Alone in a darkened POLL: Bauhaus

Message Bookmarked
Bookmark Removed

Ok as a preliminary playoff before the best goth album extravaganza, let's first figure out what the best Bauhaus album is:

Poll Results

OptionVotes
In the Flat Field (1980) 12
The Sky's Gone Out (1982) 11
Mask (1981) 8
Burning from the Inside (1983) 2
Go Away White (2008) 1


baaderonixx, Friday, 13 February 2009 14:16 (seventeen years ago)

Mask and Burning from the Inside are really strong, but I went with In the Flat Field.

LeRooLeRoo, Friday, 13 February 2009 14:48 (seventeen years ago)

a weird poll cause some of their strongest stuff wasn't on the albums (bela lugosi's dead, dark entries, terror couple kill colonel)

but as an album it's gotta be the sky's gone out

鬼の手 (Edward III), Friday, 13 February 2009 15:40 (seventeen years ago)

yeah Sky is the only album I'd truly consider classic

baaderonixx, Friday, 13 February 2009 15:41 (seventeen years ago)

haven't heard go away white, what's that all about

鬼の手 (Edward III), Friday, 13 February 2009 15:46 (seventeen years ago)

reunion album released last year

baaderonixx, Friday, 13 February 2009 15:49 (seventeen years ago)

It's a decent album.

Lots of praying with no breakfast! (HI DERE), Friday, 13 February 2009 15:51 (seventeen years ago)

Go Away White is surprisingly good as an album, something they didn't seem to do very convincingly in their first run. Edward III TOM re: the non-album singles as high-points.

EZ Snappin, Friday, 13 February 2009 16:13 (seventeen years ago)

I was initially excited by GAW but ultimately I don't really care for it. The only song I play regularly is "Eternal Summer of the Damned", which is pretty classic.

baaderonixx, Friday, 13 February 2009 16:15 (seventeen years ago)

That's the song I love the most as well from that album, the chorus keeps coming back to me.

Ned Raggett, Friday, 13 February 2009 16:16 (seventeen years ago)

'Go Away White' is nothing stronger than a bunch of half baked demos, which Cooking Vinyl had the nerve to release as an album. Rather than a bunch of demos. You can hear Murphy saying daft things like 'You can play a solo there if you like'.

They couldn't get along well enough to complete it. They both, separately admitted as much to me during interviews a few months afterwards.

Mask is great all the way through. I'm DJing some strange no-music-from-after-1984 type of thing tonight and Lagartija Nick, Third Uncle and Kick In The Eye are all packed.

Doran, Friday, 13 February 2009 16:19 (seventeen years ago)

Doran makes "Go Away White" sounds quite interesting

J0hn D., Friday, 13 February 2009 16:23 (seventeen years ago)

You can hear Murphy saying daft things like 'You can play a solo there if you like'.

Hah that's one of the highlights of the album as far as i'm concerned...

baaderonixx, Friday, 13 February 2009 16:25 (seventeen years ago)

Go Away White is prob better than Burning From the Inside

Mask is their most diverse album but I think In the Flat Field is def their best - so fucking brutal

on some charter shit no doubt (Curt1s Stephens), Friday, 13 February 2009 16:26 (seventeen years ago)

A really fucking great band Bauhaus. I interviewed Simon Reynolds recently and asked him about his antipathy toward goth music (which I was guessing at because of the dearth of substantial stuff on Siouxsie, Killing Joke and Bauhaus in Rip It Up) and he said he'd changed his mind slightly saying he quite liked Kick In The Eye, Bela Lugosi's Dead, She's In Parties but said that most of the music didn't live up to the strangeness of the image, which is true but a bit of an odd stipulation. Well, for me anyway.

Doran, Friday, 13 February 2009 16:27 (seventeen years ago)

Maybe I need to go back and listen to Go Away White again. I remember getting really fucking angry with them for recording what was essentially a Brit Pop song on that album, all Kinks lite pianos and choppy Blur guitars. I was fucking incandescent with rage. I mean, there can't have been that many people flying their flag through the dark days of Brit Pop and for them to come back sounding like the fucking Bluetones or something.

