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Rating:
Fourth chapter of the "historical period" of the Papa Ubu, fresh from a lineup change on guitar (Tom Herman left, and the icon Mayo Thompson arrived, with whom the whole quintet had just collaborated in the sulfurous re-edition of the Red Crayola) and an independent contract (the band had recently been ousted for poor performance -economically, of course- by those at Chrysalis).
From the indie contract (chez mamma Rough Trade) and the contemporary partnership with Mr. "free form freak out," could only derive their most challenging and controversial work (critics of the time dueled for months with blows of "Masterpiece!" on one side and "No! Garbage!" on the other) in their entire glorious career. Alas... It starts (as always) sharply... guitar trill and... "GO"!! A powerful funky, driven by a riff with a vaguely oriental flavor, pierced by the amazing electro-raspberry of the EML by "Genius" Ravenstine, and garnished by the twists of the most restless voice in history. The shape seems to be for great occasions.... To join the trio with the overture, diluted in the LP, there will be two other similar, furious rhythmic performances always of the highest level: "Misery Goats" with (again!) a fine obstinate guitar and singing more possessed than ever, and "Rounder" which means the Talking Heads after a generous intake of psychostimulants... but for the bulk of the rest, alas, it limps a bit...
Five tracks out of eleven (about half of the playtime, truthfully a bit too much) move in "free form" territory, and so far, so good. The problem is that, in this area, they remain far from the brilliant expressive results ("Sentimental Journey", "Thriller!", "A Small Dark Cloud") or the attractive instrumental solutions ("Codex", "Voice of the Sand") of the past. Excluding indeed the faint and suggestive "Rhapsody in Pink" (Thomas relaxed narrator on a well-assorted carpet of water noises and expressionist piano) and, partially, "Young Miles in the Basement" (to be saved for the interesting vocal experiment somewhat mantra-like), they get to be (sorry!) what they never have been: boring ("Arabia": five soporific minutes of atonal organ with no head or tail) or frankly incomprehensible ("Lost in Art" reckless snare drum banging with Thomas yelling loudly -for what I got- claiming his shoes (!), "Crush this Horn" very disturbed sax solo semi-buried by vintage radio interference... but please!!!). A classic odd man out is the dreamy "Horses", an electric ballad, splendidly lopsided harmonically and lurching rhythmically and, in addition, softly sung (not by Thomas!!): in short, the most melodic thing recorded by the Ubu since "Heaven", almost foreshadowing the distant future Fontana period. The rest ("Birdies" and "Loop", although in their own way structured) flows without leaving a trace.
After this work, the band will continue to lose pieces along the way (Scott Krauss, on the bench for half the record, almost relegated to a metronome for the rest, will leave shortly after) without the subsequent inclusion of the jazz-samba polyrhythms of Anton Fier succeeding in reviving their fortunes more than that. From a rather more authoritative source than mine, TAOW has been judged "... their most perfect work after "The Modern Dance""... to me it seems, on the contrary, the classic dead end into which their art has stumbled, at the end of one of the brightest creative cycles in rock history... luckily, eight years later "The Tenement Year" will arrive...
Tracklist Lyrics Samples and Videos
01 Go (03:36)
Here's to the small things that give pleasure.
Here's to the everyday things that bring a smile.
My hands are complicated thoughts.
My hands are complicated,
but my feet just wanna go.
Here's to the finer points that mean everything.
Here's to the details that so often get overlooked:
the way one day fades into another;
the way simple desires get expressed
(What's the bus that goes by here?)
Here's to the best things.
Here's to the things that give God pleasure.
Here's to the things that make God smile.
The small victories are big ones.
And as one day fades to another,
as the past fills up with failure,
it all adds up.
Writers: Krauss-Maimone-Ravenstine-Thomas-Thompson.
© 1980 EMI Music (ROW),
Bug Music / Music Language (US/Can).
Lyrics by David Thomas.
02 Rhapsody in Pink (03:36)
I spent the day under the water, today.
I was a big pink ball at the bottom of the sea,
the broad green sea.
The fish came and looked at me,
looked at me at the bottom of the sea.
There I was for all the fish to see,
sitting on the yellow sand at the bottom of the sea,
the broad green sea.
The sea is a big, green lens.
The birds looked down at me,
sitting on the sand at the bottom of the sea,
the broad green sea.
And the waves rolled in,
the waves rolled in,
and I rolled in.
