Pere Ubu - Les Haricots Sont Pas Salés 1987-1991 [2018] (4 x CDs)

ROCK

Pere Ubu - Les Haricots Sont Pas Salés 1987-1991 [2018] (4 x CDs)

Les Haricots Sont Pas Salés 1987–1991 gathers a period in Pere Ubu’s history that often sits in the shadow of their earlier, more celebrated work, yet it reveals a band still pushing forward with curiosity and intent. Released in 2018 on Fire Records, the collection brings together singles, B sides, live cuts and rarities from a transitional era when the group was reshaping its sound after the turbulence of the mid-eighties. The material shows how Pere Ubu carried their avant rock instincts into a new decade while exploring different textures, rhythms and production approaches.

The late eighties lineup brought a sharper, more angular feel to the music. Tracks from The Tenement Year and Cloudland sessions show the band experimenting with cleaner surfaces, brighter tones and more direct structures, yet the underlying tension remains. David Thomas delivers vocals that feel both theatrical and intimate, drifting between spoken fragments and melodic lines. The guitars move from jagged bursts to chiming patterns, supported by keyboards that add colour without smoothing the edges. The rhythm section keeps everything grounded, giving even the most eccentric moments a sense of drive.

The early nineties material adds another layer. Songs from the Worlds in Collision era show Pere Ubu leaning into pop forms while keeping their odd sense of humour and emotional ambiguity. The rarities and live recordings included here offer glimpses of how the band approached these pieces on stage, often stretching them into looser, more exploratory shapes. The collection highlights the group’s ability to shift between clarity and chaos, always guided by a distinctive artistic voice.

What makes this set valuable is its archival focus. It presents a coherent picture of a period that can feel scattered across various releases, giving listeners a chance to hear how Pere Ubu navigated change while remaining unmistakably themselves. It is a thoughtful document of a band in motion, still searching, still inventive, still committed to the strange beauty at the heart of their music. (B)

Special Thanks to Capt.Hatemonger for sharing this box set.

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Track lists

CD1

01 Pere Ubu - Something's Gotta Give 5:05

02 Pere Ubu - George Had a Hat 4:00

03 Pere Ubu - Talk to Me 3:29

04 Pere Ubu - Busman's Honeymoon 4:29

05 Pere Ubu - Say Goodbye 4:38

06 Pere Ubu - Universal Vibration 2:19

07 Pere Ubu - Miss You 4:20

08 Pere Ubu - Dream the Moon 3:24

09 Pere Ubu - Rhythm King 4:27

10 Pere Ubu - The Hollow Earth 3:34

11 Pere Ubu - We Have the Technology 3:00

CD2

01 Pere Ubu - Breath 3:58

02 Pere Ubu - Race the Sun 3:17

03 Pere Ubu - Cry 2:32

04 Pere Ubu - Why Go it Alone? 2:48

05 Pere Ubu - Waiting for Mary 3:22

06 Pere Ubu - Ice Cream Truck 2:49

07 Pere Ubu - Bus Called Happiness 2:49

08 Pere Ubu - Love Love Love 3:20

09 Pere Ubu - Lost Nation Road 2:17

10 Pere Ubu - Nevada! 3:20

11 Pere Ubu - Flat 2:21

12 Pere Ubu - The Waltz 3:27

13 Pere Ubu - Pushin' 2:28

14 Pere Ubu - Monday Night 2:14

CD3

01 Pere Ubu - Oh Catherine 2:52

02 Pere Ubu - I Hear They Smoke the Barbecue 3:58

03 Pere Ubu - Turpentine! 2:39

04 Pere Ubu - Goodnite Irene 4:08

05 Pere Ubu - Mirror Man 3:27

06 Pere Ubu - Don't Look Back 4:04

07 Pere Ubu - Worlds in Collision 3:40

08 Pere Ubu - Life of Riley 2:34

09 Pere Ubu - Over the Moon 3:06

10 Pere Ubu - Cry Cry Cry 2:43

11 Pere Ubu - Playback 3:26

12 Pere Ubu - Nobody Knows 2:33

13 Pere Ubu - Winter in the Firelands 3:06

CD4

01 Pere Ubu - Down By the River 2:40

02 Pere Ubu - Around the Fire 3:12

03 Pere Ubu - Like a Rolling Stone 2:59

04 Pere Ubu - Invisible Man 2:47

05 Pere Ubu - Fedora Satellite 1:59

06 Pere Ubu - Fire 3:40

07 Pere Ubu - Bang the Drum 3:51

08 Pere Ubu - Postman Drove a Caddy 2:58

09 Pere Ubu - Wine Dark Sparks 3:05

10 Pere Ubu - The Wire 3:15

11 Pere Ubu - The B Side 4:44

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Music weaves itself into the fabric of our emotions, dances through the corridors of memory, and whispers to the soul of who we are. Sharing these stories deepens the connection, turning the experience into something timeless and profound.

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