Bauhaus: In the Flat Field (1980/CAD 13)

          And here we have the first album released on 4AD. Coming off fresh from their third single, Bauhaus gathered together to do their first album with the decision they would produce it themselves. And the results are good, but uneven. The first track Double Dare is fantastic; a doom-laden fuzz bass line carries the track, with tribal toms, scratchy guitars, and Peter Murphy's most frightening vocal performance yet. It really sets the tone for the album. Apparently this track was recorded for the Peel Session earlier in the year due to unsatisfactory attempts to record it for the album. The title track keeps the same mood, but this time cranks up the tempo and looses the fuzz bass. In the flat Field features some great work by the guitarist Daniel Ash. God in an Alcove, quiets the whole affair down, and is the first song to really be chord based, Ash doesn't let his guitar roar here, preferring to strum it.  The song is a bit awkward overall, with Murphy's vocals being more hammy and dramatic than the instrumental. Dive is a fun track, featuring some sax blurts, punk guitar, a lot of hi-hat, and some goofy singing from Murphy. Spy in the Cab is a dud, showing some more of their dub influence, but the atmosphere isn't there and the songwriting isn't either, the pace of it is also dirgish. Small Talk Stinks is a strange track, the lyrics are goofy, but wouldn't describe this track as gothic in any way.  This is more like some loungy new-wave track. The way Murphy says "With flowers!" always cracks me up. I don't know, sometimes I like this track for how different it is, but other times I hate it. With St. Vitus Dance, the album picks up, being like a cross between Dive and In the Flat Field, but featuring a potential obnoxious sound that sounds like some one strumming a rubber band. The lyrics though seem to be about someone's photography skills. The best dub influenced track is Stigmata Martyr which is the best song in the second half, with the guitars roaring again, and Murphy melodrama fitting the music, he even screams some latin phrases towards the end of the song. The last track once again hams up the affair. Nerves is a psuedo-tango post-punk track, with a plunky piano part, and once again more tom tom heavy drumming. It's sort of cheesy and is the longest track here. Overall 2/5ths of these songs are rather goofy and I don't think fit the mood of what Bauhaus were going for, but the other 3/5ths is fantastic and worth checking out.

Released October 1, 1980

Track Listing:
1. Double Dare
2. In the Flat Field
3. God In An Alcove
4. Dive
5. Spy in the Cab
6. Small Talk Stinks
7. St. Vitus Dance
8. Stigmata Martyr
9. Nerves

Rating: 3.5/5