Dub Housing

Interesting, not bad, but not good. Like some extra weird David Byrne stuff.

3 stars

2.7

Weirdo punk stuff. I like it. Feels like a proto Mr. Bungle. Not what I expected? I've heard the name once or twice but that's about it. Pretty solid.

Day401 - i’ve never heard of pere ubu and i didn’t know what to expect but maybe they weren’t the best you can tell they are influencing better bands to come

The good, the bad, and the weird.

3 stars

I enjoyed following the cartoon logic of these songs. The album can feel like a carnival funhouse where mirrors distort your reflection and floors move unexpectedly beneath you. It’s a surreal trip through punk and surf rock with plenty of experimental turns. “Caligari’s Mirror” is a highlight. I love the way that joyful chorus bursts in!

I'm sad about an untimely and unintentional computer restart that made me lose my first draft review, but I'll sum it up: I enjoyed this. Nice level of experimentation and oddities and some interesting traditional composition moments. It was an easy listen and when I wanted to lean in I could, and there was more offered beyond the surface to get what I wanted. I went down a few rabbit holes in looking up this band. Coming across their website was a bit of a bummer because one of the first things you see is an ongoing obituary section of people in the band and various staff personnel. It was a reminder for me that many of these older acts don't have so many existing band members and that we are all listening to time capsules. Gave me a little perspective.

I didn’t hate this. I hear some Talkung Heads and some Pixies in here so that’s a win in my book. Codex is terrible though

Not bad

Abrasive and artsy vocal attempts do not a fun album make. That said, I really enjoyed the guitar work across the album, and with maybe just a touch different approach to vocals, this would’ve been something really special for me.

There was a really good song in here! And then a few okay ones..

Noisy, clangy and fun.

pwetty cool, I like the vocals

Dziwna kakofonia dźwięków, która zarówno odrzuca jak i fascynuje. Mrocznie, niepokojąco, brudno. Jakby ktoś wziął porządną płytę i roztrzaskał ją na kawałki. Nie mogę dać mniej niż 7/10, chociaż nie mogę też powiedzieć, że ten album mi się podobał.

I don't know what I was expecting, but I did enjoy this one.

I really appreciated getting Pere Ubu's debut album earlier in this collection, in part because of the unique sound and out-there-ness. I was also perfectly happy to have that one album as my sole exposure to them; I wish we could have been given a choice as to whether we wanted *more* of their avant-garage weirdness, or some artist/band that *isn't* in this collection but should be (that list is sadly quite long), as I would have eagerly chosen the latter choice. But "Dub Housing" it is. Boo, 1001 albums! Much like their first album, it's an interesting experiment but I'm not sure any particular track really stood out. "On the surface" is kind of catchy (very mildly so), and there's something a bit compelling to the refrain in "Caligari's mirror". Even though the music is quite different stylistically, I was particularly reminded of the band Colonel Bruce Hampton and the Aquarium Rescue Unit (maybe just the same sort of experimental noodling). I don't think there's any good reason to give them only two stars, except to balance out the four stars I gave them for their debut album, back when I didn't realize there was more Pere Ubu ahead of us. But that's not really fair to this album, I suppose, even if it doesn't really seem to add anything distinctive compared to their first album (although the "1001 Albums" review seems to suggest this album took a radically different turn, I must admit I didn't hear it).

Really this would be a 2.5 but I am feeling generous.

It was cool I'm a rock fan so this isn't necessarily my kind of music

first listen this one was super strange, but also not that interesting

Fine

This band is the inverse of Duran Duran. For every smooth, slick, accessible, note Duran Duran produces, Pere Ubu has its counter. It’s not that it’s bad (it isn’t), it is just crazy how consistently challenging it is to find an inroad. They are musically talented, but even more challenging at pushing the boundaries of accessibility.

Ok.

sorry i have no opinion on this so i guess it was fine. historically im kind of no thots head empty about pere ubu but maybe i should google why they are included in this list

Dave its Dave Lynch here. Been thinking that those new wave bangers from the first album are a bit superfluous. I really liked the crazy soundtrack stuff that sounds like it should be in one of my movies. So make a whole album of that. Cheers other Dave, I think we will. Having said that it's still a good listen, if you lean into the craziness.

Roots of indie rock

Es raro, pero banco. Algo prácticamente distinto a todo. Como de música teatral de terror o drama oscuro.

I don't think I'm qualified to rate this album. Bizarre as hell, but I had fun. 3/5

Definitely something wonderful and admirable about the approach to making music. It feels Like Pop avant- jazz but it is not beautiful enough for me to want to listen again. I do like later Ubu albums.

Listened to this in full on a trip round the M25. I suspect it will be a challenging listen for some, but I didn’t feel the need to skip. Followed it up with Schlagenheim by black midi.

I like the artwork. The album itself is a bit bonkers, in a good way, I guess. I'm sure I'll revisit some time.

I respect it but I don't enjoy it.

Ouf, c’est pas jolie pour les oreilles, mais en même temps j’y entrevoit une certaine qualité

Tykkäsin aika paljon tästä mukavaa musiikkia kerrassaan

Had hier niet echt zin in, klinkt hier een daar wel interessant. Eens goed opnieuw luisteren

It's different. Some parts are ok, but other parts are unbearable. I could see how someone would enjoy this though. Overall, average for me. I like some of what's going on.

Weird. Incredibly weird. I respect the artist for going all in. But it's often hard to listen to.

Honestly I can’t even say I liked most of it, but man, they sound like they are having so much fun! “Avant-garage” is a great way to describe the sound. It feels like, “What if Talking Heads, but David Byrne had a stroke and no one told him?” 2.5⭐️ (rounded up to 3 for rating)

I guess I can appreciate most of what they’re doing here.Don’t think I’ll be coming back to it though.

Be warned, this list includes not one but at least TWO Pere Ubu albums. That fact alone is almost as outrageous as this album, and for that, I applaud the curator and his atrocious gall.

