On May 10th, 1982, The Birthday Party released their third and final studio album Junkyard. The abrasive and Bluesy LP, featuring sleeve design by famed artist Ed Roth, who designed hot rod icon Rat Fink, was a turning point for the band, with Nick Cave coming into in own stylistically in a manner suited for the band’s disintegration and transition into The Bad Seeds following the next two EPs Mutiny and The Bad Seed.
This was also in part due to bassist Tracy Pew’s incarceration for drunk driving, which led to Magazine alum Barry Adamson to be recruited on bass duties for several tracks. Adamson would later join Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds for the new band’s debut in 1984 From Her To Eternity.
Junkyard also featured Nick Cave’s then-girlfriend Anita Lane who co-wrote “Dead Joe” and “Kiss me Black” on the album. Anita would also later join the Bad Seeds along with Adamson, along with guitarist Mick Harvey, who was the only full-time member of Birthday Party to become a Bad Seed.
Tracklist:
- She’s Hit
- Dead Joe
- The Dim Locator
- Hamlet (Pow, Pow, Pow)
- Big-Jesus-Trash-Can
- “Kiss Me Black”
- 6″ Gold Blade
- Kewpie Doll
- Junkyard