Reviews (page 2 of 8)
9/10 times when the Wikipedia page for an album mentions Dimery’s book, it’s a very mediocre album that could easily be replaced by a dozen other better albums in the same niche. This is not the exception. But, there’s a couple mildly interesting moments that don’t suck.
Fuck this.
Industrial, dark wave. Like a Joy Division prototype
Sonderbar, aber nicht schlecht
You don't get a lot of true goth music these days. The passion of lovers is for death said she. Sadly for Bauhaus all the members are still alive. I think that's a good thing, but then again I'm not a practicing Goth. Really good - high energy and super textured. Basically entirely driven by the bass and drums then the guitar just does weird noises. Love the singer's voice. Genre's all over the place without feeling disjointed - goes a little new wave at times. The 1/2/3/4 song is so funny - starts as a like Madchester pop song then turns pivots into "this is how one makes fishcakes" - they couldn't bear to have a pleasant song that could potentially be a hit.
oh god not another poverty tier post punk ironically unironically dissonant rock. like the worst parts of Sonic Youth and Can combined. but at least there's some nice variety...
WTF did I just listen to? I knew the name but had never listened to any. A bit of punk ethos (anyone can do it), a bit of music experience (helps to have a bass player who can hold down a riff), some acquaintance with dub (openness to whoosh and clang), a post-punk experimentalism (put simple ideas together together, adjust a little till palatable), vocals not fantastic but I’m not offended. Not great songs but moderately listenable. But nothing special. (Odd to spend a short time recording songs and then thirty years periodically celebrating quickly-put-together albums...) This is Not Good, 4/10.
More goth than if Mia dressed as Vincent Van for Hallowe’en
1,5
lwk fire
some cool stuff in here and i can see how much it wouldve influenced music afterwards. i'm glad i looked at the reviews before reviewing it myself - i agree with others that say the music can be awfully similar between tracks but wasn't sure if maybe i was missing something i could instead learn about. still liked it though.
what is this average score? we desperately need some more goths using this site
Powerful, purposeful, slightly pompous. Bauhaus seem to really know what they want to say and how they want to say it (but I'm not quite sure what it its - fishcakes?). Nevertheless, this is bang on.
I liked it and I didn't at the same time
I do not get this album!
I'm aware of this artist, but I don't think I recognize any of these tracks by title. It's entirely possible that I do know some of these songs, just not by title, however. Otherwise, I'm going into this blind. This isn't very good. At times, there are interesting things going on, but then frequently it feels like an avant garde performance art project that's been taken too far.
This one's okay. Bauhaus are a band I've vaguely heard of, but I knew next to nothing about them before today. Turns out they're a gothic rock band comparable to acts like the Sisters of Mercy and Joy Division. Are they as good as those bands? No, but they're not bad. Well, okay, I will be generous here. Apparently these guys have albums that are better than Mask here, with this album's predecessor, 1980's In the Flat Field, seemingly being the fan favorite. Knowing this list, it's very possible that these guys were represented poorly, because as it stands, I'm not a huge fan of this. I didn't dislike Mask, but I also didn't love it. It's got some good elements though. The instruments sound pretty good. The bass on these songs especially is great! Peter Murphy's singing kinda reminds me of Ian Curtis a little, but the mixing doesn't do his voice any favors. I don't know why, but I don't really like the mixing that much. It's hard to hear what he's saying. That can work for some bands, but I'm not sure it works on this album. Some parts are also too quiet for me. The lyrics are pretty oblique. That's to be expected for this kind of music though. There aren't a ton of amazing songs here, but I thought "The Passion of Lovers" was cool. Overall, Mask is a solid album, but it's not one that impressed me as much as I would've liked it to. Solid 3/5.
A multi-textured album that wasn't that interesting. It felt like it was constantly treading the same group.
Kinda weird, bit depressing at times
250.
Turrible
Songs well produced but totally not my genre
I've had several albums in this project where the first couple of songs didn't do much for me, but I listened all the way through and everything grew on me. A couple of months ago I had an album that was just okay, but the special edition bonus tracks were awesome and I bumped up the final score to reflect that. This one was the opposite for me. I liked it at first but it really deteriorated as it went on. Went from a 3 to a 2.
I really like Bauhaus, and I really like Mask. But this is not an essential listen for anyone other than enthusiasts and should be replaced with In the Flat Field, which was a much more revolutionary, genre-defining record.
ditt klinkt als joy division??? gwn zo poopy kwaliteit instrumentals een guy die lowkey niet kan zingen maar gwn zo committed is ddat t goed is i like.
saai echt heel saai en hij kan kinda niet zingen
In my younger days, A couple of friends and I had an "avant garde rock" band where we would do all this weird, experimental sounding stuff that really never went anywhere. It wasn't good. Bauhaus is clearly better than we were. They had *much* better drugs, obviously. I've never cared for this proto-goth stuff. The best thing that Bauhaus did was break up. Peter Murphy's solo stuff is far more interesting than Bauhaus, and the horny psychedelia of Love and Rockets is a jam. Into the rear view with you, Mask.
Felt very 80s. After a while they all sounded the same.
Not really sure what they were going for here.
It's kind of odd that I've never listened to any Bauhaus. I liked it more than I expected to. It's more experimental and less theatrically gothic than I was imagining.
i liked the vibe, it just isn’t really what i’m into
Bauhaus stammen aus Northampton und gelten als eine der prägenden Kräfte des frühen britischen Gothic Rock – eine Band, die Post‑Punk, düstere Kunstattitüde und experimentelle Klangräume zusammenrührt. Genau das hört man auf Mask: Die Mischung aus nervösem Funk‑Bass, kantigen Gitarren und Peter Murphys theatralischem Gesang ist unverkennbar ihr Stil. Das Album selbst bleibt spannend, aber nicht durchgehend stark. Tracks wie Kick in the Eye oder In Fear of Fear zeigen die kreative Energie der Gruppe, während andere Stücke eher wie Skizzen wirken. Atmosphärisch dicht, stilistisch typisch Bauhaus, aber als Gesamtwerk etwas uneben. Solide – und klar ein Produkt jener frühen, suchenden Gothic‑Rock‑Phase.