You can totally hear the influence this had. Pixies, TV on the Radio, King Missile, just to skim the surface. It’s experimental punk, but well played. Never proggy. Reminds me a bit of Captain Beefheart. Certainly an acquired taste. Very interesting. Definitely different. Don’t love, but don’t hate. It’s kinda fun. 3/5

This is one of those records that is important for its influence but not something you'd be throwing on all the time.

Great music. Lots of fun.

Some of it’s a bit wishy washy but for the most part it’s decent experimental/alternative rock with a vague feel of Talking Heads

я ничего не запомнила (классика), но хватило меня на полдня

Very odd little album. It felt like a bit of a love letter to many different artists. I’m not entirely sure what to make of it but I think that’s the point.

Ended up having more fun with the second half of it. I enjoy the experimental nature and when it works it's a lot of fun. Tough one to rate after one listen. Most of these songs though didn't land for me. Rating: 3.2

唱腔有点古怪，歌还行

35 minutes of jamming with instruments they found in a cupboard

What a silly one! Reminded me a lot of Talking Heads but even more off-the-wall. A handful of really good tunes that are definitely worth a listen, but the other 5/6 are just not doing much for me, including the two rather long 4-5 minutes instrumental interludes. 5/10

The more avant-garde tracks like "Thriller!" and "Drinking Wine Spodyody" I could sort of do without due to how grading they can get to the ears, but there's some great artsy punk to be found here. The vocals will definitely be something you either hate or like.

Not exactly pleasant but it had me hooked

I was really not looking forward to this one since I frequently see it mentioned as being one of the worst albums on this list, but it was actually not terrible. Yes it’s noisy and chaotic but it’s not anything crazy.

Thriller was like massaging my brain with that weird rubber squish.

You can totally hear the influence this had. Pixies, TV on the Radio, King Missile, just to skim the surface. It’s experimental punk, but well played. Never proggy. Reminds me a bit of Captain Beefheart. Certainly an acquired taste. Very interesting. Definitely different. Don’t love, but don’t hate. It’s kinda fun.

I was a little apprehensive when I read "Dub" in the title as I hate DubStep, but then I saw the date the album was made and started feeling better. Then I listened to the album and felt great! I don't recall ever hearing about Pere Ubu. After listening to the album, as much as I enjoyed it, I can understand why it stayed underground and why I had not heard of Pere Ubu.

Most of this was decent proto-new wave. Cool to see some of the beginnings of that movement. But man Thriller! sucked

This is an interesting one. I can't say I *enjoyed* listening to it, but it was certainly *interesting* to listen to these tracks. I also wouldn't say it is bad music- everything feels intentional and correct, even when it makes my eardrums uncomfortable. 2/5 for enjoyment, but I am glad to listen to something so different.

weird but fun

ohio rizz sigma skibidi

Muy distinto a lo que suelo escuchar, me sirvió para tomar el tiempo de mi viaje al trabajo. Intrigante el absurdismo que proponen. 🤔

This is exactly why I continue to plow through this list. What a wild and wonderful album.

The music started and I was like, "Ok... 😀" Then the vocals started and I was like, "Oh, ok... 😐"

An attempt was made

Enjoyable weirdness. How does he even sing like that?!

It was fine.

I actually kind of liked this.

I can see why some people appreciate this band.

I honestly hated this much as I respected it, didn't enjoy, but glad it was made

I’m glad I l heard this, though I’m not sure I can say that I enjoyed this. I take that back- I did enjoy this, and there were enough experimental and creative moments that it kept me engaged throughout. It felt like it was made with a proper punk ethos, which I respect, though this was genrefied as post-punk. Was punk already dead in ‘78?

3.75

Jännä kombo indiee ja garagee ja sit viel jotain etelärokkii. Ei tää nyt kuitenkaan kauheesti lähtenyt. 3/5

Talking heads but worse It grew on me though Might like it more when I listen again

I'll put it like this: the band was described itself as "avant-garage," and I dig the "garage" half more than I do the "avant-" half.

I feel like I got hypnotized. Seriously, I really don’t quite know what the fuck to make of that. There’s two ways to listen to this album: by sitting down and trying to actually give a sort of critique on the soundscape of everything, the mixing, etc., and go from there. There’s also the approach I took by “Thriller!” which was to just stand up, walk in place, and let the music simply drag me around. The latter worked for me; I don’t know why, but “Thriller!”, “Drinking Wine Spodyody,” and “Codex” were hypnotically pleasing despite being objectively terrible soundscapes, solely from just walking in place. That hypnotism made me realize this album feels like a Talking Heads album one might create in their sleep (with a really bad hangover). The first half of this album doesn’t work for me at all; I think it’s too noisy to be a walk in place sort of mood, but the back half works for me. I don’t think I can ever revisit this album except to experience that sort of hypnotic feeling again, because as far as an actual structured album, in the traditional sense, it’s absolutely a 2. However, in terms of just how I felt… I dunno, that feeling and the sort of otherworldly escape I felt seems 4-ish. I’ll split the difference and say a 3. What a strange, strange, almost alien album that doesn’t feel like anything else from 1978 whatsoever.

Experimental post-punk with some jazz flair. Sort of crazy lyrics that actually read as decent absurdist poetry. *Sigh* This album should be my jam, and I really wanted to like it more than I did. It's a little bit Public Image Ltd, a little bit Alex Harvey, a little bit Peter Gabriel. There are some funky grooves and a lot of weirdness. There are even some fun, catchy poppier songs (Caligari's Mirror). *However* Holy hell, is this dude's voice annoying. He sounds like Alex Harvey on helium. Actually, it's like listening to Andy Serkis performing this album as Smeagol. It gets very grating unless he's buffered by the music and other vocals (again, Caligari's Mirror). Thriller! is a weird "instrumental" pastiche of ambient sounds and excerpts of recordings that sounds like something you'd hear during the Haunted Mansion ride at Disney World. It's sort of interesting at first, but it just goes on way too long. I might give this one a few more listens to see if it grows on me more. It's not bad per se, I just can't get on board with the dude's voice. I'll probably stick with the Sensational Alex Harvey band if I'm looking for this style of album in the future. 3/5 — it would be a 4 if the dude's voice didn't make my ears bleed.

