Junkyard (album)

Junkyard
Studio album by
the Birthday Party
Released10 July 1982 (1982-07-10)
Recorded1981–1982
StudioA.A.V. Studio 2, Melbourne, Australia and Matrix Studios, London, England
Genre
Length47:08
LabelMissing Link
ProducerRichard Mazda, Tony Cohen, Nick Launay
The Birthday Party chronology
Drunk on the Pope's Blood
(1982) 		Junkyard
(1982) 		Mutiny/The Bad Seed
(1983)

Junkyard is the third studio album by Australian post-punk group the Birthday Party. It was released on 10 July 1982 through the label 4AD in the UK and through Missing Link Records in Australia.[4] It was the group's last full-length studio recording. It has received critical acclaim.

Background

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Junkyard was inspired by American Southern Gothic imagery, dealing with extreme subjects like an evangelist's murdered daughter.[5] Anita Lane, then girlfriend of lead singer Nick Cave, co-wrote two songs for the album: "Dead Joe" and "Kiss Me Black".

The album was a transitional record for a variety of reasons. On 16 February 1982 in Melbourne, Tracy Pew (the band's bass player) was arrested for drunk driving. For this and several other outstanding offences he served 2.5 months in HM Prison Won Wron in Australia, and so Barry Adamson played bass on one track. In addition to his usual guitar, Mick Harvey played drums on a few songs, anticipating the upcoming departure of founding member Phill Calvert and the group's subsequent switch from quintet to quartet.

Recording and artwork

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The album was recorded with Tony Cohen at Armstrong's Audio Visual (A.A.V.) Studios in Melbourne in December 1981 and January 1982. Additional tracks were recorded in London's Matrix Studios with producer Richard Mazda in March 1982. Mazda's previous work with Alternative TV and the Fall had brought him to their attention.

Cohen said he was approached by Cave and Harvey before the recording. They felt the previous album had been a "slick and pleasant, Little River Band record" and they wanted the new record to "sound like trash. A scratchy, trebly sound." Unlike previous recordings, the band was writing in the studio. Cohen said, "The jungle tom-tom rhythms were Mick's idea. They wanted to try animal drumming and that was something Phill didn't do, so Mick jumped on."[6]

The cover art is by Ed Roth and Dave Christensen.

Release

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The album was released on 10 July 1982.[4]

CD reissues added the "Release the Bats"/"Blast Off!" single recorded at London's Townhouse Studio with Nick Launay in April 1981. A second version of "Dead Joe"—originally featured on the MasterBAG August 1982 flexi-disc—also appears on the reissue.

Critical reception

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[7]
The Austin Chronicle[8]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[9]
The Great Rock Discography6/10[10]
MusicHound[11]
OndaRock6.5/10[12]
Ox-Fanzine[13]
Pitchfork8.7/10[14]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[15]
Spin Alternative Record Guide9/10[16]

Critic Ned Raggett called the album a "scuzzy masterpiece" that saw "Cave's now-demonic vocals in full roar while the rest of the players revamped rhythm & blues and funk into a blood-soaked exorcism."[17] Julian Marszalek of The Quietus writes that "Junkyard still sounds as if it’s waiting for rock music to catch up with it," calling it "a high example of uncompromised music and art [...] that exists purely on its own terms."[18]

In October 2010, Junkyard was listed at No. 17 in the book, 100 Best Australian Albums.[19] The album was also included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.[20]

Track listing

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Original LP release
No.TitleLyricsMusic byLength
1."She's Hit"Nick CaveCave, Tracy Pew6:06
2."Dead Joe"Cave, Anita LaneCave3:09
3."The Dim Locator"Rowland S. HowardR. Howard2:50
4."Hamlet (Pow, Pow, Pow)"CaveR. Howard5:33
5."Several Sins"R. Howard, Harry HowardR. Howard, H. Howard2:56
6."Big-Jesus-Trash-Can"CaveMick Harvey3:00
7."Kiss Me Black"Cave, LaneCave2:48
8."6" Gold Blade"CaveHarvey3:35
9."Kewpie Doll"CaveHarvey3:32
10."Junkyard"CaveCave, R. Howard5:49
Total length:47:08
CD reissue
No.TitleLyricsMusic byLength
1."Blast Off"R. HowardR. Howard2:19
2."She's Hit"CaveCave, Pew6:06
3."Dead Joe"Cave, LaneCave3:09
4."The Dim Locator"R. HowardR. Howard2:50
5."Hamlet (Pow, Pow, Pow)"CaveR. Howard5:33
6."Several Sins"R. Howard, H. HowardR. Howard, H. Howard2:56
7."Big-Jesus-Trash-Can"CaveHarvey3:00
8."Kiss Me Black"Cave, LaneCave2:48
9."6" Gold Blade"CaveHarvey3:35
10."Kewpie Doll"CaveHarvey3:32
11."Junkyard"CaveCave, R. Howard5:49
12."Dead Joe" (2nd Version)Cave, LaneCave3:08
13."Release the Bats"CaveHarvey2:32