Fantástico. Post-Punk gótico esquisito e pesado. Linhas de baixo pulsantes e vocais monótonos, é o que se espera de um disco como esse, de uma banda como essa. Uma estranheza reconfortante e satisfatória cobre esse álbum. Algumas canções são mais ambientais, lentas, sofridas. Outras são animadas, com grooves dançantes e coloridos. Acho que isso resume bem o movimento gótico musical, com essa dualidade constante, algo bem exibido em bandas como The Cure e Siouxsie And The Banshees. Em momentos, o disco me perdeu um pouco. Digo, eu gostei da estranheza, mas tem momentos que acabo sendo repelido. Principalmente por conta dos vocais, com grunhidos esquisitos e deslocados. Ainda assim, um ótimo disco. Preciso me familiarizar melhor com o resto do trabalho da banda. 4/5
Love ir
The bass and s strong with this one. Would give 3.5 stars if I could
So dated, so cheesy, so fun. The bonus B sides are the best.
I really liked the first half of this. Not so much the second half.
intro to goth rock. idk if this album hits but other songs by the band are good
I enjoyed this more than I expected to, since so-called "goth rock" is not something I've ever been drawn to--but maybe that's just because I don't really know what that means, because--for example--I did not expect a reggae-flavoured tune on this album.
This may well be some of the finest early post-punk we've gotten. It's mechanical and stiff (to its benefit, I might add), but still effortlessly grooves, somehow. It's clear why this band was pretty much the blueprint for any gothic rock going forward.
I tried. But I did not enjoy any of this. I even had the thought halfway through of “why would someone choose to listen to this?” but I’m sure someone out there likes it.
Dark and menacing album. The singing is tough to love, but the tasty basslines kept me relatively hooked throughout. Hey! I used to say the same thing about The Cure! Indeed, what this reminded me most of is a mix of Disintegration and White Light/White Heat. I could learn to love the vocals over time, but I unfortunately don't have much of a craving for this sort of music in my regular listening. Maybe if it had more stuff in line with In Fear of Dub, which despite being a bonus track I accidentally listened to, ended up being my highlight of the record. I could never fear dub! Keep playing your shit, bass man! Standouts: Kick in the Eye • In Fear of Dub
Did not know how this would be since I had a strikeout on Bauhaus before (not this album, I forget which) as they were described to me as a natural progression from The Cure. They strike me as what New Order would have ended up being if they tried to keep the overall Joy Division sound instead. Very strong album that could become a 5 in the future but it does have some off putting characteristics that had me hesitant. Overall a surprise pleasure.
Enough with this genre. Can we just banish it. I can’t imagine a person who would genuinely listen to this music on a daily basis, like, how.
This was certainly an interesting listen, but I wouldn't say it was enjoyable. It really has a Gothic & dark sound, but it is similar to a lot of these real experimental post-punk new wave albums. Once I got used to the peculiar sound and it became quite normal, the novelty of the album wore off. If the list didn't have so many similar albums that sound alike, I would enjoy the "dark wave" element more.
The two singles are decent enough tracks here but the rest is a dismal, depressing dirge. Maybe that connects with some people but it didn’t with me, and just made me miserable
First listen Saved 3/15 Top track: The Passion of Lovers
I've heard Joy Division. I've heard the Cure. I've heard Sioxsie and the Banshees. And I know there is a lot of that nonsense on this list. So here's another one. Oh well.
Marko - 2.5 Sara - 2
I think I vibe with goth rock
I couldn’t finish it so it’s possible it got better and different at the end
The fish cakes song made me lol.
I’ve got a friend who is a huge Bauhaus fan. So I’ve listened to a fair bit of their music. It’s enjoyable but nothing stands out for me.
Not terrible for new wave...
X-Ray Eyes is great, everything else is fine. Angsty noise music never really been my thing
Little weird for my taste, but had some good songs too
*Mask* seems to simultaneously continue on in Joy Division's direction and chart its own path. This album is surprisingly groovy in places- "Muscle in Plastic" and "Kick in the Eye," in particular. But the spare, wiry guitars are all there, as is the sparse drumming and tortured, robotic vocals. I really dig this. And the Winnie the Pooh lookalike on the cover. FOUR STARS [Note: the Apple Music version of this album lists the opening track as "Hair of the Dog, feat. Meshell Ndegeocello." At the time, Meshell was 12 or 13 years old, and definitely does not feature on that track. This appears to be some kind of database error on the part of Apple.]
Another album by a for me unfamiliar band that I quite liked listening to because of its creativity and diversity.
its a beautiful sunny day on holiday and i'm surrounded by my nieces and nephews being crazy and loud. Minimalist goth rock is about as far from the right vibe as its possible to be. I listened, i formed opinions but they are not really valid. it seemed a bit miserable and lacking in a tune, but im sure there is value in what they do if it matches your mood.
I think this is a relatively decent album But to give it a three would mean I put it on the same level as other 3s which I don’t think it is I like the genre crossing and I think for what it is it’s not a corny effort like some gothic rock at this time But it’s not the most attention grasping listen and I think almost too many genre hops / like the random ska track And the fish cake song killed it off as well Just below middling listen for me
1. dog - 0 2. loverz - 1 3. lilliez - 2 4. dancing - 2 5. hillz - 1 6. kick - 1 7. fear - 1 8. muzcle - 0 9. man - 1 10. mazk - 1 11. dub - 2 12. ear - 0 13. harry - 2 14. peter - 1 15. zatori - 0
Like the funky parts, but ultimately the goth vibes/goh "voice" don't super do it for me.
It's probably been 25+ years since I've listened to a Bauhaus album in full. They can be a bit heavy. But I listen to individual songs often. "The Passion of Lovers" off this album is a favorite. I also like "Kick in the Eye." And then, just in case anyone was taking them too seriously, they add a song named after themselves about a recipe for fishcakes.
I have a lot more time for this than I would have in the past but I’m not ready to go full goth. There’s a silliness to a lot of these songs that I can’t totally wrap my head around.
Kind of interesting from a music history point of view. I suppose there was a need to experiment post-punk, and you can hear the roots of some other good bands in the tracks on this album. Overall though - just not very enjoyable to listen to.
This was take it or leave it for me. I enjoyed it, but wouldn't listen again. 7/31/26
I’ve been meaning to check Bahaus out for a long time. This was a great introduction to them. I enjoyed this album.
Perhaps too psychedelic and experimental for my personal taste.
How tf does this have a 2.85 avg. rating!?!?!? This is one of the better albums I've gotten in a while. 5 stars.
