birthday parties

Prayers on Fire
$7.99
An epochal No-Wave masterpiece, transcended only by its successor, Junkyard. One can see this album as the turning point upon which Nick Cave's sardonic dementia truly began to shine through in his songwriting. Features such indispensable classics as "Dull Day" and "Nick The Stripper", the latter of which is an unflinching take on self-loathing that Kurt Cobain could have learned a lot from. A must-have for all Nick Cave/Birthday Party/No-Wave enthusiasts.

Hee-Haw
$7.99
The prolific reviewer of unfashionable 'lost' gems has his work cut out yet again.

Its not a huge challenge I suppose, sitting at a laptop listening to cracking music over and over again (that's when I'm not out hellraising you understand), trying to convey in mere words, what this stuff has meant over the years and trying to impart a suggestion to any pop people out there in cyber land, what a certain group or sound is all about. Mere words.

Any-one coming to the Birthday Party now, is in for a surprise. It'll come as no surprise to learn that I think (therefore its true!) this compilation of their early singles, bits and bobs and whatever, contains their best work.

Vitally, it kicks off with a stormer: 'Mr. Clarinet' - and I dear reader, trusted friend - am struggling to illustrate just how good this song is. Screeching guitar and wild sax lead us into singer Nick Caves' wailing, haunting performance.
He sounds as if he's in genuine pain, not just suffering for his 'art'. First time I heard it, I thought the rest of the band were proper torturing him, you don't make noises like that, unless your bits are in a mediaeval device!

Anyway, that out of the way, we are then treated to another 12 stand-out songs, each very different, but each defined by the obviously insane Caves' eerie vocals. Tellingly, and blatantly, he's coming from the Pere Ubu/ Cramps camp (former brilliant, latter tedious), and this is one of those numerous occasions when the pupil turns out cleverer than the mentor - 'Guilt Parade' indeed!

Later on, he has a nervous breakdown during, 'the Hair Shirt', but that fabulous group (I was gonna say behind him, but I think they're more to the side) just keep him this side of the abyss with some extraordinarily tight thrash and percussion.
This is invigoratingly original and thoroughly modern rock music.

Whether Cave is genuinely crackers is another matter entirely, but you certainly wouldn't invite him round for dinner on this form.(imagine if it was spaghetti!)

Somebody told me the Birthday Party popped a bit when they came to England (I always do), perhaps they should've stayed put in Oz. Clearly you shouldn't deprive a genius/mental of his inspiration.

Anyway, the Birthday Party's early stuff - nice and simple on a cd. Endearing and enduring.
And not a donkey joke in sight.

Junkyard
$7.99
The Birthday Party-Junk Yard ****

To be blunt, The Birthday Party really doesn't fit into any genre, you can't pigeon hole the guys. Born out of the post punk era, but also the new wave, and also the Gothic wow is me via the Cure and Bauhaus, with just a splash of hardcore before it was actually called that The Birthday Party was Lucifer's favorite rock n' roll boyfriend Nick Cave's introduction to the world. What a great one.

To simply choose between the Birthday Party and The Bad Seeds would be impossible. This was the much younger, much more angry, far less poetic Nick Cave.

Junk Yard is possibly the groups greatest achievement. Aside from their brilliant live albums this takes the cake. In a nut shell, if you were to place this in your record collection it would destroy just about every other album in the lot, an along side any other album from 1982, they all sound dull.

Tracks like 'Dead Joe' 'Blast Off' and the closer 'Release The Bats' are both haunting and overpowering at the same time. Cave's growl mixed with the music of one of the greatest backing bands in history make for one of best albums of the 1980's and of all time.

Eventually Birthday Party would break and Cave would move to Germany and form The Bad Seeds, but it is Junk Yard that still to this day remains Caves most honest and unmerciful work.

DOZEN (12) BIRTHDAY PARTY Rubber Ducks/DUCKIES
$5.99
These duckies made an especially special splash when they came out of my 2 year old's pinata. These made a perfect filler and an awesome party favor. Another great filler were the ducky whistles. Needless to say, my son had great fun on his next bath!!