Top tracks — play these first
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49 Guitars and One Girl — This track exemplifies the album's playful yet unsettling tone through its quirky instrumentation and lyrical absurdity, capturing the band's signature style.
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A Small Dark Cloud — With its haunting atmosphere and introspective lyrics, this track showcases Pere Ubu's ability to blend melancholy with avant-garde experimentation.
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Goodbye — The closing track encapsulates the album's emotional weight with a mix of eerie sounds and poignant reflections, leaving a lasting impression on listeners.
Elevation
Our rating, out of 100 — and why.
AI-generated from five scored dimensions. An opinion, not a measurement.
The album's innovative structures and distinct sound make it a standout in the art rock genre.
What we noticed
- Many songs incorporate dissonant guitar riffs layered over minimalistic percussion, creating a jarring yet engaging sound.
- The lyrics often take a surreal approach, with imagery that challenges traditional narrative forms and invites varied interpretations.
- Composition 25% of the score
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8/10
- Craft 20% of the score
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7/10
- Durability 25% of the score
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6/10
- Distinctiveness 18% of the score
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9/10
- Sequencing 12% of the score
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5/10
the writing — melody, harmony, structure, lyrics
production, performance, arrangement
whether it rewards returning to it
whether it sounds like itself
running order, pacing, length
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.
Is this for you?
Good fit if you like
- steady mid-tempo exploration
- surreal lyrics provoke thought
- quirky arrangements for curiosity
- subtle layering for detail seekers
Maybe skip if you
- seekers of instant gratification
- prefer straightforward song structures
Where this album fits
- In the catalog
- Critical Peak — Innovative sound and structure, influential in the post-punk movement.
- Career context
- By the time 'New Picnic Time' was released in September 1979, Pere Ubu had already established themselves as a significant force in the art rock scene with their previous album 'The Modern Dance' from 1978. This follow-up solidified their reputation for pushing sonic boundaries, showcasing a further evolution in their experimental approach while navigating the complexities of a changing music landscape.
- Stylistic neighbors
- The Residents· Captain Beefheart· Wire
Moments worth listening for
Where the writing does something specific.
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Hand a Face a Feeling
The verse shifts into an abstract narrative that portrays fragmented thoughts and images, creating a disjointed sense of reality.
This structural choice immerses listeners in a dream-like state, reflecting the album's overarching themes of disconnection and surrealism.
Tracklist
Best experienced from track one — press play and let it unfold.
- 1 Have Shoes Will Walk (The Fabulous Sequel) 3:16
- 2 49 Guitars and One Girl 2:51
- 3 A Small Dark Cloud 5:49
- 4 Small Was Fast 3:39
- 5 All the Dogs Are Barking 3:03
- 6 One Less Worry 3:49
- 7 Make Hay 4:03
- 8 Goodbye 5:18
- 9 The Voice of the Sand 1:28
- 10 Hand a Face a Feeling 3:17
Reference: Wikipedia · MusicBrainz · Wikidata
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