אוונגארד לא משהו אבל עדיין שמיע

3.5

Very off the wall and experimental but I think it worked. I’m all for a reference to French theatre - just the right amount of pretension. I have heard of Père Ubu but for some reason I thought they were ‘World Music’ - a strange name for a genre. Anyway they’re not but I quite like the slightly aggressive screechy punk overtones. Surprising and refreshing.

I'm a bit down the middle on this. I liked the compositions and the vibe, but deliberately bad singing is difficult to endure. And OK, "bad" is not a great descriptor. Non-musical? Creatively atonal? All over the fucking place? Whatever. I recognize the dude is wildly expressive, but I kept thinking, if I had walked into an audition when I was in my early 20s and the guy started singing like that, I would have picked up my sticks and headed for the door in three minutes. Like, how do you hear that and decide — Yes! That's the sound we were looking for? So, good on them for turning that into a "must-listen," but I stand by my decision to decline their offer to join the band.

This is wicked weird and will get extra stars for just being way out there. The recording quality is high and the songs barely hold together in the best way possible.

The first half of the album was surprising and fresh. Really enjoyed the melding of punk and electronica elements. I feel like the last 2 tracks were superfluous. The last half of the album, I kept checking “how much more do I have to go before it’s over?”

Some of the songs are good. Others... no so much. What the heck is going on in Drink Wine Spodyody or Thriller? Touch call on this one...

Good, not great album for supposed big influence on indie/alternative rock scene. Meh.

Not for me dawg

Navvy - 6.5/10 On The Surface - 7/10 Dub Housing - 7.5/10 Cagliari's Mirror - 6.5/10 Thriller! - 6/10 I, Will Wait - 7/10 Drinking Wine Spodyody - 7.5/10 Ubu Dance Party - 6/10 Blow Daddy-O - 7.5/10 Codex - 7.5/10 TOTAL - 69/100

I wanted to like it more really.

Nothing exceptional here. Maybe weird for the time but there have always been artists that have an alternate vision. An eclectic mix with the better songs having none or muted vocals.

Different!

Neat album, and I like what it's trying to do. However, I don't super see myself listening to it again. Maybe though. 3.25/5

This record feels like a unique and creative descent into madness and I kinda liked it. Wasn't really for me but I could recognize some of the influence.

Vocals extrem gewöhnungsbedürftig, aber musikalisch wars insgesamt mal erfrischend anders. 2,6.

Iinteresting…

It's got its highs and lows. Not as much fun as This Modern Dance, but I'd re-listen...

thankfully, not another singer-songwriter album. sounds very experimental, disorientating and punky at times. not sure id listen to it again tbh Significant 31/96 Liked 15/96 Added 4/96 YYN(maybe?)

I've really come to enjoy this album. Not accessible by any means but they absolutely did their own thing and did it well. Elements of Devo, the talking heads, Fugazi, combined with some weird 80's art school aesthetics.

One of the hardest albums I've had to rate. I absolutely did not like it but I also found myself mesmerized by the sound more than once. What a strange ride. I know I'll think about this album in the future.

Ubu #2 My first impression is, I kinda liked this more than the first one? Even if that just means that I’m now more accustomed to the funhouse-mirror-warped rock that is Pere Ubu’s music. Not the easiest of listens, but I think this gets a bad wrap on this website. I can’t decide on the big finale “Codex”, on 1st listen it sounded like the worst song ever written, but I keep going back to it…? Hm 3.5 HL: title track, “On The Surface”, “Caligari’s Mirror”, “I Will Wait” December 16th, 2023

Talking Heads esq 3.5

Funky, fun, zany, and eccentric. I think Pete Ubu is just a weird band that made weird music that wasn’t terrible. Had never heard of this group or any of their music before but I enjoyed this one! Three stars.

This is a very absurdist punk album. At times it felt like they had a random noise generator as a backing track. A very wild and mentally stimulating listening session. Punk and rock will always have a plus to my heart. I probably wont listen to songs on this album in my daily listening, but I do appreciate aspects of this album that I can hear more current artists in my life being influenced by.

Very modern-sounding, I can definitely see how it was influential for a lot of people and bands. Unfortunately I didn't actually enjoy it.

There's a lot of post punk I love, there's a new wave that needed pioneers. I can trace a line from this to them. There's a time when I'd have got into an album like this "just because" but it's difficult listening. But I can see what it led to.

3.5 - I can see why this may have felt like a groundbreaker when it first came out. Pere Ubu definitely applies a vastly wide sonic palate and there’s no shortage of anomalies and it takes a while to settle into this Devo-on-ketamine type of sound. I like a stretch of three songs on side B - “Drinking Wine Spodyody”, “(Pa) Ubu Dance Party” and “Blow Daddy-O.” But overall I get a little tired of this seemingly rudderless whackiness. Perhaps at some later time if I have an occasion to revisit this record, maybe I’ll draw some deeper meaning?

Another band I've heard about forever but never listened to before. Musically interesting but the yawping vocal style is not for me.

I like all of the instruments sounds and stuff, besides for maybe thriller being a little too slow for listening to while cooking, but the vocals feel like something I would enjoy more on future listens rather than the first. Wanted to do 3.5 but it won't let me!!

3.5

I think that a lot of people tend to forget that post-punk can embody a wide range of sounds. It can sound more new wave like the Talking Heads, or it can sound more gothic like the Cure. Those who saw the potential in post-punk early on would adopt a more experimental attitude. Pere Ubu is one of those experiments. Despite the name, there's only a little bit of dub influence in Dub Housing. Most of the runtime is tied up in janky, angular guitars and off-key wails. It gets especially experimental in the tape noises of Thriller! as sounds get less and less intelligible. A descent into madness. Side B brings us back to reality with some wonky synths and a bass groove that slides around. Pere Ubu captures music from a universe slightly different from ours, where we're maybe a file miles closer to the sun and it cooked our brains a little more than usual. I can see why many people would not like this bold form of post-punk, but I happened to enjoy what this album has to offer. Certainly better than their debut.