Personnel

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The Birthday Party

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Additional personnel

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Chart positions

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Chart (1982) Peak
position
UK Albums Chart[22] 73
UK Independent Albums Chart[23] 1

References

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  1. ^ Barker, Emily (4 June 2019). "Best final albums: 21 artists who went with insanely great last albums". NME. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
  2. ^ "The Top 100 Post-Punk Albums". Treble. 22 October 2018. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
  3. ^ Terich, Jeff (25 February 2013). "Hold on To Your Genre : Noise Rock". Treble. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
  4. ^ a b Mulligan, Brian; Hayward, John, eds. (28 June 1982). "Independent Labels: New Releases" (PDF). Record Business. Vol. 5, no. 12. London: Record Business Publications. p. 8.
  5. ^ Reynolds, Simon (2005). Rip It Up and Start Again: Postpunk 1978–1984. London, UK: Faber and Faber. pp. 429–431. ISBN 0-571-21569-6.
  6. ^ Tony Cohen with John Olson (2023). Half Deaf, Completely Mad. Black Inc. Books. p. 88. ISBN 978-1-74382-308-8.
  7. ^ Ned Raggett. "The Birthday Party Junkyard". AllMusic. Retrieved 1 April 2020.
  8. ^ Tim Stegall (27 June 1997). "Reissues". The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
  9. ^ Larkin, Colin, ed. (1998). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 1 (3rd ed.). London: Muze. p. 545. OL 375556M.
  10. ^ Strong, Martin C. (2004). The Great Rock Discography (7th ed.). New York: Canongate. p. 263. OL 18807297M.
  11. ^ musicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Detroit: Visible Ink. 1996. p. 63. OL 8145585M.
  12. ^ "Nick Cave - Birthday Party - biografia, recensioni, streaming, discografia, foto".
  13. ^ Kolodziej, Markus. "CDs / LPs / Singles - Reviews BIRTHDAY PARTY Junkyard". Ox-Fanzine. Retrieved 1 April 2020.
  14. ^ Lipez, Zachary (6 February 2022). "The Birthday Party: Junkyard Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
  15. ^ Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian, eds. (2004). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th rev. ed.). New York: Simon & Schuster. p. 151. OL 21112308M.
  16. ^ Reynolds, Simon (1995). "Birthday Party". In Weisbard, Eric; Marks, Craig (eds.). Spin Alternative Record Guide. New York: Vintage Books. p. 43. ISBN 0679755748.
  17. ^ "Junkyard - The Birthday Party". AllMusic. Retrieved 17 February 2019.
  18. ^ "The Quietus - Features - Anniversary - 30 Years On: We Return to the Birthday Party's Junkyard". The Quietus. 30 April 2012. Retrieved 17 February 2019.
  19. ^ O'Donnell, John; Creswell, Toby; Mathieson, Craig (October 2010). 100 Best Australian Albums. Prahran, Vic: Hardie Grant Books. ISBN 978-1-74066-955-9.
  20. ^ Dimery, Robert; Lydon, Michael (7 February 2006). 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die (Revised & Updated ed.). Universe. ISBN 0-7893-1371-5.
  21. ^ "The Birthday Party - Junkyard". Discogs. 10 July 1982. Retrieved 17 February 2019.
  22. ^ "Birthday Party | Artist". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  23. ^ Lazell, Barry. "Indie Hits: "B"". Cherry Red. Archived from the original on 6 June 2011. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
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