It's Still Living
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2021}}
{{Use Australian English|date=March 2012}}
{{Infobox album
| name = It's Still Living
| type = live
| artist = The Birthday Party
| cover = BP_Still_Living.jpg
| released = May 1985
| recorded = 15 January 1982
Astor Theatre
St Kilda, Victoria
| venue =
| studio =
| genre = Post-punk
| length =
| label = Missing Link
Virgin
| producer =
| prev_title = Junkyard
| prev_year = 1982
| year = 1982
| next_title = Mutiny/The Bad Seed
| next_year = 1983
}}
{{Album ratings
|rev1 = Allmusic
|rev1score = {{rating|3|5}}[{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r213261|pure_url=yes}} Allmusic review]
}}
It's Still Living is a live album by The Birthday Party{{cite encyclopedia|last=McFarlane |first=Ian |authorlink=Ian McFarlane |encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop |title=Encyclopedia entry for 'The Birthday Party' |url=http://www.whammo.com.au/encyclopedia.asp?articleid=99 |accessdate=11 September 2009 |year=1999 |publisher=Allen & Unwin |location=St Leonards, NSW |isbn=1-86508-072-1 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20040809220532/http://www.whammo.com.au/encyclopedia.asp?articleid=99 |archivedate= 9 August 2004 }} recorded at the Astor Theatre in St Kilda, Victoria on 15 January 1982,{{cite web|url=http://www.fromthearchives.com/bp/chronology.html|title=The Birthday Party - 1982|publisher=From the Archives.org|accessdate=3 September 2009}} and released in May 1985. The initial LP release in 1985 by the band's former manager and backer Keith Glass, on his Missing Link label,{{cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/artists/birthday-party|title=Birthday Party|work=NME|accessdate=3 September 2009}} was not sanctioned by the band.{{cite web|url=http://www.trouserpress.com/entry.php?a=birthday_party|title=Birthday Party|publisher=Trouser Press Magazine|last=Robbins|first=Ira|accessdate=4 September 2009}}{{cite web|url=http://www.salon.com/ent/music/review/1999/07/21/birthday/|title=Sharps & Flats|work=Salon|last=Clifford|first=Dave|date=21 July 1999|accessdate=4 September 2009|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090425033729/http://www.salon.com/ent/music/review/1999/07/21/birthday/|archivedate=25 April 2009}} The sound quality of the recording is poor and it is marred by technical glitches (mainly the sounds of the amps crackling and shorting out).{{cite web|url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=r213261|pure_url=yes}}|title=It's Still Living - The Birthday Party|work=AllMusic|last=Valdivia|first=Victor|accessdate=4 September 2009}} In 1991 the album was re-released on the Virgin label,{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/Its-Still-Living/dp/B000A8P0Z2|title=It's Still Living|accessdate=4 September 2009}} with the LP being released on green vinyl.{{cite web|url=http://www.nick-cave.com/_discography_tbp.php|title=Birthday Party - Discography|publisher=Nick Cave online|accessdate=3 September 2009}}{{cite web|url=http://www.mutedriver.nl/aanbod/|title=Record Listing|publisher=Mute Driver Records|accessdate=4 September 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724161552/http://www.mutedriver.nl/aanbod/|archive-date=24 July 2011|url-status=dead}}
The photograph of the band was taken by Peter Milne on the Birthday Party's first trip back home after taking up residency in London. This shoot was in the studio of Victoria College in High Street, Prahran.{{cite web|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.cs-ma-an41630170 |title=Birthday Party, Summer, 1981|publisher=National Library of Australia|date=23 May 2007|accessdate=4 September 2009}} According to the album liner notes film footage of the concert was shot by Paul Goldman and Evan English (aka The Rich Kids). The footage, however, has never been released.
Reception
Spin wrote, "Manic then droning, infused with secret pyrotechnic calm. Leader Nick Cave shrieks deeply bellowed frenzies from gloom and blues over the band’s patented rusty catcall guitar while apocalyptic Catholic images fly amok."{{cite magazine| magazine= Spin | title=Underground|author=Andrea Enthal| date=September 1985|issue=5|page=34}}
Track listing
{{tracklist
| headline = It's Still Living
| title1 = King Ink
| note1 =
| writer1 = Nick Cave, Rowland Howard{{cite web|publisher=Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) |title=APRA search engine |url=http://www.apra.com.au/cms/worksearch/worksearch.srvlt?action=workSearch |accessdate=3 September 2009 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071205184453/http://www.apra.com.au/cms/worksearch/worksearch.srvlt?action=workSearch |archivedate= 5 December 2007 }}
| length1 = 5:23
| title2 = Zoo Music Girl
| length2 = 3:06
| title3 = The Dim Locator
| length3 = 4:14
| title4 = She's Hit
| length4 = 6:17
| title5 = A Dead Song
| writer5 = Anita Lane, Cave
| length5 = 2:42
| title6 = Pleasure Heads
| length6 = 2:50
| title7 = Junkyard
| note7 =
| length7 = 6:18
| title8 = Blast Off
| length8 = 2:20
| title9 = Release the Bats
| length9 = 3:14
| title10 = Nick the Stripper
| length10 = 4:22
| title11 = Big Jesus Trash Can
| length11 = 3:47
| title12 = Dead Joe
| length12 = 3:36
}}
Personnel
=Birthday Party=
- Phill Calvert – drums
- Nick Cave – vocals
- Mick Harvey – guitar
- Rowland Howard – guitar
- Tracy Pew – bass
=Credits=
- Engineer – Chris Thompson
- Mixed – The Birthday Party, Tony Cohen
- Artwork – James McDonald
- Photography – Peter Milne
Chart positions
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
! scope="col"| Chart (1985) ! scope="col"| Peak |
| scope="row"| UK Independent Albums Chart{{cite web|url=http://www.cherryred.co.uk/books/indiehits/b.htm|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606125710/http://www.cherryred.co.uk/books/indiehits/b.htm|title=Indie Hits: "B"|publisher=Cherry Red|last1=Lazell|first1=Barry|archivedate=6 June 2011|accessdate=30 September 2014}}
| 19 |
|---|
Release history
| class="wikitable"
! Region ! Date ! Label ! Format ! Catalogue |
| rowspan="3"|Australia
|rowspan="1"|May 1985 |rowspan="2"|Missing Link | LP | ING 009 |
| rowspan="2"| 1991
| CD | LINK 28 |
| Virgin
| LP, CD | VOZ 2048 |
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r213261|pure_url=yes}} It's Still Living] @ Allmusic
- [http://www.discogs.com/Birthday-Party-Its-Still-Living/master/20054 It's Still Living] @ Discogs
- [http://musicbrainz.org/release/ede10f56-81e6-4ed5-aec8-a4ab62610186.html It's Still Living] @ MusicBrainz
- {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20120930082737/http://hem.passagen.se/honga/database/b/birthdayparty.html Birthday Party]}} archived from {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20001030193456/http://hem.passagen.se/honga/database/b/birthdayparty.html the original]}} on 30 September 2012 @ Australian Rock Database
{{The Birthday Party}}