One of my favorite Pere Ubu records...

"We've never been asked to write a pop record before. I guess it never occured to anyone." -David Thomas

"Cloudland is the industrial-strength equivalent of a classic Beach Boys album from musicians more familiar with factories than surf, Cloudland is one of the best albums of the 80's" -Greg Kot, Chicago Sun Times, 1989

In celebration of the recent Jad Fair roundup taking the spot of most popular post, I now present seven Half Japanese albums. Much has been said, written, and even filmed (make sure to watch the documentary The Band Who Would Be King) about the band, but as always, the proof is in the pudding - you have to listen to understand. I expect most readers to be already familiar with the band to some degree, but if you're a late-comer, start with the 2-CD Greatest Hits collection, which really does its name justice. It features most of the more accessible early songs, as well as some representative examples of their noisy, experimental side.

So without further rambling, here are the albums, this time in order of my personal preference:

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