Reviews (page 4 of 7)
Not quite my vibe, but I see the vision
Not the easiest of listens....full-on late 70s art punk. David Thomas had one of music's most distinctive and unique voices and presences. Like Ohio contemporaries Devo, a band whose music was completely suffused with art and experimentation. Though I know a handful of Pere Ubu songs, I haven't listened to a full album of theirs in years, and never this one. The album starts off with the great 1-2 punch of Non-Alignment Pact and Modern Dance. The first all aggro and in-your-face, the 2nd no less aggro but mixed with arts interstitials and tempo changes. A more conventional band would have made Modern Dance a standard new wave pop hit. Then Laughing comes in and we are in full on art-band territory...noises and squawks. The album continues apace...conventional song parts wrapped in noise and mayhem. The sound of a band following its own muse, playing its own unique sound.
A big portion of this album feels like if the Talking Heads got too drunk to play a show but went on anyhow after pounding a few more shots.
Honestly, kinda liked Dub Housing more. 3.5/5
I can appreciate this album, but I don’t enjoy it.
Within the world of punk and anything adjacent to it, also one of the best albums I've ever heard. It's really big shoes to fill to follow up Gil Scott-Heron the day before, and I don't think anything in the world of punk can fill those shoes, but if I HAD to pick something, this is such a strong contender. Two very 1970s albums that both capture a place in time in 1970s America, and while they're both very different, there's still similarities in having avant-garde sensibilities and jazz structures, and both are very, very good. Also... man are there some reviewers with bad taste on this site. The top review for this album on the site generating these is someone who gave it 1 star but gave Limp Bizkit a 5. That should tell you pretty well what rock fans this is and isn't made for. This is what punk once was, back when it didn't really have a "sound" yet and what it is to me. Pere Ubu didn't consider themselves a punk band but then again what even is punk anyway?
First 7 songs are exceptional. Amazing punk vocals and great musicianship
From the first shrill notes, you know it. This is going to be a special listening experience.
WTF man
This is annoying! Second Pere Ubu album I've seen on the list and this is worse than the other. Noise for the sake of noise and the singer has an obnoxious tone that he leans into plus warbling and howling. I generally like experimentation, but this seems like an experiment in annoyance. Starting with a horrible whine-y drone? Lunatics 1 star at best, being generous.
This was some weird stuff. It lost me after about 1/3 of the way through. However, the last track (Humor Me) saved it for me just a little bit.
As much I hate to encourage the contemporary phenomenon of inceldom, David Thomas and co. made the perfect window into that headspace: by turns horny, abrasive, placid to the point of passivity, contemplative (which a nice way of saying too smart for its own good), and just downright weird in the best way. A perfect soundtrack for making DOOM .wads in your room. Alternate title: Songs About Not Fucking.
I can, without a doubt, sing better than this guy. It feels like a scene in Don't Hug Me I'm Scared when things start to unravel
Great band & great album
Surely you must be joking! Seriously, what is this & how did these people get a record deal? FFS
Interesting listen. As an example of post punk, I'm sure it's great. But I can't say I enjoyed it.
This album made me regret a few of the 1s I've doled out to other albums because this is on a whole new level.
This was quite reminiscent of Pink Floyd.
You guys know me. I like loud. I like weird. But something tells me you got to be in the right mood for this album, and I guess I just wasn't. Cool sound though, fellas!
Picture this, you're a weird guy in Cleveland, Ohio. The year is 1977. The record shops are filled with AOR. Punk music trickles in here and there. Radio stations are still too conservative to even play the Stones before 7 PM. You fancy yourself an intellectual. Your father is an academic, you read the music magazines - especially the underground zines circulated by your fellow weirdos, even sourcing some from the Coasts. You've listened to avant-garde music coming out of France & Germany, it sounds like nothing you've ever heard. You're David Thomas & your name has not yet been seized in the public mind by the old fella who started Wendy's. You're your own thing - and you devise Pere Ubu. You and your collaborators draft up several series of songs. Your first release is The Modern Dance. It's got shouting, blathering, glass breaking, fuzzy guitar tones, simple chord structures, and choruses that reoccur through each of the album's ten songs. No one can really sing, not that it matters. What you've made is so strange, so of its time. Is it like The Stooges? A little. It's like The Stooges if those guys hated partying. Thomas feels like he fell out of a rain gutter. Every song on here have a pulsing intensity which has the twin, contradictory effects of pushing the listener away - it's just too awful - while also courting the listener back into the sound. Welcome to the Dance. Real deal Julia Kristeva hours.
The Modern Dance let me know that it was safe to dip my toe into the Pere Ube appreciation pond. I also appreciate the "avant garage" descriptor. But do I actually like the album? I am ambivalent. The title track is an earworm. I can also vibe with a slow burn like "Over My Head" or the avant ska "Humor Me." But I am not down with the non song "Sentimental Journey."
you know, i really don't mean what im about to say as being derogatory towards pere ubu, but: i have a strong suspicion that i only liked this as much as i did because 1001 has eroded my standards. don't get it twisted - i say erosion and you probably imagine a whittling down, a degradation of quality, or even an erasure of what once stood reason to be. but - the grand canyon started as a stream, and look at it now: big, wide, and listening to a band that took their name after an avant garde shitposter from the 19th century (i mean, really, the father of all shitposters if we're being honest, and honesty is a virtue). this isn't bad. it's different. i kinda like it. i didn't want to turn it off after thirty minutes!! anyway: can someone please come get me they're holding me in the ranger station here in arizona they're telling me i'm disturbing the peace playing this for the grand canyon and they won't listen to me when i tell them about 1001 albums. can we crowdfund a pair of headphones for the earth id like her to hear this. highlights - non-alignment pact, street wares, over my head, sentimental journey, humor me
I didn't even know you could impersonate Yoko Ono on so many instruments. Kind of impressive. Most of this is pretty solid, but some is soooo bad.
This wasn't as bad as I had anticipated! The straightforward parts were just fine, and it was experimental enough to gain respect. However, much of the record didn't necessarily sound good. Still though, essential for post punk. 2.7/5 - 3/5
These guys heard Television and Devo and started a band
Wilfully different, but then they always were. Got on my nerves by the end to be honest.
Very cool album, I like how it feels influenced by a lot of stuff but also it's own thing.
Strange but I can't look away
If I were to create an album with the specific intent of making it as annoying as possible, this may be what I would make. I have heard worse music, but maybe nothing quite so obnoxious. The first 5 seconds of the opener, Non-Alignment Pact, give a good feel for what went wrong throughout the album. Grating sound effects, specifically played through the right channel for some reason, distract from any music of merit that may be happening beneath and create a miserable listening experience that can’t be compensated for. In the case of some songs, there’s not much to worry about missing. For example, Life Stinks is a track full of shrieking and jabbering without much of interest. In fact, throughout most of the tracks, the vocals were the most notable downside next to the sound effects, often consisting of out of tune screeching. In other songs though, the underlying music has potential which is subsequently snuffed out by the sound effects or vocal style, making the impact all the more frustrating. I’m sure underlying the miseries inflicted upon the listener is a message about the horrors of life in some god-forsaken land. Some critics may find this expression of whatever the underlying message novel and profound. But there can be no ignoring the musical output here in favor of message. This was intended to be an assault on the ears, and it succeeded in that. I just don’t see why I should feel the need to endure it. Experimenting with sound effects and the avant garde are not disqualifying, but the artists who experiment successfully typically use these elements as a contrast to otherwise meaningful music. The approach taken here was tasteless, and I look forward to leaving this album behind.
