Dub Housing

I think it really says something about a record if you have to pause occasionally to see if the sound you're hearing is the music or a truck backing up. (It was a truck backing up.) This record is squeaky and squonky, clickety-clackety-chrunchety. The vocals aren't exactly singing, more pitched shouting that reminded me of my Granny a lot of the time. I can't imagine the day when I will say, "You know what I'd like to hear today? Some Pere Ubu." But I did find this interesting, a unique listening experience. Kind of like getting a routine MRI (I get one every year) --- I don't really like or enjoy it but it's fascinating and there's only a tiny bit of pain and fear involved. And now I have to give it a rating from 1 to 5 and pretend that the experience of music is somehow one-dimensional, as though I could nestle Pere Ubu somewhere between Portishead and Leonard Cohen instead of on some other scale entirely.

Weird, disorientating, talking heads on acid, on acid. Thriller! made me feel ill but somehow put a smile on my face. Actually the whole thing gave me a headache, does anyone have a Panadol? I imagine seeing them live would have been an absolute trip. Edit - just realised I accidentally listened to it on shuffle the first time. 2nd listen in sequence made a lot more sense but did not help the headache. Happy to discuss my five star rating with anyone who'll listen.

How the hell am I supposed to rate an artist that intentionally does its own thing? What standards do I put them to? I pity anyone who has this as one of their first albums to rate. This is a "post-punk" album. A huge stretch on the "post." It's wacky and weird, similar to Devo or Talking Heads. In fact, the vocals sound like Byrne. Note this is an incredibly inaccessible album, and only fans of post-punk could even tackle something like this... after several listens. The tracks can be aesthetically pleasing, but it appeals to niche groups, despite having characteristics reminiscent of (almost parodying) pop music. These experimental sounds are made mostly by the abuse of synths that had only recently emerged and would late dominate pop music, so maybe that's what I'm hearing? But it also stems the busy, dissonant instruments that often clash, but it doesn't bother the audience. It works, and that's why people can appreciate it. But I'm not talking about whether it works. That just means it's not complete trash. This album serves more of an artistic purpose than as a piece of media to play on radio or at a party or to a group of friends without an appropriate introduction. In fact, the only people I would recommend this album to are people really into both post-punk and surrealism... they'd have to already like Talking Heads or Devo. Can we talk about the actual tracks though? I swear I could have written this by only listening to the first two. Ok fine, here goes. So "Navvy" starts out good then the record scratching then bellowing indicates we're in for a surprise. It's melodic but the record scratching effect can be found bothersome. The overall production is otherwise fine. "On The Surface" is a decent track; I like everything besides the vocals, even that background vibration that can be found to be again bothersome. "Dub Housing" gets increasingly busier as the song goes on, and it only slightly lightens up when the vocals come back. That bothers even me. But I like the end, especially the brass. "Caligari's Mirror" has a nice gothic melody to it, but fuck those vocals... is it parodying The Rolling Stones? "Thriller" is interesting, reminding me of the aesthetic of vaporwave, but overall too conflicted to be pleasing. And then it gets into earrape. Then we get the most punk track on the album, "I Will Wait" which is probably my favorite. It's perfectly fine. In "Drinking Wine Spodyody," I like some ideas, but overall hate the sound and especially the vocals. Maybe I'm comparing the vocals too much to Byrne, who I think works really well with his music. Not here though. I don't have much to say about "Pa Ubu Dance Party" other than I don't care much for the sound... it gets annoyingly busy near the end. Then we get the fuzzy dissonant track "Blow Daddy-O" which I actually like. It reminds me of the Jesus and Mary Chain and shoegaze music of the late 80s and 90s. Kinda boring though since it goes for almost 4 minutes without any interesting shifts. The closing track "Codex" is fine. Works as an ok way to end of the album smoothly. Vocals still suck. Maybe a bit longer than welcomed. I was debating over what the final score should be. It could have been quite literally any number as I phased through the tracks and kept relistening. In the end, I'm settling it for a 2. Sure, niche people can like almost everything on the album, but there are a lot of problems that are near-universal. I'm not here to judge an artist's intentions. They can do whatever they want. But the problems I have impede on its overall quality too much to warrant a decent score. I may come back to the album if I'm feeling a little freaky, and I may recommend or play it if the opportunity arises. But yeah, this is a 2.

