Go Away White - Dark Publications

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Album Description
2008 studio album from the legendary goth rockers. Cooking Vinyl.

Customer Reviews: Read 36 more reviews...

4 out of 5 stars

Proof you can't go home again, but then... why would you want to? March 5, 2008
20 out of 25 found this review helpful

It's been 25 years since Bauhaus released a studio record (1983's Burning from the Inside). In the intervening time, the band has been busy with vocalist Peter Murphy pursuing a solo career and the rest of the band-- guitarist Daniel Ash, bassist David J and drummer Kevin Haskins finding fame as Love & Rockets. After a handful of reunion tours (the first of which documented on Gotham) and persistent rumors of an album, "Go Away White" has finally arrived, the band's "farewell" record (yeah, we've heard that before). But like I said, it's been 25 years since these guys have gone in the studio to record new material-- goth and new wave (and contrary to popular assessment, Bauhaus straddled both camps) have run their course and spawned their children in the various alternative movements of the past 20 years and glam music had been reduced to a bunch of guys with eye liner and trashy metal riffs before collapsing.

So it's into this that Bauhaus' new album arrives, and one thing I can say-- you can't go home again. The music of Bauhaus in the late '70s and early '80s was unique, powerful and of its time. It stands on its own but one fears any effort to recapture that glory would fall flat-- mind you, it'd draw its armies of praise from the retro crowd, but in five years, it'd be a record collecting dust like other similar projects. Happily, Bauhaus did not pursue this route, instead turning out something entirely new.

This comes clear pretty much right from the start-- "Two Much 21st Century" kicks in with a modern production vibe-- bright guitars and a crisp, ringing bass sit in between a great rolling backbeat and Murphy's explosive vocal. It's a statement-- this isn't your dad's Bauhaus, if anything, it sounds like what Murphy's Unshattered should have been (I just couldn't get into that record). As the record moves on, it sounds essentially like a modern band that's really influenced by Bauhaus, admittedly sometimes this is more overt (loping goth piece "Mirror Remains") and sometimes less so ("Undone", a rambling alt-rock slice that could have come off a Jane's Addiction album but for the vocal). The album does consistently hold interest, and while it does have an occasional foray into goofy glam ("International Bulletproof Talent"), the balance of great songs such as screechy guitar driven funk rocker "Adrenalin", droning goth redux "Dog's a Vapour" (full of harmony laden vocals and a doom-driven musical cut) and post punk rocker "Black Stone Heart" (really quite the standout) carry the record straight through to the closing ambient cut "Zikir", recalling the best work in this form of the side careers of the band.

The only downside is that apparently the sessions yielded some sort of division in the band and this is being described as the band's farewell. The material sounds like it'd come alive in concert and it's a shame to hear. Nonetheless, it's great to see a Bauhaus record that has something to say.

5 out of 5 stars

Powerhouse Of Light March 4, 2008
10 out of 16 found this review helpful

After listening to the album a few times, I soon realised that Go Away White is the best thing Bauhaus have ever done. All the Bauhaus spontaneity is present... a pure garb woven by the spirit of authenticity and sewn with the golden thread of truth. Listening to this album is like having Bauhaus performing live in front of you... It's an intimate experience. It is indeed a powerhouse of light.

I don't think a Bauhaus fan could expect anything better than this. Go Away White is the apex of all Bauhaus albums. All the ten songs have captured the band at their height... their highest station... GAW sounds as though Bauhaus ascended through exploding stars and Beautiful comets.

The highlight of the album is Saved... its spacious and crimson beauty transcends one through a journey of the heart to a colourless state. In my opinion, Saved is the most beautiful and emotional song Bauhaus have ever composed.

My only disappointment is the version of The Dog's A Vapour. The original version is a capolavoro. A stellar ascension of spiritual beauty. However with this version, I feel as though it has lost some of its spontaneity and depth.

Regarding the title of the album Go Away White. "I come with this darkness and go away white"... Wasn't it always that! The whole Bauhaus experience... the concerts and the actual albums. It was never about experiencing the dark, dwelling upon it and living it. From the beginning it was a spiritual journey. Even though you may not have acknowleged or been aware of it. Bauhaus, in my opinion are like the experience of looking up at the night sky... a night sky full of bright stars... you notice the stars more than the darkness... and even better you see the Creator... how beautiful is that? Bauhaus... Truth, Beauty and Love... no wonder roses were present upon the Bauhaus stage.

Finally... try to forget about the fact that Bauhaus will not be performing this album upon the boards. And try to forget that Bauhaus are no more a working unit. Take the honey and enjoy this Bauhaus experience... be grateful. From Bela Lugosi's Dead to Zikir, I can't think of a better way to lay the Bauhaus garb to rest.

4 out of 5 stars

New Bauhaus? Whew...uhh..where to start? March 5, 2008
10 out of 11 found this review helpful

It's impossible to think that after a 25 year absence, that Bauhaus would return to make a studio album of (almost) all new material. Sure all of the performers have had another things to do like Tones On Tail, Love & Rockets, various solo albums, and even working with Perry Farrell, but Bauhaus, as a whole, hasn't recorded since 1983's 'Burning From The Inside.' 2008's 'Go Away White' almost feels like if the four guys got together and said, "hey, what if we decided to fuse Love & Rockets, Tones On Tail, and some of Peter's later solo albums into one record with almost no traces of our work as Bauhaus 25 years ago?" I can even hear some traces of Dali's Car, an obscure Murphy/Mick Karn side project. The results are satisfying, but confusing at the same time.