Fug this fugly fugger. This makes me embarrassed and ashamed to be an Ohio native. Definitely not as interesting (and dare I say cutesy?) as Dub Housing, there’s literally nothing to take away from The Modern Dance, except maybe a headache. Christgau says the lows are worth the highs on this album… what highs? The high pitched ringing that’s ruined my ability to forever hear certain tones? The sounds of smashing bottles in my ear? The depraved ravings of a lunatic? What track would I even save for my 1001 playlist? I’d be embarrassed if I was in a room with another human being from any walk of life and any song from here came on. This one is more like pere no-bu. Humanity should agree to collectively forget this album ever happened. Why are we celebrating this on this list?
Non stop energy expressed by agressive sounds make this album something really awsome!!!!
I’ve got Cleveland connections and had heard of Pere Ubu. I think I remember them as a reggae band. Clearly not that. Respect to Cleveland and its place in rock history. Not my thing.
Bit annoying, had high hopes.
Terrible album to listen to hungover, my god. I get the whole music conrète thing and my inner music student is yearning to pretend I love this just to prove I'm sophisticated conceptually, but man. Props to them for doing their thing, just glad I won't have to listen to it again
Experimental experience
While they aren't always as good as song of the best albums on the list, it is absolutely essential to include such formative albums like this one. Albums that help develop a new genre belong on here for sure. That's not to say this is a bad album, because it is pretty good overall.
This is second Pere Ubu album on the list, and this one is better than the previous one (Dub Housing), although the bar is rather low. Or maybe I’m just in a better mood. I still get some Talking Heads vibe on some of the tracks. The noises are still here, but less annoying than the earlier album. I thought there were a few good tracks, but not quite enough for three stars.
I remember Pere Ubu being one of my first true clunkers of this list. No one does musique concrète like Cleveland's own Pere Ubu! (Or so Wiki tells me.) Ah, and it starts right off with some truly horrific high pitched alarm blee-ing. Singer Dave Thomas (not that one, alas) is the son of a professor, which makes me feel good about not having kids. Highlights: the song titles are decent; 'This Modern Dance' (are they saying "manda manda"?!); the lyrics of 'Life Stinks' (for the lols) Lowlights: the singing, the noises
Too weird for me. Not quite my kinda punk rock
I will concede that, like modern dance, I don’t really understand what they are going for “artistic.” However, it still sounds awful and is painful to listen to. And by that I am not being entirely hyperbolic; Laughing was so shrill and some points it actually hurt my ears. For the majority of the album, the lyrics were largely indecipherable. That may have been because of poor recording/production, or probably just a terrible singer. Regardless it was garbage. Really, the whole thing. Garbage.
A mix of punk and art. Lots of noise here.
Great album! I can't believe it came out in 1978!
I appreciate the experimentation and kaleidoscope of sounds on this weird-ass record. It certainly makes for an interesting listen. Sentimental Journey is particularly wild. While interesting, I don’t feel overly compelled to come back to it, which isn’t ideal for an album that definitely demands close listening.
Artsy, sure, but not as postmodern or experimental as you might assume: these Clevelanders know what a hook is, they know that the avant-garde can coexist w/ something that's as immediate as it is cerebral. The aptest comp for this record is Beefheart's Safe as Milk, a record that endures on the margins of the very weird and the unusually catchy, held together by odd, memorable, and often farcical lyrics: 'I can't wink / I can't blink / I like The Kinks / I need a drink'; 'Techniramic Heartache (TM) / Out in the Real World.' 'Sentimental Journey,' the most out-there of the tracks, is flat and pretentious - David Thomas is at his best as a songwriter not a slam poet - but the rest is a welcome balance of hard-hitting punk and erratic signals.
caotico, diverso
The opening track, despite its ear-deafening shrilling noise at the start, is a drivingly good punk track in the vein of Dickies. It continues like this for the first half of the album. Great songs spiced with weirdness. The tracks on the second half aren’t as good, weirdness without the songs to back it, but the bass and drums keep a high standard throughout.
Starting off giving your audience tinnitus us certainly a choice. What in the hell; RIP people listening to this with earphones. Also WTF is up with this horrible saxophone everywhere? Lots of this legit isn't even music, just glass breaking and stuff. I hate that this album took a spot on the list away from something good. 1/10
Total waste of time.
Interesting and enjoyable.
Humor Me and give us a good slbum to listen to tomorrow! This one was painful.
weird
Meteliä. Hyi mikä lauluääni. Kamalaa kirkumista ja ihme määkimistä. Nimen perusteella odotin tyypillistä modernissa tanssissa käytettävää musiikkia tai edes viittausta Duncaniin tai Grahamiin, mutta ei. En tykännyt ja huomasin sen jo ensimmäisen minuutin kohdalla. Tuli paha mieli:(
Niin kauhea etten kuunnellu musiikkia viikkoon tän jälkeen. No en kyl tiiä johtuko se tästä albumista, mutta en ihmettelis. Random ääniä vaan, ei kuuosta kivalta ja sanoista ei saa mitään selvää.
sounds influential to many things that i like
Stunned this made the list.
The experimental parts of this albums are just to much for me. Some of the great parts get lost in the mix of good. Some guitar solos save a few songs but over all not a great experience for me.
Genuinely upset this is on the list. I’m sure I just “don’t get it” but if I could give this any lower rating than 1 I would. One of the worst things I’ve ever listened to in my life
Too much experimental noise add-one for my liking.
pretty fucking whack
Album 913 of 1089 Pere Ubu- The Modern Dance (1978) Rating : 3 / 5 I’ve been fed a bit of post-punk lately, and this one rises closer to the top of the pile. It’s got that raw, jagged edge the genre is known for, but with just enough experimentation to make it interesting without going completely off the rails. There’s a quirky, art-rock feel running through it that gives it more personality than some of the others I’ve heard, and it definitely stands out as a unique listen. Not every track landed for me, but overall, this is one of the stronger post-punk albums I’ve come across in this project so far.
Kill this man!
It was ok I’d give it a high 2 but it’s not something I’d go back to
Interesting enough to keep my attention and doesn't outstay its welcome. I can see the blueprint here for some bands which would follow and, ultimately, do it better.
Love it!
I respect the artist putting out something unique. But it also needs to be digestible. The Modern Dance just has too many random sounds with no rhythms. Congrats to anybody who actually managed to dance to this album.
With the manic energy of a punk band and chaotic experimentation that leaves the listener unsure of what's about to happen next, Pere Ubu's 'The Modern Dance' is not the most inviting album, but for 1978, it's quite a bold statement of the direction punk and garage rock would soon take in the 1980s, where oddball alternative bands such as Butthole Surfers, The Pixies and Sonic Youth would relish in uncomfortable yet enthralling music. Pere Ubu can be considered a good bridging point between those wild 80s bands and the relentless experimentation of Frank Zappa and Captain Beefheart preceding it. Infused within the songs of 'The Modern Dance' is uncomfortable feedback, random crowd sounds, zany horns and the unhinged ranting of vocalist David Thomas, someone who the likes of Jello Biafra [Dead Kennedys], Gibby Haynes [Butthole Surfers] and Black Francis [Pixies] were certainly taking notes from. If you're a fan of conventional, easy listening music, you're not going to like 'The Modern Dance'. But if you love alternative/punk music, and are keen to hear a pivotal record that is essential listening concerning the development of the weird alternative 80s music scene [including Australia's best 'weird' band, The Birthday Party], check this out, you won't be disappointed! With that said, as important as this record is, others did end up doing it better. But I see the influence nevertheless. A very unhinged, yet somewhat enjoyable record.
