“Dub Housing” by Pere Ubu - album review

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TJR says

The second album of the year from the vocally imaginative David Thomas and his experimental gang of avant-garage adventurers isn't quite as strong as the debut, but is brilliant in places and always intriguing. Already they've switched labels, from Mercury to Chrysalis; nice to be wanted anyway. The attention-grabbing opener, “Navvy”, sounds swell, all restless and jittery with Thomas yelping away in line with the driven combo: “I've got these arms & legs that flip-flop flip-flop… I have desire (Freedom)… I have desire (Somewhere to go)”. What can it all mean? I have desire to flail around like the psychobillys when this is on. Danger danger! Keeping things immediately lively, “On The Surface” gets pretty funky on the bass and guitars, whilst synthman extraordinaire Allen Ravenstine channels his inner Manzarek and then some. As you might expect by the title, “Dub Housing” gets down to reggae tempo, with the weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth intonations from Thomas chanelling some of that ethereal Lee Perry madness. Apparently, this is the sound of being cooped up in neat little rows of housing, where the walls have ears. “We Know!” croon the backing singers in empathy. For me, nothing else matches up to these early standouts, but the oddness which prevails is compelling… and you can often flail around to it too. There's nothing to dislike here.

The Jukebox Rebel
14–Nov–2014

Tracklist
A1 [02:40] 8.7.png Pere Ubu - Navvy (David Thomas, Tom Herman, Allen Ravenstine, Tony Maimone, Scott Krauss) Post-Punk
A2 [02:35] 6.9.png Pere Ubu - On The Surface (David Thomas, Tom Herman, Allen Ravenstine, Tony Maimone, Scott Krauss) New Wave
A3 [03:39] 7.1.png Pere Ubu - Dub Housing (David Thomas, Tom Herman, Allen Ravenstine, Tony Maimone, Scott Krauss) Dubbeat
A4 [03:49] 5.4.png Pere Ubu - Caligari’s Mirror (David Thomas, Tom Herman, Allen Ravenstine, Tony Maimone, Scott Krauss) Blues Rock / Soul Rock
A5 [04:36] 4.9.png Pere Ubu - Thriller! (David Thomas, Tom Herman, Allen Ravenstine, Tony Maimone, Scott Krauss) Avant-Garde
B1 [01:45] 6.2.png Pere Ubu - I, Will Wait (David Thomas, Tom Herman, Allen Ravenstine, Tony Maimone, Scott Krauss) Post-Punk
B2 [02:44] 6.4.png Pere Ubu - Drinking Wine Spodyody (David Thomas, Tom Herman, Allen Ravenstine, Tony Maimone, Scott Krauss) New Wave
B3 [04:46] 6.3.png Pere Ubu - (Pa) Ubu Dance Party (David Thomas, Tom Herman, Allen Ravenstine, Tony Maimone, Scott Krauss) New Wave
B4 [03:38] 6.0.png Pere Ubu - Blow Daddy-O (David Thomas, Tom Herman, Allen Ravenstine, Tony Maimone, Scott Krauss) Dubbeat
B5 [04:55] 6.1.png Pere Ubu - Codex (David Thomas, Tom Herman, Allen Ravenstine, Tony Maimone, Scott Krauss) Dubbeat

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