| Author | Message | ||
     kevin Member Username: Kevin Post Number: 1810 Registered: 05-2005 |
Its early on in that decade and therefore,for me at least, challenging,inventive,original music was still being made, unlike most years in the 80s. Computer world - Kraftwerk Red - Black Uhuru Trust - Elvis Costello Red mecca - Cabaret Voltaire Playing with a different sex - Au Pairs My life in the bush of ghosts - Brian eno, David Byrne Heaven up here - Echo and the bunnymen Sings the Wailers - Bunny Wailer Thirst - Clock Dva Sleep no more - The Comsat angels Author! Author! - Scars No doubt I have missed a few gems, which as always, will only come to light when others post them in their lists | ||
| Kurt Stephan Member Username: Slothbert Post Number: 1514 Registered: 04-2005 |
I'm looking at a couple of "best of" lists from 1981 (VV Pazz & Jop and Acclaimed Music), and I gotta say--it was mostly a crap year. After so much good music from '76-80, I guess a duff year was overdue. Gang of Four - Solid Gold (Acclaimed Music has this as '81, anyway) Squeeze - East Side Story Elvis Costello & the Attractions - Trust Tom Verlaine - Dreamtime Brian Eno & David Byrne - My Life in the Bush of Ghosts Human Switchboard - Who's Landing in My Hangar? Romeo Void - It's a Condition Echo and the Bunnymen - Heaven Up Here The Raincoats - Odyshape Kid Creole and the Coconuts - Fresh Fruit in Foreign Places (loved this at the time; don't have it anymore and I'm not sure how I'd feel about it now) Disclaimer: I've never heard X's "Wild Gift," which probably invalidates this list. | ||
| Allen Belz Member Username: Abpositive Post Number: 684 Registered: 09-2006 |
Still have that Kid Creole and still love it (though it's not my absolute favorite, and I don't know how you'd feel about it now, of course, Kurt). You haven't heard "Wild Gift"? Like, ever? I'm sorry Kurt, but I'm going to have to insist you hasten yourself to Rainy Day Records or Cellophane Square or whichever's closest to you right now and purchase yourself a copy. Or request it at the library at the very least... | ||
| Allen Belz Member Username: Abpositive Post Number: 685 Registered: 09-2006 |
I'll take "Wild Gift" and "Fresh Fruit" and "Trust" and "Who's Landing..." and "Red" and "Dreamtime" and "Solid Gold" and add that the Squeeze and Byrne/Eno come very close to making my list. And add: Gang of Four - Another Day/Another Dollar P-Furs - Talk Talk Talk Black Flag - Damaged Marvin Gaye - In Our Lifetime The Clash - Sandinista! (evidence by some that MY entire list should be invalidated) dBs - Stands for Decibels UB40 - Present Arms Red Krayola with Art and Language: Kangaroo? Stampfel & Weber - Going Nowhere Fast | ||
| Allen Belz Member Username: Abpositive Post Number: 686 Registered: 09-2006 |
Fuck it, add the Squeeze and Byrne/Eno, too. I had the "Stop Making Sense" DVD on at the last party I hosted and it moiderized everybody (that's good, by the way.) | ||
| Allen Belz Member Username: Abpositive Post Number: 687 Registered: 09-2006 |
And if comps were allowed, "Jukebox Dury" would certainly be there...(I'm going to stop now.) | ||
| joe Member Username: Dogmansuede Post Number: 292 Registered: 07-2006 |
now we're talking.....this could well be my favourite year of all. omd - archictecture and morality stevie nicks - bella donna go-gos - beauty and the beat human league - dare! duran duran - s/t bunnymen - heaven up here kim carnes - mistaken identity soft cell - non stop erotic cabaret japan - tin drum abba - the visitors it really does not get any better. in the past five or so years, i've spent huge expanses of my time listening to many of the above. | ||
| joe Member Username: Dogmansuede Post Number: 293 Registered: 07-2006 |
how'd i misss.... pretenders - pretenders ii simple minds - sons and fascination/sister feelings call heaven 17 - penthouse and pavement life's too good! | ||
| David Gagen Member Username: David_g Post Number: 99 Registered: 02-2007 |