I know what you mean about the talking bits; I really like that pre-Purple Tape, Frank Black Francis, with dough boy going on all 'And then I'll start screaming'. Really funny. And interesting that so little of wild vocalization was actually left to chance.

Doran, Friday, 13 February 2009 16:30 (seventeen years ago)

I don't mean the Bluetones. I mean something like Menswear or something.

Doran, Friday, 13 February 2009 16:31 (seventeen years ago)

"Go Away White is prob better than Burning From the Inside" I think you're probably right, though obviously it doesn't have the same memories. It's a good, solid album, which couldn't possibly have lived up to the expectations laid on it. Don't hear any Britpop there at all, but they always used choppy guitars and occasional piano.

Soukesian, Friday, 13 February 2009 18:30 (seventeen years ago)

Burning From the Inside has the least Peter Murphy, and sounds more like a Love and Rockets album or David J solo album. One of the songs sounds like it could be a coffee commercial.

sarahel, Friday, 13 February 2009 19:01 (seventeen years ago)

yeah, every couple of years I go back to burning from the inside and it still sounds like a contractual obligation album to me

鬼の手 (Edward III), Friday, 13 February 2009 19:42 (seventeen years ago)

There's one song with a jaunty Carnaby Street vibe to it. It fucking blows but I'm not about to dig it out just to make myself depressed.

Doran, Friday, 13 February 2009 19:54 (seventeen years ago)

I think the coffee commercial-sounding song is the last one on one of the sides. Search of internets reveals title to be "Hope" and it's the last song on side 2.

sarahel, Friday, 13 February 2009 20:32 (seventeen years ago)

For me, it's The Sky's Gone Out, narrowly beating Burning from the Inside -- there might be some kind of rockist "works as an album" thing going on with that, but this is an album poll.

nabisco, Friday, 13 February 2009 20:37 (seventeen years ago)

Also I like all the stuff about the fish

nabisco, Friday, 13 February 2009 20:37 (seventeen years ago)

I like "hope" because it runs counter to expectations, a great way to cap their final album (well, it *was* their final album for like 25 years), and it does fit in with their long-standing ballad impulses, like "crowds" minus the vitriol

鬼の手 (Edward III), Friday, 13 February 2009 20:52 (seventeen years ago)

he said he'd changed his mind slightly saying he quite liked Kick In The Eye, Bela Lugosi's Dead, She's In Parties but said that most of the music didn't live up to the strangeness of the image, which is true but a bit of an odd stipulation.

second side of the sky's gone out is pretty f'kn strange

鬼の手 (Edward III), Friday, 13 February 2009 20:54 (seventeen years ago)

Oh classic gentlemen...

Ned Raggett, Friday, 13 February 2009 21:07 (seventeen years ago)

None of these albums suck, but In The Flat Field just owns this, even if we're not counting a lot of great non-album singles here and there.

"Stigmata Martyr" pwns about two other Bauhaus albums alone.

Had "Dark Entries", "Terror Couple", and "Telegram Sam" been proper album tracks on ITFF, we'd all be worshipping Yahhaus The Bauw.

System Jr. (Mackro Mackro), Friday, 13 February 2009 21:15 (seventeen years ago)

The REAL battle:

Bauhaus - In The Flat Field
vs.
Tones On Tail - 'Pop'

System Jr. (Mackro Mackro), Friday, 13 February 2009 21:17 (seventeen years ago)

This is a tough poll. I don't think any of their albums are truly consistent, even if the second side of Sky's Gone Out probably blows away everything they ever did (leaving out some very key singles obviously). I think I'm going with Mask here as its the one I'm most likely to pull out, and it has songs on it that stuck with me longer. Burning From the Inside is nearly a waste of time, in my opinion.

