Terminal Tower collects all the Hearpen singles that Pere Ubu put out from 1975-77, a label they created for their singles, plus some other B-sides and another single from the “historic era” of the band.
“30 Seconds Over Tokyo/Heart of Darkness” (Hearpen, 1975) were the first songs ever put out by Pere Ubu after Rocket From The Tombs broke up, David Thomas (singer) and Peter Laughner’s (original guitarist) band before Pere Ubu. Both songs work from a (put on your black sunglasses and bob your head) cool lounge frame that is juxtaposed by the incendiary freak-outs. “30 Seconds Over Tokyo” is taken from the book and movie of the same title, reflecting on the psychopathic faith in a mission to bomb “toy city streets.” The band struggles with this mentality jamming out the paradox Thomas sings, “this dream won’t ever seem to end / and time seems like it will never begin,” as the music eats itself faster than it can erupt attempting to create an interpretation of a bomb destroying thousands of lives in an instant with rock instruments. “Heart of Darkness” is the first “dance” by the band as the band tries to make sense of a world falling apart, in and out of the shadows, and love of all things seems like “a tomb where you dance at night.” Thomas begins his onslaught on the vocals of pop music as he “looks into the heart of darkness” without relief.
“Final Solution/Cloud 149” (Hearpen, 1976) is where the band takes off. “Final Solution” is one of the ultimate masterpieces of rock music, and the first of a handful (any artist is lucky to get one in any medium) that Pere Ubu would create in the late 70s. Similar coolness to “Heart of Darkness” is used in “Final Solution” to juxtapose Thomas’s uncoolness with “girls [that] won’t touch him because [he] has a misdirection.” Laughner’s acid guitar fills, the beginning of Ravenstine’s abstract synth, Thomas’s love problems and howling push Sisyphus’s rock up to the top of the mountain and smash it into a million pieces that go rolling down all sides. “Cloud 149” updates the 60s psychedelic pop song to the delirium of the 70s no wave.
“Untitled” is either an early demo or outtake of “The Modern Dance”, and provides a small view into how an Ubu song begins before it is perfected for a release. “My Dark Ages (I Don’t Get Around)” (the B-side to “Street Waves” (Hearpen, 1976)). Playing with the words of a Beach Boys songs (“I Get Around”), Pere Ubu remove the cheer and infuse the frustration of a poor boy in search of love with lots of love to give in a sedated version of their avant-garage. “Heaven” (the B-side to “The Modern Dance” (Hearpen, 1977)) is an answer to the frustrations in “My Dark Ages”. The singer falls in love, Thomas’s singing lightens up along with the band playing a delightful quasi-reggae tune to heavenly feelings of young love without the care of tomorrow.
“Humor Me” is a very good live version of the coda from The Modern Dance (Blank, 1978); “The Book is on the Table” is an instrumental outtake from Dub Housing (Chrysalis, 1978) in the vein of “Thriller”. Both tracks backed “The Fabulous Sequel” (a.k.a. “Have Shoes Will Walk” (Chrysalis, 1979)) that is the opening track on New Picnic Time (Chrysalis, 1979). “Not Happy/Lonesome Cowboy Dave” are two great tracks from Song of the Bailing Man (Rough Trade, 1982) sessions.
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