It's Still Living Explained

It's Still Living
Type:live
Artist:The Birthday Party
Cover:BP_Still_Living.jpg
Released:May 1985
Recorded:15 January 1982
Astor Theatre
St Kilda, Victoria
Genre:Post-punk
Label:Missing Link
Virgin
Prev Title:Junkyard
Prev Year:1982
Year:1982
Next Title:Mutiny/The Bad Seed
Next Year:1983

It's Still Living is a live album by The Birthday Party[1] recorded at the Astor Theatre in St Kilda, Victoria on 15 January 1982,[2] and released in May 1985. The initial LP release in 1985 by the band's former manager and backer Keith Glass, on his Missing Link label,[3] was not sanctioned by the band.[1] [4] [5] The sound quality of the recording is poor and it is marred by technical glitches (mainly the sounds of the amps crackling and shorting out).[6] In 1991 the album was re-released on the Virgin label,[7] with the LP being released on green vinyl.[8] [9]

The photograph of the band was taken by Peter Milne on the Birthday Party's first trip back home after taking up residency in London. This shoot was in the studio of Victoria College in High Street, Prahran.[10] According to the album liner notes film footage of the concert was shot by Paul Goldman and Evan English (aka The Rich Kids).[2] The footage, however, has never been released.

Reception

Spin wrote, "Manic then droning, infused with secret pyrotechnic calm. Leader Nick Cave shrieks deeply bellowed frenzies from gloom and blues over the band’s patented rusty catcall guitar while apocalyptic Catholic images fly amok."[11]

Personnel

Birthday Party

Credits

Release history

RegionDateLabelFormatCatalogue
AustraliaMay 1985Missing LinkING 009
1991CDLINK 28
VirginLP, CDVOZ 2048

External links

Notes and References

  1. Encyclopedia: McFarlane . Ian . Ian McFarlane . . [//www.whammo.com.au/encyclopedia.asp?articleid=99 Encyclopedia entry for 'The Birthday Party' ]. 11 September 2009 . 1999 . . . 1-86508-072-1 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20040809220532/http://www.whammo.com.au/encyclopedia.asp?articleid=99 . 9 August 2004 .
  2. Web site: The Birthday Party - 1982. From the Archives.org. 3 September 2009.
  3. Web site: Birthday Party. NME. 3 September 2009.
  4. Web site: Birthday Party. Trouser Press Magazine. Robbins. Ira. 4 September 2009.
  5. Web site: Sharps & Flats. Salon. Clifford. Dave. 21 July 1999. 4 September 2009. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20090425033729/http://www.salon.com/ent/music/review/1999/07/21/birthday/. 25 April 2009.
  6. Web site: [{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r213261|pure_url=yes}} It's Still Living - The Birthday Party]. AllMusic. Valdivia. Victor. 4 September 2009.
  7. Web site: It's Still Living. 4 September 2009.
  8. Web site: Birthday Party - Discography. Nick Cave online. 3 September 2009.
  9. Web site: Record Listing. Mute Driver Records. 4 September 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20110724161552/http://www.mutedriver.nl/aanbod/. 24 July 2011. dead.
  10. Web site: Birthday Party, Summer, 1981. National Library of Australia. 23 May 2007. 4 September 2009.
  11. . Underground. Andrea Enthal. September 1985. 5. 34.
  12. Web site: Indie Hits: "B". https://web.archive.org/web/20110606125710/http://www.cherryred.co.uk/books/indiehits/b.htm. Cherry Red. Lazell. Barry. 6 June 2011. 30 September 2014.