I like Bauhaus just fine, but The Birthday Party is one of my favorite bands and Bauhaus is not one of my favorite bands.

I really love both but The Birthday Party was taking rock music to terrifying heights.

I do think Bauhaus was operating more as a unit - as any reggae vaudeville theatre band ought to! But the sturm und drang of The Birthday Party has yet to be bested by 40 years of knockoffs.

Surprised Bauhaus is doing so well here. Intuitively I would respond that Birthday Party were a better band. Player to player? Birthday Party wins. Art rock pretension vs. visceral assault? Birthday Party again.

That was my thinking when I saw this thread. Then St. Vitus Dance shuffled on. What a throwaway song! Peter Murphy’s ridiculous lyrics. Daniel Ash’s rudimentary guitar. Ooh, gimmicky filtered bass etc. and yet....

They didn’t give a single fuck. Second hand dub? Recycled glam rock? Po-faced nonsense? Yes please, make mine a double.

It’s close, but it’s Bauhaus.