In the Flat Field

by Bauhaus

In the Flat Field cover art
  • Type: Album
  • Released: 7 November 1980
  • Label: 4AD
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Length: 37:33
  • Community rating: 4.39/5 from 23 ratings

Artists on this release: Daniel Ash, David J, Peter Murphy, Kevin Haskins

Album Notes & Community Reviews

As the first full-length album on the 4AD label, 'In the Flat Field' is a definitive and foundational document of gothic rock. The band's self-production forged a stark, dense, and uncompromising sound, driven by a taut, brooding rhythm section and Daniel Ash's scything, glam-inspired guitar textures. Peter Murphy's wracked, theatrical vocals deliver cryptic lyrics of psychological decay and surrealist imagery, cementing the album's influential status as a pioneering work of post-punk.

Genres

Descriptors: minimal, bleak, theatrical, cavernous, claustrophobic, guitars, dissonant, bassy, atmospheric

Tracklist

  1. Double Dare (4:55)
  2. In The Flat Field (5:00)
  3. A God In An Alcove (4:07)
  4. Dive (2:13)
  5. The Spy In The Cab (4:32)
  6. Small Talk Stinks (3:34)
  7. St. Vitus Dance (3:30)
  8. Stigmata Martyr (3:41)
  9. Nerves (7:07)

Credits

  • Peter Murphy - vocals, guitar, production, instruments, lyrics, arrangements, sleeve design
  • Daniel Ash - guitar, saxophon, production, instruments, lyrics, arrangements, sleeve design
  • David J - bass, production, instruments, lyrics, arrangements, sleeve design
  • Kevin Haskins - drums, production, instruments, lyrics, arrangements, sleeve design
  • Tony Cook - engineering
  • Glenn Campling - sleeve design
  • Stella Watts - photography
  • Geoff Smith - photography
  • Piers Bannister - photography
  • Eugene Merinov - photography
  • Duane Michals - front cover photograph
  • Bauhaus - Primary Artist

More from Bauhaus: full discography