Weird. Kinda sounds like captain beefheart. Can't say I loved it, but it's the kind of thing that takes more than one listen. Not sure I'll give it that. There were a couple tracks that were kind fun... Wine spodyody especially

This album starts out very jarring. It's nothing short of weird. The abnormal high pitched vocals paired with the high pitched keyboard will definitely get your attention. The singing style is so weird that the lyrics are indistinguishable most of the time but it gives off a very counter-culture vibe. The album starts to settle down around the third track, Dub Housing, on which I really enjoyed the background vocals. Then it really quiets down on Thriller! where it switches to droning guitar with spacey background noises in a way that is reminiscent of a horror movie. It feels like you're in a fishbowl listening to somebody's distorted voice talk over the radio. This song doesn't feel like it belongs on the album stylistically and I'm not sure what purpose it's supposed to serve. But we jump right back in to the unique vocals and alt rock sound in I, Will Wait. I think my favorite song on the album is Drinking Wine Spodyody. It's fun, short, and sweet. (Pa) Ubu Dance Party follows a similar vibe. The last couple songs lose me. Blow Daddy-O has the pacing of Thriller! without the intrigue and Codex is super repetitive with very strained singing. Overall I feel like I should love or hate this album because it's so weird. But truly there are spots that I love and spots that I hate. For only being 35 mins, it feels like this album takes a lot of stylistic twists and turns. Some I like more than others. I wish it were more cohesive and transition better from song to song.

Impossible to mistake for anyone else. I prefer Modern Dance but this one's pretty good.

Rythmé, inclassable. J’aime parce que ce n’est pas ce que j’ai l’habitude d’entendre

Late 70s experimental, avant-garde album with a few more traditional tracks. This is more musician's music. Pere Ubu is one of those bands that may be known more than actually heard because they have more influence with other musicians than on a general audience. "Dub Housing" is not necessarily for everyone but includes some interesting tinkering with sound and arrangments.

post-punk, bordering on experimental

It's probably a cliche, but it does sound like Devo / Talking Heads, but less accessible. Survivorship bias there. Devo had better nerd appeal, catchier hits. Talking Heads also catchier hooks / rhythm section and better vocals... still same ilk. I respect it, chronologically. This was no copycat, this were also Post-Punk pioneers. More experimental. I was starting to dig it but the vocals on Calgary's Mirror was a little too weird and threw me off. I accidentally started listening to Street Waves, was getting into it, and realized that was off The Modern Dance. Thriller! is definitely avant-garde, so that's cool especially because the weirdness is mostly instrumental. Codex just does not work for me, I'm trying to be more open to this stuff, but it just ain't hittin'... it's cringey for me. I get that's probably the point, but I don't like it. Going with a 3 on this one. I don't think I'd claim to be a fan of Pere Ubu based on this album, but I'm glad I'm more aware of them. Thinking I might like The Modern Dance better, so we'll see!

A couple of weeks ago I really didn't know these guys, now, I've heard two of their albums and am becoming a fan! Modern Dance is better than this one, but still pretty damn interesting. Standout: Navvy Others: Dub Housing, I Will Wait, Codex, 3.5/5

Post-punk. Ni fu ni fa.

Interesting, strange, varied. Fave track: Caligari's Mirror

A bit too strange for me.

Can't say much about this.

Interesting, if sometimes off-putting proto/avant-garde-punk rock. Definitely worth one listen. Personal tastes will dictate if subsequent listens are warranted.

The word I would use to describe this would be experimental. I can imagine in the late 70s when this was released it was quite groundbreaking, but is just a bit odd now. Not unpleasant though

The vocals are the weirdest thing about the album. Starts of strong but I lost interest by the end

Really surprised at this record, it was nothing like I expected. Some bands pioneer the path for others and Pere Ubu are one of those bands. PIL are clearly one. The Rapture and “House of Jealous Lovers” must have had a Pere Ubu album tucked away in their collections. A band and album that signalled a direction for others.

Inga större fel på denna.

Lacking flow, but not intensity

Really very odd but strangely entertaining. At least dates to be different

It's not "bad" in those certain terms, but I don't know if I see this as post-punk. It's not necessarily a required album, as it is kind of bizarre.

Decent. It's not great, and might not belong on the list, but I appreciate that American post-punk got a spot, so I'm giving it a 3. 3/5

6/10

Enjoyef

Well slightly disappointed it’s not actually a dub album - but it’s an interesting new wave album - akin to Talking Heads, Devo and the likes. While it’s probably groundbreaking at it’s time - it’s objectively doesn’t stand as well next to it’s peers - with most of the stylings, less of the songs.

Ja oke mag er zijn

moglo je i bolje sjest, nije loše, ali nije ni toliko zanimljivo da me odnese

Post-punk. Ni fu ni fa.

These guys are pretty interesting, this isn’t their best album though

1/30- Driving to school

Odd but mildly interesting, a bit like talking heads

I like the instrumentals, reminds me of garage indie like The Fall but I don’t like the vocals, too wacky & to the fore for me. The very start of post punk. Well produced, loads of ideas & sounds going on here. It’s quite dubby, woozy dub. It’s really hard to describe or categorise this LP, it’s unique, other than the voice it’s really interesting, I’m glad I’ve heard it. As for that voice it just shouts and wails tuneless inane lyrics, it’s too art punk for me. Live it could well have worked though, the voice working like another instrument, jamming with and surfing on it. The music is very alternative, which is a good thing, proper indie music I would call it, John Peel Festive 50. I rate 5 for the music & production 1 for the vocals which gives it a 3. I love the cover art & LP title. Creepy, mysterious, woozy music.

I want to respect this but I just did not like this

Очень сумасшедшая музыка. Авангард-панк. Не моё, хотя саксофон и бас иногда прикольно звучат.

Oh Lord. Beautiful music, classic rock-ish, but the vocals completely took me out. TERRIBLY whiney and just overall a killer. I cherished the songs on the album without the vocals. Would I go back to this album? Maybe-ish but probably not. Favorite lyric: Lack of lyric.

I actually really liked a lot of this.

Decent 80s new wave protopunk.

