Junk Yard

by

The Birthday Party

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The Birthday party, to put it vulgarly, could rip off anyone's face and chew on their brains then, now and tomorrow as well. The Party emerged from the post punk movement that also spawned Joy Division, Bauhaus, The Cure and Christian Death, and which would later be called Goth. (Deathrock in the states) The Birthday Party, however would prove to be one of the most extreme and "hardcore" of lot. While Joy Division and The Cure prefered melancholy and gloom, and Bauhaus and Christian Death - boho artsiness, Nick Cave and his fellow loons gave us a bastard hybrid of garage rock, punk, rockabilly, blues and a bit of lounge as well. The thing that really set them apart was the all out fury and abandon found in their music. Even the fastest and loudest Thrash Metal and Hardcore Punk bands could never dream of creating the atmosphere of raw, unadulterated anger, rage, and tension found on this album. It's almost murderous. Very fitting for songs like Six Inch Gold Blade and Dead Joe. (Probably the greatest Death Rock song ever recorded) One has to wonder what Nick Cave was doing while recording the vocals. Torturing himself with a branding iron maybe? The production values on this recording are almost non-exsistant. The sound is hollow. Low bass end, and ear piercing high end. No middle tone. The vocals sound like they were recorded in a bathroom, the guitar sounds out of tune, and the drums sound... well... broken! But all of these shortcomings add to the experimental nature of this album. And the lyrics... anyone familiar with Nick Cave can expect only some of his best here. Strange characters in ridiculous situations, tons of poetic metaphors and of course Death and Murder. A bit of b-movie horror with the Goth Anthem Release The Bats as well. Essential listening to anyone who thinks today's popular poseur artists are "extreme."

Anti 80's pop, nasty sounding, find out who your friends are

rock n roll. My favourite songs are Dead Joe (a classic), Pow

Pow Pow and The Dim Locator. Comparing The Birthday Party to

Midnight Oil is like comparing The Eagles to The Fugs. Not all

American Bands sound the same, ditto in Oz. (I think Midnight Oil are great by the way) This record is a bit

of a time capsule for me, having bought it on vinyl when it was

new. Different to Nick Cave's later stuff, but you don't need me

to tell you that. Junk sculpture turning back to junk junk junk

junk junk unk unk ughh ughh ohh ohh ohh Deaaadddd Joe...etc...

As some Aussies might say "It's a pearler".