Pere Ubu was an American rock group formed in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1975. The band had a variety of
long-term and recurring band members, with singer David Thomas being the only member staying throughout the band's lifetime. They released their debut album The Modern Dance in 1978 and followed with several more LPs before disbanding in 1982. Thomas reformed the group in 1987, continuing to record and tour.
Describing their sound as "avant-garage," Pere Ubu's work drew inspiration from sources such as
musique concrète, 60s rock, performance art, and the industrial environments of the American Midwest.[8][9] While the band achieved little commercial success, they have exerted a wide influence on subsequent underground music.
One of the American underground's most influential bands, Pere Ubu expressed the angst and chaos of
their times with apocalyptic fervor and surprising humanity. Led by frontman David Thomas -- whose absurdist warble and rapturously demented lyrics defined the band -- Ubu emerged from Cleveland's urban wastelands with their 1975 debut single, "30 Seconds Over Tokyo," which introduced the self-destructing melodies, scattershot rhythms, and industrial-strength dissonance they expanded on with 1978's debut album, The Modern Dance.
On later efforts including 1989's Cloudland and 1993's Story of My Life, their protean art punk became
more accessible, but hiatuses and lineup changes never diluted Pere Ubu's idiosyncratic vision. The band welcomed the 21st century with uncompromising albums that honored their roots without rehashing them, including 2002's St. Arkansas. Their momentum continued into the 2010s and 2020s, with works like 2013's Lady from Shanghai and 2023's Trouble on Big Beat Street reflecting a literate, volatile sound and viewpoint that was unmistakably Pere Ubu.
Despite their association with genres such as art punk and post-punk, and despite being influenced by
key proto-punk acts like the Velvet Underground, the Stooges, and MC5,[30] Thomas has denied the association with punk rock, stating that Pere Ubu are "just a rock band." To define their music, Pere Ubu coined the term avant-garage to reflect interest in both experimental avant-garde music, especially musique concrète, and raw, direct blues-influenced garage rock. Thomas has stated the term is "a joke invented to have something to give journalists when they yelp for a neat sound bite or pigeonhole".
Their music has been called 1950s and 1960s garage rock and surf music archetypes as seen in a distorting funhouse mirror, emphasising the music's angst, loneliness and lyrical paranoia. Sometimes
sounding like a demented nursery rhyme sing-along, this already bizarre blend was overlaid with Ravenstine's ominous EML synthesizer effects and tape looped sounds of mundane conversation, ringing telephones or steam whistles. Their propulsive rhythmic pulse was similar to Krautrock, but Thomas's yelping, howling, desperate singing was and still is peculiar when compared to most other rock and roll singers.
DAVID THOMAS (David Lynn Thomas June 14, 1953 – April 23, 2025)
David Thomas was a founding member of the legendary Rocket from the Tombs in Cleveland during 1974. Although they were only together for a relatively short period of time, when they split the various members went on to form Pere Ubu and the Dead Boys, both of whom were destined to leave indelible
marks on the development of modern music. But while the Dead Boys would only last until 1979, Pere Ubu (despite a five year hiatus during the mid-Eighties, when David recorded several solo albums) have continued to this day, releasing many albums and touring throughout Europe and America. David has remained the only continuous member of Pere Ubu, but former members often return to the fold for either studio or live projects, as and when appropriate.
