Audio CD review:
Bauhaus - Beneath the Mask

Bauhaus - Beneath the Mask

Band: Bauhaus Title: Beneath the Mask Rating: Release Date: 04 November, 1997 Media: Audio CD Tracks: 1: In the Night 2: God in an Alcove 3: Dark Entries 4: Telegram Sam 5: Nerves 6: Honeymoon Croon 7: Kamikazi Dive 8: Shows (Fragment)

Customer Reviews !!! The most unfortunate aspect is that some of the items overlap each other, as if glued haphazardly into a scrapbook. ABSOLUTELY IMPORTANT: PLEASE NOTE, this is NOT a book about Bauhaus containing much straight text, but a collection of various press clippings, reviews, ticket stubs, concert dates, album/singles cover art, etc in a SCRAP-BOOK format. Therefore one cannot actually read a great deal of the information that was used to comprise the contents. (!?!) It's very odd since this book is only intended for serious fans of Bauhaus who would want to read all those things, not casual listeners. I've actually owned this since it first came out, but only thought today to write this review. Beyond that outrageously unforgivable error in judgement by Andrew J. Brooksbank, who is credited with it's creation, the `book' can be somewhat enjoyable and still contains a great deal of information about the band and its members. If you're looking for a more substantial book about Bauhaus, check out, Dark Entries : Bauhaus and Beyond by Ian Shirley. Now the CD - the CD is of much greater value than the `book'. It contains 8 tracks from a 1979 recording session. Interestingly those songs written in 1979 were used on 3 of their 4 studio albums. The sound is raw. But I rather like them that way, especially an extremely aggressive version of `Nerves'. I only wished the version on `In the Flat Field' was that hardcore!!! It's really a lesson in the origins of Goth and how much punk was a major influence. I only wish the goth bands of today would take a page from the Bauhaus song book and try to be a little more creative. From punk, to reggae, to ambient, to darkwave, to pop, to avant-garde, to funk, Bauhaus really experimented a lot and that to me is one of the main reasons why they have remained 'popular' for so long. Collector's Delight While I was more interested in the early recordings, I was quite happy with the quality of the book, as well. I came in contact with the publisher about a year or so before this came out, so it was much anticipated. But for those die-hard fans out there who want every version of every song, here's the real draw of this package: the version of 'Kamikaze Dive' is NOT the same as the album version of 'Dive'. Instead, it's very uptempo and happy, in comparison, but with that same dark, raw sound only Bauhaus can deliver. A nice little treat. And I wish there was more to the song 'Shows', as it sounds like a great number. Alas, it fades away just as the vocals get started. One thing is for certain, this album truly captures the fire and angst of their first album. I recommend it. A Bio of the band and beyond From past tour dates, old reviews from their shows, a complete discography, and more. This book has all the information that you would ever need to know about Bauhaus. The book also mentions what the band memebers have been doing since after the break up in 1983. Also includes a CD of songs from the studio in 1979. A must for any die hard Bauhaus/Love and Rockets/Peter Murphy fan. . You can see a complete list of all Bauhaus discography, or go back to the Bauhaus tabs