I simultaneously love this, and I'm not fussed if I hear it again. A joyous cacophony. It's brilliant, they're making post punk a year before journalists think punk broke. It's a four star album, but due to the stupidity of a lot of the reviews on here already I want to give it 5 to correct their efforts. Stupid eejits probably think The Eagles are 'real music'.

It's tough to know what exactly to think about this album. It's weird and cool. There are certainly moment where I get into it. It's not something I see myself going back to because there's not much about the album that I find really engrossing. Caligari's Mirror is a notable highlight. I can definitely see how it is influential in what came after it. 3/5

Nope. Not doing anything. I generally thought I like post-punk, I mean, I like (some) Talking Heads songs. But this was a chore to get through. I didn't enjoy listening to it at all. Some acid trip of pseudo-intellectual noise that has no defined structure at all. I understand that is the point of the album, but that doesn't mean I have to like it. 1.5/5.

Post-punk bangerz. I really like the combination of the blunt synths and the jagged rock instruments. Sad that this is in the lowest ranked albums on this site. Shows what the masses know, I suppose

Yeah I was kind of liking parts of it, sonically really weird, and parts of it where you can see they could be a good, straightforward band, but they are choosing not to Obvious influence on Devo Pretty brave and very weird

Honestly I can’t even say I LIKED most of it, but man, they sound like they are having so much fun and being absolutely unhinged without caring what anyone thinks, and that’s punk as fuck. It feels like an unhinged Talking Heads after dark.

I'd never heard of Pere Ubu before but they definitely peaked my interest with this album. The lyrical style is borderline ridiculous but I liked it in parts. Some songs feel like an early unpolished version of the Pixies or similar. Another album which, if it came out today, I might not care for but the fact it was made in the mid 70s makes it much more intriguing

I was leery going in, seeing how low this album is in the global stats. But I have to tell you, I really enjoyed this. Probably what a lot of people are reacting to is David Thomas' atonal anti-vocals. If you can get past that, this album is a lot of fun. It's a gleefully freaky, noisy odyssey of warped, jangling guitars, squonks, blips, and shambolic rhythms. It reminds me at times of the Talking Heads, the Residents, Devo... but this band is totally doing their own unique thing as well. I like this more each time I hear it. Bumping from a high 3 to a 4. I may be in the minority, but I'll take Pere Ubu any day of the week over the overproduced, soulless music most people listen to. Fave Songs (All songs, from most to least favorite): On the Surface; (Pa) Ubu Dance Part; Navvy; Codex; I, Will Wait; Drinking Wine Spodyody; Thriller!; Dub Housing; Blow Daddy-O; Caligari's Mirror

Anyone who thinks this 35min noisy, amateur ear-bashing is a landmark album needs help. "It's, uh, avant garde!"... yeah, nah. Spare me. I'm amazed I got to the end. 1/5.

Very interesting listen, and unique in the ways that it uses sound. This is what experimental music should be, a re-imagining of what you thought a “song” could be.

this was fucking weird I love it 😙

An interesting birthday gift, that's for sure. Extremely weird music, in ways that don't always work. Wikipedia calls this a seminal post-punk album. I'm not sure what I thought post-punk was, but I didn't have this in mind. I will give some credit though, some of these songs are pretty catchy and enjoyable, despite the weirdness. Maybe I'm just happy to have an American band for once. I don't like this overall, but I will say it sounds WAY newer than 1978. Favorite tracks: Caligari's Mirror, Pa Ubu Dance Party, Drinking Wine Spodyody. Album art: As much as I usually don't like black and white covers, this one is pretty nice. Looks very foreboding with the rows of disembodied windows. Getting Rear Window vibes. 2.5/5

