The Graveyard and the Ballroom

The Graveyard and the Ballroom is the debut album by English band A Certain Ratio, released in December 1979 by record label Factory.[5] It was produced by Martin Hannett. It was originally released only as a cassette, designed by Peter Saville. The album has been re-released on CD by Creation records in 1994 on Creation Records and by Mute Records in 2017. The latter also reissued the album on vinyl, replicating the original PVC pouch of the cassette release.[6][7][8]

The Graveyard and the Ballroom
Original cassette packaging: orange version
Studio album by A Certain Ratio
Released	December 1979
Recorded	September & October 1979
Venue	Electric Ballroom in October 1979
Studio	Graveyard Studios in September 1979
Genre	Post-punk[1][2] dance-punk[3][4]
Length	45:38
Label	Factory
Producer	Martin Hannett
A Certain Ratio chronology
The Graveyard and the Ballroom (1979) To Each... (1981)

The reissued album spent five weeks in the UK Independent Chart, peaking at number 29.[9]

Content

Side A of the album, The Graveyard, was recorded at Graveyard Studios in September 1979, while the other side, The Ballroom, was recorded live at the Electric Ballroom in October.[10]

Reception

AllMusic described the album as "accomplished enough to be intriguing, but never all that gripping."[1] Trouser Press called it "an exciting and original post-punk dance record".[4] Stylus called it "not only a very interesting historical document but also a pretty entertaining album in its own right".[2]

Track listing

The Graveyard

1. "Do The Du (Casse)" - 2:53
2. "Faceless" - 2:22
3. "Crippled Child" - 2:54
4. "Choir" - 3:21
5. "Flight" - 3:30
6. "I Feel" - 2:12
7. "Strain" - 2:31

The Ballroom

8. "All Night Party" - 3:38
9. "Oceans" - 4:05
10. "The Choir" - 3:22
11. "The Fox" - 3:25
12. "Suspect" - 2:24
13. "Flight" - 5:32
14. "Genotype/Phenotype" - 3:29

References

1. Valdivia, Victor W. "The Graveyard and the Ballroom – A Certain Ratio | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved May 12, 2016.
2. Heumann, Michael (February 24, 2004). "A Certain Ratio – The Graveyard and the Ballroom – Review – Stylus Magazine". Stylus. Retrieved May 12, 2016.
3. Farley, Keith. "To Each... – A Certain Ratio | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved May 12, 2016. the group dropped much of the bleak dance-punk of early material in place of what sounds like a shallow attempt to seize the baton dropped by gloom giants Joy Division after the death of Ian Curtis
4. Flashner, Graham; Sheridan, David. "TrouserPress.com :: A Certain Ratio". TrouserPress.com. Retrieved May 12, 2016. an exciting and original post-punk dance record
5. Valdivia, Victor W., The Graveyard and the Ballroom - A Certain Ratio | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic, retrieved 2020-09-21
6. "Mute Records • A Certain Ratio • New Series Of Reissues". Mute Records. 2017-09-13. Retrieved 2020-09-21.
7. Ediriwira, Amar (2016-10-04). "A Certain Ratio announce reissue project with Mute". The Vinyl Factory. Retrieved 2020-09-21.
8. Golembeski, Bill. "[19474] A Certain Ratio - The Graveyard and the Ballroom - Albums - Reviews". Soundblab. Retrieved 2020-09-21.
9. Lazell, Barry (1997) Indie Hits 1980–1989, Cherry Red Books, ISBN 0-9517206-9-4, p. 1
10. Larkin, Colin (May 27, 2011). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Omnibus Press. ISBN 9780857125958. Retrieved May 12, 2016.

External links

• The Graveyard and the Ballroom at Discogs (list of releases)