The waves rolled out,
and the waves rolled out.
The waves rolled out and I rolled out.
Back & forth,
and back & forth at the bottom of the sea,
the broad green sea.
I spent the day under the water.
I spent the night on the beach.
I was beached.
Beached!
Then I got bleached.
Bleached!
Washed up.
Bleached white as a bone.
So...
So, that's my story.
Sad but true.
(Let this be a lesson to you)
Writers: Krauss-Maimone-Ravenstine-Thomas-Thompson.
© 1980 EMI Music (ROW),
Bug Music / Music Language (US/Can).
Lyrics by David Thomas.
05 Misery Goats (02:41)
Don't fret now.
Don't be so tired.
No mope, mope, mope-a-dope!
No, it's not as bad as all of that.
Don't be no misery goat!
"How are ya?"
"How are ya?"
"How are ya?"
I could cry.
I could just cry.
Oh, the tears fall down.
(I've got one bright hope.)
(I've got one ride home.)
I sang three songs and marched around,
marched around,
marched around.
I sang three songs and marched around.
Looka here.
Here comes the poetry!
"I'm a cave with the wind inside."
"I'm a shell with the sound of the surf inside!"
What?!
What's the point, hunh?
Don't be no misery goat!
(I've got one bright hope.)
(I've got one ride home.)
Writers: Krauss-Maimone-Ravenstine-Thomas-Thompson.
© 1980 EMI Music (ROW),
Bug Music / Music Language (US/Can).
Lyrics by David Thomas.
07 Rounder (03:25)
I tore myself up inside.
And I ripped everything out.
It was a storm that went by.
It had the sound of the winter wind.
It had the sound of the frozen lake.
I tore myself up inside.
(Only the walls were left.)
I tore myself up.
(I'm a big success.)
I could not feel.
(I do a good job.)
I could not feel.
(I tear myself up inside.)
Dumb luck.
(Some excuse!)
It works out that way.
I heard the voice of reason.
"Don't upset yourself."
"Don't upset yourself."
"Don't upset yourself."
I heard the voice of reason.
I didn't listen.
(Yeah, I know it all.)
I heard the voice of reason.
Way far away.
I tore myself up inside.
And I ripped everything out.
Only the walls were left.
Then I looked around for something else to tear out.
I reached deep!
Writers: Krauss-Maimone-Ravenstine-Thomas-Thompson.
© 1980 EMI Music (ROW),
Bug Music / Music Language (US/Can).
Lyrics by David Thomas.
08 Birdies (02:29)
I gotta get holda myself.
I gotta pull myself up by my socks.
I gotta grab myself by the collar and shake!
The birdies are singing.
The birdies are saying what I want to say.
Now watch this close.
(Oh, I should say 'closely.')
Here we go!
The foot goes up.
And the foot goes down.
And so I move along.
And actually get somewhere,
actually get somewhere.
And when the feet,
the big feet get tangled...
Bang!
And I fall down on the ground?
Well, I get back up.
I get right back up!
A tree,
a dog,
a cat,
a house,
a car,
fireplug,
mailman.
Dumpdee dump.
Dumpdee da.
Look at me!
I've got my feet on the ground.
And my head in the air.
And I'm moving along.
The wind's going through.
And my hair's standing straight out behind.
And I'm moving along.
I'm standing up.
And I'm going Some-Where.
Writers: Krauss-Maimone-Ravenstine-Thomas-Thompson.
© 1980 EMI Music (ROW),
Bug Music / Music Language (US/Can).
Lyrics by David Thomas.
09 Lost in Art (05:13)
Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!
I want my shoes.
And I'm gonna walk, walk, walk!
Here I go.
Listen to me!
Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!
I want it all.
I want it all, now!
Okay.
Now, I'm gonna sing sweet.
Now, I'm gonna sing pretty now.
Ooaaaaaah-oooo-oo!
I want more.
I want my shoes.
(Tie 'em for me please!)
Watch me go.
I can feel it.
Uh.
Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!
I've sung my song.
And I've beat my drum.
I've sung my song.
And I've beat my drum.
Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!
Hey, where's everybody going?
Come back.
Wait!
Hey, I'm over here!
I didn't mean it.
Come back.
I didn't mean it.
Writers: Krauss-Maimone-Ravenstine-Thomas-Thompson.
© 1980 EMI Music (ROW),
Bug Music / Music Language (US/Can).
Lyrics by David Thomas.
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