The Tenement Year Explained

The Tenement Year
Type:Album
Artist:Pere Ubu
Cover:The Tenement Year.jpg
Released:March 28, 1988
Recorded:November 9–30, 1987
Studio:Suma Studios, Cleveland
Genre:Alternative rock
Label:Fontana (UK)
Enigma (US)
Producer:Paul Hamann, Pere Ubu
Prev Title:Terminal Tower
Prev Year:1985
Next Title:Cloudland
Next Year:1989

The Tenement Year is the sixth studio album by American rock band Pere Ubu, and their first album after reuniting following their 1982 break-up. 'Classic lineup' members Tony Maimone and Allen Ravenstine, along with fellow Cleveland scenester Jim Jones and Henry Cow percussionist Chris Cutler found themselves playing with David Thomas for his 1987 album Blame the Messenger, and, discovering they sounded much like Pere Ubu, began incorporating a few Ubu numbers while touring for that album. Eventually, an official reunion was pursued, original drummer Scott Krauss was contacted, and thus the new lineup was completed and the old mantle assumed. The Tenement Year found the group veering in a loose, freewheeling, and decidedly more pop-oriented direction than in the past, although the pop leanings would become even more pronounced on subsequent albums. The album is a farewell to their hometown of Cleveland.

After being out of print for many years, a reissue was announced in early 2007.[1]

Track listing

All tracks composed by Pere Ubu (Chris Cutler, Jim Jones, Scott Krauss, Tony Maimone, Allen Ravenstine and David Thomas)

  1. "Something's Gotta Give" – 5:13
  2. "George Had a Hat" – 4:02
  3. "Talk to Me" – 3:28
  4. "Busman's Honeymoon" – 4:35
  5. "Say Goodbye" – 4:58
  6. "Universal Vibration" – 2:43
  7. "Miss You" – 4:21
  8. "Dream the Moon" – 3:25
  9. "Rhythm King" – 4:26
  10. "The Hollow Earth" – 4:15
  11. "We Have the Technology" – 3:03

Personnel

Pere Ubu
Additional personnel

Notes and References

  1. http://www.ubuprojex.net/ty.html