Customer Reviews

Tenement Year

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I would have to rank this album as both one of the best, and one of the most accessable, Pere Ubu have ever produced. From the opening of "Something's Gotta Give", to the closing notes of "We Have The Technology", the original release was masterful. The addition of the bonus tracks (13-17) is a nice touch. The live versions of "Miss You" and "We Have The Technology" feature the keyboards of Eric Drew Feldman, a side man, colloborator, and producer of the first order. But at heart, it is the original 12 tracks as released in 1988 that really matter.

The band, was it's peak and played with finesse. Listen closely to the guitar work, for example, in "Tall To Me", or, again, in "Say Goodbye". Allen Ravenstein is excellent throughout, with just the right touch. I know nothing about the analog synthesizer he played, and few bands have used synthesizers like this! In the sixties there was a band called The United States Of America, which employed synthesized music, and of course, Lothar And The Hand People, with the theremin. But whatever the instrument is, he plays it with control, and at times, takes a lead role, at others, providing a backdrop of abstract sound.
And above all, this album rocks. Pere Ubu perfectly balance garage rock, pop, and avant garde in this recording, and the result is, well amazing.
There are few albums I would list as among the best of all time, but this would definitely be on that list, if I actually made one.

After '81 break-up,various members spun off into different projects (Home And Garden,etc.).Mr. Thomas released some very interesting and creative solo albums,exploring new ways to express himself in mostly "non-Rock" configurations.Everyone learned a lot in the time of seperation,and brought new attitudes to the "re-union" (with new guitarist/old friend Jim Jones on guitar0. Breath of fresh air! Ubu amazed then,and continues to this day,with different contributors.

Stellar re-master of Ubu's triumphant return to form from 1988. Bonus tracks are good also. The only niggling thing separating this from absolute perfection was that the (quite different) single mix of "We have the Technology" isn't on it. Strange since the two other tracks fron that single ("Postman Drove a Caddy" and "The B-Side") are.

The sound quality is amazing. You can tell this was a labour of love.