A couple of tracks here were ok (Over My Head, Non-Alignment Pact) but most were dreck, especially the longer tracks (Sentimental Journey, Laughing). Screechy singing, too weird instrumentation.
yes
Pere Ubu’s Dub Housing was one of the worst albums I’ve been served up on here so I did not have high hopes for this one. It starts by giving the listener tinitus for no reason whatsoever. Shite.
Wow that is some opening… The first two songs are instrumentally identical with bad vocals. Then the ear rape continues on “Laughing”. I am not laughing. No redeeming qualities on this album and very hard to finish. 1/5
Fuuuuuccckkkk... I have to listen to Pere Ubu again? I hate Pere Ubu! I was dreading this when I saw it pop up on screen. I gave Dub Housing a 1/5, but do I feel the same way about its predecessor, The Modern Dance? Well, I still don't like it, but I can't say that I'm as angry about this. Maybe I would just feel bad for giving Pere Ubu two 1s. I don't know. I do know that I like this more than Dub Housing, even if I still don't like it. The instrumentation is better. The instrumentals on Dub Housing had some horrendous moments. The Modern Dance also does, but the I feel that good moments are better here. There are some instrumentals here that are actually quite good. Songs like "Non-Alignment Pact" and "Street Waves" would actually sound pretty cool... if it weren't for those god-awful vocals. Yeah, I still hate David Thomas's voice. To go from Aretha Franklin yesterday to this today might be the biggest case of whiplash I've experienced in this entire album project. I don't have any issues with him as a person, and it sucks that he died earlier this year, but I still don't like hearing his voice! It just pisses me off to hear it. I don't have an issue with weird-voiced frontmen named David. Talking Heads are one of my favorite bands ever. It's just this one vocalist that I can't like the voice of. It honestly kills the album for me. I get that this is important to the development of post-punk, but it's just not for me at all. Am I upset I listened to this? Maybe a little, but not really enough for me to give this a 1 like the other one. Low 2/5.
Твърде много постпънк ми дойде и на мен
Да тропаш по барабан и да пускаш произволни звучи отгоре НЕ Е екпериментална музика, защото не е музика изобщо
Interesante, pero...
This is definitely... something. Some songs are weirder than others. Most are weird though. The voice of the singer is rather "unique". But it does rock.
“My name is David Fucking Thomas… and I’m the lead singer of the best fucking rock and roll band in the world” RIP
Non-Alignment Pact: Starts off ruining the senses. Do not like. Once intro is over the beat is better. Is that horse neighing? Can’t understand a word he’s saying but I’m bobbing my head. If the whole album is like this yikes. I do not enjoy. Modern Dance: sounds like it’s saying madder, madder which is how this album makes me feel. But the chill part is good Laughing: Spooky intro. Not in a good way. Like the drum beat. Gotta love the dying owl
I just wasn't a fan
This was a pleasant surprise. Not in the sense that I looooooved it, but in the sense that based on the band name (which I had not heard of before), the album title, and the album art I was expected this to be some kind of real shitty French avant garde music. When it turned out to be a sort of raw punk album I couldn't have been happier. I wished I liked it more though.
Oh no it grows on you, the longer you listen the more it works.
Maybe just a little too avant-garde for me.
Despite being more straightforward and less overtly weird I’m not sure I liked this quite as much as Dub Housing? Still some good instrumental moments and odd soundscapes that made it an interesting listen and a template for more arty post-punk bands.
Wow! When I received a different album (Dub Housing) by this artist I prayed I would never have to hear another song by them ever again. I removed their name from my mind so when I recieved this album today, there was a haunting familiarity "...Pere Ubu...why does this sound familiar?" Ten seconds in... the horrors claimed me and projected graining, horrific sounds from my car speakers. I am once again praying to never hear more """"music""" from them again. But I fear my prayers may go unheard and I will be cursed to hear them once more. Terrifying.
I quite liked this one.
Not for me
Experimental but not in an appealing way
Big swing and a miss. Too off the wall and experimental.
I love noise rock and dance punk so this album was basically made for me. First off, this is insane for 1978. I really like most of the songs on here, but there are a couple that fall flat. I am also not a huge fan of the singing, but overall this is a really great album. Also the wordle for today was "noisy" and I thought that was funny. High 4.
меня хватило на одно прослушивание, слишком фьюжн
They tried hard. Very experimental with different sound effects etc. But sorry not my thing. The high frequency sound in the beginning was very annoying and irritating. What’s that for? Well, at least it’s a short album. Singing might’ve been inspired or coached by a sheep I don’t know. But a nice brave attempt. In the history, we also need to see what has backfired and failed hard.
the actual rock component of this album is fun... but the lyrics and some of the stylistic choices aren't really my cup of tea. not terrible to listen to, but truly not a lot here for me to want to go back to.
Some of the background music was alright, but the singing was unintelligible and there was too much weird randomness for me to enjoy it.
Probably not actually a one star but the song laughing is one of the worst songs of all time. Destroyed my ears. Why would u put that into the world.
This was the 11th best album of 1978? Must have been a slow year. Fine, nothing special at all, or sure why it makes the list.
Nah this ain't it man. Try again.
Didn't sound good, didn't have any fun with this one.
Pretty good, from memory I think this is more experimental than the other album, which I think is ok sometimes, but often devolves into random noises. The synths are quite interesting, and usually used more as a texture, in a similar way to silver apples. The singer is a bit mixed, sometimes the yelling and non-traditional singing works, but often not also. The guitars are good. I think some parts are very ahead of their time just because of how experimental it is. Favourite songs: non-alignment pact, street waves, over my head. Overall around 6/10
This is why I keep listening to the albums on the list. I'd heard of Pere Ubu, but never any of their music, or even what genre of music they played. This album is right up my street, I listened to it 4 times yesterday and I can see myself listening a lot in the future.
I liked this a lot. Much better than their other offering on here. Some nice grooves. I could hear Talking Heads vibes. A surprising 4
Strange, eccentric, borderline-noise but … not necessarily bad through-and-through? Truly, a weird one.
Another great Pere Ubu album. This one seemed a little more dialed back than Dub Housing, which I guess makes sense as this is their debut album. Real good stuff! 3.8/5
Listened to this for another list, but it's really good. I just really enjoyed it. 4/5
Man… post punk done right. A thousand albums and genres branched out from this. It’s like Talking Heads without the pop sensibility. Great stuff I am sure to return to.
strange instruments add unnecessary noise to otherwise ok songs. At least the album was short
WTF?
My tastes in post punk are very simple. The more 'post' it is (=the less it sounds like punk), the more likely I am to hate it. This one sounds like punk quite a bit. Even where it doesn't sound like punk in a narrow sense, it does very much stay true of punk staples such as being very unpleasant and a vocalist who shouldn't legally be allowed anywhere near a microphone.
what a weird record. bass lines were cool but at the end of the day i could see myself never playing these songs again i fear
Still better than Kanye West
Predictably terrible, but this list has had me listen to worse. At least it wasn't a solid wall of screeching noise!
i respect it and there are some cool experimental things here and there. but it doesn’t really do it for me overall. absolutely wild that this is my 1000th album!!!