Plot: Someone gave too many drugs to David Byrne. Instrumentally I love everything that is going on, but like many people I can't get onboard with the vocals. They are too distracting in their delivery. I am fine with atonal but it's just kind of annoying to me. They are sort of "there" in their annoyance, I'd want it either more abrasive or less atonal and not in this middling area of cacophony. "I, Will Wait" is more along the lines of what I want. Actually the 2nd half of the album would be a 4 for me. It's starting to grow on me though, but my initial impression is 3.

Not bad but one and done.

flashes of good, flashes of avant-garde toss. mad that it came out in 78 though, seems like it should be early 80s so it was probably pioneering.

Really interesting, knew nothing of Pere Ubu but was pleasantly surprised.

Just ok

It's weird. It's original. It's sometimes catchy and sometimes it's just dizzy. I liked it musically, and the vocals weren't so annoying that it grated on me. They get the third star for keeping my interest for an entire album.

Pere weird imo. Lots of dissonant sounds that never really came together, seems Talking Heads - esque but not quite there

Fun and chaotic as usual.

Great music supporting an obnoxious asshole of a singer.

Rating: 6/10

Layered, but I think I prefer anything by Swell Maps.

V strange

I don't think bands that include performance art as part of their act cannot fully express their message via audio. It seems to me I'm only receiving somewhere in the vicinity of half of what they are trying to get across. Mostly what gets conveyed is chaos. Which, I didn't hate, but I feel like there was more I was supposed to experience.

This is the weirdest album Iv had on this list in a while. I surprisingly enjoyed this. So great moments on the album but also some of this is unlistenable. Can see this being very influential on future experimental bands. Not sure I enjoyed it enough to make my regular rotation though.

I've never fully got on with Pere Ubu's middle class anti-music though I really do love the last three tracks.

Chillin likt en villin

Suprisingly good. Never heard of them before but it was well advanced for its time.

Daban ganas de estar en el show de Pere Ubu. Gran canción de apertura para mostrar el espíritu del asunto. Me gustó.

Decent shit, hlustaði bara einu sinni í gegn og var svona hálfsofandi þannig þetta mergaðist allt saman hjá mér en það voru skemmtilegar melodiur og áhugaverðr hugmyndir, nennti samt ekki að hlusta aftur, kannski seinna!

This is super weird. Vocally not really interesting, in fact, it's kind of annoying. I don't hate it.... But that's not saying much. 3 because I can see how they were influential

Probably the strangest album I've gotten in this list so far. Interesting in some parts, but just plain annoying in others.

Kinda neat. I can see how it would have been influential, but it wasn't a very fun thing to listen to.

I like pere ubu but this sounded too disjointed

Sufficiently weird.

Demasiado raro para mi gusto

Not my kind of thing, but one of those things I can accept as good despite that.

.

Dub Housing? Deceiving album name... Enjoyed it mostly, but pretty abrasive vocals. *Talking Heads

Dafuq

that one song with the muffled scratchy sound was painful

Some of it's a little too punk/shouty for me, but there are some fun sounds and upbeat vibes in here.

Post punk, first track and vocals interesting. Not bad.

better than I expected, not sure why I expected like techno or some crap, it wasn't bad actually

What the hell did I just listen to, very experimental but just didn’t click with me

i'll be honest, i gave this one listen, couldnt stand it and havent made the effort to try again. Some screeching and no tunes. im sure there is something there if i had headphones and some attention for it, but you cant win em all

Unhinged. The vocals put me off most. They were actively annoying most of the time. The vocals in the final song are a great example. Just awful. The rest of it is insane but comes together pretty well. Less annoying vocals would have probably put it at a 7/10. 4/10 Acceptable

Review - I don't like this anywhere near as much as I'd like to. Wire for people who like bad music. Score - 4/10 Need to listen? NO

Yea, this was different for sure. I didn't really mind it up to Thriller. Actually thought Caligari's Mirror was pretty enjoyable. After I heard Thriller and found it was just a bunch of weird songs and not a remake of MJ, it all seemed like a bunch of noise. Bonus points for the guy's unique voice!

2 I saw post-punk, I saw 1978, I saw a group of underground Midwesterners, and I was fully prepared to be introduced to one of this list’s best kept secrets yet. I’m not sure exactly what I had in mind, but whatever it was, it wasn’t this. Yeah, for the most part, I found this album pretty annoying. There are so many times when it almost does something interesting or catchy and then opts instead to devolve into an incoherent mess. I suppose you could argue that DIY, “no f***s given” type of songwriting puts the “punk” in “post-punk” in this case, but unlike, say, Dead Kennedys or Replacements, this didn’t have me feeling any type of charged-up or angsty way - I mostly just felt perturbed. Honestly though, I think I can chalk most of that up to the singer. Normally, I actually prefer a non-conventional vocalist, but it almost feels like he’s making it a point here to try and get under your skin (which is similar to how I often feel about fellow post-punk icon David Byrne). As such, the songs where he dialed it back at least a touch were probably my favorites, with On the Surface and Caligari’s Mirror being the two that stick out to me now (the “Drunken Sailor” interpolation on the latter honestly worked far better than it had any business to), but still, I would say this mostly ran together. I didn’t hate this, and I would definitely say there are moments of enjoyability, but those are packed in-between a lot of BS. Still, I’ll give it bonus points for its uniqueness - the only parallel I’m really able to draw right now is the one I made with Talking Heads, and even then, I wouldn’t call the two overly similar. But, then again… they’re both grating attempts at blending punk and funk with an insufferable singer, so maybe it’s not that farfetched. Bonus points deducted. These guys certainly are no Gang of Four.

Too weird for me.

Good music, terrible vocals.

Very cool instrumentation, i liked how avante garde it felt but sometimes that doesn’t always translate to listenable music

Dude’s voice is quite possibly my own personal hell.