this album sucked fucking balls

Fucking hell. I'm 30 seconds in, and I'm already wondering how the hell I'm going to endure this whole album. What the fuck is this 'singing'? Ok, two songs down, it's picked up a bit... to the point where it's not utterly grating. Let's wait and see... Track 4 checking in... this whole album is just weird, and I'm not really along for the ride. I don't find it particularly charming or interesting, just weird. I can't help but think about the recording process. What's going through their heads? Are they embarrassed when they're just spurting hysterical gibberish into a microphone? Track 7... not far off the finish line now... close, but OH so far. Who the hell voted this into a compilation of greatest albums? What are people getting out of this? Christ. Final song. Come on. Let's limp over the finish line. Please. I'm a pretty upbeat guy, but this whole album has made me wish for death's sweet embrace. Ok. I'm done. It's over. I'm going for a lie down.

My expectations for this album started off strong, but much like most Pere Ubu songs, finished in disappointment. This is the type of avant post-punk that makes people, like Emily, write the whole genre off. I really did like some of these songs. While the lead singer's voice was definitely off-putting at best, it leant some interesting accessibility to the off kilter music. Like this music is artsy and really out there, but this dude can't really sing and neither can I, so you relate to his sense of urgency in just trying to relate an idea no matter what you think of him. This did cause the overall enjoyability of many of the songs to suffer though because on the flip side his voice could really get in the way of enjoying a good groove the band had going. I really flip-flopped on this record. I wanted to like it because I can hear its influences on some of the bands I like today, but it also was just so unlistenable at times. Definitely ahead of its time. I mean they had sea shanties in "Caligari's Mirror," and those are only getting cool now. This is a 2.5 that I really want to give a 3, buuuuuut...

Pere Ubu's groundbreaking brand of Avant-Punk is unquestionably an acquired taste. Fortunately, I have enjoyed their flavor for a long time and have always viewed them as Cleveland's most underappreciated gem. In the family tree of Alternative Rock, Pere Ubu is low on the trunk. So much of what came later can be traced back to them. Considering this list's affinity for debut albums, it is surprising that Ubu's first album, "The Modern Dance," wasn't chosen. They also made much more conventionally accessible records, like "Cloudland," which is sadly unavailable on the primary music streaming services. I have a pretty funny story about the first time I met Pere Ubu's notoriously prickly frontman, David Thomas. Ask me about it sometime.

Ubu’s dance party was the highlight for me. I can see why LCD Soundsystem name dropped them.

Mystery music, and dance music. Somehow accomplishes the double feat of extending time and making you want to get up and move. On that first point: Sometimes succeeding in that way is more interesting than affecting. Here, the soundscape switches up to keep things far from boring. And the gesture at embodiment doesn't hurt, either. The vocals will have to grow.

Sounds way ahead of its time, the genre bending, the punchiness, the whole thing.

This was unnerving and I kind of loved it. It took me a while to adjust to the vocals and I think the opening track is the most abrasive they are on the whole album, but there's a lot of versatility across the record. Post-punk as I've never heard it before, and it was a delight

That's what good album is about. You cannot predict what's coming next.

dark and groovy post-punk, better than black midi

I bought an album by these guys in the mid-80s and thought THAT was pretty out there, but it was Culture Club compared to this. I noticed that the 1001 members haven't ranked it too highly: 994th out of 1001. I was thinkin' “1” halfway through the first track, but for me to go as low as 1, the music needs to bad and unoriginal, and this is anything but unoriginal - especially in 1978. I love the title track and The Ubu Dance Party. They could be a bar band in a David Lynch movie, with the eerie lead vocals and the campy background singers. Very avant something.

Both creative and very, very bad

Why am I liking this weird thing? It’s so intense and unpredictable. Real good stuff

It is hard to figure out the world that's been built here. One minute things are smooth sailing, nothing amiss even though the edges appear jagged. The next minute, we're underneath a murky, discordant atmosphere; one that places somebody in a state of unease. A brief reprieve appears but we get back into that dark place, where we stay until the end, where we have to think about it all the time. Quite appropriate considering the state of things back in the late 70s. A place where you wouldn't wish to go to again, but it'll stay with you for a lifetime.