Opening with that loud of feedback should be illegal. I like soundscapes. I like experimental albums. This is not great. There are a lot of little moments on this album that I really love, cool riffs, expressive sound design, really killer vocal performances, but there’s like 1 and a half songs on here that I like all the way through (life stinks, real world). I want to get this up to a three but I don’t think I can.
Can't imagine that this one is rated highly by the masses, but I enjoyed the unhinged punk shit in here. I think it's something about Ohio bands that I like. There's Devo and then there's this band. How did this band even get a record contract? I don't know but I'm feeling a direct connection to that Suicide record from a long time ago but this time I liked it. Idk probably because I was warned about this record beforehand. Weird shit 4/5
life stinks, humor me
Still might give this a five (merdre, merdre). Its so far ahead of it's time (merdre, merdre). 1978?? (merdre, merdre). More like 2025! (merdre, merdre). This modern dance!
I reserve the 1 rating for albums that I can barely listen to. They are albums I physically cannot finish because they are that bad, sometimes even start. This was absolutely one of them. Jesus Christ Almighty
fan jag får ge det här en trea. jävligt gött sound. dom stökiga låtarna med bara oljud är sämst. hade det varit utan dom hade det lätt varit en fyra.
1006 albums ago, when I heard my first Pere Ubu album, I didn't expect to be hearing another 4 years on. But here we are. I gave Dub Housing a puny 2 stars, but I'm giving this a mighty 3. Why? Maybe it's because I've become more charitable in my old age. Maybe its because, as their debut album, this one feels more pioneering. But I think it's mostly because The Modern Dance is bigger on actual tunes and smaller (with the notable exception of Sentimental Journey) on extended passages of experimental noise.
Ok, rock ochentero , "proto" post-punk.
Nope... WTF was that?
Æ fékk bara illt í eyrun af öllu þessu ískri í lögunum, mismikið en ég varð bara pirruð
Fengu bara allir að gefa út plötu ef þeir vildu?
It’s okay if you don’t like this but also not really
Unique
Oh good, another crap album by Pere Ubu. My life is so enriched by these out-of-tune horns and these white boys thinking they're Jamaican.
Not at all in the mood for this experimental dumpster fire.
I simultaneously loved and hated this album. There was a song that used smashing plates as an instrument for god sakes. I also have no desire to ever hear it again.
Pretty down for whatever tf is happening
“Let’s make a solid album with some nice sounding guitar, some solid bass lines, and then in each song let’s just also add nails on a chalkboard, but make that part louder and consistent through the entire track.”
35min wo sich ahfühled wie 5h wandere ohni Wasser.
I did have this on MP3, didn't remember much about it though. Very interesting post-punk, sharp in many ways. Can hear the 80s punks lifting so much from this. First side is the stronger. 4 Heard before? Yes Owned: No. 8/1001, 8/32 (25%) Will I get? Yes Recommend: Yes
2.75
# Album Name: The modern dance # Artist: Pere Ubu # Rating: 1/5 # Comments: Honestly, this was an absolute shocker. # Top Tunes: # Would I listen to it again? No
The music is a bit annoying at times. Overall, however, I found the album surprisingly interesting. I would like to give it 4 stars. But if I apply the criterion of whether I would like to listen to it again, I have to refrain from doing so. It's a bit too exhausting. 3/5
Album No. 0019 on my list. I've had my troubles with this album to be honest. I've really been trying to like it, but that didn't really work out. It's not necessarily the avant garde nature of Pere Ubu; its rather the songs themselves - most of them just didn't catch me. "Non-Alignment Pact", and "Modern Dance" are both solid songs that I'll listen to again, whereas "Sentimental Journey" is mostly an arrangement of noises. I get that these more experimental aspects are important, but I'm afraid then this is just not my cup of tea. 2/5 stars.
I think getting Throbbing Gristle quite early has spoiled me for "transformative" journey-based albums that are more of an experience than pleasant listening, which means any others following it will be seen as doing the same thing and just being unpleasant to listen to. It would have been fairer to have them ramp up in their eccentricity so they could be perhaps rated more fairly but unfortunately that didn't end up being the case. Luckily, this album did have two decent songs towards the end with "Over My Head" and "Humor Me" which will pull this album up to a rating of 2 and have it avoid the the lowest scale, but overall this was not a great listen with the start already being painful.
Haha what an awful way to open an album. This weirdly grew on me but I tend to like experimental music. I was watching Becketts plays on film the weekend so I'm probably in the right head space for this kinda stuff. I can see how this would have influenced bands like Pixies and Joy Division. Is this music easy to listen to and super accessible? No. Does this deserve a place on the list? Yes. I'll take this any day over Donald Fagens solo work. 3/5.
I enjoyed this, definitely got some punk vibes. It's closer to a 3.75 than a 4 but we're all having fun here so I've rounded it up
One of those seminal works that I do not get.
I feel like this is an album that requires a few listens to really get into. I liked what I heard but nothing stuck out as something I wanted to immediately return to.
This is an example of a musical decision that I can't follow/agree with. Many of the sounds were quite weird and came across as noise. This album was personally hard to get through.
Didn't like this as much as other experimental stuff I've listened to
Quite experimental, random sirens horns bells breaking glass. Do not recommend
I kind of liked the title track groove, except for the weird turn in the middle. Outside of that though , killing cats and breaking glass are not what I would call instrumentation. Most of this was just grating and annoying.
After the first few tracks I can definitely see how this band might’ve had influential effects on other artists like REM, Hüsker Dü, etc. And I had some hope that this might be a cool listen. But alas, by the time track three rolled around with random cat juggling noises…I realized it was another example of an album that should not be on this list. I can appreciate weird bands doing strange stuff, but this is just dumb noise.
I really tried to give this a chance. But starting out with 30 seconds of high pitched noice is a bad start. The guitar came in and was kinda cool….but then he started singing. Yikes. Chinese radiation could’ve been a cool song. Same with life stinks. But then they just ruined it. What the hell is sentimental journey?
I kinda want to round up for some weird dude just doing weird shit. But this is simply too much background noise/random sounds for me to get behind. Will never knowingly listen to this again… 1.5/5
A pretty good album, I liked Street Waves the most.
Hmmmmm.
Felt like I was being shouted at for most of this. 2/5
I tried to make it through this entire album for the sake of completing this list. There were a lot of annoying sounds in this album that were annoying and made my skin crawl. I cannot stand random repetitive noises. The album art was sort of cool but the rest was 😐 Rating: ⭐️
I got NOTHING out of this, and I really wish i had more to say. Just lots of experimental rock, but nothing to latch onto. Lots of interesting noises sprinkled in, but nothing to tickle my brain. A lot seems to be said about how this album reaches into spaces beyond just direct lyrical expression of discontent or protest, and I suppose I could see it, but I’m not stricken with awe by its avant-garde methods. Sounds a bit like a foundation for Protomartyr. 2/5
Technically it's a DNF but this one set the record for how quickly I reached that point.
Cool early post-punk. 1978 is eaaaaarly for something that sounds so sparse and angular (gang of four, wire-esque).
