Re: (TV) Rest in Peace Peter Laughner......

["SCOTT ALDRICH" <scott.aldrich@worldnet.att.net>]

Hi Ray and all, 

I'm a new fan of Peter and Ubu, just early Ubu thus far, and I spent last
night listening to Humor Me, both the Modern Dance version and the live,
single version from Terminal Tower. I listened to the lyrics, particularly
Dave Thomas spurting out "it's just a joke, man" with rage, and thinking
about the disgust he must have felt at Peter's demise. Intensely moving, and
Tom Herman's guitar is great. Non-Alignment Pact has stirring guitar as
well. Pere Ubu and Wire are two seminal bands that I've really responded to
lately, they have a similar avant-garage appeal, as does early Television of
Little Johnny Jewel and the like. Also lately a friend turned me onto
Beefheart's early 80's "Doc at the Radar Station" which has a similar
sensibility, twisted visionary guitar music. You can really hear the lineage
of Ubu, even a bit of Hell and Patti Smith (in terms of kindred
poet/rockers). Anyone else agree?
Scott

----------
>From: "ray" <ray@wavewalker.freeserve.co.uk>
>To: <tv@obbard.com>
>Subject: Re: (TV) Rest in Peace Peter Laughner......
>Date: Fri, Jan 14, 2000, 6:43 AM
>

> Hi everyone,
>
> Thanks to the generosity of Jeremy i only fairly recently got to hear a lot
> of the music Laughner left behind ,or had been involved with, outside of the
> few official Ubu songs he played on before his untimely demise.
> These recordings were a revelation to me.As a long-term Ubu fan it was
> fascinating to hear how full and confident they sounded live even at a
> relatively early stage('74?)and
> to discover that Peter was indeed even more of a gifted guitarist than i had
> thought originally as well as a talented songwriter.
> I get sad and angry all the same when i think of how absolutely nihilistic
> he could be at times -(check out the bloodcurdling lyrics of "ain't it fun"
> for example)-a person so completely and utterly determined to destroy his
> own young life.Maybe it's because i am reminded too much of the way i used
> to be myself before i decided to pull back from the precipice..
>
> I would like to remember him rather as someone who checked out way too
> early-a musician who was also a catalyst for and an enthusiast of, a lot of
> the great music around in Cleveland and NYC in the early to mid seventies
> and let's not forget an early,passionate and influential supporter of TV.
>
> I have been lucky enough to meet David Thomas on a few occasions-a true
> gentleman-and the subject of Peter came up once in conversation (obviously
> still a very painful one).He just looked down at the floor,closed his eyes
> and shook his head sadly and silently for what seemed ages....
>
>
> Jeremy wrote:
>>Speaking of haunting guitar solos.....the end solo on Ubu's Humour Me is
> among the most beautiful sounds I have ever heard...(I know one other person
> on the list feels the same about it)...not played by Laughner but surely
> inspired by....Tremendous...>
>
> ....and that person is me...this song is easily one of the most affecting
> pieces of music that i have ever heard in my entire life..and the
> solo...sublime...it has moved me to tears on so many occasions.... also to
> hear the compassion and choked emotion in David's vocal when he sings "it's
> just a joke man"...it's almost too much.....
>
> This whole song seems to me to succinctly encapsulate both the positive
> aspects of Peter's short life and the futility of his early death...I hope
> that the Ubu fans on the list are in agreement....
>
>
>
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