DAVID THOMAS AND THE PEDESTRIANS
The Sound Of The Sand
(Rough Trade) Used LP $6.00
The first solo album by the Pere Ubu singer and songwriter with a backing band that includes expected collaborators as well as great British folk-rock guitarist Richard Thompson. The highlight is a cover of “Sloop John B,” described by All Music Guide as an “utterly unattractive deconstruction.” 1981 U.S. pressing
DAVID THOMAS AND THE PEDESTRIANS
Variations On A Theme
(Sixth International) Used LP $10.00
“Brit-folk guitar hero Richard Thompson adds not only chops but also structural complexity and a deep musical grace to The Pere Ubu frontman’s whinnying falsetto ruminations on birds, plants, and pedestrians. Credit is also due to bassist Jack Monck, who anchors things heroically on this album. There are lots of highlights here, but two of the album’s finest moments come on ‘Bird Town,’ a hysterical 12-bar blues romp that features both a vocal cameo (‘Oy kid, what’s the name of this town? Is it giraffe town?’) and a whole series of brilliant solos by Thompson, and on ‘A Day at the Botanical Gardens,’ which is one of the loveliest pieces of music Thomas has ever been responsible for.” 1983 pressing