Tuxedomoon: Classic or Dud, Search, Destroy, the whole lot. Go nuts.

Fuckin CLASSIC!

of the later stuff, I'm prone to enjoying 'ship of fools'. it's a glossier, smooth jazz beast and I wouldn't start there, but if you like the first two albums it's worth finding. 'Short Stories' was a good 12", two histrionic songs. I don't like 'holy wars' or much of 'you'.

I was in a vicious mood when I saw them at Sonar last year and left after the first song. Still wishing I'd stuck through more of it.

I just posted a thread about their bizarre video for "Jinx" the other day.

Anyway, total classic.

not sure yet what to make of it.

I don't remember too much about Half Mute though, so maybe I missed their best?

but i liked the packaging and it was cheapish

I've not listened to Half Mute as much as I should really, I find it a bit of an ordeal but I'm sure I'd like it more if I made the effort. More tuneless than Desire.

haven't heard the new album. saw them three years ago. going again anyway.

worst thing about the night was the drunk hippie next to me who kept taking her sweater on and off and hitting me in the head with the flailing arms.

i never get over how genius no tears is. and as much as i have enjoyed other stuff/albums by them, i don't think they ever surpassed it in terms of sheer era-defining visceral COOLNESS on anything they did after. i've played it a zillion times (i never even play the other songs on that EP) and i never tire of it. the sad truth for me about any 80's revival/electroclash/etc type stuff is that i have really high standards when it comes to those sounds and if any of those 90's or 2000's synth-lovers ever came out with a song as exciting, i think i missed it. and i LIKED some of that stuff. don't get me wrong.

anyway, in case anyone has never heard no tears:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=W5BZOF8t80k

wow, thanks!

Far from my favorite TuxMo tune, but I see what you mean. Adult. did a pretty good job covering it.

"What Use?" is still kicking my ass after all these years

am i alone in thinking that "in a manner of speaking" is the best tuxedomoon song?

also, as a huge huge associates fan, how badly do i need to hear the winston tong album with alan rankine?

Winston's little sister was my roommate in college's girlfriend at the time.

That sentence may not be the best I've ever written, but you'll catch my drift. She thought he was a total prat.

No Tears, Night and Day... Winston's "The Stranger", What Use... that's it for me.

Very sad news via Blaine Reininger

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10211388401519950&set=a.1117061920952.2020313.1059107077&type=3&theater

It is my very sad duty to inform the world that our colleague and brother, Peter Principle has left this world behind. He died this morning, July 17, 2017, apparently of natural causes. We are all stunned.

:(((

Tuxedomoon in 1988 were dead odd -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPV8Cgb8Jmk

hey that's crazy, would not have ever expected the 88 lineup to tackle this set list

Nervous Guy / Tritone Diablo / Desire / What Use? / No Tears

That’s their first reunion tour with Blaine, right? Feels weird to see them with a live drummer

https://thumbnailer.mixcloud.com/unsafe/300x300/extaudio/0/c/2/2/1d7e-0e49-48c9-8d57-e2945169678a
Tuxedomoon Live @ Effenaar (Eindhoven, The Netherlands. 3-10-1980
1) Special Treatment For The Family Man
2) In The Name Of Talent
3) Jinx
4) Music #1
5) Dark Companion

I just finished When Can I Fly?, Michael Belfer's deeply informative history of The Sleepers/TuxedoMoon from the inside.

Michael passed away last year so it was a bittersweet read, but worth it if you are keen on early SF punk.

book:
https://hozacrecords.bandcamp.com/merch/when-can-i-fly-the-sleepers-tuxedomoon-beyond-by-michael-belfer-with-will-york

friendly obit:
https://tapeop.com/blog/2022/03/23/michael-belfer-1959-2022

What an infuriating band. Prompted to revisit some of my favorites of theirs after "7 Years" was featured in Mix 1 from Autechre's BBC6 residency.

I tend to listen through artist's works chronologically when I can and years ago when I first set out on my Tuxedomoon journey, I was blown away by No Tears. The EP's great but the title track is, as Scott said upthread, so goddamn cool. Then I was really let down while going through the next few albums, at times outright pissed off because the music fell so far short of the high water mark of No Tears, almost sounding like a funeral dirge at times.

Then I got to Ship of Fools and dear god--"Lowlands Tone Poem" and "Music for Piano and Guitar" blew me away like few other songs have. Two of the most delicate, beautiful pieces of music I've ever heard. And totally unlike anything I'd heard from earlier in their discography.

I haven't ventured further into their work for fear of disappointment akin to that I experienced between No Tears and Ship of Fools. Tuxedomoon occupy a nice place for me with what I've listened to so far and I kind of want to keep it that way for the time being. I'm sure I'll eventually get around to the rest of their discography.

But in the meantime, is anyone else obsessed with Ship of Fools?

the album after ship of fools has got my favourite tuxedomoon song on it...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ueZz75R3EPA
Tuxedomoon - You

Had a TuxMo obsession phase 20 years ago. Their high point IMO fall squarely in the period you seem to dislike, namely the early 80's stretch between their debut and the departure of Blaine Reininger right before Ship of Fools. Their disco is a bit scattered which makes it hard to keep track and probably what hurt them commercially but if you like the more neo-classical side to their sound, i could suggest you check out Ghost Sonata and Steven Brown/Blaine Reininger live "100 years of music"