Very interesting but challenging album to listen to. Probably leans a bit too much into the experimental elements for me to want to listen again.. there are quite frequent breakdowns of guitar noise which makes it unique albeit wears thin a little
Impressive in that it started out with a long annoying sound and managed to keep it going through several songs. Just because something is intentionally bad doesn’t mean it isn’t bad. 1⭐️
No thanks, not my jam
This felt like I was walking up a path to pick up a blind date and, before I could get close enough to ring the bell, the door was flung open and my date threw a bucket of ice in my face. I can’t say that it’s objectively “bad” because some people might actually like that. All I can say is that it’s a bad match for ME.
That was a mess and not an enjoyable one
Me gusta el bajo. En general bien. Canciones un poco similares entre ellas? Nota: 7,5/10 Es el primero, no se como va a ir, no tengo con que comparar.
Interesting one this. Some 5 star stuff and some 1 star self indulgence. Still sounds fresh in places. I’m going to have to ignore the 1 star stuff in favour of the groundbreaking innovation.
a bit Talking Heads but nothing special
I didn't love the extra siren or screaming sounds that most songs seemed to have. The melodies seemed nothing out of the ordinary. Not one I'd look forward to repeating.2
I do not understand the hate for this band at all. It's just fun post-punk that doesn't take itself too seriously. Like ok, it's maybe just a tiny little bit more experimental and avant garde than most of the other bands on the scene at the time, but if you can't even handle music that thinks outside the box in such a small and minor way as this does, then I think it's time to revaluate how you perceive music.
Weird and decent. Lands in mid territory. The end is definitely questionable.
I would call this new wave. But I suspect that's a bit old fashioned. They would play well on Triple J. Or maybe they would have ten or more years ago... I must be getting too old for this.
201/1089 - This sounds like art punk.
not what i was expecting at all but it was good noise
Sentimental Journey sounded remarkably like someone smashing glass while playing a bag pipe. Which sounded remarkably like Houmous & Chutneys experimental album ‘Glasses & Bagpipes’ 1.9 2/10 Modern Dance
Noise - sorry, that 0 is impossible
I liked this one more than the other I listened to here. There's a good mix of more "normal" songs with some cool experimental noise stuff.
Like Talking Heads, but shit.
Punk with an Art Rock feel - think early Roxy Music doing Punk. At times they sounded a bit like Talking Heads. I'm still not sure what to make of this album: the Punk spurts are too polished and fairly boring, while the Art Rock veers from being interesting to grating on my nerves.
Most of that was almost music.
Non-alignment pact has some sick rock to start with Figuring out if i'm a fan of lowkey rock (for the lack of better word)
Unlistenable
It took me a couple of songs to get into this - Thomas's voice is not a particularly easy listen. But I adjusted to it and by the end of the album I felt like I'd thoroughly enjoyed myself. Would listen again.
I listened to this but nothing stood out to me I think I will need to listen to it again
eh, its okay
Trying to hard to be annoying. There is some decent punk rock buried in there, but it's too annoying to listen to all the other noise.
OKish.
I would give this album minus stars if I could.
I did not like this. I love everything that this started, as there are clear elements of noise rock and experimental, but as an actual album, I appreciate what they started more than the actual album. It was rough to get through.
Hmm. Can someone TAKE THE DAMN KETTLE OFF THE STOVE?? Ok, once that is done, the first track is actually pretty good!. Same with the rest of the first side. But that second side? I am generally good with the weird, but I'm uncertain this even classifies as music. Dodging broken beer bottles is not a great time. I listened to this twice and still don't know what I'm supposed to get out of it. Not a 1 star, which is reserved for the truly heinous like Sheryl Crow, so I'll go with 2.
Didn't make a huge impact on me, I just listened to is yesterday and I couldnt tell you what it sounded like now.
What is that awful noise
experimental for experimentations sake, did NOT do it for me with the ugly bits
Not for me, didn’t click at all and I tried to have an open mind
I recognized a track. Wouldn't listen to again though.
What a ride. Musically I loved, but had a hard time getting into the vocals. They kind of grew on me ….. and then grew off me. There were moments of 4, but overall it swayed between 3 and 2 and sometimes a 1 where I almost stopped. This is the highest 2 so far if that helps.
It starts out rough but man does it grow on you. I can see why it would be polarizing but I am in the camp of this rocks.
Really fun to hear some post punk while punk was still in it's hay day. Love hearing where Pere Ubu may have influenced others. Discordant at points, jubilant throughout, and astonishing in moments.
Initially jarring, but once you get past that, it's a pretty fun album.
++: Laughing, Street Waves, Life Stinks, Over My Head +: Non-Alignment Pact, The Modern Dance, Chinese Radiation, Humor Me +-: Real World, Sentimental Journey 6,4/10
Musically interesing and energetic. There is a vague familiarity to a lot of the songs. Not in the sense that I have heard them before, but rather that they are like songs I have heard before. I enjoyed the music more than the vocals and the lyrics but there was a little something here. 3.5.
we've got more pere ubu now, this time i'm listening to their debut album. already getting a similar energy to the last one i've listened to, weird shrill synths, detuned instruments and funny sounding voices. i really can't get into these guys. i'm sorry, but between all the noise and wailing and shrill sounds... it's like nails on a chalkboard. a song or two i actually had to skip because i genuinely felt a little nauseous.
My level of enjoyement during listening to this album: close to zero. BUT I obviously still understand why people like this album. I will NEVER say an album is bad I will always say it's not for me. Because it's true: every album is for someone but no album is made for everyone. I almost feel bad giving bad rating to albums since it's not made for me. That being said, "1001 albums you must hear before you die" makes me realise how difficult I am in term of music. I feel like I hate absolutely everything. I either find albums too difficult, too experimental or either too blank and boring. This album is definitely in the first category. It's way too experimental for me, I don't find any melody nice on it. I always listen to the albums entirely, because why not, but this one was hard to finish. I was working while listening so at least I was 'forced' to listen. What did I just listen? Is it even music? Because it felt just like some random noises. And obviously I recently found out I'm not a big fan of punk so... Difficult for me. But anyways...! Maybe one day I'll like it. Who knows?
Got more than halfway through the album before I gave up.
Abysmal. The very few good parts aren't even whole songs but sections of songs. Not even possible to just listen to the good bits.
As one notable music critic once stated, “harsh and willfully ugly”
Listens: 3 Standout tracks: Sentimental Journey, Real World, Chinese Radiation. Well, that was certainly something. What genre do we call this? Experimental rock? Post-punk and grunge? Experimental, post-punk grunge-rock. Yea! Does qualifying the genre even begin to truly classify or quantify what I just listened to? Does it even matter? I have so many questions about this album, but honestly, maybe you just take it for what it is and just sort of go along for the ride. Loud horn instruments resembling honking geese or dying... something, mumbling lyrics, grungy guitar, bass and drums. Sounds of someone just periodically shattering glass bottles... perhaps an alcoholic. I actually didn't hate this. I would even say I dislike it. I won't, however, be adding this to my rotation. I think this album just exists in a place and space entirely on its own. Perhaps it is like a violet accident on the opposite side of the highway. A train wreck. Something you just can't look away from. You stare at it. Marvel at it. And then move on with your day.
Small bits of this were okay. Most of it wasn't. I would've given this a 2, but I'm dinging it an entire point for that intensely unpleasant opening 10 seconds or so.
bueno se acabo el chiste, que vuelva lo bueno
Ok but ultimately pretty weird shit here
Another example of good tunes ruined by a bad singer.
There are too many to keep up with on TikTok.
