What makes It's Still Living by The Birthday Party notable?

The album is notable for its fervent critical reception, establishing The Birthday Party as pioneers of the gothic rock genre. It showcases their influence on the post-punk scene, with tracks like Release the Bats gaining cult status and inspiring future generations of artists in alternative music. It's Still Living is the second live album from The Birthday Party, released in 1984, during a period of rising fame following their acclaimed studio album Junkyard. This release captures the band's raw and visceral performance style as they continued to push the boundaries of punk music before disbanding shortly thereafter.

How many songs are on It's Still Living?

It's Still Living has 12 tracks, running approximately 48 minutes.

It's Still Living

The Birthday Party

48 min · 12 tracks · post-punk

A chaotic blend of post-punk energy and gothic atmospheres, drenched in dark humor and unsettling imagery.

Spotify Apple Music

YouTube Music YouTube Deezer Bandcamp SoundCloud

Own it: Amazon eBay

Top tracks — play these first

→
Release the Bats — This track encapsulates The Birthday Party's anarchic spirit and is a defining anthem of their sound, merging frenetic energy with macabre themes.
→
Zoo Music Girl — With its haunting melody and vivid storytelling, this track exemplifies the band's ability to blend dark imagery with an infectious groove.
→
Nick the Stripper — This song's provocative lyrics and dynamic arrangement highlight the band's theatricality and serve as a fan favorite that still resonates today.

Elevation

Our rating, out of 100 — and why.

AI-generated from five scored dimensions. An opinion, not a measurement.

61 /100

Treeline

Higher than 71% of albums we've rated

This live album captures The Birthday Party's chaotic energy and distinct sound, marking their influence on post-punk.

What we noticed

The album features a frenetic pace with most tracks maintaining a high energy level, particularly in the first half.
Vocals are delivered with a raw intensity, often overlapping with chaotic instrumentation, creating a sense of urgency.
Several tracks include abrupt tempo changes and dissonant elements that enhance the unsettling atmosphere.
The final track fades out slowly, contrasting sharply with the aggressive nature of the preceding songs.

Composition 25% of the score: 7/10
Craft 20% of the score: 8/10
Durability 25% of the score: 6/10
Distinctiveness 18% of the score: 8/10
Sequencing 12% of the score: 5/10

Influence 6/10

Significant within its genre. Reported but not counted — how far a record travelled describes its reception rather than the record, and a newer release has had less time to travel than an older one.

Tracklist

Best experienced from track one — press play and let it unfold.

1 King Ink 5:23
2 Zoo Music Girl 3:06
3 The Dim Locator 4:14
4 She’s Hit 6:17
5 A Dead Song 2:42
6 (Sometimes) Pleasure Heads Must Burn 2:50
7 Junkyard 6:18
8 Blast Off 2:20
9 Release the Bats 3:14
10 Nick the Stripper 4:22
11 Big Jesus Trash Can 3:47
12 Dead Joe 3:35

What to play next

Listen next

Hee Haw

Go back to

Drunk on the Pope's Blood

Full The Birthday Party discography Artists like The Birthday Party

gothic rock post-punk

Reference: Wikipedia · MusicBrainz · Wikidata