I can hear some echoes of bands and songs I love, but ultimately this one isn't my jam.
weird but I like it
Not my thing. The only song I noticed was Hollow Hills. Rest was just background. Not terrible, but not notable either.
I had very low expectations of Bauhaus so perhaps that's why I liked it as much as I did, they just feel like the type of band I'd dislike but there's certainly something there.
Eh. I mostly just found this one annoying, thanks to the singer. I think Kick In The Eye 2 was the only song I enjoyed, the rest was just there. I can kind of see this being innovative in the early 80s, but now I think it's mostly annoying.
Kinda likes this one. Second "goth rock" album I've gotten this week that is making me seriously question my impressions of the genre. And isn't thst why we do this project? So it's definitely a winner.
I forgot all about Pete Murphy and Bauhaus, some great club nights in North London dancing to Bauhaus and the mission, goth nights😵💫
Delicious goth-ness. What vocals!
1.5 - not completely awful
Bad
Dire
Couple tracks veered into the just noise territory, but mostly it was weird and enjoyable. Plus a star for fish cakes. Who doesn't like fish cakes.
Want to listen again. I feel like I prefer their first album but that one took me a couple of tries as well.
So this is like the Sisters of Mercy if they were a shade happier. A tamer, goth Dead Kennedys. I expected more darkness coming from these guys. Like, it’s dark, don’t get me wrong. They still have their place saved in the hallways of the goth kingdom. I don’t hear the influence that they brought onto the world. I do dig the driving bass line for Hollow Hills.
Remember that friends episode where Ross played the keyboard. Kinda remind me of that unironically
Goth rock
Some weird talking heads vibes I get from this, but not necessarily in a good way
There's real energy here and the sense that this is a band that was trying something new. I hear hints of things the Cure would ultimately do much better, but trailblazers don't always hit the mark, even if they're doing something essential. I suspect I will like this much more after a few more listens.
The top-upvoted reviewer says "It's simply majestic as to the degree that this sucks", and then gives it 5 stars. Now, I fully agree with the text part, and plan to give this 1 star accordingly. I also believe in rating integrity, of which this reviewer has none. Regardless, very few reviewers say anything along the lines of "the music sounds good", and it's easy to see why. I'm not often jumpscared by part of a song. But Hair of the Dog manages to do it. And any form of art that provokes a non-negative reaction – jumpscares included – counts as good, successful art. Otherwise, the opening track doesn't achieve much, other than signal Mask's adoration of the punk/post-punk genres and an absolute butchering of everything that might've made those genres palatable. The singing is absolutely atrocious, and starting in The Passion of Lovers, in the absence of "horror film" moments, this fact becomes much harder to ignore. Like a slurring, drunk Ian Curtis of Joy Division. Cool bass tone and thick, densely textured chorus, though. The song is barely passable overall. Of Lilies and Remains just gets on your nerves more than anything else. There's little conviction or energy or "humanity" behind any of the instruments' performances. Dancing is essentially the same, with the only obvious difference being that the singer is trying harder. Not that it really makes him sound better. And I was expecting the jumpscare this time (take that!). Decent bassline, I guess. Hollow Hills improves on the "brashness" element, but slacks on providing any sort of energy, interesting melody, or musical themes that can be built upon. I'll repeat my mantra that seems to apply to half the music on this list: Just because you can experiment sonically doesn't mean you should. And relatedly, just because somebody experiments doesn't mean they're necessarily a more apt inclusion on this list than somebody who plays it safe. A few years ago I wouldn't have liked Kick in the Eye, but it sounds very Talking Heads-esque, and the bass, drums, and synth are pretty nifty. One can only glean so much enjoyment from good drumwork/basswork. Definitely some more Joy Division influence in The Man With X-Ray Eyes. The song Mask is so unimaginably good (minus the vocals) that it almost sounds like a different band altogether. Psychedelic, heavy, plenty of arpeggios, a Dreams-like chord progression in the extended outro, spirited, heartfelt... So many things to like here. Easily the best song on the album. I can also respect In Fear of Dub for its grooviness and lack of singing. It's like Bauhaus is responding to my review in real time. Pretty solid streak of songs. Then Ear Wax starts playing and you remember Bauhaus kind of sucks. The penultimate track (with the long name) is terrible. No excuses. 2/5 Key tracks: Hair of the Dog, Kick in the Eye, Mask
Damned Good. Industrial-Goth-Dance music before it got predictable.
Not really my thing, but I recognize their influence on other bands.
Bauhaus is great, the little gothic kid inside of me was really grateful for this album, and brought me great memories of my hometown :) Great fucking album, amazing sound
Siempre quedará la duda de si es mejor su debut, In the Flat Field. La portada desde luego sí. También su tema más conocido She´s in parties del siguiente disco Burning from the Inside (antes de su separación), o el incluido en su debut el también mítico "Bela Lugosi's Dead". Aquí tenemos un disco más completo, mejor, más elaborado, pero menos mítico. Pasan del rock gótico que ellos crearon generando absoluto desprecio de crítica y público, ampliando miras y sonidos, pero sin perder su identidad. Abren con Hair of the dog, con un bajo-guitarra y ritmo que podrían haber fimado los B-52´s, pero obviamente más oscuro que los temas de los georgianos. The passion of lovers es post-punk. Dancing es abiertamente mucho más accesible y potente, se nota una influencia clara de Bauhaus en los primeros U2. ¿Funk? ¿A certain ratio? Cierra la cara A Hollow hills, lúgubre, que nos remite a su debut. La cara B no puede abrir mejor con Kick in the eye, lanzada previamente como sencillo, tiene un bajo formidable. In Fear of Fear sigue esa estela mientras Muscle in plastic se abre sonidos y ritmos sincopados. The Man with the X-Ray Eyes nos devuelve a los Bauhaus que más nos gustan. Cierran con sonidos góticos marca de la casa pero metiendo algún efecto psicodélico en Mask.
Not as interesting as it thought it was.
Great álbum so complete it brings a lot to this genre
I wanted to like this but it just does not have the tunes, a couple of times when a good or catchy drum pattern appeared and it threatened to perk up it fizzled out. 2
There are a couple of interesting tracks where you can tell they have influenced bands that I do like, but so much of this is just the same riff repeating over and over. I just get bored with this very quickly and I don't like the production style either.