Pere Ubu – Datapanik In The Year Zero
Label:DGC – DGCD5-24969
Format:5 x CD, Compilation, Box Set, Limited Edition
Country:US
Released:Aug 27, 1996
Genre:Rock
Style:Art Rock, New Wave, Experimental
CD 1. 1975 - 1977 (1:09:29)
01. 30 Seconds Over Tokyo 6:21
Written-By – Thomas, O'Connor, Laughner
02. Heart Of Darkness 4:44
Written-By – Thomas, Laughner, Krauss, Wright, Herman
03. Final Solution 4:58
Written-By – Bell, Thomas
04. Cloud 149 2:37
05. Untitled 3:32
06. My Dark Ages 4:00
07. Heaven 3:04
08. Nonalignment Pact 3:18
09. The Modern Dance 3:28
10. Laughing 4:35
11. Street Waves 3:04
12. Chinese Radiation 3:27
13. Life Stinks 1:52
Written-By – Laughner
14. Real World 4:00
15. Over My Head 3:49
16. Sentimental Journey 6:06
17. Humor Me 2:43
18. The Book Is On The Table 4:02
Flac Size: 615 MB
CD2. 1978 - 1979 (1:12:06)
01. Navvy 2:40
02. On The Surface 2:35
03. Dub Housing 3:40
04. Caligari's Mirror 3:49
05. Thriller! 4:36
06. I, Will Wait 1:46
07. Drinking Wine Spodyody 2:44
08. Ubu Dance Party 4:46
09. Blow Daddy O 3:38
10. Codex 4:54
11. The Fabulous Sequel 3:07
12. 49 Guitars & One Girl 2:51
13. A Small Dark Cloud 5:49
14. Small Was Fast 3:30
15. All The Dogs Are Barking 3:02
16. One Less Worry 3:46
17. Make Hay 4:02
18. Goodbye 5:17
19. Voice Of The Sand 1:27
20. Kingdom Come 3:15
Flac Size: 605 MB
CD3. 1980 - 1982 (1:12:51)
01. Go 3:35
02. Rhapsody In Pink 3:34
03. Arabia 4:59
04. Young Miles In The Basement 4:20
05. Misery Goats 2:38
06. Loop 3:15
07. Rounder 3:24
08. Birdies 2:27
09. Lost In Art 5:12
10. Horses (Written-By – Thompson) 2:35
11. Crush This Horn 3:00
12. The Long Walk Home 2:35
13. Petrified 2:16
14. Stormy Weather 3:18
15. West Side Story 2:46
16. Thoughts That Go By Steam 3:47
17. Big Ed's Used Farms 2:24
18. A Day Such As This 7:16
19. The Vulgar Boatman Bird 2:49
20. My Hat 1:19
21. Horns Are A Dilemma 4:21
Flac Size: 617 MB
CD4. 390° Of Simulated Stereo, Vol. 2 (1:00:59)
01. Vocal Liner Notes 0:56
02. Theatre 140, 5/5/78 0:07
03. Real World 4:32
04. Laughing 5:19
05. Street Waves 4:30
06. Humor Me 3:08
07. Over My Head 5:00
08. Sentimental Journey 8:49
09. Life Stinks (Written-By – Laughner) 3:13
10. My Dark Ages 5:30
11. C. Teatro Medica, 3/3/81 0:11
12. The Modern Dance 3:40
13. Codex 3:24
14. Ubu Dance Party 3:57
15. Big Ed's Used Farms 3:27
16. Real World 2:46
17. Birdies 2:15
Flac Size: 519 MB
CD5. Terminal Drive (1:14:20)
01. Foreign Bodies – The Incredible Truth 2:35
Sequenced By, Synthesizer, Saxophone [Saxophones] – Jim Jones
Trumpet, Tape [Riot Tape] – Pat Ryan
Written-By, Producer – Jones, Ryan
02. 15-60-75 – It's In Imagination 4:43
Alto Saxophone [Alto Sax] – Terry Hynde
Baritone Saxophone [Baritone Satim Magilonex] – Tim Magilone
Bass – Bart Johnson
Drums – David Robinson
Guitar – Michael Stacey
Producer – David Thomas
Tenor Saxophone [Tenor Sax] – Jack Kidney
Vocals, Guitar – Bob Kidney
Written-By – Kidney
03. Syd's Dance Band – Never Again 2:20
Drums – Scott Krauss
Guitar [Guitars] – Pat Morgan
Harp – Doug Morgan
Vocals, Bass, Keyboards, Synthesizer [EML] – Tony Maimone
Written-By – Maimone*
04. Carney & Thomas – Sunset In The Antipodes 2:26
Bass – Mark Price
Drums – Nappy Lemans
Guitar – Michael Aylward
Saxophone [Saxes], Keyboards – Ralph Carney
