听Pere Ubu《The Modern Dance》
相当个人化的一个乐队。那时候postpunk里面蕴藏了大量先锋人物。
这张Pere Ubu的唱片要没有，生活是无法想象的。The Modern Dance （1978年）至今仍是听Pere Ubu的必备（接下来的Dub Housing 也是）。可以肯定的是，当初Mercury在其主营朋克摇滚的子厂牌Blank发行这张唱片时根本不知道这是什么玩意。但这张唱片至今仍是艺术朋克的经典作品之一，其中发出了大胆的宣言：你听到的第一声就是尖利刺耳的回授号哭，而后Tom Herma以后现代Chuck Berry式回复段开启了辉煌的一曲“Non-Alignment Pact”，你会很快意识到这是一种你前所未闻的朋克摇滚。David Thomas叫春一样的唱法滑稽而动人，Scott Krauss（鼓）和Tony Maimone（贝司）则奏出了摇滚乐史上最新鲜的节奏部分之一。像“Street Waves”和“Chinese Radiation”这样“艰深”的曲目，或者“Humor Me”这样吓人的曲目，都是具有启示性的，超然于时代的。The Modern Dance 是前卫派的标志性声音：艺术摇滚、朋克摇滚和车库摇滚欢快而肆无忌惮地融合在了一起。
Pere Ubu 這古怪的名字, 對於死硬派搖滾樂迷來說應該不會陌生~ 這隊來自美國克里夫蘭州的樂隊, 早於1975年由傳奇樂隊 Rocket from the Tombs 蛻變而成, 初出道時以 “the Modern Dance” [1978], “Dub Housing” [1979] 等大碟確立其 new wave / avant-punk 先鋒的地位~ 樂隊一直由怪才主音 David Thomas 負責領軍, 期間經歷無數人事變遷, 唯獨 David Thomas 一直是樂隊的創作大腦~
相信很多樂迷都會同意, Pere Ubu 最讓人難忘之處就是 David Thomas 的歌聲~ 這把樂壇怪聲絕不符合一般樂迷心中所謂 “悅耳” 的標準, 聽他時而喃喃自語, 時而瘋狂嘶叫, 反映出一種妄想不安, 徘徊於理智和瘋狂之間的精神狀態~ 音樂方面, 又以樂隊早期的聲音最為人津津樂道: 奇怪的節奏, 扭曲的音效, 自由隨意的即興演奏加上超現實的歌詞, 正好展示出現代城市和生活的萎靡~
“Why I Hate Women” 是樂隊久休四年後的全新大碟, 碟名據稱來自流行小說作家 Jim Thompson 一本從未寫過 (但該寫) 的小說~ 主音 David Thomas 在訪問中解釋說, 唱片充滿挑釁性的名字純屬碟中歌者的想法, 他只是 “飾演” 這位歌者, 而且一切只是憑空想像的藝術創作~
經過10多張唱片後, Pere Ubu 在 “Why I Hate Women” 回到 “the Modern Dance” 和 “Dub Housing” 時期那種幽暗糜爛的城市佈景, 如酒醉未醒般吟誦囈語~ 在 “Two Girls (one Bar)” 中, David Thomas 慵懶的唱腔跟神經緊張的鼓擊和結他形成有趣的反襯, “Blue Velvet” 則借有如即興般自由的聲音佈置, 唱出無助空洞的賴活者心聲, 末段一首 “Stolen Cadillac” 也是同樣如鬼如魅的作品~
“Caroleen” 是樂隊難得盡情搖滾的時候, 在緊湊的結他和弦中穿插著 David Thomas 精神失常般的 “戀愛告白”, 即使是情歌 (算是吧?) 也滿帶不安和神經質~ 開宗明義言情的 “Love Song” 更加可怕, 唱到 “my eyes are growing tentacles for to grab you / my eyes are growing hand grenades for to have you / I live in a house without any windows / I got a 40 watt bulb to light up my life”, 十足一副變態痴漢的模樣~
這種精神分裂的乖張風格, 最顯見於結尾的長篇曲 “Texas Overture” 之中~ David Thomas 在電子琴亂響的旋律上半吟半唱出大堆語無倫次的歌詞, 卻都以一句 “Texas is the land of the free” 結尾, 彿彷在諷刺這自由之邦所充斥的種種多餘產物~
Pere Ubu emerged from the urban wastelands of mid-'70s Cleveland to impact the American underground for generations to follow; led by hulking frontman David Thomas, whose absurdist warble and rapturously demented lyrics remained the band's creative focus throughout their long, convoluted career, Ubu's protean art punk sound harnessed self-destructing melodies, scattershot rhythms, and industrial-strength dissonance to capture the angst and chaos of their times with both apocalyptic fervor and surprising humanity. Named in honor of Alfred Jarry's surrealist play Ubu Roi, Pere Ubu was formed in the autumn of 1975 from the ashes of local cult favorite Rocket from the Tombs, reuniting Thomas (aka Crocus Behemoth) with guitarist Peter Laughner; adding guitarist Tom Herman, bassist Tim Wright, keyboardist Allen Ravenstine, and drummer Scott Krauss, the group soon issued their debut single, "30 Seconds Over Tokyo," on Thomas' Hearthan label. The follow-up, "Final Solution," appeared on the renamed Hearpen in early 1976, and resulted in a series of live dates at the famed New York City club Max's Kansas City.