This is a pretty good album, I was partially hoping that I would feel that it garners 5 stars, but I'm giving it 3 because it did not blow me away. Bauhaus is one of those bands where I feel like I should "like" them because they are of an era where record collectors shit themselves for the weird and experimental, but this was just ok.
I don't know that this is their best album, but it's pretty good. I was big into Bauhaus (and all of their splinter bands) back in the 80's, drawn in by the haunting singing and lyrics, driving guitar and AMAZING bass. Hollow Hills is my favorite on this record, and it sounds as good to me today as it did back in the day.
Pretty cool, but a bit disjointed.
не заходит особо такое в моменте неприятно слушать, хочется переключить переслушивать не стану
I know Bauhaus by name, but I haven't listened to a single song before. A sunny July morning isn't exactly the best time to listen to Goth Rock. I skipped the bonus tracks, but kind of surprisingly, I actually enjoyed the original 10-track album. I could listen to it again, but I doubt I will, since I can always just listen to Unknown Pleasures instead
This was a cool and interesting album. It started to taper off in the end though. Got a little to weird and loose for me. But I’ll have to revisit this one. Bonus points just because Meshell Ndegecello is featured on the first track.
this was pretty fun but wasn’t locked into this today tbh
I’m mostly here for it, but I don’t think people like this record as much they claim to. It’s like Unknown Pleasures or matcha: cool to say you’re into it when you’re around cool people, but no one is partaking alone.
Spooky
Was interesting but not my jam. Longish and wish there was a bit more melody or beat,
Honestly this is better than the reviews wouæd indicate. A very thin sound with some harsh drum machine tracks. Intereatkng lyrics even if the vocals are a bit weak.
mask is the second album by bauhaus, and it's said to be one of the best examples of gothic rock music out there. compared to their first release, the group tossed around a bit more when it comes to genre influence and instrumentation. peter murphy, the vocalist for the group said in an interview that he really wanted to make each song sound different from the last. wow, gothic rock is certainly right. rock music that isn't afraid to get murky, mysterious and romantic... compared to other goth music, this set of tracks has a cuh-RAZY groovy, dancey quality to it; makes it fall together with other early 80s alt rock albums i think. it also has some crunchy mastering. the drumming is very notable to me. not every track i got interested in, which stinks, but it was cool. i guess if there's one other bit of praise i can give? i'm OBSESSED with that cover.
Not for me
I prefer the darkness of In The Flat Field, but this is still great.
this like actually feels gothic. super dark and eerie love it.
Muy bueno, sumamente experimental! Lo curioso es que todo lo que probaron en esa época ahora lo siento como parte de la norma o estándar en la actualidad, entonces es impresionante ver lo adelantados que estaban a su época este grupo El álbum se enfoca en una especie de híbrido entre punk e industrial pero suave, no creo que llegue necesariamente al estilo de The Cure, pero si va montandose un poco en esa ola, entonces quizás hasta podamos agregarle el género de New Age Muchas canciones me gustaron, pero principalmente Mask Honestamente este es un álbum reescuchable y un infravalorado, sé que hay algunas personas que lo han recomendado por aquí y por allá, pero son personas de nicho definitivamente, lo cual quiere decir que he estado en círculos interesantes del internet, que quisieron hacerme encontrar con Bauhaus, pero no fue sino ahora que el momento llego y fue valioso
This music was eerie, dark, and bass-heavy, but it was also groovy somehow. I haven't really explored much Bowie and gothic music on this project so far, but I thought this was better than other things I've listened to in that vein.
An okay album, no stand out songs.
Godfathers of goth deliver. Bass parts alone make it worth it. Danceable in stretches. Not as gloomy as they say.
The first time I heard of Bauhaus was thanks to a Spotify playlist called goth rock/post punk (I know, the most generic name possible). It has a bunch of songs by this band. And just like with The Cure's album Pornography, I was already familiar with the songs on this album, but out of the original track order, having listened to them on a shuffled playlist. But the album is very good for the genre. I give it 4 stars.
First time hearing this band. I liked the stripped down yet experimental sound. Definitely something I’d listen to again.
Я цей альбом не слухав раніше. Не те щоб я сильно колись вривався по готиці, але їх дебютний слухав колись. На цьому цікавий настрій, арті-готика, яка місцями стає відчутно грайливо-дурнуватою (чи який коректний аналог goofy українською), особливо в другій половині. Багато хороших пісень, багато цікавих та більш експериментальних пісень, загравання з дабом. Мені сподобалося слідкувати, як цей альбом рухається і матеріал хороший.
Я не великий фанат готіки в музиці (за винятком кьюр мабуть, але там трохи інший настрій), втім скажу чесно що цей альбом слухати було доволі цікаво. Причому кінцівка навіть краще ніж початок пішла мені, десь починаючи з Mask якраз найбільш забавні та експериментальні пісні йдуть. 3.5
out there. fish paste.
It takes a village, and they found one.
Bauhaus is a truly odd band. With most other groups, the way they construct their songs is not always obvious, but with Bauhaus everything is laid bare. It sounds like David J comes up with a simple bass line, Daniel Ash makes some strange guitar noises, Kevin Haskins pounds the drums and then Peter Murphy improvises something on top of it. All the way back to "Bela Lugosi's Dead", the approach is always the same. As a result, their music is extremely hit-or-miss, and even their best stuff sounds like it falls into the "even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while" category. *Mask* has a few high points, including "Hollow Hills" and "Kick In The Eye" but the bulk of this record of this sounds like four guys jamming in the studio and slapping it onto tape. Might have been fun to do but unless you're one of those four guys it's not that fun to actually *listen* to.
nice vintage New Wave, Historic
It’s my jam. It reminds me of Television, Magazine and even David Bowie
Bauhaus is one of those 80 goth/rock groups (Joy Division, Siouxsie, Birthday Party) I know OF but never know what to listen to. This album was great.
A couple of cool tracks mixed in with mostly unpleasant wailing and screeching. Not my jam. Favorite Track: In fear of fear
Way better than I expected, so that's a pretty massive win in my book.
Nekako sam njih dosad zaobilazila, zanimljiv album, nije moj stil.
Thin production and some ambience makes this, musically, a hauntingly good goth record. Although the singer's voice makes it hard for me to take this seriously.
I like some Bauhaus songs, here and there, but a full album's worth of this tenor and tone really didn't do much for me, and I was finding myself very numb to it all.
Rhythm never quite caught on for me.
When I was in high school my pattern was to get my $10 allowance and get dropped off at the mall. I would display great discipline walking right past the delicious hot sam pretzel and the cool and refreshing orange Julius and straight to Musicland. There i would see how far my money would go, generally buying cassettes of terrible music (Dangerous Toys!). One day I was browsing and Swing the Heartache came into my hands. I can't remember if it was random or if I ran into Darla who steered me in that direction - I associate her more with Skinny Puppy, but I digress. I bought STH of course and it was unlike anything I'd heard. I grew to love those songs as well as the whole aesthetic. I was a jock so I never dressed in black or skated but I did enjoy that subversive group and especially their music (and occasionally their women). I worried that a whole album would be a little too much but I'm really enjoying this.
weird
FISHCAKES
I can see why people would like it, sadly not my jam.
The thing i've found with what people would most often call “goth” music is that it is so deep into mood. What that mood is can be a moving target, but a big piece of it is the outer trappings. Let's look at “hollow hills”. It's very spare, with a murky bass and guitar, but the more dramatic bits are the slow thump of drum, both muffled and echoed, or the hum and whine of the guitars over the top. It's not always in service to great songs, but it tends to be interesting texturally when it is not. Would bauhaus want to be called goth at all? Most of the most iconic goth bands don't. They can be wrong. As far as actually liking this? Eh. I am less excited. Again, there's some solid bass here mostly, but the songs are much thinner as songs. When we think of Bela Lugosi's Dead, their very not on a proper album breakthrough, it works because of atmosphere and a certain drone/trance vibe, like an incantation. It's over long, but it is primed to be appreciated anyway because of that incantationlike vibe. You're in a ritual. That's what really carries over from Hollow Hills, too. So while I can really appreciate the composition, the drums and groove of something like Muscle in Plastic, it doesn't really come together as a song so much as an audio idea. It's admittedly a genre i still find hard to figure out, like it is in the dank cave that the sound often evokes, so maybe with enough similar albums I will end up with a different view and revisit this. But for now it's a pretty light (and I guess dark) 3*.
I started listening to this album when it was raining heavily, and by the time I got to the last track the sun came out again. Probably the best way to listen to Mask.
I'm a bit of a sucker for goth music (even if Bauhaus don't always claim that label) and already knew of Bauhaus from the magnificent "Bela Lugosi's Dead" from their previous record. This album isn't quite as morose as some Goth music can be (after all there's an extensive riff about fishcakes in Peter Murphy's part of "1. David Jay 2. Peter Murphy 3. Kevin Haskins 4. Daniel Ash" on the CD reissu) and even has some Reggae/Dub elements on "In Fear of Fear." The best song on here is probably "The Passion of Lovers," but there really isn't a bad song on here, and it's a bit more accessible than their debut.
Imagine taking the theatricality and chaos of Tom Waits and putting a conventional band behind him, and then getting some semi-conventional songwriters in there. That's Bauhaus. It's industrial-adjacent, it's art chaos adjacent, it's weird. I love it. I wish I'd heard this when I was in college, I would have been WAY TOO into it. My Rating: 6/5
Interesting, but nothing I really want to listen to again
So, more dark post punk. Not bad by any measure, but also not especially exciting.
mid
Very solid airy goth album. Always been a fan of a few key tracks like Kick In The Eye - which sounds incredible. Some others are rather forgetful though.
Brilliant
2.5 stars I liked parts of it. It varied up, wasn’t too samey. But not sure how much I’d return to it.
Тёмный рокерол.
Yeah alright
A bit too droney for me in spots
Not my personal favourite but it was the first album I bought by them. Full of Gothy goodness
I like Bauhaus, but this didn't sustain my interest.
Sometimes playing the part of "the one that isn't Joy Division," a relatively frantic and upbeat '80s goth album with some different sound to offer from track to track, they don't carry some of the weight or leave the impact of their fellows, but it's still pretty cool and also the ending of the title track has something nice going on
var något
I like this genre and sound, but none of these songs really moved my needle much. It’s fine. “Dancing” is good. Other songs were a little annoying.
Interesting punk experimental with a lot of different sounds and styles. Creative and diverse. Wide variety of guitar tones.
I thought this was very interesting. Did not expect so much rhythm in something called goth rock. I added “Harry” to my playlist
Decent rock album. Nothing noteworthy but a fair listen.
Solid good fun, very gothic. The solid good fun was sarcastic.
Very very strange ... Not bad though!
Too experimental for me. Definitely appreciated the sound this album created but never got into it.
I'll listen again
Rubbish
I don’t feel strongly about this one way or the other.
Spooky and weird
It should have been In the Flat Field
feisimo
not really my kind of music
Glad I wasn't into this in high school cuz I would have been too into it
i'm happy it exists for someone, but that someone is not me
A lot of the songs sound the same. A few really stand out this I enjoyed Dancing very much and I laughed out loud in public while listening to that fishcake song
It wasn't the worst, but sometimes, when I'm trying to enjoy a song, it plays some random loud noise that scares me?? Experimental just for the sake of it
Not my jam, but the fishcake song (track 14) holds a special place in my heart. 2.5
I'm in a weird spot here. I don't particularly love it, but I don't dislike it. I can hear where it would have been amazing in 1980 and I bet a lot of the bands I love would have loved it.
Enjoyable enough while sitting on a long flight and zoning out. Not something I'd go out of my way for or regularly care to listen to.
Kick in the eye is good
Really varied, in the best kind of way. Sometimes dancey, or punk, or slow and atmospheric. Love the elements of world music (tribal drums, dub reggae) that hint at Murphy’s later interests. More adventurous than Joy Division, more accessible than PiL. Anyways I love it thanks.
Very vibey, atmospheric. Bauhaus's music sounds a bit samey to me after a while, but I do like the sound.
We wanted to merge all artistic mediums into one unified approach and all we got was this mid album.
Kind of like The Cure but just marginally less insufferable. The goth rock stuff really doesn't work for me, but it is interesting to a certain extent. The lyrics are bizarre and confusing, but they do make you think. And the fishcake recipe is helpful. Not my favorite production, composition, or performance, but the album cover is lit and all of this could be a lot worse. Two stars. Fave tracks: - Hair of the Dog - Kick in the Eye - Muscle in Plastic - Mask
3.0 - Ok
I thought I would find this more interesting
This definitely did not have me Dancing.
I’ve never listened to Bauhaus, but this was certainly unique. Definitely felt pretty cool listening to this. Lots of good ideas in here, and I can hear how this album has influenced music today. Slowed down a bit by the end, but it was pretty good overall. Favorites: Hair of the Dog, Of Lilies and Remains
Never been a huge goth guy, but will always appreciate the scene and always appreciate Bauhaus. Massive influences, flawless aesthetic, and a singular sound. It may not always be what I turn to, but I'm very glad it's out there.
I like Peter Murphy, but the sound of this band is way too dark.
These guys have a cool sound. Punkish and gothic... unique and something I'll probably go back to. Lots of energy here. And here the other day a friend of mine was saying she was into gothic punk and I made fun of her saying that didn't exist. Well..... 4/5
Started listening first thing in the morning and wasn’t that impressed but decided to finish the album off last thing at night. Once that time arrived had no motivation at, all such was the monotonous nature of the album, to listen to it again. But a good thing came out of bad - for the first time in years I listened to Floyd’s Ummagumma in its entirety. I recommend you do the same. 2/5 18/5/26
chilly creppy eerie Rating=80
not bad at all
Hair of the Dog 3.6 The Passion of Lovers 3.4 Of Lilies and Remains 3.2 Dancing 3.6 Hollow Hills 3 Kick in the Eye 3.3 In Fear of Fear 3.3 Muscle in Plastic 3.4 The Man with the X-Ray Eyes 3.5 Mask 3.3 Score: 3.36
I didn't really enjoy this album att all but I'm unsure about why. It might be the mixing with the singing being so low behind the drums or maybe the music style just isn't a good fit with what I like. No song really stood out as better or worse and I have already forgotten all of them an hour after listening.
Sehr nices Album! Verschiedene Songs und auch die Stimme klingt immer mal wieder anders which is nice
Quite fun that the first song on the album starts with a bassline very reminiscent of Henry Mancini - "Peter Gunn". I'm a fan of The Cure and Joy Division, and this slots right in amongst them. I should listen to more Bauhaus.
no sabria decirte jashdh, muy experimental i guesss
Weird, sad noise. It had some fun parts, but overall, it was very mediocre. The sound quality was fine at best, but the whole album was extremely underwhelming.
О святой господь, что это за бред. Какой-то вайб панк рока, хотя пишут готик рок. Это так готик рок звучит? Набор каких-то бредовых инструментов, ну ладно они ещё звучать могут созвучно вместе, а вокал будто по рофлу писали. Егор летов и Цой такое бы точно оценили, но я их ненавижу. 2 звезды, слушать невозможно, целый час несвязных совершенно звуков, которые могли бы звучать хоть как-то связно. Сидишь постоянно и тебя будто тянут за соски хорошими моментами, чтобы с головой окунуть в лёд. Зато обложка крутая
Hair of the dog - 3 The passion of lovers - 3 Of lilies and remains - 3 Dancing - 4 Hollow hills - 3 Kick in the eye - 4 In fear of fear - 3 Muscle in plastic - 3 The man with x-ray eyes - 4 Mask - 3
love this album, makes me want to visit some old decaying gothic churches. Shame that bauhaus never put bela lugosi's dead on an album, it would have fit here well
Yeah, it’s ok but it never really gets going for me - a bit slow and stodgy until the latter part of the album. Not bad, but not listening again.
Feel like i didnt like
Just okay. There's a lot of punk I'd rather listen to.
ich check nonig. es tönt halt chli crappy zum teil aber glichzitig wenns jetz usecho wär fändis huere geil au? so d songs sind huuuere weitd und kreativ.
okee bin da mal sehr gspannt, s cover findi uf jede fall scho seehr cool (und de name!) ich chegg ebe immernanig ganz, was s musiggenre gothic genau uusmacht, es isch ja iwie post-punk? oder isches so starch mite soziale bewegig verbunde, dassmer das gar nöd gross chan trenne? ICH KENN ES LIED WO DE AHFANG VO PASSION OF LOVERS GSAMPLET HET churz so verwirrt gsi hahaha ischs es lied vom lil peep?? ICH FIND NÜT glichzitig heter natürlich vill so samples brucht vlt hanis au falsch im chopf es isch teils recht fun aber s het au ständig die iwie distanziert/chalti(?) und reduzierti atmosphäre hollow hills bringt seeehr e geili stimmig, sehr düster erinneret mich teilwiis au ah joy division CHANGE OF PACE mask findi iwie huuere geil, v.a. au als letschte song seehr weirdibaffi jo I guess na cool gsi aber ähnlich wie bi joy division find ich nöd so ganz de zuegang
meh, esperaba mas 2/5
Mouaif
Bauhaussie ? C'est intéressant et différent de ce qu'on a d'habitude, mais trop long et expérimental pour que être une révélation
...
They have an okay post punk sound, but every song was either too repetitive or just aimless
Es un álbum interesante, obscuro y el inicio y entrada al post punk( goth) para esa época
Prettayyy, prettay good
Lots of different influences on this compared to previous material. And, for once I'm not using that in the derogatory. This is all pretty solid. It's not a complete departure from their original sound so much as it truly sounds like them experimenting and building upon it. Good release that will definitely get more play from me. I might skip "fishcakes" though.
cool
Can't say I've ever been real into Bauhaus, but I do like this one.
Hold the fish and the potato in your hand ...
It wasn't without its cool moments, very jammy and odd which I liked. Lots of expression. It never quite seemed to take off except for maybe a couple of tracks but perhaps that's the point. Music to listen to when you don't really want to listen to anything in particular?
The British bias on this list has to be an MI6 psyop.
5 On first listen I honestly thought this was a bit rubbish but then putting it on again I dont know what I was thinking, its great
Spooky.
no thoughts. some stuff was ok other parts were just kinda whatever. too long. 2.25
Meh
Ohhh… yes don’t think I ever actually heard this as an album, only got bootlegs and selections on mixtapes growing up. So funny this followed on from a listen to Peter Gabriel’s 1977 debut. I am assuming Peter had quite the studio budget comparatively. The experimental lofi quality of this album was so welcome after Peter’s awful mess because at least these guys KNOW WHAT they’re experimenting about. Thank you cohesion. And that bass rocks! Seriously. Maybe my adult self isn’t quite as taken with the “spooky.” But cohesive experimentation is still my thing. 4. Boolean rating: yes, very glad to hear this as an album after all these years.
nothing special, nothing particularly bad. A bit dull
Was alright.
