erything we do falls down on one side the 1989 Rough Trade reissue of Pere Cynthia Black: “I think what’s AR: “I remember everyone being or the other, you have to choose. We Ubu’s 390 Degrees of Simulated Stereo so hard and what people don’t under- very excited and wanting to continue. can’t get away with blaming the other (which featured a photo of the Terminal stand is that this was a very painful All I could think was I had no idea guy for the choices we makexvi.” Tower on its cover) noting that the geo- time and a very young time… the how I was gonna take what I was Terminal Drive was not only a re- graphical influence was not only unmis- map and the territory are not the doing and turn it into something that flection of The Plaza but in many ways takable but also inescapable: same. Being there was one night could be done live. I had never had also a reflection of Cleveland in the after another of children growing up any intention of being involved in mid-1970s, an audio document of urban The Flats is the river valley around together. That’s all it was… but every it, I was interested in something that decay in real time and a soundtrack to which Cleveland grew. The Cuyahoga one of them was talented, driven, was more arty, I was thinking more in the beginning of the slow decline in the River bends wildly through it. Ore boats pissed off, angry, drunk, stoned, and terms of symphonic stuff…and much dwindling cities of industry within the squeeze upriver, supplying steel mills trying to get laid… all the time, in a more abstract stuff xxii…” Midwest American rust belt. It is dark, and heavy industries. A labyrinthine city that smelled like Hell because Ravenstine’s spot was filled by cold, eerie, at times industrial, and at and secret network of roads is woven they were still making steel in it. The Dave Taylor, a friend of Wright’s who others times ambient. It exists in the through this wilderness of blast furnac- Flats was covered in black soot. It also had access to an EML synthesiz- shadow of the Terminal Tower build- es, railroads, bridges, machine shops, was the 70’s: it was dark, it was cold, er. ’s debut single would be ing in the center of Cleveland, the city and blue collar cafes. At the mouth of nobody could get a job. So while released on Thomas’ own Hearthan where the river burned19, in the echoes the Cuyahoga, where it meets Lake Erie, there was a lot of creativity, and some Records in December 1975 followed of the Superior Viaduct, and in the non- the Flats narrows and the downtown of it was brilliant, honestly, in mo- by the group’s live debut at the leg- stop mechanical sounds that continued complex looms overheadxviii. ments, people were like paroxysms, endary local watering hole the Viking to emanate out of The Flats. As Raven- they were like spasms, they were like Saloon20 on December 31st. Pere Ubu stine stated years later: “(T)he fact that AR: “It was really very depressed. death throes. It’s like “I’m gonna do were supported that night by Fran- we were (all) making…music in the Nobody lived downtown. Pretty much this right now because I can’t stand it kenstein, a raucous band of post-glam city... it just seemed like the city should roll up the streets after dark…it was anymore!” …and then you get drunk, proto-punks that included other RFTT be part of itxvii.” just really was dead at night. And there or have your fight, or drive off into alumni21 who would soon change their David Thomas described this envi- wasn’t anything happening so anything the night. There’s nowhere to go, it’s name to The (after a line ronment in his uncredited liner notes for that was happening was interestingxix.” the middle of fucking Ohio, it’s 12 in the RFTT song “Down In Flames”) 19The Cuyahoga River caught fire a whopping ceased playing music, pursuing his interests in degrees outside. It’s not fun.” the following year and move to New thirteen times between 1868 and 1969: “Inspired photography instead. AR: “(The Plaza) would get York. by the 1969 river fire, Congress was determined to 23Following a few more musical excursions—includ- broken into almost every night. And Following several shows around resolve the issue of land [and water] pollution, not ing the bands Friction and Wolves—Laughner would some people got robbed at gunpoint. Cleveland, a well-received perfor- just in Cleveland, but throughout the United States. die from acute