John Hendow

Bauhaus remains one of my favorite bands of all time. As a young guitarist in the 70s I was a fan of Led Zeppelin and KISS. I liked dark, big music (and I still do). In the early 80s I also became enamored of new wave and the “new romantic” music that was coming out of the UK. But I’ve always had a rock and roll heart and Bauhaus was a fresh sound. The first thing that struck me about Bauhaus was the intensity and ferocity of the musical texture. Some of their songs are dense noisescapes and others are utterly stark and desolate. All aboard the goth train! Unfortunately by the time they became well-known in the US, the band had broken up. The family tree of post-Bauhaus projects is pretty big and includes Dalis Car, Tones on Tail, Love and Rockets, and solo albums by the band members. In 1998 the band reunited for a live tour which led to ongoing performances and recordings. Upon hearing of the planned reunion tour I decided I didn’t want to go; my fear being that it’s usually such a disappointment to see a favorite band reunite after so long. Rather than risk seeing post-peak it seemed safer to leave my fond memories of the band intact. Less than one week before the Seattle performance I repented and bought tickets. It was one of the best concerts I’ve ever seen. I was blown away at the energy and intensity of the band, and felt lucky to see them delivering such a great performance.

Recently, Beggar’s Group USA re-released special versions of the first two Bauhaus albums. These are beautifully packaged box sets including additional tracks and live performances. Naturally, I’ve picked up both of them along with the bonus disc, AND ordered the “Studio 79” disc from the UK. My hope is that the other Bauhaus albums will receive the Omnibus treatment.

In The Flat Fields
http://beggarsgroupusa.com/releases/in-the-flat-field-omnibus-edition/
This album has been remastered and restored to its original track order. The Omnibus edition box set also includes a second CD of singles / out-takes / alternative takes, along with a 48 page booklet with photographs and reproductions of early performance posters. Although not a big seller initially, this album later became regarded as very important and well0-crafted release. Previous versions of this CD feature the tracks in a different order than on the original vinyl release.

Mask
http://beggarsgroupusa.com/releases/mask-omnibus-edition/
The Omnibus edition includes the remastered album, a second CD of non-album singles / demos / alternative takes, plus a third CD featuring a live 1981 performance. This set also includes a 48 page booklet with photographs, memorabilia and full lyrics. As sophomore efforts go, this was a pretty solid release. Hearing some of the alternate takes is interesting, and the live CD is great.

…And Remains
http://beggarsgroupusa.com/releases/bauhaus-box-sets-bundle/
This bonus disc includes 7 additional tracks. If you order both of the Omnibus edition CDs from Beggars Banquet, they’ll include this as a free bonus. I’m something of a completist, so I’m pleased to have these songs. They’re not the band’s strongest material but interesting to hear. If you are planning to buy both of the Omnibus releases you might as well get them directly from the label and enjoy the freebie.

Live In The Studio 1979
http://archive.beggars.com/releases/74/bauhaus-live-in-the-studio-1979
This recording recently was made available via the Beggar’s archive in the UK. This is the original studio recording of Bauhaus 1919 (they later shortened the name to just “Bauhaus”). The recording date was January 26 1979, only four weeks after the band formed. I’ve heard other fans discuss these sessions with a sort of goth reverence. I haven’t received this overseas shipment yet, but I only ordered my copy about five days ago. I’m sure it will be a fascinating peek into the early moments of the band.