| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| Chicago Tribune | [3] |
| Robert Christgau | B+[1] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [4] |
| PopMatters |   [5] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [6] |
| Spin Alternative Record Guide | 6/10[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
- "The Long Walk Home" – 2:34
- "Use of a Dog" – 3:17
- "Petrified" – 2:16
- "Stormy Weather" – 3:20
- "West Side Story" – 2:46
- "Thoughts That Go by Steam" - 3:47
- "Big Ed's Used Farms" - 2:24
- "A Day Such as This" - 7:17
- "The Vulgar Boatman Bird" - 2:49
- "My Hat" - 1:19
- "Horns Are a Dilemma" (Pere Ubu, John Thompson) - 4:21
Personnel
- Pere Ubu
- David Thomas – vocals, cover artwork
- Mayo Thompson – guitar
- Allen Ravenstine – EML synthesizers
- Tony Maimone – bass
- Anton Fier – drums, piano, marimba, percussion
with:
- Eddie "Tan Tan" Thornton - trumpet
- Technical
- Paul Hamann - engineer
- John Thompson - design
References
- ^ a b "Robert Christgau: CG: Pere Ubu". www.robertchristgau.com.
- ^ Song of the Bailing Man at AllMusic
- ^ Kot, Greg. "THE WEIRD, WONDERFUL PERE UBU". chicagotribune.com.
- ^ a b Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Volume 6: MUZE. p. 483.
- ^ "Pere Ubu: New Picnic Time / The Art of Walking / The Song of the Bailing Man". PopMatters. January 10, 2017.
- ^ The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 539.
- ^ a b Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. 1995. pp. 291–292.
- ^ "Pere Ubu | Biography & History". AllMusic.
- ^ Taylor, Steve (September 27, 2006). "The A to X of Alternative Music". A&C Black – via Google Books.
- ^ Buckley, Peter (December 15, 2003). "The Rough Guide to Rock". Rough Guides – via Google Books.
- ^ "MUSIC THAT DOESN'T FIT FOR PEOPLE THAT DON'T FIT - Record Collector Magazine".
- ^ "Pere Ubu". Trouser Press. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
- ^ "The Quietus | Reviews | Pere Ubu". The Quietus.