a certain ratio / albums

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The Graveyard and the Ballroom,A Certain Ratio

- The Graveyard and the Ballroom
- - 1,299 plays
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A Certain Ratio
Released 1980

Flight [Live]
05:32
9 plays

Flight
03:30
89 plays

Crippled Child
02:54
89 plays

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songs

- 1
- Do the Du
- 02:53
- 681 plays

- 2
- Faceless
- 02:22
- 55 plays

- 3
- Crippled Child
- 02:54
- 89 plays

- 4
- Choir
- 03:21
- 122 plays

- 5
- Flight
- 03:30
- 89 plays

- 6
- I Fail
- 02:12
- 86 plays

- 7
- Strain
- 02:31
- 87 plays

- 8
- All Night Party [Live]
- 03:38
- 20 plays

- 9
- Oceans [Live]
- 04:05
- 22 plays

- 10
- The Choir [Live]
- 03:22
- 11 plays

- 11
- The Fox [Live]
- 03:25
- 8 plays

- 12
- I Fail [Live]
- 02:24
- 14 plays

- 13
- Flight [Live]
- 05:32
- 9 plays

- 14
- Genotype-Phenotype [Live]
- 03:29
- 6 plays

album review

The angular, bass-heavy post-punk of A Certain Ratio could conceivably be compared to that of their Factory labelmates Joy Division (singer Simon Topping is a dead ringer vocally for Joy Division's Ian Curtis). One key difference is that A Certain Ratio has a more pronounced funk influence, which makes their music more danceable. Another difference is that Topping's lyrics, more abstract and even humorous (albeit in a dark, quirky way) are less dramatic than Curtis'. The Graveyard and the Ballroom, compiled from a collection of early four-track recordings and a set of live tracks (recorded when the band was opening for the Talking Heads), shows off A Certain Ratio's strengths well. The sound is surprisingly good for such lo-fi recordings, and the band is, for all of their musical amateurishness, rather precise and controlled. Unfortunately, that highlights a key flaw of the album: Too often, it is accomplished enough to be intriguing, but never all that gripping. By emphasizing rhythm over melody, A Certain Ratio makes music that is interesting and danceable, but not hugely compelling. It's mechanically well-played, with quirky, interesting lyrics that never really seem to add up to anything more than an attention-grabbing sound. Nonetheless, those seeking an idiosyncratic, interesting art-funk band can do no wrong with this release, even if it ultimately falls short of any meaning beyond quirky experimentalism. ~ Victor W. Valdivia, All Music Guide