Raygun Suitcase by Pere Ubu

Press Quotes:

CD Review's Editor's Choice for 1995.

ArtForum's "Best of the 90s" (Dec '99).

"Pere Ubu have been neglected pop geniuses for 20 years, and with the release of their brilliant new Raygun Suitcase, they're poised to remain that way. It's their own damn fault. Whenever the band comes up with a set of transfixing chord changes, it includes lyrics like "I want to be a suitcase/I want to hang around in your Greyhound terminal"... Or they'll graffiti-spray an entire tune with whistling tea-kettle synthesizer... If underground rock had a Hall of Fame that gave awards for influence and creativity, Pere Ubu would be more decorated than Magic Johnson." - Ted Drozdowski, Rolling Stone, 10/5/95, 00.69-70

"The new musicians have preserved the squealing electronic avant-garde dynamic of the original band, with the grand, malevolent sweep of tracks like "Memphis" and the instrumental "Horse" as effective as ever in the brooding atmosphere department." - Andy Gill, The Independent, Aug 4 1995

"Just when you thought it was safe to go to Cleveland, a new Pere Ubu album pops out of the woodwork... America needs bands like this. After 20 years of breaking trails, they're still walking ahead of the pack. The major difference is that these days David Thomas doesn't sound so strange anymore." - Chris Nickson, Alternative Press, 10/95, p.71

"Frothy melodies share space with mangled guitars as sleighbells, feedback and warped cellos drift in and out of the mix..." - Q, 9/95, p.119 - 4 Stars: Excellent

"A gem...darts from full-bodied pop to minimalist weirdness...another weapon in this alternative pioneer's arsenal..." - Option, 1-2/96, p.108)

Release Notes:
Cooking Vinyl USA celebrated Pere Ubu's 30th year anniversary with the release of The Director's Cut version of Raygun Suitcase. Released in 1995 Raygun Suitcase received rave reviews, including CD Review "Editor's Choice for 1995" and ArtForum's "Best of The 90s."

"The point of doing a Director's Cut is to benefit from that older and wiser thing," David Thomas explains. "I reviewed all alternate mixes from the session, sometimes discovering that an earlier mix turned out to be superior to the chosen mix. As well, 10 years later, we have access to improved mastering technology. Consequently, there is a greater clarity and cohesion to the Director's Cut. We are not going to make both versions available. The Director's Cut is the way it's supposed to be. Period."

Director's Cut logo The Director's Cut was re-mastered at Suma by David Thomas and Paul Hamann in early 2005. Alternate mixes of "Surfer Girl," "Three Things," "Down By The River II," "Memphis," "Vacuum In My Head," and "Red Sky" were substituted. The "lost" version of "Electricity," recovered from a session desk-mix tape, was also substituted. The demo versions of "Memphis" and "Down By The River II" were added as bonus tracks. The packaging has been redesigned by John Thompson in the jewel case format with an 8 page color booklet featuring the "Media Priests of the Big Lie" story. A "Director's Cut" logo appears on the front cover. The UK/ROW release of The Director's Cut awaits sell out of current stock.

Engineered by Paul Hamann.
Recorded at Suma January, July, August & September 1994.
Package designed by John Thompson, idrome.

Beach Boys, Memphis, Montana and Down By The River II written by Jones - Krauss - Temple - Thomas - Yellin.
Don't Worry, Folly of Youth, Horse, Ray Gun Suitcase, Red Sky, Three Things, Turquoise Fins, Vacuum In My Head and Electricity written by Jones - Temple - Thomas - Wheeler.
My Friend Is A Stooge For The Media Priests written by Hamann - Jones - Temple - Thomas.
Surfer Girl written by Wilson.
All songs ©1995 Ubu Projex, administered by Bug Music, except Surfer Girl which is © EMI Music Publishing.

Band:
David Thomas - vocals, melodeon, musette, auto-cans, ray gun
Jim Jones - guitar, keyboard bass, backing vocals, keyboards, spike, sleigh bells
Robert Wheeler - EML synthesizers, Ensoniq EPS, theremin
Michele Temple - bass, slide bass, guitar, lute
Scott Benedict - drums
Scott Krauss played drums on Memphis, Beach Boys, Down By The River, and Montana. Garo Yellin played electric cello on Memphis, Beach Boys, Down By The River, and Montana. Paul Hamann played bass on My Friend Is A Stooge, and swirl bells on Vacuum In My Head.

Release History:
Tim/Kerr TK95CD100 (US) digipak 8/14/95 cd.
Sonic Records Sonic 104 (Poland) cd & mc.
RTI Records CKV 1258 2 (Italy) cd.

NB: The Tim/Kerr 1995 release was packaged as a digipak featuring the story "Elvis & The Media Priests of the Big Lie." The 1995 Cooking Vinyl version was a jewel box with a four page booklet.

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Raygun Suitcase (Jul. 1995)