Laughner's longstanding battles with drugs and alcohol forced his exit from Pere Ubu in June of 1976; within a year, he was dead. The group continued on as a quintet, with bassist Tony Maimone signing on in the wake of Wright's move to New York, where he joined the pioneering no wave band DNA. In the wake of their third single, "Street Waves," Thomas was approached by Mercury label A&R exec Cliff Burnstein, who convinced the label to form a new imprint, Blank Records, for the express purposes of signing Pere Ubu; their debut LP, The Modern Dance, was issued in early 1978, and although the record made little commercial impact at home or abroad, its manic intensity and dark impenetrability proved profoundly influential on countless post-punk acts on both sides of the Atlantic. The follow-up, Dub Housing, was even better, pushing the band to further extremes of otherworldliness, but already the cracks were beginning to show, and upon completing 1979's New Picnic Time (working title: "Goodbye"), Ubu disbanded. Although the group re-formed months later, Herman opted not to return and was replaced by Red Krayola mastermind Mayo Thompson.
The Art of Walking followed in 1980, with subsequent tours in support of the record heralding the increasingly pop-centric sound that would distinguish later Ubu projects; a live record, 390° of Simulated Stereo, appeared a year later. Krauss was replaced by drummer Anton Fier for 1982's Song of the Bailing Man, but as before personal and creative differences began taking their toll and Ubu again disbanded; while Maimone and Krauss reunited in the group Home and Garden, Thomas continued the solo career he'd begun with the 1981 effort The Sound of the Sand (And Other Songs of the Pedestrians), a collaboration with guitar virtuoso Richard Thompson. He recorded 1987's Blame the Messenger with the Wooden Birds, a backing band including fellow Ubu alums Ravenstine and Maimone; after Krauss sat in for a Cleveland live date, the decision was made to begin working as Pere Ubu again. Guitarist Jim Jones and drummer Chris Cutler were also recruited for 1988's comeback effort The Tenement Year, a vividly idiosyncratic pop album far more accessible than anything in the band's back catalog.
