Pere Ubu
Worlds In Collision

Release Notes

The album title comes from the Immanuel Velikovsky bestseller, Worlds In Collision. The intention was that the following album would be called Ages In Chaos.

Work began before Cloudland was released. Fontana A&R man, Dave Bates, responsible for signing Pere Ubu, encouraged David to name a producer. David wanted it to be Van Dyke Parks. Supplied with a phone number, on a trip to Los Angeles to film promotion videos, David spent days working up the courage to call. On the next to last day David called. Van Dyke picked up the phone. David hung up.

Bates suggested the producer of The Pixies, Gil Norton.

Meanwhile, Allen Ravenstine retired from Pere Ubu to become a pilot, and eventually a pilot trainer, with Northwest Airlines. He was replaced with Eric Drew Feldman, who David met in an elevator at a festival in a castle in Bari, Italy. Feldman, a veteran of Cpt. Beefheart's Magic Band, was playing with Snakefinger at the time. David was appearing as David Thomas and the accordion club with Swedish identical twins, Stefan Agaton (guitar) and Thomas Agaton (bass). Chris Cutler played drums.

Production Notes

2018 Fire remaster

The album was remastered and edited in 2017 by Paul Hamann and David Thomas.

Director's Cut 2007

Four extras have been added to the re-issue: the UK b-sides Around The Fire, Down By The River, Like A Rolling Stone, and Invisible Man. These were demos recorded for what the band refers to as The Lost Album. The packaging has been updated by John Thompson and added are extensive liner notes specific to the album by David Stubbs.

Extras on Mercury Re-issue

Around The Fire, Down By The River, Like A Rolling Stone and Invisible Man. These songs were recorded by Pere Ubu (v.5.1) as demos for the album originally designed to follow Cloudland, referred to by the band as The Lost Album.

Invisible Man and Around The Fire were originally released in the UK March 4 1991 as extra tracks on the cd single of I Hear They Smoke The Barbecue, Fontana UBUCD5 (878 720-2), and the 12" vinyl release, Fontana UBU512 (878 720-1). Invisible Man, as well, was the b-side on the 7" vinyl UK release of I Hear They Smoke The Barbecue, Fontana UBU5 (878 720-7).

Like A Rolling Stone and Down By The River were originally released in the UK May 1991 as extra tracks on the cd single of Oh Catherine, Fontana UBUCD6 (868 245-2), and the 12" vinyl release, Fontana UBU612 (868 245-1). Like A Rolling Stone, as well, was the b-side on the 7" vinyl UK release of Oh Caherine, Fontana UBU6 (868 244-7).

All songs written by Feldman - Jones - Krauss - Maimone - Thomas, except Cry Cry Cry, Don't Look Back, Winter In The Firelands, Around The Fire, Down By The River, Like A Rolling Stone, and Invisible Man which are written by Cutler - Feldman - Jones - Krauss - Maimone - Thomas. All songs ©1991 Ubu Projex.

Pere Ubu (v.5.2)

David Thomas

vocals

Jim Jones

guitar, backing vocals

Eric Drew Feldman

keyboards, computers & synthesizers

Tony Maimone

bass

Scott Krauss

drums

Guest Players

Allen Ravenstine

EML synthesizers on Turpentine!, Life of Riley, Playback and Winter in the Firelands

Andy Redhead

Additional percussion on Oh Catherine, Cry Cry Cry, Don't Look Back, Mirror Man, Goodnite Irene, I Hear They Smoke The Barbecue, Life of Riley, Nobody Knows, Over The Moon, Playback and Winter in the Firelands

John Kirkpatrick

Melodeon on Cry Cry Cry, Over The Moon and Worlds in Collision

Al Clay

Backing vocals on Don't Look Back, Goodnite Irene, Nobody Knows, Over The Moon and Worlds In Collision

Susie Honeyman

Violin on Over The Moon

Gil Norton

Backing vocals in various places

Release History

• Fontana Records 848 564 April 1991 lp, cd, mc.
• Mercury Records 9846173 Director's Cut, April 16 2007 cd.