pancreatitis on June 22, 1977 aged The legislature passed the National Environment 24. I was scared a lot of the time. So mance at Max’s Kansas City, NYC Protection Act (NEPA) which was signed into law on 24Wright had been the soundman for Orville Normal, I’m sure that was in there. With the supporting Suicide in April of 1976, January 1, 1970. This act helped establish the Envi- an innovative Cleveland group that existed 1971- ronmental Protection Agency (EPA) which would be sounds I made, some of those sirens and the release of the group’s second 1973 that had included Greenblatt (now known given the duties to manage environmental risks and and things... that was the level of single (“Final Solution” b/w “Cloud as Alan Greene) on guitar and Wright’s childhood regulate various sanitary-specific policies.” (http:// friend (and one time Laughner collaborator) Andrew intensity to that place that was fright- 149”) on Hearthan that same month, www.ohiohistorycentral.org/w/Cuyahoga_Riv- “Saint” Baird on bass. eningxx.” Ravenstine began to have second er_Fire) xvi As further noted by Andrew Russ in an interview , “The Plaza,” Cleveland Edition, Pere Ubu, as originally conceived thoughts about leaving Pere Ubu. with this author: “The Clean Water Act of 1972 em- June 30, 1988, 7. by Herman, Krauss, Laughner, Ra- AR: “I went to all the shows that powered the EPA to enforce a mandate that all rivers xviiGross, Jason. “Allen Ravenstine.” Perfect Sound venstine, Thomas, and Wright, was they did without me and I listened to throughout the United States be sufficiently clean to Forever, October 2010. Web. 26 Nov. 2016 < http:// only ever meant to be a one-time Dave Taylor… and I gradually fig- accommodate fish and swimmers by 1983.” www.furious.com/perfect/allenravenstine.html> xviii recording project. After recording ured out and thought actually ‘well, 20The Viking Saloon—where several of Laughner’s Thomas, David. (uncredited) Liner Notes. Pere prior groups had performed extensively—was Ubu: 390 Degrees Of Simulated Stereo, Ubu Live “30 Seconds Over Tokyo” (a remake I could do that.’ I didn’t really want located at 2005 Chester Ave NE in the vicinity of Volume One. Rough Trade, 1989. CD. of an older RFTT song) and “Heart to. I don’t think I ever really enjoyed Cleveland State University (and was most likely xixGross, Jason. “Allen Ravenstine.” Perfect Sound of Darkness” (a new group compo- live performance but I didn’t want to named for CSU’s mascot) and was destroyed by fire Forever, October 2010. Web. 26 Nov. 2016 < http:// on January 7, 1976. David Thomas worked for a www.furious.com/perfect/allenravenstine.html> sition) at the end of September 1975 get left behind. I didn’t want to get time as the club doorman/bouncer. xxIbid. at Audio Recording in Cleveland left out. So, at some point I said that I 22, xxiii 21While both Cheetah Chrome (Eugene O’Connor) xxiHeylin, Clinton, From The Velvets To The Voidoids: with Bill Cavanaugh engineering, the wanted to try it again .” and (Johnny “Madman” Madansky) A Pre-Punk History for a Post-Punk World (Penguin, members felt that an actual, function- Ravenstine returned to the group both joined RFTT around October/November 1974 1993) P: 220 (with Madansky leaving at the end of April 1974, ing band could happen and perform around mid-May 1976 shortly before xxiiIbid. replaced at first by Don Evans who was followed live. Ravenstine, however, became an increasingly out of control Laugh- xxiii by Wayne Strick), the extent of ’ (Steve Gross, Jason. “Allen Ravenstine.” Perfect Sound concerned about how to create his ner was fired from his own band23. Bator) participation in RFTT has been disputed. All Forever, October 2010. Web. 26 Nov. 2016 < http:// three—along with Jimmy Zero and Jeff Magnum— www.furious.com/perfect/allenravenstine.html> other worldly EML synthesizer After making one further recording formed Frankestein around the late summer of 1975. xxivHeylin, Clinton, From The Velvets To The Voidoids: sounds in a live setting and bowed with the group in June 1976 with 22Taylor, a Vietnam Veteran, left Cleveland for Florida A Pre-Punk History for a Post-Punk World (Penguin, out of the band around October/No- “hot shot blues guitaristxxiv” Alan not long after his dismissal from Pere Ubu and 1993) P: 226 vember 1975. Greenblatt24 temporarily filling in for

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