Pere Ubu

Ray Gun Suitcase (Tim/Kerr)
by Lex Marburger

Pere Ubu used to be (c.1975) a collection of strange noises gathered under loose pop trappings. Ray Gun Suitcase (Tim/Kerr) is interesting pop with strange noises. I remember hearing “10 seconds over Tokyo” and being scared. It seemed as if the voices were reaching out of the speakers and coming to get me. I mean, Dave Thomas is a formidable character, not only in girth but in manic ferocity while screaming disjointed lyrics in a squealing junior-got-too-much-sugar-and-now-he’s-attacking-the-kitty kind of voice.

Ray Gun Suitcase still has that voice, ranting about “my friend is a stooge for the media priests,” and yelping other such adorable inanities. But my problem is the sounds. The noises that come from the keyboards are unnatural and disquieting (that’s a good thing), but they are buried in songs that are poppy and friendly (that’s a bad thing). It seems as if there were two opposite ideas occurring simultaneously, and not mixing synergistically. In this case, Pere Ubu is less than the sum of its parts. Still, it’s a good start for ears that aren’t accustomed to the stranger genres of music. If you’re the kind of person who listens to the radio constantly, this will be a good stretch for your brain. If you’re already in left field, you’ll have to come back some. It gets better the more you listen, but don’t expect greatness immediately.