The Modern Dance

• Artist: Pere Ubu
• Rating:
• Release Date: 1978
• Total Time: 36:20
• Genre: Rock

Review

There isn't a Pere Ubu recording you can imagine living without. The Modern Dance remains the essential Ubu purchase (as does the follow-up, Dub Housing). For sure, Mercury had no idea what they had on their hands when they released this as part of their punk rock offshoot label Blank, but it remains a classic slice of art-punk. It announces itself quite boldly: the first sound you hear is a painfully high-pitched whine of feedback, but then Tom Herman's postmodern Chuck Berry riffing kicks off the brilliant "Non-Alignment Pact," and you soon realize that this is punk rock unlike any you've ever heard. David Thomas' caterwauling is funny and moving, Scott Krauss (drums) and Tony Maimone (bass) are one of the great unheralded rhythm sections in all of rock, and the "difficult" tracks like "Street Waves," "Chinese Radiation," and the terrifying "Humor Me" are revelatory, and way ahead of their time. The Modern Dance is the signature sound of the avant-garage: art rock, punk rock, and garage rock mixing together joyously and fearlessly. ~ John Dougan, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
Non-Alignment Pact	David Thomas, Tom Herman, Scott Krauss, Tony Maimone, Allen Ravenstine	Pere Ubu	(3:18)
The Modern Dance	David Thomas, Tom Herman, Scott Krauss, Tony Maimone, Allen Ravenstine	Pere Ubu	(3:28)
Laughing	David Thomas, Tom Herman, Scott Krauss, Tony Maimone, Allen Ravenstine	Pere Ubu	(4:35)
Street Waves	David Thomas, Tom Herman, Scott Krauss, Tony Maimone, Allen Ravenstine	Pere Ubu	(3:04)
Chinese Radiation	David Thomas, Tom Herman, Scott Krauss, Tony Maimone, Allen Ravenstine	Pere Ubu	(3:27)
Life Stinks	Peter Laughner	Pere Ubu	(1:52)
Real World	David Thomas, Tom Herman, Scott Krauss, Tony Maimone, Allen Ravenstine	Pere Ubu	(3:59)
Over My Head	David Thomas, Tom Herman, Scott Krauss, Tony Maimone, Allen Ravenstine	Pere Ubu	(3:48)
Sentimental Journey	David Thomas, Tom Herman, Scott Krauss, Tony Maimone, Allen Ravenstine	Pere Ubu	(6:05)
Humor Me	David Thomas, Tom Herman, Scott Krauss, Tony Maimone, Allen Ravenstine	Pere Ubu	(2:44)

Credits

Pere Ubu (Producer), Pere Ubu (Main Performer), David Thomas (Percussion), David Thomas (Vocals), David Thomas (Musette), Kenneth Hamann (Producer), Kenneth Hamann (Engineer), Tom Herman (Guitar), Tom Herman (?), Scott Krauss (Drums), Tony Maimone (Bass), Tony Maimone (?), Allen Ravenstine (Synthesizer), Allen Ravenstine (Keyboards), Scott Knauss (?), Allen Rowenstine (?)

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