Worst one I've had so far
Help! I am being assaulted! The modern dance is apparently a beat-down
Incredibly interesting. Laughing is a real standout, drum sound is great. Actually the whole sound is great, that bass, the guitars and those wild vocals too. Some sweet piano too! All these parts seem pretty unique and memorable from song to song. I can hear a bit of The Minutemen in Life Stinks, which by the way is great. I love how screwed everything sounds on Real World those electronic noises are awesome. Over My Head is completely a different pace from the rest of the album which is appreciated dearly, most of the album has a been the good variety of crazy. Speaking of crazy holy shit Sentemental Journey is some pure distilled tonal whiplash, in a great way. As soon as I heard glasses shattering I knew shit was going down. Humor Me is a great closer with that groove that synth that kinda reminds me of a theremin is nice and that lead on the guitar is very welcome. Can't believe I've lived a seemingly to me full life without having listened to that record. The more I listened the more my ears seemed to attune to it. I'll definitely be listening to it some more.
1. Street Waves 2. Modern Dance 3. Non-Alignment Pact
Never have listened to Pere Ubu and am surprised I haven't. This album really reminds me of their contemporaries - Television and Talking Heads. It also sounds like Modest Mouse might have been influenced by Pere Ubu. I will definitely plan to listen more.
This album is pretty goddamn wild. It is frenetic. The vocals are quite shrill, feverish, explosive and unpredictable. Early explorations in primal post punk and getting to a steady barebones sound for grooves. There's a sporadic improvisation to the playing of certain instruments I really like, like saxophone, adding a wild jazziness to the main driving punk sounds. The album opens incredibly strong with 'Non-Alignment Pact', by the 30 second mark we are off to a running start for a proper kickass punk track. The next few tracks exude jazz-soaked punk rock energy, with a healthy dose of freakish vocals and shrieks. 'Life Stinks' kicks the vocals up several notches in their intensity, while the band absolutely shreds. This whole album is super bold and brash, the guitars seem to warp and mutate and wander off on their own. All the instruments seem like they have their own goals- but like, I think that's mostly a good thing. Take the weirdness of 'Real World' for example. There is an Avant-Garde nature to the glass breaking, crowd sounds, talking recordings playing out over the soundscape of 'Sentimental Journey'. Freaky as fuck. Using that word a lot in this review but goddamn no other word comes close. 'Humor Me' is an awesome closer. It's just a joke, man! Color me a fan. Delightfully weird and surprising album.
Good, I liked it, but it wasn't really too notable in my opinion.
I wasn't dancing modernly to this one, there were moments where I enjoyed and other moments where I was checking how much longer the album had left.
If you love random instrumental noise and questionable grunts/groans, this is the album for you.
I probably didn't give this the concentration it deserved. I'm not sure if that extra concentration would have increased or decreased my enjoyment. I'm going with quirky and fine. I don't see myself going back to re-listen with that heightened concentration.
Not what I expected but not terrible. I’m much more of a punk fan than post-punk / new wave, but this has enough punk about it that it is listenable to. Once.
Very strange.
Not quite as bad as the prior album, Dub Housing, but still not great. It’s a lot of noise, but the drummer and bassist seem to know what they’re doing. I’d say I would rather stand in a classroom full of third-graders blowing on kazoos, but I think that might have the same effect they recorded here.
Man oh man what a wildly awesome album. I really wasn't sure what to expect based on the band name and album cover. I have listened to it several times today and it keeps getting better on each listen. I did a little bit of a dive and found a few live videos on YouTube, Dave Thomas had amazing energy on stage. I'm not sure if other's would agree with me, but this album very so slightly reminded me of The Talking Heads and The Minutemen.
Too weird. Not good weird.
Was not expecting arty post punk from pere ubu, this was a pleasant surprise at least to begin with. Ran out of steam towards the end, first half were good songs that were a bit weird and the second half was all weird no good bits. Enjoyable enough without a need to return.
A few too many songs with static as the overall theme. Diverting, but don't fancy returning.
I listened to this through once and wasn't really playing attention and just caught the odd weird bit, probably from "sentimental journey", which is mad..... But gave it another proper go this morning, it's pretty punk sounding really. The vocals can be a bit rough, but think that probably adds to it. Some great bass in it. Glad I went back and listened again. First half of the album was really pretty good, second half maybe lost it's way a bit. 3.5, would've been higher if it ended sooner!
Pulled this off the shelf and was once again amazed at how brilliant this album truly is. It's a little punk a little new wave but that's the thing I love about this album. It simply exists and songs like the title track and even Real Life are pieces of a musical puzzle that needed to be created.
Yeah this was waaaaay to over the top for me, and annoying at parts 2/10
Rules
I cannot tell you how much I was laughing at Laughing during it's runtime. Just hilariously bad (it was good for like 30 seconds in the middle) especially with how terrible the first 2 songs were. Sigh. We're getting back on the right track with Street Waves. Ah, back on the random noises shit on Life Stinks (bass is good). Life stinks? Nah, this album stinks bro. Wanted to give this a 2, but the last few songs of this are barely what any sane person would consider music. It literally sounds like a rubber chicken was used in the instrumentals of Sentimental Journey. It's a 1 star for me dawg.
Vocals throughout are pretty rough, but the songs themselves are loose and quite entertaining. Not a ton to write specifically about here... Really enjoyed the openness and quirkiness of the saxophone on Laughing. Street Waves was a low-key ripper. Life Stinks is wonky, but it works IMO. Real World adopts a more trudging cadence and is among my favorites here. Humor Me is my favorite track on here -- a low tempo dub scratch -- and I could swear that the bass line is the same as used by Chance the Rapper on Nana and A Tribe Called Quest on Sucka Nigga (apparently its actually Red Clay by Freddie Hubbard). Solid listen front to back on the 3/4 boundary. Going high because I could see myself coming back.
A bad album to listen to first thing in the morning. Probably bad to listen to at most times of the day. A couple of moments had me thinking the album was going to make a good turn like with Chinese Radiation, but the bad severely outweighed the good. If this was supposed to be bad, they succeeded.
Very very strange singing. This album was pretty poo poo
Really struggling to get into this one. Some interesting instrumentals on some songs but def had a noise aspect to it that I didn't enjoy all that much. That was not a sentimental journey at all for me.
Absolutely awful!!!
Interesting. Not for me tho
Another case of - why is this on here?
Weird and not my style
Different
If post-punk/art-punk was a dirt race track in 1978 then this is the Daytona 500. This is excellent. What it lacks in anything it makes up for in vibe. I actually really enjoyed this.
So far, not my thing, I like experimental but overall just too much for me me. Cool that it came out in the 70s though? 25/100
A funny, yet enjoyable mix of Beach rock and Punk ~ feels like if the E Street Band and the The Velvet Underground merged (probably a strange definition). MODERN DANCE is a super catchy track! Along with that sweet bass intro in LIFE STINKS. Overall, a high quality punk-beach-art amalgam.
Unique and a little refreshing but not earth shattering
it was ok to listen to but not really my jam
Fun stuff
Still not sure what to think of this album 24 hours later. It was so weird. The cheering during Chinese Radiation was an interesting choice. Actually almost everything was an interesting choice. Vocals that are just kind of there? Is he singing? Does he understand musical structure at all? It was weird. I'm glad I listened to it, and maybe next time I feel like being a real hipster I can throw this on at a party.
This album definitely has its peaks and valleys. Real World is most definitely a valley, but then at the same time, the phrase "Out in the real world" might definitely stick to me as an ear worm. I think I hate that. This is one of the albums of all time. It's interesting, it's experimental, it shines, and it crashes and burns. A little bit of everything!
