taking sides: Tones on Tail vs Bauhaus

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has bauhaus's better logo consigned ToT to the daniel ash-heap of history? hur hur

i've been listening to a lot of ToT these days *goff goff ahem* and man!! they're good! I especially like the Peggy Lee-ishness of "Happiness" ... they're like Shirley McLaine meets New Order

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Thursday, 1 July 2004 00:11 (twenty years ago)

I was singing "Lions" and "Real Life" to myself recently, so I suppose they're ahead for now -- but still Bauhaus all the way in the end. But not really. Hm. (Refer my various AMG rants on both bands for more.)

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 1 July 2004 00:16 (twenty years ago)

Tones on Tail > Love & Rockets > Bauhaus > Peter Murphy

― xexxee, Thursday, 1 July 2004 00:18 (twenty years ago)

tot good but bauhaus great.

― stirmonster, Thursday, 1 July 2004 00:22 (twenty years ago)

see, I think bauhaus might have an unfair advantage due to being completely insane.

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Thursday, 1 July 2004 00:32 (twenty years ago)

Tones on Tail were fun, but they sounded like the proverbial "side project," whereas Bauhaus were always a full-on going concern.

Love & Rockets = a more realized, fleshed out Tones on Tail, basically. Now Love & Rockets versus Bauhaus....there's your question.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 1 July 2004 00:38 (twenty years ago)

word. but Tones on Tail are more fleshy... they could be anything, (even on mushrooms at a party.) With Love and Rockets, they basically settled on being the New Age T-Rex, which in my humble opinion, is a better popality than Bauhaus. Plus, the Bahaus stuff was only on import when I was a tape/teen, thus infulencing my gothy/cachless attanchment to the Ashhh.

― xexxee, Thursday, 1 July 2004 02:06 (twenty years ago)

Bauhaus > Tones On Tail > Love & Rockets > Pete Murphy

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Thursday, 1 July 2004 13:04 (twenty years ago)

stewart is exactly right. tones on tail is so much darker and all around more interesting than love and rockets (who certainly aren't bad by the way). but i think bauhaus wins out in the end for the more audible punk influence which makes them a bit more fun for me.

― greg, Thursday, 1 July 2004 14:55 (twenty years ago)

In retrospect, and only in retrospect, Tones On Tail are just more interesting. It's like I used up all my Bauhaus tickets at the fair on these fun rides and then found I still had some Tones On Tail tickets left.

God that was a terrible analogy. I must be getting drunk.

Love and Rockets vs. Peter Murphy - hmm. Peter wins, but only just. I had some friends that were Murphy nuts and really really overplayed some of his best stuff in my presence. Still love that first album, though.

― Bimble (bimble), Friday, 2 July 2004 07:40 (twenty years ago)

Oh no, no, no, no, no! They're all good! Bauhaus were brilliant twisted art funk disco, while Tones on Tail were, erm, twisted art funk disco. If you play "Go" on 45, you have every techno song ever!

― My New Identity (kate), Friday, 2 July 2004 08:03 (twenty years ago)

I mean, erm, now now now now, now now-now nooowww!

― My New Identity (kate), Friday, 2 July 2004 08:04 (twenty years ago)

three months pass...

Mmm. Tones on Tail sound great on a rainy night, and not just for "Rain" the song itself. Wonderful, wonderful band. "Slender Fungus" is still perfect weirdass wigginess.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 21 October 2004 00:59 (twenty years ago)

gotta use up those rain analogies while you can Ned it won't last much longer.

― hector (hector), Thursday, 21 October 2004 02:40 (twenty years ago)

*weeps* But I liked this rain! However I do hope it's all cleared up by Friday for Di's Disneyland trip. Quite possibly the smog might even stay away for a while!

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 21 October 2004 02:42 (twenty years ago)

ToTally.

"Go,' "Twist," "Movement of Fear," "OK This is the Pops," "There's Only One," "Happiness," "Performance"...one of the most underrated groups of the mid-80s.

Not such a big "Slender Fungus" fan, though.

― The Good Dr. Bill (Andrew Unterberger), Thursday, 21 October 2004 02:43 (twenty years ago)

"Twist" is really their finest moment (though "Go!" is the most fun)-- just this bizarre dreampop-disco-goth-surf rock number. Sounds like nothing else I've ever heard.

― The Good Dr. Bill (Andrew Unterberger), Thursday, 21 October 2004 02:45 (twenty years ago)

"Twist" really is this...strange...THING, I agree. And I just love the idea of the planet where the alphabet starts with Z. It's like Dr. Seuss meets the B-52s on bliss drugs.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 21 October 2004 02:46 (twenty years ago)

I'm no Bauhaus expert, but I don't believe they could ever do anything that cool.

And Pop is almost a flawless album...completely flawless if you can tolerate "Slender Fungus" (I'm getting there). Besides that it's eight for eight.

― The Good Dr. Bill (Andrew Unterberger), Thursday, 21 October 2004 02:53 (twenty years ago)

I love how "Slender Fungus" annoys. I think it's deliberately designed to be one of the most awkward 'pop' songs as such ever, in keeping with the album title and all. There is a hook, there's a conventional lyrical structure, it's extremely simple in ways, but then all that goes out the window with the arrangement. EVERYTHING combines in ways seemingly designed solely to frustrate. I think that's why I love it so much!

