Mask (1981)

Mask is the second studio album by English gothic rock band Bauhaus. It was released on 16 October 1981 by record label Beggars Banquet, their first album on the label. The album features experimentation from the band, incorporating keyboards and acoustic guitar, for instance.

The album received positive reviews from critics, acclaimed by many as an improvement over their debut, In the Flat Field. It is included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.

Background

After the success of the band's first album, In the Flat Field and the resulting tour, the band left their record label, 4AD, due to the label's resources being unable to keep up with their growing success. The band released two singles on their new record, "Kick in the Eye" and "The Passion of Lovers". "Kick in the Eye" charted at No. 29 on the US Club Play Singles chart, while "The Passion of Lovers" peaked at No. 56 in the UK Singles Chart.

Content

Bauhaus expanded their style a bit on Mask, particularly by incorporating keyboards and acoustic guitar on songs such as "The Passion of Lovers", and funk rhythms and saxophone on tracks like "Kick in the Eye", "Dancing" and "In Fear of Fear". Murphy said, "One of our loves is to make each single totally different from the last, not to be tied down by a style or sound."

The album cover is a drawing by guitarist Daniel Ash. The original artwork for the album was a gatefold sleeve with blue text on the inside and a stark black-and-white image of the band. On later editions this inside was replaced with white text and a montage from the promotional video for the song "Mask".

Release

Mask was released in October 1981 by record label Beggars Banquet. In addition to the singles released for the album, the group shot a video for the album's title track, filmed in a hazardous and abandoned Victorian shoe factory in Northampton.

The 19 October 2009 CD reissue, subtitled the Omnibus Edition, included a remastered version of the original album as disc 1, a second disc of B-sides and alternate versions called Singles and Out-Takes, as well as a live CD called This Is for When..., recorded at Hammersmith Palais in London on 9 November 1981.

Reception and legacy

In his retrospective review of the album, Ned Raggett of AllMusic called Mask "arguably even better than the band's almost flawless debut". Trouser Press described the album as "[Bauhaus'] finest achievement". Classic Rock reviewer Jonathan Selzer remarked how on Mask "Bauhaus managed to sound more expansive and less withdrawn, without losing any of their austere aura", gaining "a newfound accessibility that would see them break into the Top 30."

Mask was also included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. In the album's entry in the book, Australia's Fiend Magazine editor and contributing critic Alexandra Heller-Nicholas wrote that "The sounds were harder-edged than those of Bauhaus' debut, but the introduction of more pop-friendly melodies helped to make Mask digestible for a mainstream audience."

Personnel

• Bauhaus
• Peter Murphy – vocals, additional guitar, production
• Daniel Ash – guitars, saxophone, album cover illustration, production
• David J – bass guitar, vocals, production
• Kevin Haskins – drums, keyboards, production
• Technical
• John Etchells – engineering
• Kenny Jones – engineering
• Mike Hedges – engineering
• Arun Chakraverty – mastering
• Sheila Rock – sleeve photography
• John Dent – 2009 CD remastering