Vocals – David Thomas
Written-By – Thomas, Carney
05. Home And Garden – (Please) Fix My Horn (My Brakes Don't Work) 3:24
Bass, Synthesizer [Synthesizers] – Tony Maimone
Drums, Organ, Tape [Tapes] – Scott Krauss
Guitar – Pat Morgan
Producer – Home And Garden, Pat Ryan
Written-By – Home And Garden
06. Neptune's Car – Baking Bread 2:13
Bass – Brian Cox
Drums – Scott Krauss
Guitar – John Freskos
Guitar, Vocals – Doug Morgan
Producer – Jim Jones (3), Pat Ryan
Written-By – Morgan, Freskos
07. David Thomas – Atom Mind 2:29
Bass – Paul Hamann
Drums – Scott Krauss
Guitar – Alan Greenblatt
Synthesizer [EML] – Allen Ravenstine
Vocals – David Thomas
Written-By – Thomas
08. Tripod Jimmie – Autumn Leaves 4:17
Bass – Lenny Bove
Drums – Roger Prehoda
Guitar, Vocals – Tom Herman
Written-By – Bove, Herman
09. Friction – Dear Richard 5:56
Bass – Debbie Smythe
Drums – Anton Fier
Guitar – Susan Schmidt
Vocals, Guitar – Peter Laughner
Written-By – Laughner
10. Pressler & Morgan – You're Gonna Watch Me 1:40
Bass – Bob Kravitz
Drums – Leo Ryan
Guitar – Doug Morgan, Pat Morgan
Producer – Doug Morgan
Vocals, Electronics – Charlotte Pressler
Written-By – Pressler, Morgan
11. Rocket From The Tombs – Amphetamine 5:32
Bass – Craig Bell
Drums – Wayne Strick
Guitar – Gene O'Connor
Guitar, Vocals – Peter Laughner
Saxophone [Sax], Organ [Ace Tone] – David Thomas
Written-By – Laughner
12. Mirrors – She Smiled Wild 3:57
Bass – Jim Jones
Drums – Michael Weldon
Guitar – Jim Crook
Vocals, Guitar – Jamie Klimek
Written-By – Jamie Klimek
13. Electric Eels – Jaguar Ride 1:46
Bass – Jim Jones
Drums – Nick Stephanoff
Guitar – Brian McMahon, John Morton
Producer – Paul Marotta
Vocals – Dave E
Written-By – Brian McMahon
14. Tom Herman – Steve Canyon Blues 4:17
Bass, Rhythm Guitar – Tom Herman
Drums – Scott Krauss
Guitar – Rick Kallister
Synthesizer [Moog] – Cindy Black
Written-By – Herman
15. Allen Ravenstine – Home Life 6:47
Bass [Bowed String Bass] – Albert Dennis
Synthesizer [EML], Tape – Allen Ravenstine
Written-By – Ravenstine
16. Rocket From The Tombs – 30 Seconds Over Tokyo 7:00
Bass – Craig Bell
Drums – John Madansky
Guitar – Gene O'Connor, Peter Laughner
Vocals – David Thomas
Written-By – Thomas, O'Connor, Laughner
17. Proto Ubu – Heart Of Darkness 8:47
Bass – Tim Wright
Guitar – Peter Laughner
Synthesizer [EML] – Dave Taylor
Vocals – David Thomas
18. Pere Ubu – Pushin Too Hard 3:54
Bass – Tim Wright
Drums – Scott Krauss
Guitar – Peter Laughner, Tom Herman
Organ [Ace Tone], Synthesizer [EML] – Dave Taylor
Vocals, Harmonica – David Thomas
Written-By – Saxon
Flac Size: 633 MB
NOTES
The box set compiles the original Datapanik In The Year Zero EP,
the first five albums:
01. The Modern Dance 1978
02.Dub Housing 1978
03.New Picnic Time 1979
04.The Art Of Walking 1980
05.Song Of The Bailing Man 1982,
along with a disc of live material (CD4)
And another of related rarities and previously unreleased pre-Ubu material (5-03, 5-09, 5-11, 5-13, 5-15 to 5-17) (CD5).
It omits 'Use Of A Dog' from Song Of The Bailing Man, 'Humor Me', 'Not Happy' and 'Lonesome Cowboy Dave' from Terminal Tower and the vocal version of "Arabia" from The Art Of Walking.
Pere Ubu - The Modern Dance on Urban aspirines HERE
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