Re: Pere Ubu | Forum — The Modern Antiquarian

Pere Ubu

more_vert

Charlie2300 Oct 19, 2013 22:57:59

Replying to Monganaut

Monganaut wrote:

Re: Pere Ubu, As most say, Modern Dance, The Datapanic box is great value (and has Modern Dance on it anyhoo, also the epic b-Side Heart Of Darkness)

Can I also give a big thumbs up to the much later (dare I say recent) 'Why I Hate Women' album. Probably my fav' Ubu album bar non. Kinda crosses over with the David Thomas album 18 Monkies, in that the music draws from similar sonic pallates, but some great songs on both. Content range from raw to tender/heartfelt. Some great out there synth sounds, and some great old rockers too. Can Highly recommend 'Long Live Pere Ubu (Musical retelling of the Ubu Roir, Jarry play)' and 'Lady From Shangai' too, which pretty much brings you right up to date.

Bit of an anomly, but I really enjoy the cobbled together live fan footage album of '360 Degrees of Simulated Stereo Sound'. V. Lofi recording, but captures the band in full flow from a few gigs in their early incarnation.

That's very interesting. We would all accept that the "Datapanik In The Year Zero" 12" is prime quality Pere Ubu. Beyond that, the bits I've heard over the years have been rather hit and miss for me, so I've never really gone any further than that. Pere Ubu therefore fall into the category of recommendations needed.

Monganaut Oct 20, 2013 01:00:03

Replying to Charlie2300

TBH, most of the stuff after the 'datapanik' era, really does very little for me. Worlds in Collision, the only 80's album I still own reminds me of an overproduced stab at bad Pixies style pop. Though having only played it about twice, my memory could be a little hinky on that one. Didn't really rate PE through the 80's, 90's or early 2000's. Of course, there are odd moments, but nothing I could call consistent.

David Thomas' 'solo' projects and stuff with the Two Pale Boys (one is from the Diagram Brothers) stands up better for me. I'd also recommend 'Surf's Up' alongside '18 Monkies'. The track 'Golden Surf' and 'Prepare For The End' are two of my fav pieces of music.

Golden Surf
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8RNS7XDNlzc
Sad Eyed Lowlands
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7z0qzCmOarw
Nebraska Alcohol Abuse
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wytp87V9rVQ
New Orleans Fuzz
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDq10gUERZ8
Ghosts
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FcG3Z07A98
Surf's Up
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-cpLG36V3M

Dave and the 2PB's attempt at using more traditional instruments albeit effected to some degree alongside synths etc has a lot of pleasing moments. Think he called it an attempt to create a new form of the 'Americana' sound, a nod to the past, but forging forward. Read it somewhere, but can't remember where, so don't quote me on it.

18 Monkies...
http://ubuprojex.net/hearpen/18m.html

Surf's Up
http://ubuprojex.net/hearpen/surfsup.html

There's a Datatpanic style boxset covering some of the 80's solo DT solo stuff called 'Monster' which was pretty cheap on release, but now can be £30 and up (though Discogs have one for £18.56 +shipping). Has about 5 discs /albums in it. Can be a bit hit and miss compared to later stuff, but I'd argue it has a better hit rate than PE of the Same period.

http://www.discogs.com/buy/CD/David-Thomas-Monster/91679436?ev=bp_titl

Anyhoo, hope the wedding was fun.

Sin Agog Oct 20, 2013 01:59:04

Replying to Charlie2300

What with your fondness for that Nissan Mondeo band ( ;) ), I do think Rocket From the Tombs would appeal to you. It's the Ubu's earliest unhinged phase, and so potent a group were they that their power had to be split into three or four later separate groups before anything approaching a public could begin to digest them. They had a love of hard rock (without the macho bravado), raw fecund emotions, and songs so good that Ubu and the Dead Boys went back to them years later (without ever bettering the originals, quasi-demos though they may be). It's the sound a lot of those '60s garage bands were gunning for but were ultimately too twee to achieve.