1989's Stephen Hague-produced Cloudland further refined the approach, with the video for the single "Waiting for Mary" even earning limited MTV airplay; after both Ravenstine and Cutler exited Pere Ubu (the former becoming a commercial airline pilot), one-time Captain Beefheart sideman Eric Drew Feldman was installed for 1991's Worlds in Collision. Feldman soon departed as well to join Frank Black, and the remaining quartet recorded 1993's Story of My Life for the short-lived Imago label; Maimone was the next to go, with bassist Michele Temple and keyboardist Garo Yellin stepping in for 1995's planned swan song, Ray Gun Suitcase. As Ubu again slipped into limbo, the band's massive influence was celebrated in 1996 with the release of the five-disc box set Datapanik in the Year Zero; the renewed interest spurred Thomas back into action, and he reunited with Tom Herman for the first time in two decades to record 1998's sprawling Pennsylvania (also featuring holdovers Jones and Temple in addition to keyboardist Robert Wheeler and drummer Steve Mehlman). Four years later, Pere Ubu captured their darkest and most theatrical work to date with St. Arkansas. Why I Hate Women followed in 2006. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide
这张Pere Ubu的唱片要没有，生活是无法想象的。The Modern Dance （1978年）至今仍是听Pere Ubu的必备（接下来的Dub Housing 也是）。可以肯定的是，当初Mercury在其主营朋克摇滚的子厂牌Blank发行这张唱片时根本不知道这是什么玩意。但这张唱片至今仍是艺术朋克的经典作品之一，其中发出了大胆的宣言：你听到的第一声就是尖利刺耳的回授号哭，而后Tom Herma以后现代Chuck Berry式回复段开启了辉煌的一曲“Non-Alignment Pact”，你会很快意识到这是一种你前所未闻的朋克摇滚。David Thomas叫春一样的唱法滑稽而动人，Scott Krauss（鼓）和Tony Maimone（贝司）则奏出了摇滚乐史上最新鲜的节奏部分之一。像“Street Waves”和“Chinese Radiation”这样“艰深”的曲目，或者“Humor Me”这样吓人的曲目，都是具有启示性的，超然于时代的。The Modern Dance 是前卫派的标志性声音：艺术摇滚、朋克摇滚和车库摇滚欢快而肆无忌惮地融合在了一起。
Pere Ubu 這古怪的名字, 對於死硬派搖滾樂迷來說應該不會陌生~ 這隊來自美國克里夫蘭州的樂隊, 早於1975年由傳奇樂隊 Rocket from the Tombs 蛻變而成, 初出道時以 “the Modern Dance” [1978], “Dub Housing” [1979] 等大碟確立其 new wave / avant-punk 先鋒的地位~ 樂隊一直由怪才主音 David Thomas 負責領軍, 期間經歷無數人事變遷, 唯獨 David Thomas 一直是樂隊的創作大腦~
相信很多樂迷都會同意, Pere Ubu 最讓人難忘之處就是 David Thomas 的歌聲~ 這把樂壇怪聲絕不符合一般樂迷心中所謂 “悅耳” 的標準, 聽他時而喃喃自語, 時而瘋狂嘶叫, 反映出一種妄想不安, 徘徊於理智和瘋狂之間的精神狀態~ 音樂方面, 又以樂隊早期的聲音最為人津津樂道: 奇怪的節奏, 扭曲的音效, 自由隨意的即興演奏加上超現實的歌詞, 正好展示出現代城市和生活的萎靡~
“Why I Hate Women” 是樂隊久休四年後的全新大碟, 碟名據稱來自流行小說作家 Jim Thompson 一本從未寫過 (但該寫) 的小說~ 主音 David Thomas 在訪問中解釋說, 唱片充滿挑釁性的名字純屬碟中歌者的想法, 他只是 “飾演” 這位歌者, 而且一切只是憑空想像的藝術創作~
經過10多張唱片後, Pere Ubu 在 “Why I Hate Women” 回到 “the Modern Dance” 和 “Dub Housing” 時期那種幽暗糜爛的城市佈景, 如酒醉未醒般吟誦囈語~ 在 “Two Girls (one Bar)” 中, David Thomas 慵懶的唱腔跟神經緊張的鼓擊和結他形成有趣的反襯, “Blue Velvet” 則借有如即興般自由的聲音佈置, 唱出無助空洞的賴活者心聲, 末段一首 “Stolen Cadillac” 也是同樣如鬼如魅的作品~
“Caroleen” 是樂隊難得盡情搖滾的時候, 在緊湊的結他和弦中穿插著 David Thomas 精神失常般的 “戀愛告白”, 即使是情歌 (算是吧?) 也滿帶不安和神經質~ 開宗明義言情的 “Love Song” 更加可怕, 唱到 “my eyes are growing tentacles for to grab you / my eyes are growing hand grenades for to have you / I live in a house without any windows / I got a 40 watt bulb to light up my life”, 十足一副變態痴漢的模樣~
這種精神分裂的乖張風格, 最顯見於結尾的長篇曲 “Texas Overture” 之中~ David Thomas 在電子琴亂響的旋律上半吟半唱出大堆語無倫次的歌詞, 卻都以一句 “Texas is the land of the free” 結尾, 彿彷在諷刺這自由之邦所充斥的種種多餘產物~
Pere Ubu emerged from the urban wastelands of mid-'70s Cleveland to impact the American underground for generations to follow; led by hulking frontman David Thomas, whose absurdist warble and rapturously demented lyrics remained the band's creative focus throughout their long, convoluted career, Ubu's protean art punk sound harnessed self-destructing melodies, scattershot rhythms, and industrial-strength dissonance to capture the angst and chaos of their times with both apocalyptic fervor and surprising humanity. Named in honor of Alfred Jarry's surrealist play Ubu Roi, Pere Ubu was formed in the autumn of 1975 from the ashes of local cult favorite Rocket from the Tombs, reuniting Thomas (aka Crocus Behemoth) with guitarist Peter Laughner; adding guitarist Tom Herman, bassist Tim Wright, keyboardist Allen Ravenstine, and drummer Scott Krauss, the group soon issued their debut single, "30 Seconds Over Tokyo," on Thomas' Hearthan label. The follow-up, "Final Solution," appeared on the renamed Hearpen in early 1976, and resulted in a series of live dates at the famed New York City club Max's Kansas City.
