Pere Ubu, Anyone?

[BurtWorm]

I've been listening to The Modern Dance while vacuuming the house just now. It's long been a favorite of mine. I'm wondering if anyone here in the Lounge listens to Pere Ubu and if you can recommend another album. (I also have 360 Degrees of Simulated Stereo on vinyl, which is basically live Modern Dance and a few others.)

[jpgray]

1. Ish just a joke, MAN!!!

Terminal Tower, the singles compilation, is pretty sweet. Some of the later albums like "Songs of the Bailing Man" are just Dave Thomas warbling without enough good music going on behind him.

[BurtWorm]

3. That's what I was afraid of about the later albums.

Early Pere Ubu though make me proud to be an American! Thanks for the tip!

[HEyHEY]

2. I was cast as the Bear in the play

Turned the role down.

[BurtWorm]

4. You would have been great!

;)

[many a good man]

5. Dub Housing is a Classic

One of my all-time favorites! Dub Housing is still close to the early stuff. Later stuff veers into more psychedelic "avant garage". Art of Walking has a lot of Ravenstine's amazing analog synthesizer...I think "Bailing Man", while much more arty than punk, is a great listen...great lyrics and tight musicianship.

[Whitacre D_WI]

6. Agreed on Dub Housing.

You already have "The Modern Dance," so you're on the right track :)

[jpgray]

9. Dub Housing is pretty good

To me "Bailing Man" is just too samey, but has a few neat parts. It just doesn't float my boat like some of the earlier stuff.

[asthmaticeog]

7. Yeah!

1) My band used to cover "Humor Me."

2) An old pal of mine joined up as their drummer a few years back, and now he's in Rocket From The Tombs, too. GO STEVE!

3) I have the original Rough Trade first pressing of "Modern Dance" -- still sealed. Worship me.

4) I have an issue of Cleveland Magazine from 1978 with a feature on Ubu. On the cover? Dennis Kucinich, sitting on a throne, wearing a crown.

Yeah, I love me some Pere Ubu - Cleveland pride, you know.

[many a good man]

10. Cleveland rocks

and so do you! I remember that magazine. I was too young to get into Pirate's Cove at the time...did u ever?

[asthmaticeog]

14. Nah

I was born in '70, so when all the Ubu/Styrenes/Eels stuff was going on, I was way big into like clowns and puppets. Punk didn't find me until about '85, and by then the Cove was gone (it's been resurrected in name, though, by Peabody's' new owners).

[BurtWorm]

12. Wild!

My favorite Ubu tune: "Non-Alignment Pact."

I will never get tired of it. But the whole album is great.

[Plaid Adder]

8. Ubu saved my marriage!

Not the band, the play. Alfred Jarrys 1899 riot-startin' insane masterpiece, *Ubu Roi.*

Winter of 1997 I was in the middle of a REALLY bad depression. Worst I have ever known, and I hope to God I never encounter a worse one. I really felt like I was losing my mind. Then my partner and I went to see a production of *Ubu Roi,* and I laughed my ass off for 3 solid hours. After that I knew I would eventually make it.

Merdre,

The Plaid Adder

[many a good man]

11. A Day Such As This

From "Song of the Bailing Man":

A day such as this.


On a day such as this
insist on more than the truth
H
Y
P
E R B
O
L
E

Today,
dear poet,
we must insist on more,
more than the ordinary turn of phrase,
other than the usual stock in trade
Such a day as this cries out for emphasis
Where are the thoughts that swing from the trees?
Where are the hats that hang in the breeze?
Where are the words that'll freshen the air like a shower?
On a day such as this
insist on more than the truth
(What is the designate etiquette on such a day?)


At last,
by reasoning cast as a character peevishly bound,
the solution comes clear:
persevere!
I was nearly drowned!
(The folderol of fretful peregrination)

It rained CATS
It rained dogs
It rained logs
It rained HATS
It rained trees
It rained fleas
It rained SPATS
It rained boxes to put it all in
(The trumpet call of rampant exaggeration)

With each ensuing sneeze
Raindrops shake from the leaves,
and they shake from the trees,
shake from the leaves of the sheltering trees
Grumbling over the goats they go
Mumbling under their coats they know
Bundling into the boats they row
Who knows where they go?
They go where they go where they go
(The folderol of fretful peregrination)

Yo ho!
Oh, ho!
If the rain doesn't stop,
and the boxes pile up,
then we'll pass on the motion
to bail out the ocean with buckets!
That's the word that's overheard
(The trumpet call of rampant exaggeration)

(What is the designate etiquette on such a day?)


Some will say the feet
Some will say a dog
Some will say a man's best friend is hyperbole

Writers:
Fier-Maimone-Ravenstine-Thomas-Thompson
© 1982 Bug Music / Complete Music
Lyrics by David Thomas

[tigereye]

13. we wore out the grooves of Modern Dance in the early 80's

like the idea of vacuuming to it. They were a fun band to see, too. Don't know much about their other stuff.