10/10 kinda sounds like it’s ripping off the Talking Heads (came out like a year after TH ’77) but whether or not it is, it still sounds really damn good and super fun I will take post-punk any day

Wow! Ni sabía que existía este grupo y valió la pena muchísimo escuchar el disco. No crei que la música experimental se remontara a esos años. Excelente recomendación

A riveting and strange album which I thoroughly enjoyed. But I can't shake the feeling this would be much better experienced live than on record

I can't help but enjoy this. It managed to surprise and delight me at nearly every turn. I can see why people would be annoyed by the vocal style, but I think it's funny and entertaining. Has a nice layer of texture and atmosphere throughout. Underlying it all there is a true playfulness I find endlessly compelling. It's experimental but still manages to be fun. I'm a sucker for iconoclasts doing their own thing. So far ahead of their time I'm not sure we've even caught up yet. I kept wanting to listen to this over and over again, and it just kept growing on me.

Not my cup of tea but interesting

Weird and wonderful, but one I would probably enjoy more given the chance to listen through a few more times. Clear influence on lots of bands I love, maybe just a bit too out there for me to properly adore.

When this bands experiments work, then this is truly fantastic. When they don't, it's unlistenable. An interesting listen to say the least. Can't say I'm going to be coming back to this one, but I'd rather hear this than something polished and boring.

a lot happening here. most of it is works too. could i write poetry to this? y?

A bit mad, somewhat challenging, and yet highly enjoyable. Like a blend of Talking Heads, Roxy Music, Devo, and a little bit of Cardiacs. Wasn't familiar with them before, but interested to check out more of their stuff now. Wouldn't say I loved it, but definitely liked and, and feels like it could be grower.

Swerved erratically between great and rubbish

Just sounded like noises made into a microphone. I can't get excited by it.

Talking Heads if they were bad.

First half of this didn't catch me. It felt like a lot of post-punk, experimental and awkward or jarring to listen to. I got excited about it around "I will wait" and found some fun sounds in there. Other songs like "(Pa) ubu dance party" and "Codex" got me excited with interesting intros, my excitement faded everytime they got into the meet of a tune. Codex especially was a bummer, because the intro riff feels like a perfect noodle to build a dark metal song around.

This is too noisy and weird even for me

At the time of listening this is a 2.37, that's a low rating. I listened to it 3 times. It's a grower. The first 2 tracks are bangers. It gets pretty far out, which I enjoyed. This ain't for everyone. In the last 2 months I have had 46 albums that I had never listened to before. That includes this one and it's really the whole point of this endeavor for me. I don't want albums that justify my listening taste, I want new music that pushes my comfort zones. Solid album.

I always like being pleasantly surprised by albums with a super low rating. How this ended up in the top 20 worst albums is beyond me, it's fun and punchy as hell. It doesn't take itself too seriously nor does it overstay its welcome, what's not to love?

classic post rock. Separates the men from the boys as they say. You could be forgiven for being turned off by the insane vocals. But this is seminal

I had never heard of this! Weird and cool and definitely doing their own thing

If you ever wanted to be midway through a song and as "is that a pressure washer?" This album is for you. I was biased initially since it is so odd but it's really odd in a very good way

Super fun and weird album. I really like this style of post-punk or art-punk or whatever you want to call it. Its raw, its weird, its fun. This is probably one of those albums that just gets better the more you listen to it as well. It feels like there are lots of easter eggs and fun nuances to pick up on. I thoroughly enjoyed this!

I gotta give it up to the state of Ohio. I don’t know if there’s something in the water or what, but it’s given us a few bands that are just completely unique, like Devo, Pere Ubu, Guided By Voices…bands that do their own thing, on their own terms and succeed. They don’t sound like anyone else, but you can always tell one of their songs when you hear it. Trailblazers, I fucking love it. Dub Housing gets an easy four stars (with the possibility of moving up in the ranks after repeated listens), it’s aggressively weird and totally unique.

These guys get it. I’m not sure if I do, but they certainly do.

Like a crazier talking heads. I thought it was a great time. A great record.