1978 post punk--I had to look up the definition because I was thrown off by the "post" part. Punk was still thriving in 1978. The web says post punk has more complex chords, experimentation, and "introspective lyrics." Ha. The singer's voice is distinctive, but unlistenable. I can barely pay attention to what's going on musically because the vocal is so cringey. Title track--third song--is instrumental so that helps. I skimmed the rest--really liked the bass lines. Really hated the singer. Not crazy about the rest.

first album I got where I truly had no idea what to expect and had never heard of them. a little too out there for me to go back and listen multiple times. i would jam if it came on the radio though, but the whole thing sounded like spongebob on ketamine.

Well, it’s certainly original. Can’t say I enjoyed it though.

376/1001 Pere Ubu - Dub Housing Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ One of those where I just can't get on with the vocals at all. Musically it can be interesting at times, but yeah not for me.

I understand the importance but it was WAY to abrasive for me.

I only liked the first two songs and only kind of. Points for creativity. But also, its ok to make your voice sound good! Its like jack white but only the bad parts. Instruments were very interesting on some of it but those vocals man, those are awful. I was in between a 1 and a 3, and I don't want to give it a 2 if that makes sense. Like either a 1 or a 3. So 2 will have to do. Highlights Navvy (Best) On the Surface

God damn this was a weird one. The honor of being in the bottom 20 is not an honor granted to most, but out of 1089 albums, some of them have to be the worst. And you know what?? While this was dreadfully awful, this is the first album in the bottom 20 that I’m not going to give a 1. Behind the worst vocals I think I’ve ever heard in my entire life, there’s some cool audio effects and funky riffs going on. I don’t know why this was as bearable as it ended up being, but I managed to spend the day listening to this one, which isn’t something I manage to do to even some 3 star albums. But seriously, I want to know what the hell this dude is doing trying to sing, and what the background is that anyone would think it was ok to continue doing. Even worse, there are 2 of his albums on here, and the other one apparently just BARELY avoided being in the bottom 20 itself, although it’s never too late for that. Despite, again, the singer just sounding dreadful, I was able to tune him out surprisingly pretty easily. This album might be terrible, but there are a few that I’ve heard that I believe were even worse. So somehow, some way, Dub Housing by Pere Ubu feels like it should be a 2 to me. Is that the correct decision?? I really don’t know. But after a while it grew on me in a very strange way, and I grew to, at the bare minimum, find it unique and bearable to get through. Again, the same couldn’t be said about a handful of other albums I have endured so far. My favorite song on this one was almost the titular track, “Dub Housing”, but I like the way the song before that one opens a little bit more, so I’ll give it to “On the Surface”. Did I really enjoy any of this? God no. But it was unrelentingly strange and pulled me in, in a way it definitely shouldn’t have, so I won’t complain. It gets a low 2. Very low. Very, very low. This album caught me on a good day and is liable to be given a 1 star review at any time. I think if I listened to this on any other day, it probably would end up getting a 1. I might change it later. Who knows?? On to the next one.

2.5 - ok

Well. That's different. I can't say I wasn't entertained But some tracks entertained me more than others. Some stuff was catchy. Other bits were a real chore. Nothing really grabbed me enough to bother listening again

Not a dub step album lol. It's like drunken sailors from the deep south having a good time. My ears didn't have a good time though.

Meh... just messy.

3.5/10

This was just okay.

This one didn’t impress me. Sounded like they wanted to be LCD Soundsystem, just not as good

Possibly interesting but just too grating for me

No thanks.

Ik was zeer enthousiast over het vorige album van deze band; die gaf ik een welverdiende 1 ster. Omdat dit een ironische kut band is, tenminste daar ga ik dan even van uit. Nu ook meteen, het eerste nummer is eigenlijk gewoon nauwelijks muziek te noemen. De muziek is vreemd, de lyrics zijn niet te verstaan maar doen me vaag denken aan David Byrne van Talking Heads, maar dan na zoveel ketamine dat hij geen normale volzinnen meer kan maken. Eigenlijk doet de muziek me daar ook een beetje aan denken, het is niet dansbaar, het is traag, het is vreemd en soms klinkt het echt alsof ze maar gewoon op een drumstel slaan en hopen op het beste... Word dit weer een 1? Ik moet zeggen dat ik sinds het vorige album een stuk opener naar muziek ben gaan luisteren en echt mn best doe om zelfs de meest vreemde muziek een kans te geven. Merk dat ik dit al schrijf om echt een excuus te hebben als dit een 1 word. Meestal zijn dat namelijk albums die niet serieus te nemen zijn of juist zo ontzettend matig dat er niets uit te halen valt. Dit is muziek die niet goed moet zijn, dat is het hele doel er van, maar ik vind dat zo lastig om mee om te gaan. Omdat als muziek slecht is, maar het is ironisch slecht, is het dan weer goed? Missie geslaagd? Of mag je het dan nog steeds gewoon slecht vinden, ongeacht het 'doel' van de makers. Nee, ik haal hier ontzettend weinig uit. Denk dat het iets meer luisterbaar is dan het debuut album, maar eerlijk? Daar is dan ook wel alles mee gezegd. FAVO:

First impression was that this is the Wario to Talking Heads Mario. A lot of talk about this album being intentionally performed "bad", and I think that's selling it a bit short. There's lot's of wild expressionism in the manic, disjointed delivery of lyrics. There's a clear and intentional devolution in the tracklisting, with the last two songs feeling like hallucinations as much as they feel like music. Not much to say because it's not my jam. But this certainly has it's place as thought-provoking art. 2/5

I hate when avant-garde means "unlistenable" and not "predicted future musical trends". This isn't quite unlistenable, there are some good tracks, but it was mostly a rough slog

The title of this album is very misleading. It's quite hard to describe or even really review this piece of music as its intentionally trying to challenge you with its experimental nature. It doesn't fully work for me. I think the more experimental vocals are interesting. But that's about as far as it goes for me. It's OK. I don't really gel with this, and if I'm being honest, I don't really understand what the album is trying to communicate with me, so I don't really connect with it in any way. Fav Track: On The Surfaces

Look, this is probably up there with Cap Beefheart or some shit, but i find stuff like Tom Wairs & Captain Beefheart listenable to some degree, i get the experimentalism behind this but it's not as listenable to me as the others. Sucks to suck

I have a problem with people singing/playing out of tune, even if on purpose. The album has its moments, but it does too good a job being annoying. 5/10

What a strange album…some tracks I quite liked, and others that made me want to vomit. Gotta be a 2

Axe that nails on a chalkboard vibe some of these tracks has and it gets a higher score

I’m an intellectual, so I’m bound to like Pere Ubu. A couple of listens was probably enough. And now I know where David Byrne got it from.