"Oooo-oooo-oooo..."

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 21 October 2004 03:06 (twenty years ago)

I really just don't like songs with teeth-brushing production and lyrics about tiny balls of meat.

Call it prejudice if you must.

― The Good Dr. Bill (Andrew Unterberger), Thursday, 21 October 2004 03:28 (twenty years ago)

I was gonna say HOW DID I MISS THIS THREAD THE FIRST TIME ROUND?!?!? then realised that I did already post to it.

Man, I haven't heard TOT in way too long. Don't know where all the funky coloured vinyl records got packed away to.

― Danger Whore (kate), Thursday, 21 October 2004 07:40 (twenty years ago)

four months pass...

Let's talk about Bauhaus.

Even though I probably like Tones on Tail a little bit more. And will most likely be hung on the gallows for saying so.

― Bimble... (Bimble...), Friday, 18 March 2005 05:58 (twenty years ago)

You're fired.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 18 March 2005 06:00 (twenty years ago)

Hahahahaha

― Bimble... (Bimble...), Friday, 18 March 2005 06:05 (twenty years ago)

Ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-YA! YA! YA!

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 18 March 2005 06:10 (twenty years ago)

http://www.mypkhome.com/rabbit/rabbit-10.jpg

― Bimble... (Bimble...), Friday, 18 March 2005 06:26 (twenty years ago)

one year passes...

Tones on Tail are awesome.

Tones on Tail vs. Bauhaus is a tough one, but Tones on Tail >>>>>>>>> Love and Rockets for sure.

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Saturday, 16 September 2006 20:11 (eighteen years ago)

Hey now.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 16 September 2006 20:13 (eighteen years ago)

three way tie between burning from the inside, pop, and seventh dream. all amazing. all almost perfect. (u.k. version of pop, natch.)

― scott seward (scott seward), Saturday, 16 September 2006 20:24 (eighteen years ago)

i love everything that bauhaus and tones on tail ever did. i love everything that love & rockets did up to and including no new tale to tell(single) and then i'm gone. but still, up to that point, it's all goodness.

― scott seward (scott seward), Saturday, 16 September 2006 20:26 (eighteen years ago)

Look, get it straight. Tones on Tail still win this thing. Did I pull out Bauhaus last week? NO I DIDN'T but funnily enough I DID pull out Tones on Tail's Everything CD. And isn't it fucking beautiful they managed to put all their stuff on one CD? That's fucking beautiful man. Get with the program.

― Ficky Stingers (Bimble...), Sunday, 17 September 2006 08:04 (eighteen years ago)

I always found Love and Rockets boring and lightweight compared to Bauhuas. Bauhaus incidentally is better than Tones on Tail for one reason in particular - "The Twenty Scopes"!

― Rombald (rombald), Sunday, 17 September 2006 09:15 (eighteen years ago)

I like Tones On Tail enough to have rebought (cheap and used admittedly) the obselete Night Music CD, because the version of "This is the pops" on that is the original mix, whereas they added all this flange to the version on Everything!. (And yeah, that bottom-of-the-well live recording of "Heartbreak Hotel" is on it, as well as that bald naked girl on the cover.)

Right, it's ToT.

― the dow nut industrial average dead joe mama besser (donut), Sunday, 17 September 2006 09:32 (eighteen years ago)

Please don't tell me that Donut, I wanted so much to believe I really had "everything". I don't have the vinyl LPs anymore. I couldn't bring every single piece of vinyl from my parent's house now could I? Gimme a break. "Heartbreak Hotel"? I don't remember that one. Oh christ. Look what you've done to me.

― Ficky Stingers (Bimble...), Sunday, 17 September 2006 19:06 (eighteen years ago)

eight months pass...

"I just did a track with an old Tones on Tail song"

- Lil Jon on the topic of his album Crunk Rock

― Curt1s Stephens, Friday, 1 June 2007 12:39 (eighteen years ago)

WAHT.

― Trayce, Friday, 1 June 2007 12:43 (eighteen years ago)

I am a sucker for"Go!" btw, if nothing else cause of its use in the Grosse Pointe Blank soundtrack =D

― Trayce, Friday, 1 June 2007 12:44 (eighteen years ago)

baby baby baby wants an empire

― Curt1s Stephens, Friday, 1 June 2007 14:22 (eighteen years ago)

Just the other day I was wondering if Lil Jon liked Nitzer Ebb.

― Curt1s Stephens, Friday, 1 June 2007 14:24 (eighteen years ago)

Well who wouldn't dammit!

― Trayce, Friday, 1 June 2007 14:27 (eighteen years ago)

!!!

― baaderonixx, Friday, 1 June 2007 14:29 (eighteen years ago)

Further reasons why Lil Jon rules.

― Ned Raggett, Friday, 1 June 2007 14:29 (eighteen years ago)

Wait, !!! don't like Nitzer Ebb?

OL I gotta put the beers down.

