Haus Beautiful: Peter Murphy 65

Hilarious, impossible synchronicities are happening as I'm typing this, the first of two consecutives about two vastly different artists.

OK, so as I'm writing I have this video on in the background, on the site of a great record store in California I've spent many, many hours in called Amoeba music.

It's an interview with 1980s sleekpop sensation Rick "Never Gonna Give You Up" Astley, who's showing and telling all about what records he is hauling out of Amoeba Hollywood on his latest visit to LA.

And who should he loudly proclaim as a supreme influence, as he triumphantly displays the contents of his shopping bag to the camera?

Why, of course he just said he's worshiped at the gothic altar of today's birthday boy since 1979.

I should say Gothic with the capital G, because Peter Murphy did as much to invent that genre as any person I can think of.

They only made a few records, but his band -- for whom he is most notorious -- could announce a tour tomorrow and sell out everywhere on Earth in mere moments.

In fact, I think he is out now with David J. and Daniel Ash, doing Bauhaus material for huge festival crowds.

He's one of those rare artists whose stuff hasn't lost potency as he's gotten older: where the new songs are the equal of the classic ones.

He's been making smokin' records for over 40 years now, and it's cool to see he can still do it on his own terms and have people be interested and into it.

He's also one of the most incendiary live performers of our epoch, so in his honor we will fire up a devastating Bauhaus show or two.

Bauhaus

In a Glass Haus

Larry's Hideaway

Toronto, Canada

12.4.1982

01 Third Uncle
02 Silent Hedges

03 In Fear of Fear

04 Spy In the Cab

05 Terror Couple Kill Colonel

06 She's In Parties

07 Rosegarden of Funeral Sores

08 Antonin Artaud

09 Passion of Lovers

10 The Three Shadows II

11 Night Time

12 Hair of the Dog

13 Kick In the Eye

14 In the Night

Total time: 51:21

Peter Murphy - vocals & percussion

Daniel Ash - guitar, saxophone & vocals

David J. Haskins - bass, keyboards & vocals

Kevin Haskins - drums & percussion

likely a master or 1st gen off-air FM cassette capture of the original Q107-FM broadcast

sourced from the 2010 silver boot CD "In a Glass Haus" on the Rearview Media label 

last few seconds of Track 14 patched from an unknown gen FM cassette by EN, June 2022

345 MB FLAC/July 2022 archive link

I took the liberty of not only repairing the very end of the last song, but placing as well into the folder another 1982 Bauhaus treat, from a concert a few months earlier that's only ever been available on a DVD.

I'll return in 24 with another bountiful harvest, but for now you better get down to these Bauhaus shows as we celebrate the architect of that band, born this day in 1957. Bela Lugosi may be dead, but as a living creative force, Peter Murphy sure ain't!--J.