Laughner's longstanding battles with drugs and alcohol forced his exit from Pere Ubu in June of 1976; within a year, he was dead. The group continued on as a quintet, with bassist Tony Maimone signing on in the wake of Wright's move to New York, where he joined the pioneering no wave band DNA. In the wake of their third single, "Street Waves," Thomas was approached by Mercury label A&R exec Cliff Burnstein, who convinced the label to form a new imprint, Blank Records, for the express purposes of signing Pere Ubu; their debut LP, The Modern Dance, was issued in early 1978, and although the record made little commercial impact at home or abroad, its manic intensity and dark impenetrability proved profoundly influential on countless post-punk acts on both sides of the Atlantic. The follow-up, Dub Housing, was even better, pushing the band to further extremes of otherworldliness, but already the cracks were beginning to show, and upon completing 1979's New Picnic Time (working title: "Goodbye"), Ubu disbanded. Although the group re-formed months later, Herman opted not to return and was replaced by Red Krayola mastermind Mayo Thompson.
The Art of Walking followed in 1980, with subsequent tours in support of the record heralding the increasingly pop-centric sound that would distinguish later Ubu projects; a live record, 390° of Simulated Stereo, appeared a year later. Krauss was replaced by drummer Anton Fier for 1982's Song of the Bailing Man, but as before personal and creative differences began taking their toll and Ubu again disbanded; while Maimone and Krauss reunited in the group Home and Garden, Thomas continued the solo career he'd begun with the 1981 effort The Sound of the Sand (And Other Songs of the Pedestrians), a collaboration with guitar virtuoso Richard Thompson. He recorded 1987's Blame the Messenger with the Wooden Birds, a backing band including fellow Ubu alums Ravenstine and Maimone; after Krauss sat in for a Cleveland live date, the decision was made to begin working as Pere Ubu again. Guitarist Jim Jones and drummer Chris Cutler were also recruited for 1988's comeback effort The Tenement Year, a vividly idiosyncratic pop album far more accessible than anything in the band's back catalog.
1989's Stephen Hague-produced Cloudland further refined the approach, with the video for the single "Waiting for Mary" even earning limited MTV airplay; after both Ravenstine and Cutler exited Pere Ubu (the former becoming a commercial airline pilot), one-time Captain Beefheart sideman Eric Drew Feldman was installed for 1991's Worlds in Collision. Feldman soon departed as well to join Frank Black, and the remaining quartet recorded 1993's Story of My Life for the short-lived Imago label; Maimone was the next to go, with bassist Michele Temple and keyboardist Garo Yellin stepping in for 1995's planned swan song, Ray Gun Suitcase. As Ubu again slipped into limbo, the band's massive influence was celebrated in 1996 with the release of the five-disc box set Datapanik in the Year Zero; the renewed interest spurred Thomas back into action, and he reunited with Tom Herman for the first time in two decades to record 1998's sprawling Pennsylvania (also featuring holdovers Jones and Temple in addition to keyboardist Robert Wheeler and drummer Steve Mehlman). Four years later, Pere Ubu captured their darkest and most theatrical work to date with St. Arkansas. Why I Hate Women followed in 2006. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide
