A devil grabs a commoner by the arm, a moment before whipping her properly. Three little monsters, with oval heads and slender bodies, laugh heartily. A matron with a broom in hand watches the scene amused. Here's "Lagartija Nick," an adrenaline-filled and powerful single from the Northampton band, released at the end of 1982.

Back when vinyl still allowed music to be available in multiple formats, the record was released in two versions, 7 and 12 inches. The maxi-single contains four tracks, the first of which, "Lagartija Nick," is one of the most successful expressions of the Bauhaus style: it is an aggressive, rhythmic, and sulfurous rock song like the cover image. And it alludes to masochism, as can be seen from the lyrics "He feels like Sacher-Masoch / He enjoys feeling pain".

The second track is "Watch That Grandad Go," in which Daniel Ash's harsh guitar stands out, also playing the sax on this occasion. A certainly "minor" song in the Bauhaus repertoire, yet not without interest, especially for Peter Murphy's lively vocal performance that combines multiple styles, from singing to declaiming, and almost theatrical interpretation.

The subsequent "Paranoia, Paranoia" says a lot about itself starting from the title... It is an instrumental track devoid of harmonic or melodic structure, where Kevin Haskins' drums keep the rhythm, with sounds echoed, coughs and laughs, and the start of the guitar riff from "Silent Hedges" from the third album. At one point, a voice declaims the chorus "paranoia, paranoia, laaa la-la la-la". In short, a divertissement in every respect, perhaps improvised during a recording session.

The single concludes worthily with a live version of "In the Flat Field" recorded in Paris. The sound quality leaves much to be desired, but the strength and energy of this memorable track remain unchanged and fill us with memories and gratitude towards this great band.

Tracklist and Lyrics

01   Lagartija Nick ()

Move his way
Nice and Slow
Paint it all black
Let the humorous glow
He feels like sacher-masoch
And the fire below
Is licking at his lips

Cracks the whip
Come on crack
Crack the whip

Swallowing flames
Sinking in the snow
He enjoys feeling pain
He enjoys peeling slow
Lagartija Nick
It's no dumb show
Your name's on his whip

Crack the whip
Come on crack

A code of play
A nocturn rite
In the cruel garden of dark delights
Sixteen cages crawl in line
Desire is a heady wine

Come on crack
Crack

All in pain
It's no dumb show
Fire below
Is licking at his lips
Swallowing flame
Crack

02   Paranoia. Paranoia ()

03   Watch That Grandad Go ()

04   In the Flat Field (live in Paris) ()

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