Coffee Table LP's Never Breathe! (Bimble), Friday, 13 February 2009 21:22 (seventeen years ago)

x-post -- "...shakes!"

Ned Raggett, Friday, 13 February 2009 21:23 (seventeen years ago)

Had "Dark Entries", "Terror Couple", and "Telegram Sam" been proper album tracks on ITFF, we'd all be worshipping Yahhaus The Bauw.

can't argue w/ this. unfortunately the reality is ITFF has proper album tracks like "god in an alcove" and "small talk stinks".

鬼の手 (Edward III), Friday, 13 February 2009 21:28 (seventeen years ago)

"double dare" is one of my favorite opening album tracks ever tho

鬼の手 (Edward III), Friday, 13 February 2009 21:29 (seventeen years ago)

'All we ever wanted was everything", guys.

baaderonixx, Friday, 13 February 2009 23:45 (seventeen years ago)

Also "Lillies & Remains" still reminds me of my high school locker room to this day. Haha.

Coffee Table LP's Never Breathe! (Bimble), Friday, 13 February 2009 23:56 (seventeen years ago)

not an album proper, but in a weird way "Swing the Heartache" that BBC thing is my favorite.

Yo, I just copped dat brand new Manity Kane cd. (M@tt He1ges0n), Friday, 13 February 2009 23:56 (seventeen years ago)

Oh man. I'm going to vote Mask, of course, but it's a really close tie with The Sky's Gone Out. I mean, Side 2 of Sky's Gone Out is one of those stretches of music that's just indelibly burned on my brain from teenage overlistens. But I think Mask just edges it.

I really love Burning From The Inside, though. A much maligned album, even with the dearth of Murphy - though I'm fucked if I can actually remember how Hope goes. Was it the song that soudned like a long-lost L&R track?

(Though TBH, if we could include Press The Eject And Give Me The Tape, I'd vote for that.)

I'm getting LOUD with you! (Masonic Boom), Saturday, 14 February 2009 01:05 (seventeen years ago)

though I'm fucked if I can actually remember how Hope goes. Was it the song that soudned like a long-lost L&R track?

don't think so ...though there's at least one song that does sound like a long-lost Love and Rockets track. Hope, from what I recall, goes kinda like ...

cause the morning will be brighter, (taste the taster's choice and greet the day) - parenthetical lyrics = made up by me because it sounds like a coffee commercial.

candy corn for lunch and dinner (sarahel), Saturday, 14 February 2009 20:12 (seventeen years ago)

I like BBC thing and Press the Eject better than the actual albums ...but as far as albums go, the 2nd side of Sky's Gone Out gives that one my vote.

candy corn for lunch and dinner (sarahel), Saturday, 14 February 2009 20:14 (seventeen years ago)

gotta go with Mask. title track = favorite album closer ever

matt o, Sunday, 15 February 2009 03:06 (seventeen years ago)

That was my one problem with the mask reissue - although I loved having all the extra tracks on it, Mask was just such a killer closer that it felt weird to be interrupted by having something else on after it.

I have now remembered how Hope goes - it was like the non-funky version of Spirit, that's right.

I'm getting LOUD with you! (Masonic Boom), Sunday, 15 February 2009 10:20 (seventeen years ago)

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

System, Tuesday, 17 February 2009 00:01 (seventeen years ago)

"Hope" does sound a lil' like a pre-cursor to Love And Rockets. It's one of my fave tracks off Burning From The Inside. The album is over-criticized, me thinks. Then again, i can't divorce my thoughts on it from the circumstances that made it the quasi-unfinished thing that it is. It's also kinda symbolic of the band (initially) breaking up. But then we wouldn't have "Who Killed Mr. Moonlight?", which i love. I like "She's In Parties" too, but the few Bauhaus-y songs on BFTI almost seem like interruptions.

All that said, while it's better than Going Away White (meh), it's not as good as the previous albums. Generally speaking, no Bauhaus album was better than its predecessor.