This is the complete list of vinyl/CDs I have from 1981 Cure- Faith Dylan - Shot of Love (for Lenny Bruce!!) Some Irish group that showed a bit of potential - October Human League - Dare (ouch! I can hear the barbs now) Clash -Sandinista! revolution rock in all its naivity and grandeur. Midnight Oil - Place Without a Postcard Byrne & Eno (as above) INXS - Underneath the Colours Marianne Faithful - Dangerous Acquantances Neil Young- Reactor New Order - Movement Rickie Lee Jones- Pirate Police- Ghost in the Machine Nothing very out of left field but I still listen to em occassionally. | ||
| joe Member Username: Dogmansuede Post Number: 294 Registered: 07-2006 |
barbs my eye! very few finer things have ever been committed to record than dare. the things that dreams are made of. | ||
| Little Keith Member Username: Manosludge Post Number: 2266 Registered: 03-2006 |
Prince - Controversy Elvis - Trust X - Wild Gift Squeeze - East Side Story Rickie Lee Jones - Pirates Rolling Stones - Tattoo You Nevilles - Fiyo on the Bayou dBs - Stands for Decibels Funkadelic - Electric Spanking of War Babies Joe Ely - Live Shots | ||
| kevin Member Username: Kevin Post Number: 1811 Registered: 05-2005 |
One of the reasons I started this topic was that in the last few days I have acquired Wild Love by X, and Stands for Decibels by The dBS. After listening to both a few times I am pretty impressed, but surprised that I like the X album so much. I always bracketed them in with the braindead one chord punk thrashers before reading they were interested in country, rockabilly and blues, even back then. Just shows you how wrong you can be about a band who you have never actually bothered to listen to. Have just got More Fun In The World from Napster, where does this rate in the X back catalogue? | ||
| Rob Brookman Member Username: Rob_b Post Number: 887 Registered: 08-2006 |
I rate everything X did from "Los Angeles" through "More Fun" pretty high, Kev. "Wild Gift" is the peak, but their first four records are all terrific, if you ask me. | ||
| Rob Brookman Member Username: Rob_b Post Number: 888 Registered: 08-2006 |
X - "Wild Gift" Gang of Four - "Solid Gold" The P. Furs - "Talk Talk Talk" Elvis Costello - "Trust" Human Switchboard - "Who's Landing in My Hangar?" Marvin Gaye - "In Our Lifetime" Tom Verlaine - "Dreamtime" The English Beat - "Wha'ppen?" Joy Division - "Closer" ('81 is when it came out in the US) Black Uhuru - "Red" | ||
| Randy Adams Member Username: Randy_adams Post Number: 1366 Registered: 03-2005 |
I'm with everybody on "Wild Gift." I basically wanted to hate "Los Angeles" after Robert Hilburn of the LA Times pumped it up so much (I DON'T hate 'Los Angeles" of course) but he was on to the next big thing when "Wild Gift" arrived and I could enjoy it in peace. A big thumbs-up to David Gagen for remembering "Dangerous Acquaintances." There are a lot of brilliant songs on that. I wish somebody would remix that album; it has a gutless sound that can surely be corrected with a new mix and master. I will add a few things I don't already see here: Spirit of St. Louis--Ellen Foley. Many of you know I'm lukewarm on the Clash but I LOVE their alter-ego work here for the girlfriend. Tom Robinson -- Sector 27. He still has that wooden blokeish vocal sound but this is his best individual album, period. Gun Club -- Fire of Love. Siouxsie & the Banshees -- JuJu. Wall of Voodoo -- Dark Continent. For a period there, Los Angeles had some great bands. Magazine -- Magic, Murder & the Weather. The weakest Magazine album still smokes most other records. And I give honorable mention to Joan Armatrading's "Walk Under Ladders." I pull my lists from my computer inventory of CDs. The problem with this is that anthologies and box sets are given the year of the newest thing on them and many albums get lost in the data. Did the Laughing Clowns have an album in 1981? What year did the first Human Sexual Response album come out? I don't have it, amazingly. If it's 1981, it deserves to be on the list. I await Jeff's list which will sure include the first Church album. | ||