It’s an interesting sound, and I’m sure it’s very influential, but this isn’t exactly and album I’d put on while making dinner or working.

bit weird but i had fun

from a purely instrumental standpoint, the things this band pulls off are pretty intriguing and, without question, highly varied. we're firmly in the leftmost part of the post-punk field, with some of these songs coming off less as rock songs and more as avant-garde sound collages. but when Pere Ubu gets groovy, I start to understand how they were a major influence on indie bands in the 2000s, particularly the dance-punk movement. I'm just glad those bands had better frontmen, though, because I don't think David Thomas' signature yelp fits these songs whatsoever. it kind of kills the whole thing for me, to be honest. decent 5/10.

It’s weird considering the fact that my 5-star review for their other album is by far my most popular, but I didn’t like this one as much. I guess I’m just not as into this music right now, considering that it didn’t feel that different and it came out the same year.

***An ok album. No much music, more noise than music

3.5. Really liked this album and where Spotify went from there. Also The Fall interjected in a mix is very good.

A challenging, but ultimately rewarding listen.

Interesante por distinto. No es de fácil escucha.

"Ubuesque" is a French word coined after Alfred Jarry's aburdist/surrealistic plays about his crazy character "Ubu-Roi" (King Ubu). The word basically means "grotesque", "absurd" or "unnecessarily complex". And when you listen to *Dub Housing*, you get the picture alright. Especially on its extraordinary opener "Navvy". David Thomas's voice sounds like the one of a demented bat imitating David Byrne right after biting his throat. Bleeps and bloops cover screeching saws all around you. Guitars wince and basslines get lost up their own arses for a few seconds. Short melodic lines surge out of nowhere, only to immediately disappear. It's a disquieting, unsettling experience, and it's intended that way. "Boy, that sounds swell!". It's so easy to picture Thomas waving his "flip-flop" arms like a maniac, even without any film of it to prove it. I'm delighted that Dimery's list has weird art-rock records like this. It's important that all sorts of music are represented, in spite of all the reviewers in here grumbling about it and giving it such a low global grade (I'm talking about music from the "western" world and using the album format, at least). Besides, Pere Ubu is an act so bizarre that it literally can't age. Lots of those reviewers (some of whom loved this record, but also others who actually hated it) referred to recent groundbreaking bands like Squid or black midi so as to give their opinions and try to explain what this LP is all about. And I'm also glad about this. There's definitely an affinity between Pere Ubu's own off-kilter sound in 1978 and the one played by quite important rock bands that don't want to fully rehash the past these days. So you can't deny *Dub Housing* is at least *relatively* essential, if only because of this. That said, it seems there are *two* Pere Ubu records in Dimery's list, if I'm not mistaken... Well, that's probably one too many for such a strange band. I'm all for "acquired tastes" and "slow growers", but using two slots for them might be wasting some valuable room for other wonderful weirdos. Think Sun Ra, Red Krayola or Captain Beefheart. Sure, there's *Trout Mask Replica* in the list (the only record that I fully hate and yet feel like it should be in there for its historical importance). Yet there are other Beefheart albums that should be there too, maybe. And if not, one of those recent British post-punk and/or art-rock acts I've just mentioned could also use the same slot. The more names, the merrier. Food for thought, eh? To be clear, my main gripe with *Dub Housing* is not how weird or "out there" it is. It's just that even if you keep an open mind and try as hard as you can to follow its millions twists and turns, the LP very quickly loses any sense of momentum--and this basically in the middle of the first side. "Free-form" is alright. "Experimental" is alright. But "spineless" is not. And this lack of backbone is especially gruelling on side two. Before that you still have a few bizarre fireworks here and there, like that impersonation of a horrific worm gnawing its way inside your brain on "Thriller!" (I shit you not, listen to this one with headphones, and you'll see what I'm talking about!). But as disturbing as those sorts of shenanigans are, they can't make up for how drowsy the whole thing sounds by that point, especially when it comes to the rhythms used. King Krule, black midi and Squid sometimes have problems to keep things relevant and/or catchy throughout a whole album as well, I can concede that point. But at least the rhythms and patterns used in most of their songs still *mean* something on a rhythmic viewpoint. Not in here, though, unfortunately. Worse, the start of *Dub Housing* suggests it could go to some lively places it actually never really goes to. That's what I call "losing momentum" in my book. And I would give the same sort of criticism for a mainstream pop album if I felt like it didn't fulfill its initial promises in such a blatant way. The problem is not the "style" of the music. It's the way there's no real build-up from track to track. I need to listen to *The Modern Dance* again (Pere Ubu's debut--released in the same year, right before this one). As far as I can remember, it is not fully plagued by this sort of critical issue I'm having with *Dub Housing*. And that's why I will probably select it for my own list of 1001 essential albums, and leave this one aside. So next, please. Number of albums left to review: 522 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 229 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 110 Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more essential to me): 140 (including this one)