Its. Good album nothing I cant live without

I don’t care for this. I Will Wait was a solid track but I don’t care for this record.

bruh i listened to this and i cant remember it the curse of 1001 is talking hold where music is starting to become noise. is it pushing the boundary of the art or is it just bad. what defines the value of music. is there a way to objectively rate goodness. i think there is. its called me wanting to finish the album faster so i can listen to the same video game soundtracks over and over instead

There are elements of good songs scattered throughout this album. I just never felt like they put it all together.

Not unpleasant

I found this interesting without totally loving it… maybe meds a couple of listens?

Nothing on this was either enjoyable or interesting. It's not even bad enough to hate.

Idk how to rate this, it's weird and interesting in some aspects but then unlistenable to in some places like thriller. Their goal was never to make something listenable. As a project however it isnt very cohesive or well done 3/10

I can’t think of a greater chasm between singer and band than this. There’s some really interesting, groundbreaking work here, but hearing it is like trying to focus on a piano recital with a car alarm going off.

Weird. But better than their other offering on here. Best not be a third. Some good beats. Terrible vocals.

The first five seconds were promising, and then the lead singer started ... "singing" I saw the Talking Heads comparison and while I get it, I am offended on David Byrne's behalf. This feels more like the Wario version of the Talking Heads used to torture prisoners.

fav songs: dub housing experimental, unconventional, tense 40/100

this shit was not good

hmmp. I don't hate it.

This is an interesting album of alternative punk and by interesting I mean not that good. In my opinion, Pere Ubu's version of Thriller! is much better than Michael Jackson's, so it's got that going for f it.

After listening to this, I was curious if this album sold well. According to Google, it did not and was a commercial failure. And it was years later that someone saw this album as a 'missing link' in the evolution of music that made way for experimental acts like Devo and Talking Heads. It's not that they saw this as good music deserving laud... but rather saw it as a waypoint in the history of pop music. That said, I'm having a hard time seeing this link as Devo and Talking Heads created music that was far more successful than this. All this raises the question for me; does this album belong on this list? Sure there were a few cool moments here and there, but nothing that I would find myself itching to hear down the road. Right now in June 2026 the music world is all a buzz about the French Canadaian Duo Angine de Poitrine. Their music utilizes microtones and is very much on the cutting edge of musical innovation. And they are selling out concerts because the demand for tickets is so high. It's definitely possible to be innovative without alienating listeners.

This is a strange pick. While I respect the attempts to experiment and innovate here, aside from a few moments, it’s not well-executed. If it’s influential, that’s only from a handful of picked pieces of ideas. All due respect, but why is this considered to be something particularly important to listen to beyond those who are really into this style, specifically? I worry about what kind of albums missed the cut for this list to make room for one like this. 1 listen

This showed promise but fell really hard really fast. I can’t quite give it a 1 but it’s extremely close

The thing about ugly aesthetics in art, particularly in art that requires audience engagement over a period of time like music, is that you need some kind of anchor to keep the audience’s attention while still conveying whatever feeling you were trying to. There are few things motivating me to try to care about what’s going on in the music here, so “bad on pupose” becomes just “bad”.

Truly something. Would be a lie to say I enjoyed this, but at least I guess it gets points for being different than some of the other things on this list

It sounds like they were looking for hooks for a lot of their songs, mucking about until they found one but never actually did. They’re clearly talented musicians with some good ideas but for me it never coalesced into anything enjoyable to listen to. I have no doubt there are people who will love this and give it 5 stars as an ‘incredible new discovery for me’ etc. but I’m not among their number.

Some flashes of brilliance in amongst the sound of someone hitting pipes with hammers.

did not like again

A mixture of interesting tracks and unlistenable stuff. Not enough to make me listen again unfortunately.

The infamous Pere Ubu album. The intro started on the first song and I thought, sounds pretty good, what’s the big deal? Then, the singer started singing and there it is. I sense a bit of David Byrne in the vocals, but if he decided to just shout his way through every song in a falsetto. It’s a really interesting album that I probably wouldn’t listen to again, but I don’t think it warrants the negativity. There’s a lot worse on the generator.

Music is interesting, but these vocals…

Very experimental, voice wasn't in tune anywhere. I could appreciate some parts of what they were doing, but some parts of the music and voice where too distracting to really enjoy it. 1. I, Will wait 2. (Pa) Ubu Dance Party 3. On the surface

I think this is just about the right side of odd. But my main question for the artist is: are you ok? Have you recovered? It was mainly just weird vibes and interesting, experimental post punk sounds but then you got the occasional jarring song and “Codex” was all a bit much. So I applaud it but I can’t see myself ever seeking it out again. I think it deserves its place but not for me.

The songs were okay. The noise tracks were garbage and unnecessary. It just kind of faded unnoticed into the background, which is rarely a good thing for an album like this, where immediacy is key.

2/5

Ehhhhhhhh not so much for me.

I have found my tolerance for this kind of music to be wholly dependent on my mood because while I liked 'The Modern Dance' I found this album to be absolutely insufferable. Favorite Track: Caligari's mirror

Trying to think of what is keeping this from being one star and honestly I'm not sure so you'd better stop asking

I mean this with all of my heart: ...meh?... It's quite a different album, which I have no problems with experimenting and doing things really differently. This album doesn't follow much form and is often meandering, blurring the lines of rhythm and cohesiveness. Even a few of the songs were really enjoyable! But ultimately, this album doesn't do enough to make me care about it. It doesn't make me want to dance, nor sway, nor listen to the words, nor sing along. It's just seems to exist for itself in the void. And I'm not really into that part.

This was… something. Kinda noise at times, kinda interesting at others. Not a fan of the vocals and definitely not one I’d return to. 2/5

Bof c'était un peu space

Meh

2/5

Definite two.