| Little Keith Member Username: Manosludge Post Number: 2267 Registered: 03-2006 |
Yeah, Rob has it exactly right, I think. The first four records by X are unassailable masterpieces. Possibly, "Black Sun" and "More Fun" are a tiny, tiny hair's breadth behind the first two. After that began the slide into solid, reliable mediocrity...Though it's admittedly not for everybody, I'm a big fan of the Knitters record, too, wherever that fits into their chronology. | ||
| Rob Brookman Member Username: Rob_b Post Number: 890 Registered: 08-2006 |
Hey, Randy, unless I'm mistaken, "Sector 27" was 1980. But I agree with your take on it completely - I love that record. | ||
| David Gagen Member Username: David_g Post Number: 100 Registered: 02-2007 |
Thanks Joe. Love Action as well!! Agree Randy, Dangerous Acq sounds terrible, but interesting songs. Also have Arc of Diver - Steve Winwood. Mayb 1981 Fond of this album at the time. | ||
| spence Member Username: Spence Post Number: 1783 Registered: 05-2005 |
Julian Cope compilation - Fire Escape in the Sky: The Godlike Genius of Scott Walker Josef K - The only fun in town The The - Burning Blue Soul Madness - 7 Duran Duran - Duran Duran Wire - Document and Eye Wittnes Kraftwerk - Computer World Tom Verlaine - Dreamtime PIL - Flowers of Romance The Stranglers - The Gospel According to the Meninblack (awful sleeve, which infact ruined a ppor by comparison, but but not too bad album) Siouxsie & the Banshees - Juju Magazine - Magic, Murder & The Weather Byrne/Eno - My Life in the Bush of Ghosts UB40 - Present Arms (love UB's around this time - I was lucky enough to work with their producer who did 1sttwo albums, Bob Lamb. A real genius and underrated guy. He also did Lilac Time's genius 1st album too. He used to mixdown stoned late at night, tweak in the morning and your done! Adam and the Ants - Prince Charming Joy Division - Still A Certain Ratio - To Each Art Objects - Bagpipe Music | ||
| Michael Bachman Member Username: Michael_bachman Post Number: 802 Registered: 01-2005 |
Here goes my Top 25 from 1981: 1. Robyn Hitchcock - Black Snake Diamond Role 2. X - Wild Gift 3. Au Pairs - Playing With A Different Sex 4. Black Uhuru - Red 5. Gang of Four - Solid Gold 6. The db's - Stand for Decibels 7. Stray Cats - Stray Cats 8. Orcestral Manoeuvres In The Dark - Architecture & Morality 9. Squeeze - East Side Story 10. New Order - Movement 11. Human League - Dare! 12. Echo and The Bunnymen - Heaven Up Here 13. Brain Eno and David Byrne - My Life In The Bush of Ghosts 14. The Police - Ghost in the Machine 15. Fleshtones - Roman Gods 16. New Musik - Anywhere 17. Rickie Lee Jones - Pirates 18. Elvis Costello - Trust 19. The Psychedelic Furs - Talk Talk Talk 20. Go-Go's - Beauty and The Beat 21. Kraftwerk - Computerwelt 22. Tom Verlaine - Dreamtime 23. The Clash - Sandinsita! 24. Tom Tom club - Tom Tom Club 25. Neil Young & Crazy Horse - Re*ac*tor | ||
| Jeff Whiteaker Member Username: Jeff_whiteaker Post Number: 706 Registered: 10-2004 |
A phenomenal year, and further evidence as to why the 80s are my favorite decade for music: Japan - Tin Drum Siouxsie - Juju Bauhaus - Mask Teardrop Explodes - Wilder Durutti Column - LC Associates - Fourth Drawer Down Magazine - Magic, Murder, and the Weather (still fail to grasp why people dislike this, I think it's as good as the other 3) Echo & the Bunnymen - Heaven Up Here Josef K - Only Fun in Town The Cure - Faith Depeche Mode - Speak and Spell Human League - Dare Gary Numan - Dance Gang of Four - Solid Gold New Order - Movement Honorable Mention: The Sound - From the Lion's Mouth Raincoats - Odyshape Black Flag - Damaged Duran Duran - Duran Duran Kraftwerk - Computer World Psych Furs - Talk Talk Talk Robyn Hitchcock - Black Snake Diamond Role Heaven 17 - Penthouse and Pavement Now, all of you who mentioned Sandinisata - I would have included that, except that all my sources are telling me it was released in late 1980, so it shouldn't be on this list. Randy - I would have included the first Church album except that I prefer the US edition (it's got "Tear it All Away", "Skins and Hearts" doesn't, and that seals it for me) which was actually released in 1982. | ||