First song is so painful to my ears.
3/10
It was OK then irritating then even more irritating....then OK-ish. Just too much active listening.
Just not my vibe.
Ok. Not great. Fine in parts
Is this for real?
If David Byrne had gone his own way from Talking Heads a few years earlier... I really liked this. On another day it might not have hit so well, but that's music.
Once I got over the structure and the vocals in track one, this ended up being a lot of fun. Not sure I'd go back to it any time soon, but I don't regret giving it a chance. It's very post-punk with a focus on so pushing the boundaries of what music should be, and I do love an album that takes risks.
eh this wasn't very enjoyable to listen to. couple parts were ok. some parts were very not ok.
Meh.
Hard and energetic at times, definitely with a punk feel. The music is pretty cool, and the tracks offer some experimental sounds and compositions throughout. This was a unique one I'd never heard of before, but I dig it.
Good in parts, but the vocals ruin it for me. Standout song: Over my head
A couple interesting moments, but a mostly nonsensical noise. At least it’s not boring.
So an intriguing listen for me, the band is solid, but the vocals pulls me out of it. The album starts with an annoying drone on the right channel, minus 1 star The vocals are annoying -2 stars the band is solid, but lots of nonsense is present in the album Ah we have a revolution 9 pastiche in here(Sentimental Journey, the longest song), just what this album needed to be a 1. 3:50 in Sentimental Journey: "I've got a song," No you dont, wanker
7/10 Very strange and very fun Post-Punk album, you could tell this left a gigantic crater in Experimental Rock as a genre shoutout Ohio
Awful
I started when I thought it can't get worse this came along.
## In-Depth Review: *The Modern Dance* by Pere Ubu Pere Ubu’s *The Modern Dance* (1978) stands as a landmark in the development of post-punk and experimental rock, a record that remains as jarring and radical today as it was upon release. Below is a comprehensive review focusing on the album’s lyrics, music, production, themes, and influence, with a balanced look at its strengths and weaknesses. --- ## **Lyrics** *The Modern Dance*’s lyrics are a surrealist blend of absurdity, urban alienation, and dark humor, drawing inspiration from Alfred Jarry’s *Ubu Roi* and the Dadaist tradition. David Thomas, the band’s frontman, delivers lines that oscillate between the cryptic and the deeply personal, often resembling the diary entries of a tortured soul. The lyrics rarely follow conventional storytelling, instead evoking fragmented images and emotions: - In “Non-Alignment Pact,” Thomas sings, “I want to make a deal with you girl / Get it signed by the heads of state,” juxtaposing personal relationships with Cold War politics, reflecting both paranoia and absurdity[1]. - “The Modern Dance” and “Laughing” offer lines like “If the devil comes / We’ll shoot him with a gun,” blending existential dread with black comedy[1]. - “Life Stinks” is a two-minute outburst of nihilism, its title and refrain capturing the bleakness and absurdity of modern existence[1][4]. The lyrics are intentionally obtuse, often bordering on nonsense, but this is a deliberate artistic choice, mirroring the confusion and chaos of late-70s urban America. Thomas’s delivery—sometimes manic, sometimes muttered—amplifies the sense of instability and anxiety that pervades the album[2]. --- ## **Music** Musically, *The Modern Dance* is a volatile collision of punk energy, avant-garde experimentation, and proto-industrial soundscapes. The album’s sonic palette is defined by: - **Guitars and Bass**: Tom Herman’s guitar work alternates between jagged, atonal riffs and bursts of noise, while the bass (often played by Tony Maimone) is prominent in the mix, providing a driving, sometimes doom-laden foundation[4]. - **Synthesizers**: Allen Ravenstine’s analog synths are central to the album’s identity. Rather than playing melodies, Ravenstine manipulates his EML 101 and 200 synthesizers to produce whooshes, static, and eerie radio-like effects, functioning more as a sound sculptor than a traditional keyboardist[2]. - **Drums**: Scott Krauss’s drumming is tight but unpredictable, shifting from motorik grooves to arrhythmic bursts, supporting the album’s sense of organized chaos[4]. - **Vocals**: Thomas’s vocals are unique—wailing, muttering, and sometimes multi-tracked, they add to the album’s sense of unease and unpredictability[2][3]. Tracks like “Non-Alignment Pact” and “Street Waves” have a proto-new wave strut, while “Chinese Radiation” and “Sentimental Journey” push into experimental territory, with musique concrète elements and extended passages of noise and found sound[2][4]. --- ## **Production** Recorded and mixed in just two weeks by veteran engineer Ken Hamann, the album’s production is raw yet meticulous. Hamann’s approach was to capture the band’s live energy while allowing for studio experimentation: - **Mixing**: The mix is deliberately unpolished, with instruments sometimes clashing or bleeding into each other, enhancing the sense of chaos and immediacy. - **Sound Effects**: The use of feedback, static, and tape manipulation is prominent, especially in tracks like “Sentimental Journey,” which features six minutes of moans and glass breaking[1][2]. - **Vocals**: Thomas’s vocals were recorded “carefully, sometimes phrase by phrase,” contributing to their nervy, fragmented quality[2]. The result is an album that feels both spontaneous and carefully constructed, with a sonic landscape that is as abrasive as it is compelling. --- ## **Themes** *The Modern Dance* is thematically dense, exploring: - **Alienation and Madness**: The album is a soundtrack to urban alienation, capturing the anxiety and dislocation of life in the industrial Midwest during the late 1970s[2]. - **Surrealism and Absurdity**: Drawing from absurdist theater and Dada, the lyrics and music often subvert expectations, embracing nonsense and non-sequiturs as a form of artistic expression[1][2]. - **Rejection of Punk Orthodoxy**: While often grouped with punk, Pere Ubu consciously rejected punk’s simplicity, instead opting for a more experimental, avant-garde approach that blurred the lines between rock, noise, and performance art[2][3]. - **Dark Humor**: There is a thread of black comedy throughout, with Thomas’s delivery and the band’s willingness to embrace the ridiculous providing moments of levity amid the darkness[1][2]. --- ## **Influence** *The Modern Dance* is widely recognized as a foundational work in post-punk, influencing countless bands and genres: - **Post-Punk and No Wave**: The album’s blend of punk aggression and avant-garde experimentation paved the way for bands like Sonic Youth, Talking Heads, and Gang of Four[2][3][4]. - **Alternative and Indie Rock**: Its willingness to sacrifice melody for jagged artistry and its embrace of noise and dissonance can be heard in later acts like Pavement, Modest Mouse, and Parquet Courts[4]. - **Critical Reception**: Though a commercial flop, the album was a critical success, with Robert Christgau noting that “the highs are worth it,” and Rolling Stone calling it “vivid and exhilarating, even if harsh and willfully ugly”[4]. - **Legacy**: Without *The Modern Dance*, much of the more esoteric rock music recorded in the decades since would have remained unheard. The album is frequently cited in lists of the greatest and most influential records of the 1970s[3][4]. --- ## **Pros and Cons** | Pros | Cons | |------|------| | Groundbreaking fusion of punk, avant-garde, and experimental rock[2][3] | Can be abrasive and difficult to listen to for some[4] | | Innovative use of synthesizers and sound effects[2] | Vocals are often garbled and grating, alienating casual listeners[4] | | Lyrically rich, blending absurdism, humor, and existential dread[1][2] | Some tracks meander or feel self-indulgent (“Sentimental Journey”)[1][4] | | Captures a unique sense of urban alienation and madness[2] | Sacrifices melody for artistry, which can limit replay value[3][4] | | Highly influential, shaping post-punk and alternative music[2][3][4] | The experimental second half may lose momentum for some listeners[4] | | Raw, energetic production that enhances the album’s impact[2] | Not a commercial record; its appeal is mostly to fans of experimental music[4] | --- ## **Conclusion** *The Modern Dance* by Pere Ubu is not just an album; it is a statement of intent, a radical reimagining of what rock music could be at the dawn of the post-punk era. Its combination of surreal lyrics, abrasive yet compelling music, raw production, and thematic depth make it a challenging but deeply rewarding listen for those willing to engage with its strangeness. While its abrasive sound and experimental tendencies may alienate some, its influence on the shape of alternative and experimental rock is undeniable. For listeners seeking to understand the evolution of post-punk and the possibilities of rock as art, *The Modern Dance* is essential listening—an album that remains, decades later, as unsettling, innovative, and vital as ever.
