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Bauhaus or The Birthday Party

Posted: Mon May 10, 2021 2:03 am
by seby
FM Enframed's Sisters vs The Mission poll got me worried about this, so over to all y'all

I love The Birthday Party from the bottom of my heart, but I might have to give this one to Bauhaus.

Re: Bauhaus or The Birthday Party

Posted: Mon May 10, 2021 7:17 am
by motorbike guy
Birthday Party - they got better with every record. Bauhaus got worse.

all the folks in Birthday Party went on to be in worthwhile bands. Dalis Car.

Re: Bauhaus or The Birthday Party

Posted: Mon May 10, 2021 7:55 am
by penningtron
The Birthday Party are probably the better band but other than maybe Hee-Haw I don't want to hear most of it again. Too machismo or something.

I listen to Bauhaus more and don't mind some of their slicker songs these days.

Re: Bauhaus or The Birthday Party

Posted: Mon May 10, 2021 1:05 pm
by joelb
This is a good one. I know these bands existed at the same time; have no idea if they were viewed as part of the same circle at the time but am curious.

At first I thought "I never end up listening to a whole Birthday Party record" but then realized that's true for Bauhaus too. So Birthday Party

Re: Bauhaus or The Birthday Party

Posted: Mon May 10, 2021 2:36 pm
by enframed
Tough choice. I reach for Bauhaus more. As far at BP being the better band, I don't think so. They were a rock band, Bauhaus was an art band, but they were and are a helluva band. I saw the in late 2019 and they were fantastic as a band.

Both were very funny, in different ways.

I'll regret whatever choice I make.

Re: Bauhaus or The Birthday Party

Posted: Mon May 10, 2021 4:22 pm
by WeStartToDrift
I love the the first Bauhaus LP, but this is Birthday Party by a mile for me.

Rowland S. Howard vs Daniel Ash: RSH
Nick Cave vs Peter Murphy: Nick Cave
Tracy Pew vs David J: Tracy Pew

Re: Bauhaus or The Birthday Party

Posted: Mon May 10, 2021 10:49 pm
by enframed
WeStartToDrift wrote: Mon May 10, 2021 4:22 pm I love the the first Bauhaus LP, but this is Birthday Party by a mile for me.

Rowland S. Howard vs Daniel Ash: RSH
Nick Cave vs Peter Murphy: Nick Cave
Tracy Pew vs David J: Tracy Pew
That equation doesn't work for me. These are bands, and the sum is greater than the parts, for both, and it should be for any band.

You've got me thinking now, though. When I listen to BP, I listen to Nick Cave and Tracy Pew and RSH and Calvert and Mick Harvey. When I listen to BP I listen to 5 people expressing themselves as BP. I hear multiple egos when I listen to BP.

There may have been, probably were egos involved in Bauhaus, but they took a back seat when the band played. When I listen to Bauhaus, I listen to, I hear Bauhaus.

Bauhaus.

Re: Bauhaus or The Birthday Party

Posted: Tue May 11, 2021 7:59 am
by penningtron
enframed wrote: As far at BP being the better band, I don't think so. They were a rock band, Bauhaus was an art band
I'll give you the first point, but think Bauhaus were the more conventional rock band of the two. Even down to their 'eclectic' flourishes like acoustic guitars, which come off as Led Zeppelin/Black Sabbathy. I'm not even factoring in the Bowie, T-Rex covers either.

It's just that Birthday Party's later loose swamp goth spectacle is less impressive to me with age, in fact I hear it in a lot of cRaZeE front man'd noise rock stuff I've really grown to dislike.

Re: Bauhaus or The Birthday Party

Posted: Wed May 12, 2021 11:25 pm
by enframed
penningtron wrote: Tue May 11, 2021 7:59 am
enframed wrote: As far at BP being the better band, I don't think so. They were a rock band, Bauhaus was an art band
I'll give you the first point, but think Bauhaus were the more conventional rock band of the two. Even down to their 'eclectic' flourishes like acoustic guitars, which come off as Led Zeppelin/Black Sabbathy. I'm not even factoring in the Bowie, T-Rex covers either.

It's just that Birthday Party's later loose swamp goth spectacle is less impressive to me with age, in fact I hear it in a lot of cRaZeE front man'd noise rock stuff I've really grown to dislike.
Bowie and T Rex were both not conventional, though, and I agree Bauhaus follows in that vein, sure. Doesn't make them any less a "good band."

When I listen to BP I hear a bunch of egos vying for attention, I guess. Sometimes it's effective (ie, egos are undetectable), most of the time it's not. For me, with Bauhaus, I hear a cohesive band.

I'm with you on the "crazy frontman noise rock." Most of it feels so contrived it's embarrassing. "Look at me, I have emotions, I FEEL."

Bah, tell it to your shrink.

Re: Bauhaus or The Birthday Party

Posted: Thu May 13, 2021 9:29 am
by tommy
I want to really like The Birthday Party. On paper I should. The songs just don't grab me. Bauhaus has songs and I listen to them way more regularly.