| Jeff Whiteaker Member Username: Jeff_whiteaker Post Number: 707 Registered: 10-2004 |
Ah, I forgot to list 81's X and English Beat releases. | ||
| Jeff Whiteaker Member Username: Jeff_whiteaker Post Number: 708 Registered: 10-2004 |
Shit, I forgot to list Martha and the Muffins' "This is the Ice Age," which I honestly feel needs mentioning. Okay, I'll stop. I swear! | ||
| Kurt Stephan Member Username: Slothbert Post Number: 1518 Registered: 04-2005 |
>>Magazine - Magic, Murder, and the Weather (still fail to grasp why people dislike this, I think it's as good as the other 3)<< Guitars. Very little interesting guitar work on MM&W. Going cold turkey after John McGeogh is difficult. By the way, I followed Jeff's rationale on "Sandinista" as an '80 album, because I bought the import at the time; the U.S. version trailed it by a few months, I think. It would have made my top 10 otherwise, indulgent bloat and all. | ||
| kevin Member Username: Kevin Post Number: 1817 Registered: 05-2005 |
I missed off From The Lions Mouth by The Sound because I thought it came out in 1982. My reasoning for this was that I saw them supporting Echo and The Bunnymen on the Heaven Up Here Tour in 1981, and at that point The Sound were promoting their debut album Jeopardy. But I stand corrected and FTLM easily makes it onto my list | ||
| Kurt Stephan Member Username: Slothbert Post Number: 1519 Registered: 04-2005 |
It's funny--I loved "Jeopardy" but didn't like "From the Lion's Mouth" very much, which most people consider the Sound's masterpiece. So that's why I left it off my list. I guess I'm the only one who filed it under "slightly disappointing followup." | ||
| Michael Bachman Member Username: Michael_bachman Post Number: 803 Registered: 01-2005 |
Darn, I forgot Teardrop Explodes - Wilder. "Just Like Lelah Kalid Said" is a great song. As always, these lists put a kink in my Master Card. I did have Tim Drum on order earlier this year, and Amazon cancelled it on me when I didn't confirm the revised delivery date quick enough. | ||
| Jeff Whiteaker Member Username: Jeff_whiteaker Post Number: 709 Registered: 10-2004 |
Kurt - Despite the great McGeogh's absence on "Magic...," I still think the guitars on the album are interesting and cool. I think McGeogh is a tremendous guitarist, but I guess I'm in the minority in feeling that Magazine's material didn't actually suffer from his departure. On the contrary, I think "About the Weather" is one of the best songs they ever did. The guitar parts on songs like "So Lucky" and "The Honeymoon Killers" are excellent, as well as the more understated parts on songs like the wonderful, moody "The Great Man's Secrets." I think the songwriting on "Magic" is still largely excellent, the guitars are still intersting, and Dave Formula is obviously still there, and his brilliant and inventive contributions here cannot be understated. For me, it's clear that Magazine's members were resourceful and talented enough to function sans McGeoch. I don't expect to convince anyone. I think people have their minds made up on this issue, but for me, "Magic, Murder, and the Weather" is criminally underrated and I'm super happy it exists. | ||
| Allen Belz Member Username: Abpositive Post Number: 692 Registered: 09-2006 |
I do like that Sector 27 record a lot too, even though, as you say, it's 1980. I've been debating adding "Movement" as, though even if it's not my favorite NO album it's still a fine rekkid, and so I'm adding it. "Closer," on the other hand, would make my list for the year it came out in the UK. | ||