Certainly a strange one. Not for everyone, but a fun piece of underground history.

I'm eating a raw lettuce head and listening to Pere Ubu. My thoughts are this... can a ostrich kill an unsuspecting baby with just one look? Can a cow suffocate an unsuspecting baby with just one breath? Can a weary train driver on his way home from another long day of driving trains up and down, up and down, see into a baby's soul with just one wink?

Pretty unique sound for this time and place. I guess we'd call this Post-Punk. I've always heard that Pere Ubu was great and have almost gone and seen them live a bunch but never really checked them out. Very cool record.

It's not as good as 'The Modern Dance' but not expecting a second Pere Ubu album to be in the list. Indie music in the late 2000s owes them a big debt and they've never got the acclaim they deserve. Saw them when they played that weird ATP at Altona (it was good but no Mt Buller) and they were great.

Weird, seems like a band I’d have heard of but I don’t think I ever have. 1978 huh? I like the keyboard parts, makes it kind of fun to have catchy riffs on top of the jangly clashy rhythms. Good fodder for an eclectic mix tape.

weird as hell. it seems like black midi took a lot of influence from this. its definitely not something I'd listen to all the time but its interesting for sure.

Well this is certainly interesting. When I first put it on I was not sure what to make if it but a strange zen came over me five minutes in and I stopped reacting and started listening to it. These songs have a lot of bizarre structures, instrumentation and vocals. At times they reminded me a little bit of Talking Heads but more out there. If I wasn’t told I would never have imagined it came out in 1978. It sounds like it could have been recorded yesterday. I guess this music is so unique it really never goes out of date… I listened to this a couple times. The second time went well enough. While I probably won’t add this to my library, I don’t mind hearing it and can easily listen to it again. Favorite songs: Caligari’s Mirror, Drinking Wine Spodyody, (Pa) Ubu Dance Party, Codex I’m glad something like this exists. I’m glad to have listened to this. I’m glad to know there are people who love this.

The first lyrics you hear are "I got these arms & legs that flipflop flip flop" which sets the stage for what direction the Weirdometer is heading. This album starts out weird but good - and it ends just weird. Songs like Blow Daddy-O make me wonder how their brains would decide to make these particular sounds. I get that they are purposely making their music ugly. I just don't get how they can figure out how to do it so well. It's a talent that very few have (and we are fortunate that not many others have it) Part of me is impressed by artists who create music that is so far from what others are doing. The songwriting skill in general leaves me perplexed, but this is multiplied for songwriters who write lyrics like: "I went out and stirred the air (My soup was steeped in strange ideas)" . I can at least imagine how Pete Townshend came to the place where he could write the lyrics to "My Generation" but I can't understand in any way how someone could come up with these lyrics. Finally, is David Thomas' (the vocalist's) voice really that bad? He got a job being lead singer in a band so he must know how to sing. Perhaps his singing this way is just another arrow in the quiver used to make the music ugly. Yeah the album's ugly but I kinda like it anyway.

well this is a weird and challenging listen but none that I think will prove worth the effort it demands from the listener. The lead singer's vocal style is well unique, lots of high pitched wails that match so well with the music. 3.5 stars is where I will start - let's see if further listening will earn it a higher rating

Was this eclectic and fascinating? Yes. Was this (likely) a pioneer for the genre it belongs to? Yes. Did I enjoy this? At times. It gets a 3.

