In the Flat Field [Omnibus Edition]

Performer: Bauhaus (UK)
Engineer: S. Skolfield; Mike Robinson; Tony Cook
Producer: John Sparrow; Bauhaus
Distributor: Distribution Select

Notes: Bauhaus: Kevin Haskins, David Jay, Peter Murphy, Daniel Ash. Lyricist: Bauhaus . Audio Remasterers: Jason Mitchell; John Dent; Jason Mitchell. Liner Note Authors: Craig Roseberry; Craig Roseberry. Recording information: B.B.C. Maidavale Studios; Southern Studios, London, England. Photographers: Geoff Smith; Stella Watts. Arranger: Bauhaus . In 1980, after almost single-handedly inventing the "Goth" genre with their debut single, "Bela Lugosi's Dead," Bauhaus recorded IN THE FLAT FIELD for England's influential 4AD label. This CD retains the rather original album's rather daring cover art (a nude male figure) but adds eight tracks from early singles (though not "Bela�," unfortunately) to the 4AD issue's nine. IN THE FLAT FIELD is classic and influential, a deadly combination. Though Bauhaus may be labeled as "Goth," the pealing feedback that opens the disc ("Dark Entries") and the anguished howl in the first line of "Double Dare" ("I dare you to be real!") prove that they arrive with the same punk rock pedigree as many of their contemporaries. Peter Murphy's vocals very nearly dominate the proceedings. By turns, he declaims, wails, and sings-even speaking in tongues on "Stigmata Martyr." His lyrics draw from popular culture, from Greek mythology, and from everything in between. The rhythm section of brothers David Jay (bass) and Kevin Haskins (drums) provides a flexible but extremely forceful backbone to Daniel Ash's squalling, often distorted, guitar sound. Make no mistake. This is a rock record-and one of the best, at that. Between the release of Bauhaus' debut single, "Bela Lugosi's Dead," in 1979 on the Small Wonder label, and their debut album, In the Flat Field, in 1980, the band had played a John Peel session at the BBC, toured England extensively (and North America selectively), and recorded over a dozen sessions that resulted in three singles and an EP, and ultimately, their debut album, In the Flat Field, one of the most important post-punk recordings in history, and arguably the first "gothic rock" album. The influence of Bauhaus cannot be overstated: In the Flat Field has been re-released on compact disc no less than five times since 1990, and in 2008, it was released on vinyl in various editions no less than four! This Beggar's Banquet Omnibus Edition of the album is a true fetish object as a package. It contains the 24-bit remaster of the original album in its own sleeve with a replica of the original inner sleeve that contained the lyrics for the album's nine tracks, and is held in a rice paper sleeve. In addition, there is a second disc that contains not only the singles issued during the same period (minus "Bela Lugosi's Dead," done for a separate label): "Dark Entries," "Terror Couple Kills Colonel," but also outtakes of album tracks, alternate takes, and original versions of "A God in an Alcove," and the Beck studio original version of their cover of Marc Bolan's "Telegram Sam," to name a few. There are 16 tracks in all, and given how familiar fans are with In the Flat Field, this second disc, so loaded with alternates and outtakes, is a revelatory experience because it offers a portrait of the band struggling with itself, and experimenting, trying to eke out that certain sonic something that would ultimately set them apart and create so many imitators. As if the music weren't enough, Beggar's has included in this semi-long box offering a 48-page book that includes comments from bandmembers, photos, complete lyrics, complete tour date information for 1979 and 1980, and a solidly authoritative and excellent chronological essay by Kevin Brooksbank on the formation and creation of the band, the singles, and the album. It's a prize in itself. Fan will simply not want to live without this one -- even if they already own the expanded edition of the album. ~ Thom Jurek

Q (12/99, p.170) - Included in Q Magazine's Best Gothic Albums Of All Time - "...it remains the definitive statement: a taut, unsettling canvas rich with vampiric imagery...and the dungeonly baritone of Maxell advert's Pete Murphy." Record Collector (magazine) (p.91) - 5 stars out of 5 -- "Musically, this is a timeless statement of dark, magnificent metal prowess and clarity."

Ultimately, Bauhaus became known as the godfathers of the goth scene, but their brief, prolific career (1979-1983) showed far more stylistic variation than their progeny might suggest. They mixed Bowie/Eno-influenced postpunk with dub, electronics, and a moody sense of songcraft that was both unnerving and infectious. After the group's breakup, singer Peter Murphy went on to a solo career, while guitarist David J formed the considerably poppier Love And Rockets. From 1998 on, the band would occasionally re-form for concert tours.

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