2009 14:11 (fourteen years ago) link
I can't get over Thomas's vocal performance here....every moment that he's not singing is filled with a breath or tic that is just perfect. He's actually harmonizing, too.
― Sam Weller, Wednesday, 16 December 2009 14:23 (fourteen years ago) link
And the video is notable also for David Sanborn sporting the official "late 80s, early 90s" uniform.
― Sam Weller, Wednesday, 16 December 2009 15:51 (fourteen years ago) link
Yeah, I've referred to this clip several times in the last couple of years. They also performed "Waiting For Mary" with Debbie Harry!
― Hell is other people. In an ILE film forum. (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 16 December 2009 15:58 (fourteen years ago) link
How's the recently issued live album with both Cutler and Krauss on drums? (Recorded just after Cloudland I believe)?
― Thulsa Doob (Jon Lewis), Wednesday, 16 December 2009 16:00 (fourteen years ago) link
The live album - London, Texas - 's great. Dudes're in fiery fettle.
― t**t, Wednesday, 16 December 2009 16:13 (fourteen years ago) link
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 (fourteen years ago) link
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 (fourteen years ago) link
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 (fourteen years ago) link
it's a fantastic box set. dig in!
― tylerw, Friday, 12 March 2010 17:19 (fourteen years ago) link
I lean heavily on the first two CDs, but certainly worth it.
― dan selzer, Friday, 12 March 2010 20:11 (fourteen years ago) link
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 (fourteen years ago) link
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 (fourteen years ago) link
Or maybe it should be Cloudland.
― Facepalm. With a hammer. (Paul in Santa Cruz), Friday, 12 March 2010 21:18 (fourteen years ago) link
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 (fourteen years ago) link
The highs on Cloudland >>>> The Tenement Year.
― The Magnificent Colin Firth (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 12 March 2010 22:21 (fourteen years ago) link
Ooof. Have to revisit the materials if I wanna respond to that.
― Edward Gibbon & Ruskin' Man (Jon Lewis), Friday, 12 March 2010 22:28 (fourteen years ago) link
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 (fourteen years ago) link
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 (fourteen years ago) link
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 (fourteen years ago) link
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 (fourteen years ago) link
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 (fourteen years ago) link
(line break)
― Facepalm. With a hammer. (Paul in Santa Cruz), Friday, 12 March 2010 23:24 (fourteen years ago) link
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 (fourteen years ago) link
never understood them, like Material or 23 skidoo.
― meisenfek, Friday, 12 March 2010 23:32 (fourteen years ago) link
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 (fourteen years ago) link
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 (fourteen years ago) link
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 (fourteen years ago) link
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 (fourteen years ago) link
"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 (fourteen years ago) link
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 (fourteen years ago) link
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 (fourteen years ago) link
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 (fourteen years ago) link
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 (fourteen years ago) link
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 (fourteen years ago) link
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 (fourteen years ago) link
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 (fourteen years ago) link
What about DikMik and his "audio generator" (whatever that was)?
― Half lies and gorilla dust (Myonga Vön Bontee), Monday, 15 March 2010 04:46 (fourteen years ago) link
("Velvets to Voidoids" recommendation thirded, fourthed, whatever)
― Half lies and gorilla dust (Myonga Vön Bontee), Monday, 15 March 2010 04:49 (fourteen years ago) link
probz gonna go see 'em next week
― Anton Levain (jdchurchill), Monday, 15 March 2010 22:01 (fourteen years ago) link
Yeah likewise in NYC.
― Chatbot LeFonque (Jon Lewis), Monday, 15 March 2010 22:13 (fourteen years ago) link
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 (fourteen years ago) link
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 (thirteen years ago) link
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 (thirteen years ago) link
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 BoysTurquoise FinsThree ThingsRed SkyDown by the River II
Erewhon (David Thomas and Two Pale Boys - 1996)
ObsessionPlanet of FoolsNowheresville
Pennsylvania (Pere Ubu - 1998)
Woolie BullieSAD.TXT
Bay City (David Thomas and Foreigners - 2000)
White RoomCharlotte
Surf's Up! (David Thomas and Two Pale Boys - 2001)
Man in the DarkNight Driving
St. Arkansas (Pere Ubu - 2002)
The Fevered Dream of Hernando DeSotoSlow Walking Daddy333Phone Home JonahDark
18 Monkeys on a Dead Man's Chest (David Thomas and Two Pale Boys - 2004)
New Orleans FuzzNumbers ManLittle SisterGolden SurfPrepare for the End
Why I Hate Women (Pere Ubu - 2006)
CaroleenFlames Over NebraskaMonaTexas Overture
― Vaguely Threatening CAPTCHAs, Thursday, 13 October 2011 23:55 (twelve years ago) link
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 (twelve years ago) link
"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. Caww, 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 (twelve years ago) link