Pere Ubu — Terminal Tower – An Archival Collection
Author: tracysigler | Posted: August 26th, 2006 | | Tags: 1985, art rock, experimental, music, Pere Ubu, protopunk, vinyl | 1 Comment »
- Artist: Pere Ubu
- Title: Terminal Tower – An Archival Collection
- Year: 1985
- Format: Vinyl 12 in.
- Rating (1-10): 7
- Owner: Tracy
- Acquired: 1985 – When I worked at Mother’s Records in Hampton, VA.
I’m not cool enough, or maybe just not old enough, to have bought Pere Ubu’s early records when they came out, but I did get “Terminal Tower – An Archival Collection” when I was 19 or so. They make some pretty interesting music that’s not easy to describe, but someone at Wikipedia did a good job with this article about the band.
I saw them live at the Town & Country Club in London way back in 1987, or maybe ’86. The opening acts were Ut, followed by The Mekons. For the most part, it seemed like a Mekons crowd. That said, Pere Ubu put on a great, but abbreviated show that most people seemed to enjoy.
Unfortunately, some folks expressed their gratitude by throwing crap on the stage or even at the musicians. At one point Pere Ubu singer David Thomas made it clear that if there was any further silliness that they would walk off the stage. Sure enough, some bonehead had to throw something and Mr. Thomas immediately walked off in a huff. I can’t say I blame him. The rest of the band tried to carry on for a bit but it was clear he wasn’t coming back. The other band members eventually walked off too, looking rather frustrated. I’m not sure if Thomas, the crowd, or both were the source of that frustration.
[…] I respect this record, and this band, more than I like the music. I’ve already told my story about seeing them live in London and it was a great experience. That said, though Pere Ubu has created a lot of interesting music over the years, I guess it’s just not my thing. The Tenement Year has some great songs, but it also has some challenging sounds and noises layered in that I often find distracting, offputting even. […]