The first five tracks are all guitar riff-driven glam rockers that are closer cousins to 'Kundalini Express' than to 'Double Dare'. 'Zikir' particularly sounds like something off of Murphy's album, 'Dust', with its droning almost-Dead Can Dance sound. 'Saved' is a very interesting artrock drone, catching them at their most gloomy since 'Mask', where 'Black Stone Heart' is the closest thing to Tones On Tail since, well...Tones On Tail. Lyrically, Murphy might spew out a few references to crimson spots or burning bodies, but the lyrics are definitely more lightweight than say, oh, 'Stigmata Martyr'. 'Endless Summer Of The Damned' even refers to global warming; very 2008, Pete. Soundwise, the album moves like a downward spiral, starting out with the Bowie-esque rockers and spiraling down to the atmospheric dirges ('The Dog's A Vapour' makes a reappearance after being a bonus track before, in a re-recorded form).

Overall, I still don't know if I'd consider this even as strong as any of the original albums, or even as solid as 'Express' or 'Pop' but shouldn't totally offend fans of the bigger picture of these artists. Bauhaus stalwarts who thought Love & Rockets was too poppish or Tones On Tail was too unfocused might not enjoy this newest effort as much. If I could give it 3.5, I definitely would have.

2 out of 5 stars

Go Away Underwhelmed March 27, 2008
10 out of 16 found this review helpful

It's difficult not to be ambivalent about comebacks. Typically, even if bands still set things ablaze live (as with Bauhaus), when it comes to coughing up new material, the spark fails to re-ignite. The reincarnated Bauhaus gave us some truly riveting live shows, but also a sadly half-baked album. To be fair, a band with Bauhaus' legacy faces several challenges when writing new music, chiefly to tap into what made them so distinctive and special in the first place, while still sounding fresh, vital, and relevant. Unfortunately, Bauhaus seems content to play it safe, leaving us with a patchy album that, for the most part, lacks the riveting drama, the soul, and the visionary artfulness that their 4 original albums possess in spades.

75% of "Go Away White" seems stuck in two modes: rock-out on autopilot and awkward experimentation. The more trad rock-out songs simply lack individuality ("Too Much 21st Century" blatantly cops the "Taxman" bassline) and spirit ("Adrenalin" sounds like a lazy, fuzzed-out Love & Rockets outtake). Anyone with hands and a guitar could've knocked these out in an afternoon.

When Bauhaus goes for the art ("Dog's a Vapor," "Zakir," "Saved"), they overreach by a mile. The drama's there, the atmosphere is compelling, but the results prove somewhat forced and unmusical, something that seldom plagued Bauhaus in their heyday. Think of classics "Three Shadows" or "Who Killed Mr. Moonlight": totally artsy in concept and execution, but also hugely alluring and almost strangely catchy. In contrast, many of "Go Away White's" artsy-fartsy moments sound like Bauhaus trying too hard to sound weird because that's what people expect. And even when these moodier numbers do work, Peter Murphy sinks them with his grating, newfound exaggerated vibrato-y singing (more on that in a minute).

But at times the album works. The best song by a country mile is the eerie, brooding "Mirror Remains." With David Jay's rubbery, fretless bass, Kevin Haskins' slow and steady groove, and Daniel Ash's chorus-filtered distorto squall, the song builds up a compelling and moody head of steam; a perfect and successful crystallization of Bauhaus' true essence - the one song where they get it right.

"Endless Summer of the Damned" comes close to the mark; with its catchy but simplistic, circular riff, pounding attack, and Murphy's soaring, confident delivery, it could almost fit on "In the Flat Field."

Unfortunately, it's Murphy who's often the album's weakest link. The tastefully arranged "Black Stone Heart" is solid musically, but Murphy's newfound silly and excessively exaggerated vibrato singing kills it, coming off like a cartoonish ghoul. And this annoying new affectation totally undercuts a few otherwise promising songs, like the ambient "Saved." He never used to sing like this, what compelled him to start now?

Having been a Bauhaus fanatic since the mid-80s, I'd say I'm underwhelmed. I fear this record may taint a legacy that until now remained untarnished. Newcomers, skip this and head straight for the back catalog; obsessives, approach with caution.

5 out of 5 stars

An inspiring piece of work March 5, 2008
8 out of 9 found this review helpful

This work is an inspired piece. From the first strums to the last note, the band rediscovered themselves. The songs are better than the last two cds they did, and it ranks with Mask and In the Flat Field.

Endless Summer of the Damned should be on the list of songs new "bands" should listen to in order to see how a song should be written and performed. When the song kicks in, all four members are working as team -- and the power of rock comes through to the listener. Passion comes alive inside one while listening -- no matter what. The song has all the basics of what rock should be, but it is new and fresh. Besides the Pixies way back when, there hasn't been a proper rock song like that released until now.

Saved can move one beyond words and Peter's words are the perfect paint to the music canvas.

All the songs are great and worthy of an rock fan to buy.

To the band:
Please put pettiness aside. You guys have a gift -- share it.

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