| Jeff Whiteaker Member Username: Jeff_whiteaker Post Number: 710 Registered: 10-2004 |
I've never heard Sector 27, which a few of you have mentioned here. What were they like? | ||
| Allen Belz Member Username: Abpositive Post Number: 695 Registered: 09-2006 |
Forgot about "Beauty and the Beat" and "Dare" which I played a whole lot back then, and both still hold up...they'd be on my list if it were longer (which it seems to be getting, all the time...) | ||
| joe Member Username: Dogmansuede Post Number: 295 Registered: 07-2006 |
michael - tin drum is awesome. it's one of those records that sounds just so incredibly weird that every time it starts you still find yourself startled by it! i find myself getting excited just thinking about it. reorder reorder!! .i should also mention skins and heart, though i think the blurred crusade from the following year (i think) was a much stronger church album. ..the definitive beauty and the beat is the one with can't stop the world on it! | ||
| Rob Brookman Member Username: Rob_b Post Number: 896 Registered: 08-2006 |
Jeff: Sector 27 is essentially Tom Robinson (he of "2-4-6-8 Motorway" fame). The project turned out to be a one-off - and it sounds more or less like a Robinson solo project - but I think it's the best group of tunes he ever put on record. It's pretty obscure, especially in the States, where Robinson is a non-entity, but it's worth hearing if you can find it. | ||
| Randy Adams Member Username: Randy_adams Post Number: 1368 Registered: 03-2005 |
Just adding my bit to Jeff's on Magic, Murder & the Weather, the guitar on "Vigilance" is definitely interesting. I agree that Magazine lost a little something by the time of that album and it is probably the arty garage-punk approach of Mr. McGeogh. But it's a still a strong album. Sorry about getting the Sector 27 thing wrong. I didn't go look at my vinyl copy (if I still have it). Oops, the CD reissue has some things from North by Northwest. "Can't Keep Away" has renewed life thanks to Larry Craig. | ||
| Jeff Whiteaker Member Username: Jeff_whiteaker Post Number: 711 Registered: 10-2004 |
Joe - I'm with you on Tin Drum. It remains one of my very favorite records of all time, and it's so unusual sounding, so daring and unique. Japan really stretched the boundaries of where you can take drums, analog synths, and bass on Tin Drum. | ||
| Rob Brookman Member Username: Rob_b Post Number: 899 Registered: 08-2006 |
"North By Northwest" is another goodie, Randy, almost as good as the Sector 27 stuff. I love the extras on the Sector 27 CD, too. I think they were recorded for a second Sector 27 CD and, when that didn't pan out, were re-recorded for "North By Northwest." | ||
| Jeff Whiteaker Member Username: Jeff_whiteaker Post Number: 712 Registered: 10-2004 |
On the subject of McGeogh, I kind of think that his guitar playing reached a new level with the Banshees, particularly on their '81 release Juju. Don't get me wrong, I love, love, love Magazine, but I think the Banshees gave McGeogh more space, more room to breathe, and he totally ran with it. His playing on Juju is some of the most inventive, sophisticated, and creative of his career. It sounds as if McGeogh defined the overall sound more so than he did with Magazine. With Magazine, it seems like things were more egalitarian in that each player brought an equal part to the whole, but since the Banshees didn't have a keyboardist, just bass and drums, there was a lot more room for McGeogh to move around and color the space. And of course he helped propel the Banshees into exciting, new, creative territory. It's just too bad the Banshees drove him to a nervous breakdown. And sadly, I don't think his playing in post-Banshees bands like Armoury Show and PIL was as exciting as it was in Magazine and the Banshees. | ||
| Little Keith Member Username: Manosludge Post Number: 2275 Registered: 03-2006 |
