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Jul 11, 2012

The Birthday Party - Live 1981-82 (1999)


Whoever recorded these Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari weirdos forgot the general rule that in rock the voice is central, accidentally allowing for the guitars to share prominence with the shrieks. All the better for it, a band like this benefitting from the emphasized duality of Cave’s pretentious primitivism (Freudian, Nietzschean...) and Howard’s pretentious Romanticism (Poe?). That is, beside (rather than behind) the shock and aggression there’s a direct, defeated, desperation and vulnerability. 16 songs is too long, but it has Junkyard live 1981 on it, so A

A

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5 comments:

  1. Thanks! Been looking for this.

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  2. Definitely not Poe. Rowland always struck me as incredibly French. More like a mixture of Ionesco and Jean Genet. Classy and well-kept, but still doped up and participating in an orgy any given Wednesday.

    Still one of the best bands ever.

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    Replies
    1. haven't read either of those dudes just grabbed at poe 'cause howard seems so obsessed with romance and lost/unrequited love lol

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  3. Can we get a reup on this please?

    ReplyDelete