It is... not great... I'll look it up, there must be a reason it's a classic
A plunderphonic masterpiece
Nothing I liked about this
Previously unknown. I almost get it.
Lo fi synth goth. Little bit of Joy Division meets early Cure. Got a bit redundant but not bad.
Blind album and artist. Definitely not something I would find on my own, but likes the echo-like sounds and style. 3.
Somewhere between a 3 and 4. I think I've only ever hear Bela Legosi's Dead before now, which is obviously a great song, but somehow I was still surprised that I liked this album? It's a little long, and some of the later songs I didn't particularly vibe with, but overall I liked it.
Some gothic rock that doesn't sound very goth to me. At least not what I expected. '81 feels quite early for goth, so I assume this was pioneering that field. As for the music, there were some decent tracks here and there, but not really anything that speaks to me. Weak 3.
Moody 80s music - a sound that gelled with me. Not the greatest number of hits though. The only track that stood out to me was “The Passion of Lovers”. I really enjoyed the mix of dark electronic tracks and some funky riffs. Made me think of Joy Division or The Human League. Mid 3 with possibility for more in the future.
Spooky, freaky fun.
boring ass album, so bad i had to close it
Fish cakes Fave track: The Passion of Lovers 2
Fish cakes indeed. 2.5/5
Depressing
sounds like just about any band i like
they play too much
I still have this but have now listened for the first time in a long time, and I am mildly disappointed. There are the singles (Passion of Lovers and Kick In The Eye), and highlights (Hair of the Dog, XRay Eyes, Mask) but there is too much filler (Of Lilies, Earwax, Plastic) There is nostalgia tapping along and enough to warrant an OK rating. 1. Kick in the Eye 2. Passion Of Lovers 3. Mask
I like the album cover. I can see how this band maybe influenced a lot of bands I really like, such as wolf parade, or interpol, but I didn’t really enjoy the album.
A little too 80s weird for my liking.
Yes, everyone should listen to at least one Bauhaus album. But shouldn't it be the one with "Bela Legosi's Dead"?
No es un género que me llame mucho la atención, la verdad. El post-punk en general no me termina de generar mucha conexión o emoción. Eso sí, reconozco que a nivel musical suena muy bien, pero prefiero opinar más desde lo que me transmite que desde lo técnico. Algo que sí me gustó bastante fue el protagonismo del bajo, bien marcado y profundo en la mayoría de los temas, le da mucha personalidad al sonido. Las canciones que más me destacaron fueron “Dancing”, “Muscle In Plastic” y “The Passion of Lovers”, aunque mi favorita terminó siendo “Kick in the Eye”. En resumen, le doy un 7/10.
Ok
I’ve heard this before and I used to own it on tape. For some reason I never replaced my Bauhaus tape collection, which is strange because this is exactly the type of goth I like with the skronky noisy guitars and psychedelic ambient keys, and the bass lines almost having a no wave feel. Think I’ll put on an all black wardrobe, light some candles, and smoke a clove cigarette if they still make those nasty things.
Better than I thought was going to be for a goth album. Had different elements to it that kept it interesting. Rating: 5/10 Favorite Song: Kick in the Eye
It is basically like wandering through a very spooky haunted house where the ghosts are actually art students trying to explain philosophy to you. Some rooms are terrifyingly cool, but others just feel like a confusing mess of weird noises and capes.
vampy and experimental... haciendome un smokey eye mientras escucho 7,75/10
There are some Bauhaus songs that I absolutely love but many on here are for a very specific mood. The production quality is not great on the version I listened to.
This was ok, but not even classified as good in my kind.
Not good
Parts of this was pretty interesting and then others just felt like they were pushing too hard to be "different". Just okay overall, cool sounds that were pretty different, but just kinda weird as a whole.
yet another meh album on this list.
Originele sound, maar uiteindelijk wel veel van hetzelfde in de tweede helft. Net geen 4
Some of this sounds kinda cool but then some of it sounds someone got bored practing guitar and started fucking around
Disco de rock gótico, un poco aburrido. No me gustó
I enjoyed this enough, but don't feel like the need to listen to it again. The vocals are mixed extremely low, which I found a bit annoying. But musically it's entertaining enough, and easy to hear that this was pretty influential
A really weird and anxious sounding record, but one that is really fun to listen to. This album is quite varied and I loved the basslines throughout.
Super weird photo goth rock, but it made me want to listen again
This is unexpectedly great, sounds like a less oppressive PIL. One thing about this challenge is it has made me realise a lot of Goth is good actually
Decent album. Very Bowiesque. I would say not their best album but some very strong songs. Better than mid, not stellar though.
Could've been worse.
2.5/10
It started rough, but why, did it grow on me
#91/1001 🇬🇧🦇⬛️ I've dabbled with Bauhaus before and found them a bit hit & miss. Really enjoyed this record though, so much so that i'd listened to it 3 times over by the time i got to work. This follows on nicely from the Souixsie and the Banshees record i got the other day. Hoping that tomorrow brings Joy Division to complete the early 80s trio that would inspire the Goth movement. Best tracks: Passion of Lovers, Hollow Hills, Mask
Just barely into the 3 stars, a shoutout for something truly different and creative. Weird at times, but a good jam at others.