System Jr. (Mackro Mackro), Tuesday, 17 February 2009 00:57 (seventeen years ago)

Mask. Mostly because of the opening 1-2-3 punch of "Hair of the Dog", "Passion of Lovers", and "Of Lilies and Remains".

But yeah, each of the Bauhaus albums have that slightly askew, uneven feel to them. Go Away White feels like it could have eventually been excellent if the band didn't implode for the 2nd (3rd?) time, but with the exceptions of perhaps "Mirror Remains" and "The Dog's a Vapour", the songs just sort of hang there and don't develop much, if at all, over their lifespan. "Adrenaline" could have kicked so much ass if actually DID something.

OffensiveBeard, Tuesday, 17 February 2009 02:27 (seventeen years ago)

the sky's gone out gets my vote here. and if press the eject and give me the tape was included it would probably be that. luckily for me the original cassette i had was one of those crazy double album cassettes with both on it.

tricky, Tuesday, 17 February 2009 02:52 (seventeen years ago)

^ that's the version I have, it's nearly all the bauhaus you ever need ^

鬼の手 (Edward III), Tuesday, 17 February 2009 17:39 (seventeen years ago)

I loved "The Skys Gone Out" so much that I named my (now defunct) goth radio show after it. I was very proud that I got both David J. and Peter Murphy to do station IDs for it.

theskysgoneout (Jason Pitzl-Waters), Tuesday, 17 February 2009 17:55 (seventeen years ago)

Hooray for those crazy double album cassettes! :)

Coffee Table LP's Never Breathe! (Bimble), Tuesday, 17 February 2009 17:55 (seventeen years ago)

the bbc thing was the album I listened to the most, in fact, to this day I don't know that I've listened to Mask all the way through more than a handful of times. I'll give this to "burning from the inside".

akm, Tuesday, 17 February 2009 18:02 (seventeen years ago)

ack I mean "the sky's gone out". see how little I listen to these ow? It's Vol. 1 an 2 for me most of the time.

akm, Tuesday, 17 February 2009 18:03 (seventeen years ago)

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

System, Wednesday, 18 February 2009 00:01 (seventeen years ago)

Wha? I would never have called that one.

Questionable Rock-Frog (Masonic Boom), Wednesday, 18 February 2009 00:51 (seventeen years ago)

nelson.laf is dead

System Jr. (Mackro Mackro), Wednesday, 18 February 2009 01:03 (seventeen years ago)

that seems about right

singles poll would prolly be interesting

鬼の手 (Edward III), Wednesday, 18 February 2009 04:35 (seventeen years ago)

tho one assumes bela would flatten it

鬼の手 (Edward III), Wednesday, 18 February 2009 04:42 (seventeen years ago)

three months pass...

Did someone say goth? DING DING DING DING
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzyU80kuGRY

Fever Pitch, Bitch (Bimble), Sunday, 14 June 2009 12:55 (sixteen years ago)

nine years pass...

those indians wank... on his bones
those indians wank... on his bones
THOSE INDIANS WANK! ON HIS BONES!
THOSE INDIANS WANK! ON HIS BONES!

etc. etc.

Le Baton Rose (Turrican), Wednesday, 17 April 2019 23:35 (six years ago)

Burning from the Inside is really hitting the spot for me tonight - what a phenomenal opening two-fer, and then 'Slice of Life'! 'Hope'! All nine and a half minutes of the title track!

Le Baton Rose (Turrican), Wednesday, 17 April 2019 23:38 (six years ago)

really like Burning From the Inside, especially "She's in Parties" and "Antonin Artaud"

Dan S, Wednesday, 17 April 2019 23:50 (six years ago)

"She's in Parties" is one of the best post-punk dub tunes, up there with the New Age Steppers imo

buttigieg play the blues (crüt), Thursday, 18 April 2019 00:34 (six years ago)


You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.