A wildly inconsistent album from one of the most influential American post-punk, art-punk bands around. You can hear the foundations of what many of those genres bands went on to explore but the album doesn't have the consistency personally to be considered as something that ages perfectly. It's worthwhile to hear how they inspired generations after them but again just not consistent enough to go back to the full length time and time again.

I think I dislike it less than it deserves...

Post punk. Rarito.

The vocals are like David Byrne at his most manic and constantly at the top of his range. The rest of the band is doing some interesting, if noisy, stuff. Too bad the vocals make this so painful to listen to. I'll go 2 stars because the band is doing interesting stuff.

Yikes, squeaky shoes, scratching, eek sounds. Some of the beats are ok but not really my vibes.

Best Song: On the Surface. Owner of perhaps the only melody on the whole album. Worst Song: Thriller! Pure distortion and feedback, to little/no creative payback. Lovely. Overall: Good golly is this shit not fun to listen to. It's all drones and noise and buzzing, without any larger sort of musical coherence to make it feel like it's every going somewhere with all that messiness. Not for me.

Weird as fuck lol - for that reason alone, it's worth at least one full listen. Per the website's description: "The title is an allusion to the visual echoes of blocks of identical row houses in Baltimore, presumably reminiscent of the echo and reverberation that characterize dub." If only those same Baltimore rowhouses were still as alive, quirky, and vibrant as the bizarre vocals and instrumentation of this album. All that's left today are mostly echoes of what once was. However, I'd be lying if I said I'd ever be inclined to revisit this one. At best it's weird and experimental; at worst, it's meandering and grating on the ears. It holds up solely as a way of transporting the listener back to the late 70s to see what was weird and 'progressive' back then.

Never heard of this band before. I like the fonts on this album cover. Vocals are like Talking Heads but dialed up to 15 (and therefore pretty darn annoying). I cycled through {"I don't like this", "Wait, maybe it's OK", "I like this bit"} many times. The Sweet Home Alabama/Drunken Sailor song really took me out. '(Pa) Ubu Dance Party' was a high point, at least for a moment. What can I say? This sure is eclectic. But if I don't know if I like it, then I probably don't like it.

2 stars if it shipped without a vocal track. Otherwise one star.

it is not bad by a long shot. but what is it really? a collection of noise? an artsy project? the insane ramblings of a madman?

I liked the music, but the singing was just hard to get past on the first listen. On the second listen I was more okay with it, but still not past it.

Great to hear this, but I did not care for it.

Not entirely sure why I needed to hear this.

Music is great. Vocals, not so much.

The best parts were when the drum beat was present and the vocals were silent. The worst parts had no drum beat and....well.... vocals. This has some value I suppose, not a 1 but I can't get to 3.

Yikes. Somewhere between the Talking Heads and Devo. Some bits sound interesting. However his voice is like fingernails down a chalkboard to me. Enough. It's joyously art rock but not a great experience. 2 I'm afraid.

Couldn't get past the chicken-like vocals. Sounded like inter-dimensional cable in Rick & Morty. Instrumentals were interesting though...

Ew. This sucked. I cant stand his voice, sorry.

The only way I can describe this is an alien fucking a speaker that's playing shit music

ugh

Back in the early 80’s, a few friends used to occasionally spin some PU at shit hole (name of our rental) gatherings. This being a strictly hardcore punk crowd by then, it rarely went over well. It was fortunate we had plenty of beer and coke to get us through the music. Now that I’m sober, it’s just fucking awful.

Maybe on another day I'd give this more but today I've felt nothing but hatred since the moment I woke up. Pere Ubu, see you in hell.

nope

Someone out there likes this but I fear it is not me.

1 stern

That was pretty bad

I couldn’t get past the fourth song. Just unpleasant to me. 1/5

Like talking heads if talking heads were just shit

The fact that this pile of garbage band has made at least two albums which appear on this list means they have now stolen approximately that many hours of my life. If any of my friends or loved ones ever reveal to me that they like this group, I will immediately sever all ties with them. Dead to me. Like I wish my ears were as I listened to this putrescence.