Bauhaus “Burning From the Inside” 1983. Today, July 11th, is Peter Murphy’s 65th birthday (b. 1957). Burning From the Inside was Bauhaus’ fourth LP and would have been their last – they broke up before its release – but they got back together to record another over 20 years later, the 2008 album Go Away White. Murphy was very ill during Burning‘s writing and recording (his absence during much of the processes was one factor that led to the band’s dissolution) so “Who Killed Mr. Moonlight” has David J on vocals and “Slice of Life” features Daniel Ash. It’s a dark and gothically beautiful record: the best track is also its most successful “She’s In Parties.” That track, according to Allmusic, was written much earlier in the band’s history and they dug it up, needing more material due to Murphy’s sickness. It ended up being Bauhaus’ last released single and it went to #26 in the UK. I also really like the industrial-goth “Honeymoon Croon,” the Bowie-glam styled “Kingdom’s Coming” and the title track “Burning From the Inside,” a 10 minute epic hallucinatory journey that apparently was inspired by a hash-smoking incident where the inside of a car started on fire.

I’ve seen Love and Rockets (in ’89), Peter Murphy (solo in 2016) and Pop Tone (Daniel Ash and Kevin Haskins, along with Haskins’ daughter Diva Dompé in 2018) perform but thought Bauhaus was something that would always remain out of reach. BUT! The original lineup has gotten back together to tour this fall and we have tickets to see them in Detroit.