The Graveyard and the Ballroom explained

The Graveyard and the Ballroom

Type:

studio

Longtype:

and live album

Artist:

A Certain Ratio

Cover:

The Graveyard and the Ballroom.jpeg

Caption:

Original cassette packaging: orange version

Recorded:

September & October 1979

Venue:

Electric Ballroom in October 1979

Studio:

Graveyard Studios in September 1979

Genre:

• Post-punk^{[1] [2]}
• dance-punk^{[3] [4]}

| length = 45:38| label = Factory| producer = Martin Hannett| prev_title =| prev_year =| next_title = To Each...| next_year = 1981}}

The Graveyard and the Ballroom is the debut album by English band A Certain Ratio, released in January 1980 by record label Factory.^[5] It was produced by Martin Hannett. It was originally released only as a cassette, designed by Peter Saville. The album has been re-released on CD by Creation Records in 1994 and by Mute Records in 2017. The latter also reissued the album on vinyl, replicating the original PVC pouch of the cassette release.^{[6] [7] [8]}

The reissued album spent five weeks in the UK Independent Chart, peaking at number 29.^[9]

Content

Side A of the album, The Graveyard, was recorded at Graveyard Studios in September 1979, while the other side, The Ballroom, was recorded live at the Electric Ballroom in October.^[10]

Critical reception

AllMusic described the album as "accomplished enough to be intriguing, but never all that gripping." Trouser Press called it "an exciting and original post-punk dance record". Stylus called it "not only a very interesting historical document but also a pretty entertaining album in its own right".

Track listing

The Graveyard

1. "Do the Du (Casse)" - 2:53
2. "Faceless" - 2:22
3. "Crippled Child" - 2:54
4. "Choir" - 3:21
5. "Flight" - 3:30
6. "I Feel" - 2:12
7. "Strain" - 2:31

The Ballroom

8. "All Night Party" - 3:38
9. "Oceans" - 4:05
10. "The Choir" - 3:22
11. "The Fox" - 3:25
12. "Suspect" - 2:24
13. "Flight" - 5:32
14. "Genotype-Phenotype" - 3:29

External links

Notes and References

1. Web site: The Graveyard and the Ballroom – A Certain Ratio . Valdivia . Victor W. . . May 12, 2016.
2. Web site: A Certain Ratio – The Graveyard and the Ballroom – Review – Stylus Magazine . Heumann . Michael . February 24, 2004 . . May 12, 2016.
3. Web site: To Each... – A Certain Ratio . Farley . Keith . the group dropped much of the bleak dance-punk of early material in place of what sounds like a shallow attempt to seize the baton dropped by gloom giants Joy Division after the death of Ian Curtis . . May 12, 2016.
4. Web site: TrouserPress.com :: A Certain Ratio . Flashner . Graham . Sheridan . David . an exciting and original post-punk dance record . . May 12, 2016.
5. Strong, Martin C. (2003) The Great Indie Discography, Canongate,, pp. 192–3
6. Web site: 2017-09-13. Mute Records • A Certain Ratio • New Series Of Reissues. 2020-09-21. Mute Records. en-GB.
7. Web site: Ediriwira. Amar. 2016-10-04. A Certain Ratio announce reissue project with Mute. 2020-09-21. The Vinyl Factory. en-US.
8. Web site: Golembeski. Bill. [19474] A Certain Ratio - The Graveyard and the Ballroom - Albums - Reviews]. 2020-09-21. Soundblab. en-gb.
9. Lazell, Barry (1997) Indie Hits 1980–1989, Cherry Red Books,, p. 1
10. Book: Larkin, Colin . May 27, 2011 . The Encyclopedia of Popular Music . Omnibus Press . 9780857125958 . May 12, 2016.