In 2017, Pere Ubu's US tour had to be cut short because of singer turned out to be seriously ill. Thomas - who is in fact Pere Ubu as the only original and constant member of this band - returned to England after treatment and started preparing his farewell album. He not only named it after Raymond Chandler's famous noir novel, but also based the concept on the aptly titled The Long Goodbye. This
… collection of whimsical avant-garde songs with expressive talkative vocals by Thomas fits effortlessly into the oeuvre of the unique Pere Ubu who made a name for himself in the post-punk of the late 1970s. More than ever, electronics dominate here, which has to do with the fact that Thomas only added additional musicians at a later stage. On the second CD Montreuil, the entire album is performed live with a prominent band, including British drummer ( ). This performance is even better, with Thomas in good shape as a performer and stage animal. In the CD booklet he says that he is now doing better and that the farewell remains to be seen. (MR)more