Too avant garde for me but still cool
Another strange alternative band. Music just strange.
Some good points throughout the album however you have songs like laughing which I’m hoping they put in to make me laugh that kinda drag down the experience
Very annoying droning song to begin; enjoyed when drum took over!
Different. Would maybe look at other albums. I liked a lot of the guitar work
Yeah, I don't know. There were some bright spots, but this was mostly noise for me. I heard a little Brian Eno in there and maybe some punk or something, but honestly it didn't really pique my ears at all, just sounded like some vaguely musical noise. Two stars.
i dig it, its weird
4.5
This album got me thinking about the multiverse, and if in alternate timeline would have I enjoyed this album. After much consideration, the answer is doubtful.
why do i have the best time with the weird albums
Angry harsh sound, discordant wall, cacophonous including wild reed instruments, breaking glass. Overall a fun time, the highs are worth it. Modern lovers meets Black Saint and The Sinner Lady meets the Damned. Simple, inane punk adjacent lyrics, repeated ominously for effect.
An unruly chaos that, at the same time, sounds regimented and orderly, Pere Ubu's Modern Dance sounds above, beyond and against its time with its stabs, shrieks and yelps; doing everything it can to be inaccessible whilst being uneasily reachable. There can be many students for this kind of thing, but the teacher has long left the classroom.
hurts
Just when one of these tracks would settle into something that might be identifiable as a "song" and begin to offer some intriguing listening, it would fall back out into chaos. Don't get me wrong, I actually like a little abstract in my music, I just think they got the ratio wrong. 2 stars for creative authenticity.
Noisy, experimental post-punk is exactly what I signed up for! Favourite tracks: Laughing, Over My Head, Sentimental Journey, Humor Me
Kind of wild how a lot of the great, most interesting albums on this list have low ratings. This is infinitely better than the dross dished out by Springsteen, Dylan, etc. that seem to always have high ratings here. 4.5/5.0: Excellent
this album is cursed. ive tried to listen to it on three separate occasions and each time i was repeatedly interrupted. i felt like this is an album that really needs a full uninterrupted listen to appreciate it but alas i dont think that will happen. it has a lot of interesting things going on. im not sure if i like all of them but overall pretty enjoyable
OK C’EST BON ARRÊTE STP, J’TE DONNE TON 2 ÉTOILES APRÈS UN MOIS DE RETARD, MAINTENANT ARRÊTE DE ME DONNER DE LA MARDE, GÉNÉRATEUR
An extra star because some of it wasn't complete garbage
definitely unique. there's moments on this album that sound so crazy weird that it almost tricks into liking it, but i actually don't really get it if im being honest. imma say this isn't a must-hear but i can see myself in the future finally figuring this album out and absolutely loving it, because there are a really cool glimmer of brilliant surreal artistry. the whole atmosphere of sentimental journey is absolutely insane. i love the manic energy of street waves. all the weird electronic background are so weird and uneasy. but i'd be lying if i said it sounded good all throughout. I don't hate it but I feel like I've heard albums likely influenced by this one that do that weird off-kilter noisy shit far better. Bands like sprain (specifically their last album) and maybe early black midi come to mind (probably bad comparisons i haven't listened to them in a bit) do this type of thing far better like 40 or so years later.
Did I hate this? No. Did I like it? Also no, but it’s not nearly as bad as a lot of the reviews would have you believe. It’s certainly a tough listen, but there is good stuff here. I have found through this that vocals make or break an album for me and the vocals here are very rough. The music around the vocals is pretty good, even if a good portion of it is just noise. In the end, this isn’t my cup of tea, but not the assault to my ears I was expecting.
listen again, didn't get enough time
That's not my taste in music
The first 29 seconds is pure tinnitus. It stays difficult. I would like this more if the singing was not so awful. This album is like a deconstructed cheese cake. Good post punk songs wilfully pulled apart to create something smug. Sabotage! The problem is, they are actually doing something really interesting/good. If only they could hold back a little bit or focus on one consistent style. It is so far ahead of its time: think Sonic Youth, Swans, Black Midi. Their own bio describes: absurdist … self-destructing melodies, scattershot rhythms, and industrial-strength dissonance. Talent for sure, but they don’t want to make it easy to enjoy [self destructing being the operative term]. At 3:40 on Laughing - the lead singer makes a stupid sound like an ostrich and then giggles. Even in the context of this album it’s annoying. Real World is much the same. Street Waves and Chinese Radiation are just great tracks. Imagine it just held that for 35 minutes. The highs are there for sure. This may the only album to which I award a 3 star that I would happily/gladly never listen to again. If Pere Ubu lost the absurdist streak and actually sang the songs , this would be a great great band. Alas … Sentimental journey takes the absurdist style to absolute breaking point. Several minutes of smashing (sounds like) vases. An oboe playing on drone. The synths that evoke - to me - the sound of a dial up modem. The lyrics provided don’t match those sung. “At home, it’s a rug, it’s a window … it’s an [indiscernible noise]. This is not enjoyable. The. Humor Me let’s you off the hook with a good track to finish. A fascinating album nonetheless. Low 3/5
Never really got into Pere Ubu. Still not convinced
Ska Not my type
If Diet Water was an LP. Belongs on the 1001 things I never want to hear again.
Ahead of it's time. Sounds like an album made in the 2020's by some students straight out of an English music school. It was a little funny sometimes. Don't hate it, just not something I would listen to.
Honestly did not enjoy it that much, got kind of a loony toon punk vibe to it some of the time. His singing, once again is just not my style.
oh. no
I don’t know who could really dance the most of the music on this album. A lot of it just seemed like noise to me. There were a few songs that I actually thought had a pretty good groove. But overall not my thing.
A very sharp journey.
Ensimmäisen kappaleen alussa oli todella ikävää taajuutta. Parissa biisissä oli kivojakin pätkiä, mutta ei tätä kyllä jaksa kuunnella.
Ensimmäinen kappale loi toivoa hyvästä. Mutta hyi helvetti mitä roskaa.
Ihme joikua
Levyn alku oli tosi swengaavaa ja kivan kuuloista. Melko pian kappaleet olivat ihmeellistä epävireisen huilun soittamista ja pullojen hajoittelua.
Definitely strange, but I kind of liked it. Feels raw, homemade, and interesting. High 3?
Passable at best and dreadful at worst. Did we really need both this and Dub Housing?