― Trayce, Friday, 1 June 2007 14:38 (eighteen years ago)

See I can't even type, gah. /Bimble.

― Trayce, Friday, 1 June 2007 14:38 (eighteen years ago)

eight months pass...

I missed the Lil' Jon/"Go!" thing!

YSI

― Mackro Mackro, Tuesday, 19 February 2008 22:08 (seventeen years ago)

Also

Tones On Tail >>> Bauhaus >> Love & Rockets >> David J. >>>> Peter Murphy >>>>>>> Daniel Ash

Keep in mind I love love love Bauhaus, so this is sayin a lot.

― Mackro Mackro, Tuesday, 19 February 2008 22:12 (seventeen years ago)

You're suggesting that David J's solo work is preferable to Daniel Ash's?

LAY OFF THAT CRACK, SON!

― Alex in NYC, Wednesday, 20 February 2008 00:28 (seventeen years ago)

i can live without daniel OR david's solo stuff. they've both made their fair share of poo.

― scott seward, Wednesday, 20 February 2008 00:42 (seventeen years ago)

I have to agree on David over Daniel when it comes to solo stuff.

― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 20 February 2008 00:53 (seventeen years ago)

Tones on Tail is the best thing any of those folks ever did. By miles.

And I really like Bauhaus and Love & Rockets. It's just that Tones on Tail is some of the best music ever.

― Nate Carson, Wednesday, 20 February 2008 01:36 (seventeen years ago)

Alex in NYC doesn't dig adult contemporary?

http://www.emusic.com/img/album/107/770/10777082_155_155.jpeg

― Curt1s Stephens, Wednesday, 20 February 2008 01:39 (seventeen years ago)

So, was there ever another version of Go! (besides teh "club mix")?

― Bobbi Peru, Wednesday, 20 February 2008 02:46 (seventeen years ago)

"Go!" sounds like two separate songs spliced together. The former part is a dubbed out instrumental version, then it splices into the "original" when the verses start. I presume there's a regular version somewhere in the vaults.. but you know, the Club Mix was definitive enough I guess.

― Mackro Mackro, Wednesday, 20 February 2008 06:31 (seventeen years ago)

I want a studio version cover of "Heartbreak Hotel"! I kinda like the deep-in-a-well-on-a-rusty-walkman recorded live version, but you know... There should be a 10-year anniversary followup to Everything! called Sike More Lol!

― Mackro Mackro, Wednesday, 20 February 2008 06:33 (seventeen years ago)

lions is one of the best songs ever.

― s1ocki, Wednesday, 20 February 2008 06:35 (seventeen years ago)

that whole pop album (u.k. version) is fucking brilliant. one of the best psych albums of that decade! (one of my faves to listen to on acid back then too)

― scott seward, Wednesday, 20 February 2008 06:52 (seventeen years ago)

That would make it a psych album.

― Bobbi Peru, Wednesday, 20 February 2008 08:06 (seventeen years ago)

You people be mean about solo David J. Three words: the Jazz Butcher Conspiracy!

― Masonic Boom, Thursday, 21 February 2008 13:27 (seventeen years ago)

Anyway, speaking of David J:

http://img406.imageshack.us/img406/5251/silverforgoldflyer4x61mq2.jpg

― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 21 February 2008 21:48 (seventeen years ago)

lions is one of the best songs ever.

OTM

― Curt1s Stephens, Thursday, 21 February 2008 23:21 (seventeen years ago)

I heard "O.K. This Is The Pops" today, and it was so good it made me want to kick the super of my building squarely in the shins. I want to do that anyway, but it would be so much more satisfying to do it while "O.K. This Is The Pops" was playing. I'm-a make that happen.

― Alex in NYC, Friday, 22 February 2008 00:26 (seventeen years ago)

holy shit. ned are you going to see that? crazy.

― s1ocki, Friday, 22 February 2008 01:57 (seventeen years ago)

so corny

― Bobbi Peru, Friday, 22 February 2008 02:04 (seventeen years ago)

Love & Rockets < Bauhaus < Tones On Tail < The Sinister Ducks.

― Telephone thing, Friday, 22 February 2008 03:17 (seventeen years ago)

holy shit. ned are you going to see that? crazy.

Didn't know it existed before today. Could be fun!

― Ned Raggett, Friday, 22 February 2008 06:01 (seventeen years ago)

That girls looks more like Diamanda Galas than Edie Sedgwick. I'm just sayin'.

― Alex in NYC, Friday, 22 February 2008 14:04 (seventeen years ago)

nine years pass...

So it's not QUITE Tones on Tail but

http://www.slicingupeyeballs.com/2017/03/15/poptone-tour-dates-daniel-ash-kevin-haskins-bauhaus-love-rockets-tones-on-tail/

― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 15 March 2017 23:04 (eight years ago)

five years pass...

I heard "O.K. This Is The Pops" today, and it was so good it made me want to kick the super of my building squarely in the shins.

Listening to it right now. It's a banger.

I love Tones on Tail. They were freer and looser than either Bauhaus or Love and Rockets.

Taking sides, though? Bauhaus is the source.

― immodesty blaise (jimbeaux), Wednesday, 25 May 2022 23:29 (three years ago)

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