The Jukebox Rebel

“It's me again” yelps our frontman on the excellent “Have Shoes, Will Walk (The Fabulous Sequel)”, so introducing the third LP from the Cleveland five, a weird and (very often) wonderful affair. The experimental five remain: David Thomas (vocals, organ); Tom Herman (28, guitar, bass, organ); Allen Ravenstine (synths, saxophone); Tony Maimone (bass, guitar, piano) and Scott Krauss (drums). Whilst some of the anti-song-structure inclusions come off as half-baked, they all have something interesting to commend them and nothing grates, although the likes of “A Small Dark Cloud” (6 minutes of musical minimalism with madman vox which inform the album's title: Fly in the ointment, It's a picnic! Put out the cloth on the ant hill, It's a picnic! Dark cloud.) and “Voice Of The Sand” (90 secs of sparse keyboard underpinning whispered impressions of Vachel Lindsay's poetry) do little to get the pulse racing. That said, one of the weirder sketches, “Goodbye”, appeals greatly to me, introducing some blues motifs in amongst all the progressive avant-garde. Album closer “Jehovah's Kingdom Comes!” invites us to dance, even adding some swirling 60s organ to further entice. Patience is a virtue and Pere Ubu will reward you for it.

The Jukebox Rebel
16–Nov–2016

A1	[03:16] Pere Ubu - Have Shoes, Will Walk (The Fabulous Sequel) (David Thomas, Tom Herman, Allen Ravenstine, Tony Maimone, Scott Krauss) New Wave
A2	[02:51] Pere Ubu - 49 Guitars & One Girl (David Thomas, Tom Herman, Allen Ravenstine, Tony Maimone, Scott Krauss) Post-Punk
A3	[05:49] Pere Ubu - A Small Dark Cloud (David Thomas, Tom Herman, Allen Ravenstine, Tony Maimone, Scott Krauss) Avant-Garde
A4	[03:39] Pere Ubu - Small Was Fast (David Thomas, Tom Herman, Allen Ravenstine, Tony Maimone, Scott Krauss) Post-Punk
A5	[03:03] Pere Ubu - All The Dogs Are Barking! (David Thomas, Tom Herman, Allen Ravenstine, Tony Maimone, Scott Krauss) Avant-Garde
B1	[03:46] Pere Ubu - One Less Worry (David Thomas, Tom Herman, Allen Ravenstine, Tony Maimone, Scott Krauss) Prog
B2	[04:03] Pere Ubu - Make Hay (David Thomas, Tom Herman, Allen Ravenstine, Tony Maimone, Scott Krauss) Dubbeat
B3	[05:18] Pere Ubu - Goodbye (David Thomas, Tom Herman, Allen Ravenstine, Tony Maimone, Scott Krauss) Prog
B4	[01:28] Pere Ubu - The Voice Of The Sand (David Thomas, Tom Herman, Allen Ravenstine, Tony Maimone, Scott Krauss) Avant-Garde
B5	[03:17] Pere Ubu - Jehovah’s Kingdom Comes! (David Thomas, Tom Herman, Allen Ravenstine, Tony Maimone, Scott Krauss) Proto-Punk

ratings by TJR