I guess bro

Some of it sounds like cats fighting; not cats fighting and dying like Yoko Ono, just fighting and then moving on with their lives. Some of it sounds like you're standing in an abandoned building and someone on another floor is banging on pipes. And yet. I can't give it 1 star for some reason. 1.5 rounded to 2. I'm sure it was influential or something

I’m over these guys

Quite chaotic, bass driven punk. Struggling to get affinity with it

You know how the lead singer of Clap Your Hands Say Yeah sometimes sounds like someone doing an imitation with more voice breaks and yelping? Well the lead singer of Pere Ubu sounds like someone doing an imitation of the Clap Your Hands Say Yeah singer, bit with more voice breaks and yelping. This is the second Pere Ubu album we've had, and the weaker of the two... and the first wasn't great. Sometimes it feels like it's on the verge of being interesting and enjoyable, but that usually collapses pretty quickly.

Maybe my expectations were low, but I hated this less than Deep Purple. Is it dissonant and experimental at times? Sure? Is it unlisten-able? Only in parts.

It neither seems coherent, nor particularly structured to me, more of a chaos with non-descriptive and almost meaningless lyrics. Some of the musical ideas are interesting, but could have been better executed (i.e. the melody on the last track). Nothing really stands out from this album.

Ok for a couple of songs, then it gets annoying.

This is probably the strangest rock music I've ever listened to (if you can call it that). The vocal style is certainly an acquired taste (out of key, a lot of spoken dialogue). There are lots of weird sound effects and samples added in. In fact, "Thriller!" is pretty much just sounds and samples. It has some funky moments and plenty of lap steel guitar. It comes across as just an extended jam session to me. It did start out more cohesive and just standard psychedelic rock, but it got weirder as time went on. I think this album was a little too weird for me, but there were a few interesting musical moments I liked (like in "Caligari's Mirror").

This is terrible

There was cool, instrumentation, experimental sound design, and psychedelic composition elements, but sorry I don't like the lead singer very much XD The second half of the album wasn't bad I guess, I liked I will wait and Ubu dance party

I remember hearing (or reading) about this group, and this album in particular, when I was in college, and getting the impression that it was super cool, but somehow I never got it . . . and, well, I guess, good thing, cuz it kinda sucks, lol. Ok, maybe not exactly sucks, but just . . . not super musical or pleasant or enjoyable to listen to? I mean, I guess I can appreciate its creativity, and willful freakiness, but . . . life's too short? I have a slight feeling of failing, somehow (in not liking it more), but I think I have to give this 2 stars (an extra star, above just 1, in part for just being creative and pushing the envelope).

This is what Talking Heads sounds like to people who don’t like Talking Heads

Started out pretty interesting. Some unique sounds. But got annoying by the end

This one felt a little aimlessly weird without enough substance.

Partly great, partly just weird.

While reading about the album, I really wanted to like it. But it's just too divided for me. High and lows.

Don’t know if Talking heads sounds like a shit them or the other way around. Not a huge fan of this either way. Specific rating - 2.4 Fav song - drinking wine spodyody Least fav- thriller!

Another in a series of bands that were really important to bands that were really important to me. If new music today made by younger folks plays like music made for their peers +/- a cohort but not for me, the likes of late 70s bands are for a set alive before I was born and...does not always feel timeless. It’s like 1-2 standard deviations removed from me. Which is fine, I’m happy I have the Pixies, Wrens, etc.

This is not really doing it for me - It’s close to being good though

I can usually find something I like in music that is unconventional but this is so all over the place that nothing stuck with me long enough to care about what I was listening to.

Bizarre. Not at all bad musically - and even flirted with a 3 at times - but it was too difficult to not be convinced otherwise by the absurd vocals.

Favorite Track: On the Surface

This album is 35 minutes long. That was the longest 35 minutes I've ever sat through.

This album does some interesting things, but not for me.

I kind of liked this album. It has a lot of energy, it's angry but overall I really didn't care for it. Wouldn't listen to it again and certainly would not want it in my collection

Not the right vibe

Uhh what

I don't need to listen to that again -

I enjoy this more than their debut, it sounds equally as angry and raw but it seems to have a bit more of direction. 7/10 [KEEP]

Came close to a 1

lowkey just sounded werid, was not for me

Dang it I was so excited about a house music album

Late 70s alt-rock. One of the most important post punk albums. Very weird vocals, sometimes pleading, sometimes clucking. Some very weird noises, experimental. Kind of unpleasant and unsettling.

Late 70s rock - I'm not sure what the goal is with this band. It sounds like a bad dream.

Too experimental for me. Some enjoyable parts but overall I mostly tuned it out.

Kind of messy. Didn't really hold my attention. There were some parts, musically, that were interesting. 2.5/5 Won't listen again

Overall Rating - 2.35/5 (4.70/10). Definitely a miss. Not one I'll listen to again.

While there is much worse to hear on this list, this one isn't an enjoyable one by any means. It's unusual and uncomfortable and for people that want to be seen as avant-garde and more superior than you. Only THEY can understand the true "genius" of this..... music? For the rest of us, this is sonically unpleasant and in no way needed to be recorded for posterity.

что это вообще такое скучно, странно, не энергично

Not a fan. I’m not the audience.

You can hear how this influenced things like Pixies etc I think... Not bad, but not mind-blowing. Kinda like Pixies...

Mediocre music and vocals. Some interesting tunes.

What is going on ? Experimental for sure and maybe a bit too much 2/5

Well, this isn't the "Thriller" you're all thinking of, but that was a completely bizarre experience that I'm not sure I ever want to experience again. Favorite Track: "Thriller!".

I wanted to like the instrumentals, those were ok, but the singer took me completely out of it. Then the 'song' Thriller? What was that? Just uhhh... unnecessary. Kind of like most of this album.

The fact this album is rated even lower than their other one scared me. That one wasn't even 1 star worthy so how the hell could it get worse?! But surprisingly this one was much better! I even enjoyed some parts. But overall still shite. Who put this noise on the list?! 2 ⭐️