Cloudland (album)

This article is about album by Pere Ubu. For other uses, see Cloudland (disambiguation).

Cloudland is the seventh studio album by American rock band Pere Ubu. Released in May 1989, the album was produced by Stephen Hague. The single "Waiting for Mary", the video for which achieved some MTV exposure, netted Pere Ubu their only Billboard chart success to date, reaching number 6 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart. Cloudland is a village in north-western Georgia between Summerville and Chattanooga on a spur of Lookout Mountain. In the early 20th century, it was a summer getaway for Floridians.

Cloudland
Studio album by Pere Ubu
Released	May 1989
Recorded	June – September 1988
Genre	Alternative rock, post-punk
Label	Fontana
Producer	Paul Hamann, Stephen Hague, Daniel Miller
Pere Ubu chronology
The Tenement Year (1988) Cloudland (1989) One Man Drives While the Other Man Screams (1989)

After being out-of-print for several years, Cloudland was re-released on CD with bonus tracks in 2007.

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
Chicago Sun-Times	[2]
Chicago Tribune	[3]
NME	7/10[4]
The Philadelphia Inquirer	[5]
Q	[6]
Rolling Stone	[7]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide	[8]
Spin Alternative Record Guide	8/10[9]
The Village Voice	A−[10]

American magazine Stereo Review in its August 1989 issue called Cloudland "smart music for a mass audience" and placed the album in its "Best Recordings of the Month" section.^[11] Pete Clark of Hi-Fi News & Record Review left a lot of warm words on the album. He wrote: "Gems on this record will open the ears of anyone but a Flowerpot Man. Working within a fairly straightforward rock format, the Ubus bring more wit and panache to the business of making music than a dozen pop lamebrains."^[12] Martin Aston, reviewer of British music newspaper Music Week, was also satisfied. As per him: "Because avant-garage icons Pere Ubu have never considered writing an undeniable 'pop' type of album, Cloudland sounds as fresh, vital and impulsive as a debut and quite their best since 1978's Dub Housing."^[13]

Track listing

All tracks composed by Pere Ubu (Chris Cutler, Jim Jones, Scott Krauss, Tony Maimone, Allen Ravenstine and David Thomas); except where indicated

1. "Breath" – 3:58
2. "Race the Sun" – 3:25
3. "Cry" – 2:33
4. "Why Go It Alone?" – 2:49
5. "Waiting for Mary" – 3:29
6. "Ice Cream Truck" – 2:48
7. "Bus Called Happiness" – 3:13
8. "Monday Night" – 2:15
9. "Love Love Love" (Tom Herman, Scott Krauss, Peter Laughner, Dave Taylor, David Thomas, Tim Wright) – 3:28
10. "Lost Nation Road" – 2:16
11. "Fire" – 3:45
12. "Nevada!" – 3:20
13. "The Wire" – 3:20
14. "Flat" – 2:23
15. "The Waltz" – 3:30
16. "Pushin'" – 2:27

Personnel

Pere Ubu

• David Thomas – vocals
• Jim Jones – guitar, backing vocals
• Allen Ravenstine – EML synthesizers, backing vocals
• Tony Maimone – bass, backing vocals
• Chris Cutler – drums
• Scott Krauss – drums

Additional personnel

• Stephen Hague – keyboards

References

1. Deming, Mark. "Cloudland – Pere Ubu". AllMusic. Retrieved March 19, 2016.
2. McLeese, Don (June 11, 1989). "Pere Ubu, 'Cloudland' (Fontana)". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved March 12, 2017.
3. Silverman, David (May 18, 1989). "Pere Ubu: Cloudland (Polygram)". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved March 19, 2016.
4. Barron, Jack (May 20, 1989). "A Fine Pere". NME. p. 23.
5. Moon, Tom (May 28, 1989). "Pere Ubu: Cloudland (Fontana/Polygram)". The Philadelphia Inquirer.
6. Aizlewood, John (June 2007). "Pere Ubu: The Tenement Year / Cloudland / Worlds in Collision / Story of My Life". Q. No. 251.
7. Robbins, Ira (July 13–27, 1989). "Pere Ubu: Cloudland". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on October 1, 2007. Retrieved March 19, 2016.
8. Coleman, Mark; Matos, Michaelangelo (2004). "Pere Ubu". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp. 626–627. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
9. Weisbard, Eric (1995). "Pere Ubu". In Weisbard, Eric; Marks, Craig (eds.). Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. pp. 291–293. ISBN 0-679-75574-8.
10. Christgau, Robert (June 27, 1989). "Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. Retrieved March 19, 2016.
11. Simels, Steve (August 1989). "Best Recordings of the Month: Pere Ubu's Sunny "Cloudland"" (PDF). Stereo Review. Vol. 54, no. 8. New York: Diamandis Communications Inc. pp. 72–73. ISSN 0142-6230. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 September 2021. Retrieved 8 June 2022 – via World Radio History.
12. Clark, Pete (August 1989). "Review: Pere Ubu — Cloudland" (PDF). Hi-Fi News & Record Review (magazine). Vol. 34, no. 8. Croydon: Link House Magazines Ltd. p. 110. ISSN 0142-6230. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 September 2021. Retrieved 2 September 2021 – via World Radio History.
13. Aston, Martin (24 June 1989). "Review: Pere Ubu — Cloudland" (PDF). Music Week. London: Spotlight Publications Ltd. p. 24. ISSN 0265-1548. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 October 2021. Retrieved 18 February 2022 – via World Radio History.