Song of the Bailing Man

Song of the Bailing Man
Studio album by
Pere Ubu
ReleasedSeptember 1982
RecordedAugust 1981 – January 1982
StudioSuma Recording Studio, Painesville, Ohio
GenrePost-punk
Length36:10
LabelRough Trade (original release)[1]
Cooking Vinyl (1999 European CD reissue)
Thirsty Ear (1999 US CD reissue)
Get Back (2001 Italian LP reissue)
Fire (2016 European LP & CD reissues)
ProducerAdam Kidron
Pere Ubu chronology
390° of Simulated Stereo
(1981) 		Song of the Bailing Man
(1982) 		Terminal Tower
(1985)
David Thomas chronology
Vocal Performances
(1981) 		Song of the Bailing Man
(1982) 		Variations on a Theme
(1983)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
Chicago Tribune[3]
Robert ChristgauB+[1]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[4]
PopMatters[5]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[6]
Spin Alternative Record Guide6/10[7]

Song of the Bailing Man is the fifth Pere Ubu album, released in 1982.[8][9] It was the final Pere Ubu album until 1988's The Tenement Year.[10]

Production

Anton Fier replaced drummer Scott Krauss for the recording of the album.[4] The band broke up shortly after producing Song of the Bailing Man.[11]

Critical reception

Trouser Press wrote that "Fier’s lighter, jazzier playing sets the tone for an album that, for all its Euro-prog iconoclasm, never quite ignites."[12] The Spin Alternative Record Guide called Song of the Bailing Man "more of a bouncy pop record, though Thomas is as gone as ever."[7] In its review of the Architecture of Language 1979-1982 boxset, The Quietus wrote that "Tony Maimone's basslines play a bigger part on this record, making this LP more overtly poppy sounding than its predecessors."[13]

Track listing

All lyrics by David Thomas; all music by Pere Ubu

  1. "The Long Walk Home" – 2:34
  2. "Use of a Dog" – 3:17
  3. "Petrified" – 2:16
  4. "Stormy Weather" – 3:20
  5. "West Side Story" – 2:46
  6. "Thoughts That Go by Steam" - 3:47
  7. "Big Ed's Used Farms" - 2:24
  8. "A Day Such as This" - 7:17
  9. "The Vulgar Boatman Bird" - 2:49
  10. "My Hat" - 1:19
  11. "Horns Are a Dilemma" (Pere Ubu, John Thompson) - 4:21

Personnel

Pere Ubu

with:

Technical
  • Paul Hamann - engineer
  • John Thompson - design

References

  1. ^ a b "Robert Christgau: CG: Pere Ubu". www.robertchristgau.com.
  2. ^ Song of the Bailing Man at AllMusic
  3. ^ Kot, Greg (13 July 1989). "THE WEIRD, WONDERFUL PERE UBU". chicagotribune.com.
  4. ^ a b Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 6. MUZE. p. 483.
  5. ^ "Pere Ubu: New Picnic Time / The Art of Walking / The Song of the Bailing Man". PopMatters. January 10, 2017.
  6. ^ The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 539.
  7. ^ a b Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. 1995. pp. 291–292.
  8. ^ "Pere Ubu | Biography & History". AllMusic.
  9. ^ Taylor, Steve (September 27, 2006). The A to X of Alternative Music. A&C Black. ISBN 9780826482174 – via Google Books.
  10. ^ Buckley, Peter (December 15, 2003). The Rough Guide to Rock. Rough Guides. ISBN 9781843531050 – via Google Books.
  11. ^ "MUSIC THAT DOESN'T FIT FOR PEOPLE THAT DON'T FIT - Record Collector Magazine".
  12. ^ "Pere Ubu". Trouser Press. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
  13. ^ "The Quietus | Reviews | Pere Ubu". The Quietus.