New Picnic Time

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New Picnic Time
Newpt.jpg
Studio album by
Pere Ubu
ReleasedSeptember 19, 1979
Recorded21 May – 28 June 1979
StudioSuma Recording Studio, Painesville, Ohio
Genre Post-punk, experimental rock
Length35:54
Label Chrysalis
Producer Pere Ubu, Ken Hamann
Pere Ubu chronology
Dub Housing
(1978)		New Picnic Time
(1979)		 The Art of Walking
(1980)
Singles from New Picnic Time
  1. "Have Shoes Will Walk (The Fabulous Sequel)"
    Released: October 1979

New Picnic Time is the third album by American rock band Pere Ubu. [1] [2] It was released in September 1979 by Chrysalis Records. Reportedly the album sessions were stressful and contentious, and after touring, the group disbanded. They would reform a matter of months later, with Mayo Thompson replacing founding guitarist Tom Herman. The lyrics for the song "The Voice of the Sand" are based upon the poetry of Vachel Lindsay.

Contents

The album was reissued in 1989 on CD by Rough Trade Records, in 1999 on CD by Thirsty Ear Records, in 2008 on CD on Cooking Vinyl.

On the 1989 Rough Trade CD, the song "Jehovah's Kingdom Comes!" was re-titled "Hand A Face A Feeling" (a phrase from the lyrics). For subsequent reissues the song was remixed, removing all references to Jehovah, and re-re-titled "Kingdom Come". On the 2017 Fire Records reissues (and the 2016 box set Architecture of Language 1979 - 1982) the song was edited, removing approximately twenty-five seconds of music. The title of the opening track "Have Shoes Will Walk (The Fabulous Sequel)" has also varied from release to release.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [3]
Alternative Press 4/5 [4]
Chicago Tribune Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [5]
Christgau's Record Guide A− [6]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [7]
Pitchfork 7.9/10 [8]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [9]
Spin Alternative Record Guide 6/10 [10]

The Cambridge Evening News wrote that the album "veers wildly between irritatingly inconsequential noises ... and surprisingly catchy riffs." [11]

Track listing

All songs written by Pere Ubu (David Thomas, Tom Herman, Tony Maimone, Allen Ravenstine and Scott Krauss).

  1. "Have Shoes Will Walk (The Fabulous Sequel)" – 3:16
  2. "49 Guitars & One Girl" – 2:51
  3. "A Small Dark Cloud" – 5:49
  4. "Small Was Fast" – 3:39
  5. "All the Dogs Are Barking" – 3:03
  6. "One Less Worry" – 3:46
  7. "Make Hay" – 4:03
  8. "Goodbye" – 5:18
  9. "The Voice of the Sand" – 1:28 (lyrics based on a poem by Vachel Lindsay)
  10. "Jehovah's Kingdom Comes!" – 3:17

Personnel

Pere Ubu
Technical

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References

  1. ↑ Quill, Greg (10 Apr 1986). "David Thomas defies convention". Toronto Star. p. H3.
  2. ↑ Harrison, Tom (28 Jul 1979). "Ubu hits fans with 'intuitive' sounds". The Province. p. 7.
  3. ↑ Dougan, John. "New Picnic Time – Pere Ubu". AllMusic . Retrieved January 20, 2013.
  4. ↑ "Pere Ubu: New Picnic Time". Alternative Press . No. 135. October 1999. pp. 105–06.
  5. ↑ Kot, Greg (July 13, 1989). "The Weird, Wonderful Pere Ubu". Chicago Tribune . Retrieved November 4, 2020.
  6. ↑ Christgau, Robert (1981). "Pere Ubu: New Picnic Time". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor and Fields. ISBN   0-89919-026-X . Retrieved January 20, 2013.
  7. ↑ Larkin, Colin (2011). "Pere Ubu". The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th concise ed.). Omnibus Press. ISBN   978-0-85712-595-8.
  8. ↑ Sandlin, Michael. "Pere Ubu: New Picnic Time". Pitchfork . Archived from the original on March 6, 2001. Retrieved February 24, 2019.
  9. ↑ Coleman, Mark; Matos, Michaelangelo (2004). "Pere Ubu". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp.  626–27. ISBN   0-7432-0169-8.
  10. ↑ Weisbard, Eric (1995). "Pere Ubu". In Weisbard, Eric; Marks, Craig (eds.). Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. pp. 291–93. ISBN   0-679-75574-8.
  11. ↑ Hibbs, Jon (27 Sep 1979). "Pop Music". Cambridge Evening News. p. 14.
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