Have we done 1994 yet? Maybe we should, because it's starting to seem like we're back in that year again: OJ's in jail and Hillary's talking about her healthcare plan... | ||
| Kurt Stephan Member Username: Slothbert Post Number: 1523 Registered: 04-2005 |
Cobain died in '94 also...does that mean some emo hero is planning to blow his head off this year? Hope not. | ||
| Catherine Vaughan Member Username: Catherine Post Number: 241 Registered: 05-2005 |
A thought crossed my mind, but I'm not going to type it. Suffice to say, I'm only hoping that element doesn't repeat, and confer "Misunderstood Genius" status onto some two-bit sad-sack, who secretly wants to date Hillary Duff... | ||
| Michael Bachman Member Username: Michael_bachman Post Number: 807 Registered: 01-2005 |
I re-ordered Tim Drum today. | ||
| kevin Member Username: Kevin Post Number: 1821 Registered: 05-2005 |
Add me to the Tin Drum fans. I quite liked the singles from this, and have been a big fan of David Sylvians solo stuff, but had never actually heard Tin Drum in full. Now I have, and its great - amazingly doesnt sound dated. In fact its sonically perfect, with great instrumentation to match the songwriting. But you all knew that already  | ||
| kevin Member Username: Kevin Post Number: 1823 Registered: 05-2005 |
Not 1981, but I was wondering what the knowlegable 80s heads on here think of Rain Parade, and in particular Emergency Third Rail Power Trip | ||
| Jeff Whiteaker Member Username: Jeff_whiteaker Post Number: 718 Registered: 10-2004 |
Kevin - quite honestly, I was underwhelmed by Emergency Third Rail Power Trip. The songwriting just didn't do it for me. That said, I know a few people who love that album and were baffled that I couldn't get into it. | ||
| kevin Member Username: Kevin Post Number: 1824 Registered: 05-2005 |
Thanks Jeff. I have a vague recollection of their stuff from the 80s, and a friend and I were talking about them the other day. Didnt the guy go on to form Mazzy Star? Anyway, I checked Napster and they had ETRPT so I downloaded it, first impressions are faintly psychadelic, typical 80s, American guitar rock. | ||
| Michael Bachman Member Username: Michael_bachman Post Number: 814 Registered: 01-2005 |
Kevin, You missed a step or two. Dave Roback, lead guitar for Rain Parade, formed Clay Allison with Kendra Smith (bass guitar from The Days of Wine and Roses era Dream Syndicate) which then morphed into Opal (they are out of print, but Early Recordings and Happy Nightmare Baby are terrific). Kendra quit the band mid tour supporting Happy Nightmare Baby in 1987, and Hope Sandoval filled in for her. Rain Parade then became Mazzy Star circa 1989. Regarding Rain Parade, I like Emergency Third Rail Power Trip and the ep Explosions in the Glass Palace, even more. | ||
| kevin Member Username: Kevin Post Number: 1825 Registered: 05-2005 |
Thanks Michael. I am aware of Opal(but not Clay Allison), but have never heard any of their stuff. I did know that Kendra Smith left and was replaced by Hope Sandoval, but I didnt know that Kendra had played bass with Dream Syndicate. I have always wondered if Steve Wynn might be some kind of distant relative to me, with my surname being Wynne - my father thinks my Irish ancestors added the E to the end of the name when they came to Scotland at the end of the 19th Century. | ||
| Jeff Whiteaker Member Username: Jeff_whiteaker Post Number: 719 Registered: 10-2004 |
I like Opal's "Early Recordings" quite a bit, but "Happy Nightmare Baby" never really did much for me. "Early Recordings" has this strange, fragile yet haunting atmosphere about it. The dark, lurching "Bridgit on Sunday" is one of the creepiest songs I've ever heard. | ||
| Michael Bachman Member Username: Michael_bachman Post Number: 820 Registered: 01-2005 |
Jeff, I think Opal's "Happy Nightmare Baby" would blossom for a lot of people if it ever gets a proper reissue with a cleaned up non-sludgy sound. I never thought too much of "Tallulah" until the double disc reissue with the great remastered sound. |