Bauhaus Album: “Mask”

A lot of reviews refer to Mask as Bauhaus's most "accessible" or "mainstream" album. And if you're looking at Bauhaus for the first time, hoping to buy an album that will give you better old-school Goth creds, maybe that will turn you off. But you have to keep in mind that this is, in fact, Bauhaus we're talking about. Mask is their most accessible and mainstream album in kind of the same way that I might say that Duran Duran's original album is their most Goth. It's kinda true in its way...but not really.

Try to imagine for just a fraction of a second a world in which you would hear the actual song "Mask" on the radio, and you'll see what I mean. Not gonna happen. It's much too full of eldritch noises and dark intellectual musing to get any airplay.

"Mask" is a personal favorite of mine; but if you're looking for the names that get bandied around more, check out "Passion of Lovers" and that pleasantly hostile paean to spiritual growth, "Kick in the Eye." Important to song cross-referencing, a favored pastime for Bauhaus and for Peter Murphy solo, is "The Man with X-Ray Eyes," which is the lyrical basis for the later "Departure."

Bauhaus (and their lack of mainstream acceptance) is proof perfect that people prefer their music bland, mindless, and about ten years behind the times. Basically formed by art students who loved punk and Bowie in equal measure, Bauhaus was a ship with the perfect crew: the innovative Daniel Ash screaming guitar licks over the tribal rumble of the Haskins brothers, David J. and Kevin. And then there was Peter Murphy: an emaciated cross-dressing ghoul who twisted and writhed across the stage. His angular good looks and lunatic mannerisms swept those who saw them into the Love 'Em and Hate 'Em camps. I plant my flag in the former, and this album contains every reason why. While their first album is a ravaging classic that defined their unique sound and B&W 1920's aesthetic, "Mask" boasts some of their best tunes. "Hollow Hills", inspired by an Arthur Machen story that cautions those who would tamper with prehistoric sites and their invisible occupants, is Bauhaus at their most atmospheric and poetic. "Dancing" and "Of Lillies and Remains" (the first dealing with all the places one can dance, the second some kind of surreal snippet about ghosts, weird fluids leaking out of orifices, and someone named Clancy) show that the boys had an incredible sense of the absurd, "Muscle In Plastic" is a primal workout, "Hair of the Dog" is a grinding opener with a fantastically creative guitar line, and "The Passion of Lovers" is a Spanish-ish ode to lovers and their pursuit- death in each others arms. "In Fear of Fear" (like "Dancing") actually features Daniel Ash on saxophone, "Man with the X-Ray Eyes" slams forward like a rugby team of Neanderthals, and the title track is eerie and glorious (check out the video for it, if you can find "Shadow of Light"- nowhere is the band's horror movie sensibility more evident). The bonus tracks are interesting, especially the one in which Peter relates an unusual way of making fish cakes- stuffing the creatures with potatoes before smashing them up! Basically, this album shows that Bauhaus was a group of talented, creative guys that all shared a morbid sense of humor, a passion for the bizarre, but were in no way a contrived bunch of goth types. Those came later.

This album is a more accessible sibling to the all out intensity that was In The Flat Field. At times though the humour is even more sillier with Lillies and Remains which is as deadpan as it got. There's the track where they all get their go at writing something without seeing what the other did and this is where the hilarity kicks in. Listening to Peter Murphy tell you " this is how you make fishcakes" is possibly the most hilarious thing I've ever heard. Although there is one where I'm wondering if they were [messing with] the listener when they recorded the song Ear Wax. It sounds bloody scary and I wonder if they were doing this as a joke - the mind boggles

However if you enjoy serious music but can stand a joke or two then this is the album for you

This runs a close second place, right behind "In The Flat Fields", as my favorite Bauhaus full-length release. As opposed to the sedate, laid-back later recordings, the abrasive earlier sounds had a distinct minimalism and primitive quality. Actually, if you listen closely in some places, you can imagine "Mask" as the missing link between the early edgy mysteriousness that gave Bauhaus their `goth' tag and the later days of "The Sky's Gone Out" and "Burning Form The Inside". Why? Because Bauhaus seemed to be four contrasting individuals working against each other in a band, and in early recording, you could just about sense that they were each trying to be distinct individuals - not a working unit with a common goal - with each song. They seemed to progressively blend into a "band" with a common unifying goal by the end of their career, and, to me, that seems to be the reason that their sound changed so much. Specifically, "Mask" was the turning point. You can hear them becoming aware of (and more comfortable with) each others' talents and personalities. In retrospect, I think "Mask" artistically scores up there with the "Bela Lugosi's Dead" EP, the "...Fields" LP and the "4 A.D." EP. Songs that reinforced this are "Of Lilies And Remains", "Hollow Hills", "The Man With X-Ray Eyes", "Passion of Lovers" and the supreme title track. If you're into early Cure, Christian Death, the Sisters Of Mercy, or any gothic/death rock, you'll likely find something worthwhile here, since Bauhaus was definitely an influence on many of them.

the idea of sophomore jynx applies to this album. it think it is thier worst. which is fabulous because every other album they did was a god send. buy this one along with the others. the hair on the dog is a fabulous song. it even has david j screaming which is something you only hear twice, on that song and on the song spiked on sweet f.a., an album by love and rockets. it also features each member doing vocals, except daniel ash speaks backwards....