Pere Ubu's music is a unique mixture of control and inspiration, incorporating driving rock, synthesized found sound, falling-apart sound structures and David Thomas' careening vocals and visionary lyrics. Founding members Thomas and Peter Laughner were both rock journalists (Laughner with Creem). Thomas named the band after the protagonist of Ubu Roi, a play by Frenchman Alfred Jarry. The single, 30 Seconds Over Tokyo b/w Heart of Darkness, released in 1975, was the first of four independent releases on Hearpen Records and, along with Television's Little Johnny Jewel, signaled the beginning of the New Wave. Ubu was part of a fertile Ohio rock scene that also fostered Tin Huey and Devo. In early 1976, Ubu recorded the seminal Final Solution b/w Cloud 149 single, traveled to New York City some, and fell apart in June. In July, they regrouped as a quintet. Tim Wright moved to New York and joined DNA. In 1977, Laughner died. The Modern Dance, though it sold only 15,000 copies initially, was a startling work that influenced an entire generation of bands, e.g. REM, Husker Du, Joy Division, etc. Its follow-up, Dub Housing, was the masterpiece, an incomparable work of American genius. Ubu toured heavily throughout Europe in 1978. Late in 1979 Tom Herman left and was replaced by Mayo Thompson, the guitarist from 60's Texas psychedelic-rock legends The Red Crayola. Ubu recorded the Art Of Walking, a perplexing stew of inside-out song structures. Artistic / personal squabbles broke the band up again in early 1982, just in time for the release of Song Of The Bailing Man. In 1981, Thomas recorded the first of two albums with British folk-rocker Richard Thompson. Three more solo albums kept the nucleus of Ubu alive and working together. The last of these, 1987's Ubu-like Blame The Messenger, led to the reanimation of the Pere Ubu projex. The clattering The Tenement Year, recorded for a British label (Fontana) headed by Ubu fanatic Dave Bates, introduced the two drummers lineup o.......
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