...If I Die, I Die
| ...If I Die, I Die | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 4 November 1982 | |||
| Recorded | July–August 1982 | |||
| Studios | Windmill Lane Studios, Dublin, Ireland | |||
| Genres | ||||
| Length | 40:19 | |||
| Label | Rough Trade | |||
| Producer | Colin Newman | |||
| Virgin Prunes chronology | ||||
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| Singles from ...If I Die, I Die | ||||
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...If I Die, I Die is the debut studio album by Irish rock band Virgin Prunes. It was released on 4 November 1982 by record label Rough Trade. It was produced by Colin Newman of Wire.
Critical reception
[edit]| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Blender |  [2] |
| The Village Voice | B+[3] |
...If I Die, I Die has been well received by critics. AllMusic, in their retrospective review of the album, called it "a wonderfully confounding and sometimes campy and often disturbing exercise in unfettered creativity".[1] Chuck Eddy of Spin included it in his list of essential gothic rock albums, remarking that it "demonstrates that sometimes 'ritualistic' equals 'catchy'."[4] In 2026, Uncut ranked ...If I Die, I Die at number 71 in their list of "The 200 Greatest Goth Albums", describing Virgin Prunes as more harrowing than their art punk peers and writing that the album "smelts the avant-garde and avant-pop into a pummelling expression of rage and angst."[5]
Track listing
[edit]All tracks are written by Virgin Prunes.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Ulakanakulot" | 2:35 |
| 2. | "Decline and Fall" | 4:50 |
| 3. | "Sweethome Under White Clouds" | 4:45 |
| 4. | "Bau-Dachöng" | 5:52 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Baby Turns Blue" | 5:07 |
| 2. | "Ballad of the Man" | 3:32 |
| 3. | "Walls of Jericho" | 3:09 |
| 4. | "Caucasian Walk" | 4:44 |
| 5. | "Theme for Thought" | 5:45 |
Personnel
[edit]Virgin Prunes
- Dave-iD Busaras – vocals
- Mary D'Nellon – drums
- Dik Evans – guitar
- Gavin Friday – vocals
- Guggi (Derek Rowen) – vocals
- Trevor "Strongman" Rowen – bass guitar
Technical personnel
- Colin Newman – production
- Kevin Moloney – engineering
- Steve Parker – engineering
- Denis Blackham – engineering
- BilBo – mastering
- RX – sleeve design
- Ursula Steiger – sleeve design
Charts
[edit]| Chart (1982) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Indie Chart[6] | 8 |
| Chart (2022) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[7] | 132 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[8] | 37 |
Release history
[edit]| Region | Date | Label | Format | Catalog |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 1982 | Rough Trade | LP | ROUGH 49 |
| France | 1985 | Virgin | LP | 70307 |
| United Kingdom | 1990 | Rough Trade | CD | ROUGH LCD 49 |
| France | 1993 | New Rose | CD | 452043 |
| United Kingdom | 2004 | The Grey Area | CD | YEO2CD |
| United States | 2004 | Mute | CD | MUTE 9265-2 |
References
[edit]- 1 2 Jurek, Thom. "...If I Die, I Die – Virgin Prunes". AllMusic. Retrieved 2 February 2013.
- ↑ Wolk, Douglas. "Virgin Prunes: (various reissues)". Blender. Archived from the original on 3 November 2004. Retrieved 20 July 2019.
- ↑ Chrisgau, Robert (2 March 1983). "Christgau's Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. Retrieved 2 February 2013.
- ↑ Eddy, Chuck (March 2009). "Essentials: From the Depths of Hell and Hot Topic, a Goth Primer for Ghouls of All Ages". Spin. 25 (3): 80. Retrieved 2 February 2013.
- ↑ Robinson, John, ed. (2026). "The 200 Greatest Goth Albums ....Ranked!". Uncut: The Ultimate Record Collection (19). Kelsey Media: 36.
- ↑ Lazell, Barry (1997). Indie Hits 1980-1989. Cherry Red Books. Archived from the original on 9 May 2008. Retrieved 21 September 2014.
- ↑ "Ultratop.be – Virgin Prunes – ...If I Die, I Die" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 November 2022.
- ↑ "Ultratop.be – Virgin Prunes – ...If I Die, I Die" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 November 2022.
External links
[edit]- ...If I Die, I Die at Discogs (list of releases)