#906. I can't tell if it's terrible or amazing. Perhaps a bit of both? 3/5: good
Soyons directs, car je ne vais pas tourner autour du pot pendant cent sept ans : si vous cherchez le séisme qu’était In the Flat Field (1980), vous allez être déçus. Je ne dis pas que Mask est un mauvais disque — on parle de Bauhaus, bordel, ils ne faisaient pas de la merde à cette époque — mais on est loin, très loin de ce premier essai sec, violent, sexuel et mortuaire en même temps. Avec Mask, on sent que le groupe a eu un budget, du temps, et surtout une envie soudaine de prouver qu'ils n'étaient pas que des types qui criaient après les chauves-souris. On sent une volonté de s'éloigner du minimalisme pur pour aller vers quelque chose de plus produit, de plus "léché". Le disque s'ouvre sur "Hair of the Dog", un titre lourd et menaçant, c'est du Bauhaus pur jus, celui qui vous fait dresser les poils sur les bras. Mais très vite, on sent le glissement, l'arrivée de la guitare acoustique et celle de structures plus complexes, parfois trop complexes. L'album essaie d'être plus "digeste", comme le dit le bouquin des 1001 Albums. Mais la digestibilité, pour un groupe qui s'est construit sur l'indigestion et le malaise, c'est un pari risqué. Je ne peut pas descendre cet album sans mentionner les moments de grâce absolue. "The Passion of Lovers" est un chef-d'œuvre, c'est l'équilibre parfait entre leur noirceur originelle et un sens mélodique qui aurait pu (et dû) conquérir le monde. C'est romantique au sens littéraire du terme : c'est dramatique, c’est excessif, et c’est porté par une ligne de chant de Peter Murphy qui prouve qu'il est bien le fils spirituel de Bowie, mais un fils qui aurait mal tourné. Ensuite, il y a "Kick in the Eye" et là, on touche au génie bizarre. Bauhaus qui fait du funk ? On aurait pu craindre le pire, mais ça marche car c'est un funk décharné, un truc de squelette qui danse dans une boîte de nuit vide sur une basse monstrueuse, répétitive et hypnotique. C'est le titre qui prouve que le groupe avait une section rythmique capable d'écraser n'importe qui. Mais entre ces éclairs de génie, on se tape des morceaux qui sentent l'expérimentation de conservatoire. "Dancing" ou "The Man with the X-Ray Eyes" ne sont pas désagréables, mais ils manquent de cette urgence viscérale qui me faisait vibrer sur le premier opus. On sent que le groupe s'amuse avec les gadgets du studio, qu'ils rajoutent des couches de saxophones (parfois un peu gratuits) pour faire "Arty". Et puis il y a le morceau titre, "Mask", c'est long, c'est déconstruit, c'est une pièce d'ambiance. C'est intéressant une fois, pour l'atmosphère, mais on n'y revient pas. Et c'est là tout le problème, l'album est inégal et il oscille entre le tube post punk imparable et la recherche sonore qui tourne un peu à vide. Il faut quand même parler de l'image car Bauhaus, ce n'est pas qu'un son, c'est une gueule et la pochette, dessinée par Daniel Ash, est une réussite totale. Elle annonce la couleur : on est dans le trait, dans le contraste, dans l'ombre portée. C'est magnifique, et ça sauve peut-être une partie du disque car on achète l'objet autant que la musique. C'est d'ailleurs ce que souligne le bouquin des 1001 albums : Bauhaus a réussi à créer une marque de fabrique visuelle et sonore qui a survécu à tout, même à leurs propres errances. Alors, faut-il écouter Mask avant de mourir ? Oui, parce qu'on ne peut pas comprendre les années 80 sans passer par la case Bauhaus et Mask est un disque charnière, c'est le moment où le groupe décide de ne plus être une simple anomalie punk pour devenir une entité artistique à part entière. C’est un album de transition, il est moins direct que In the Flat Field, moins brut, moins honnête peut-être mais ça reste une pièce essentielle de leur discographie. C'est un disque pour ceux qui pensent que la mélancolie est une forme d'art supérieure mais pour moi, ce n'est pas leur meilleur album car mon cœur (et mes oreilles) resteront à jamais fidèles à la violence sourde de 1980.
A Btec Joy Division
Favourite Songs: Dancing
*1981. English goth rock. *This is kinda cool. Sounds a bit like the Cure meets David Bowie. *A little goes a long way, and I wouldn't revisit it. But it's a fine listen. RATING - 6/10
Pretty bad. I Guess you have to be in the mood for this. Or maybe that doesn't even help. Hard pass.
WELL...I liked a handful of tracks.
Cine
Nope. Made it to song number 5 and that's enough for me.
It's not horrible, just not my thing. A bit funky which I appreciate, but no no no.
I'm a fan of 'In the Flat Field' and 'The Sky's Gone Out' but this just bores me. Am I missing something? Who knows but I've tried several times over the years to see if I just wasn't in the right mood or whatever and the result is the same, I wake up by the end of it and wonder where were the hooks, where was that sudden jolt into ah ha, but no. Nothing.
Barulheira chata pqp
Um bife a cavalo, mas o bife veio duro e cheio de nervos
Spooky fun times you can dance to. Back in high school I really liked the Bauhaus live album Press The Eject And Give Me The Tape.
Some of this was good but mostly I was waiting for something more interesting to happen.
It was fine/good. A 3.5.
Another random English band that I've never heard of before or will again. I will say that this one was at least cohesive all the way through and wasn't terrible.
Gotiška, tinka. Nėra per daug agresyvu, galima laisvalaikiu pasiklausyt.
Sone great tracks, but also getting weirder towards the end. 7/10 rounded up
Aggressively unpleasant. At least it was short.
Baustelle, Gerstetten, Heidenheim Tolles Album.
Excellent
Thanks to my mate Shuggy Bauhaus for getting me into good music, starting here. RIP mate!
In the early 80s i had a housemate who was obsessed with Peter Murphy and Bauhaus, so I never had to buy any of these records (and therefore I haven't heard any of them since then). The one track I remember is "Kick in the Eye" - "Kick in the eye! Kick, kick!" Some of this was a little dirgey, but I have no objection to a good gloomy dirge, so that's ok with me. I'm generally up for gloomy/dancey early 80s music, so this was an enjoyable listen, and I'll listen to it again. 4
IT was OK
Never heard of this band before. Kept my interest. Fishcakes? WTF? Would I listen again? Yes, but I’d skip fishcakes.
I’m down with this chill goth rock. Nice throwback.
Interesting, not heard it before, felt a bit erratic in places, but would like to come back to it.
Hi, hope you enjoyed the album
Loved this. Cool grooves and noises and lyrics. Hate the cover art though.
Might as well listen to Sprockets. Fine I guess, but not GOOD.
Good but not my favorite.
Menacingly weird. Beats and baritone vocals. Passion of Lovers could last 20 minutes on repeat I would relish it. I went to art school and listening to Bauhaus was part of the admission criteria. Yeah, some of it is B-movie level bad. No apologies, bite me, or more appropriately, bite my hip.
Art. Not sure about those fishcakes though.