Carnival of Souls (Pere Ubu album)

Carnival of Souls
Studio album by
Pere Ubu
Released2014
GenreAlternative rock
LabelFire Records[1]
ProducerDavid Thomas
Pere Ubu chronology
Lady from Shanghai
(2012) 		Carnival of Souls
(2014) 		20 Years in a Montana Missile Silo
(2017)

Carnival of Souls is an album by the American band Pere Ubu, released in 2014.[2][3] The title is taken from the 1962 film, for which the band had created an underscore.[4][2] "Irene" was released as a single.[5]

Production

The album was written while Pere Ubu toured Europe in support of Lady from Shanghai.[6] Darryl Boon joined the band on clarinet.[7] In addition to the film, Pere Ubu was inspired by Van der Graaf Generator's Pawn Hearts.[8]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[9]
Drowned in Sound8/10[7]
Record Collector[10]

Record Collector wrote that the album "scrapes up enough sporadic excellence to justify David Thomas’ perseverance in the 21st-century scheme of things."[10] Greil Marcus, in The Believer, thought that the lead track "Golden Surf II" "shoots out like a flood, and then you can ride the wave of transmorgrification that sweeps over the whole album."[11] The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel determined that the band "still challenges itself and its listeners on its unsettling, menacing circus of a latest disc."[12]

AllMusic noted that "'Dr. Faustus', one of the album's most score-like pieces, combines metallic percussion, spare guitars and David Thomas' muttered vocals into something rustic and rickety, yet threatening at a moment's notice."[9]

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Pere Ubu.

CD version

No.TitleLength
1."Golden Surf II"4:10
2."Drag the River"4:01
3."Visions of the Moon"3:33
4."Dr Faustus"4:22
5."Bus Station"4:28
6."Road to Utah"4:20
7."Carnival"5:01
8."Irene"4:13
9."Brother Ray"12:02

LP version

Side A

  1. Golden Surf II - 4:10
  2. Strychnine 1 - 1:05
  3. Drag The River - 4:01
  4. Strychnine 2 - 1:00
  5. Visions Of The Moon - 3:33
  6. Strychnine 3 - 1:01
  7. Dr. Faustus - 4:22

Side B

  1. Strychnine 4 - 1:01
  2. Bus Station - 4:28
  3. Road To Utah - 4:20
  4. Carnival - 5:01
  5. Strychnine 5 - 1:00
  6. Irene - 4:13

References

  1. ^ "POP CULTURE COUNTDOWN". Austin American-Statesman. 1 Sep 2014. p. D2.
  2. ^ a b "Pere Ubu Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic.
  3. ^ Machosky, Michael (June 30, 2016). "Pere Ubu proud of its 'avant-garage' staying power". Tribune-Review.
  4. ^ "Pere Ubu's 'Carnival Of Souls' Is A Dreamscape That's Never Dreamy". NPR. Retrieved 14 December 2021.
  5. ^ Cooper, Neil (November 20, 2014). "Pere Ubu". Sunday Herald. Features. p. 22.
  6. ^ Whitelock, Ed (September 12, 2014). "Pere Ubu: Carnival of Souls, PopMatters".
  7. ^ a b "Album Review: Pere Ubu - Carnival of Souls". DrownedInSound. Archived from the original on 2021-12-14. Retrieved 2021-12-14.
  8. ^ "Pere Ubu CARNIVAL OF SOULS". The Quietus. Retrieved 14 December 2021.
  9. ^ a b "Carnival of Souls - Pere Ubu | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic" – via www.allmusic.com.
  10. ^ a b "Carnival Of Souls - Record Collector Magazine".
  11. ^ Marcus, Greil (January 1, 2015). "Real Life Rock: The Complete Top Ten Columns, 1986-2014". Yale University Press – via Google Books.
  12. ^ "Pere Ubu, 'Carnival of Souls'". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Entertainment. September 8, 2014.