Tag: 1980sPage 1 of 18

The Communards, Red, 1987 on London / MCA

The Communards were a duo of Jimmy Somerville (formerly of Bronski Beat) and Richard Coles, a classically trained musician. They put out only two albums: a self-titled debut…

Talking Heads, Slippery People / Making Flippy Floppy (Remixes), 1983 on Sire

Great 12″ single with remixes by David Byrne and John “Jellybean” Benetiz of two songs from the Speaking in Tongues album. May be technically a double-A-sided single (labeled…

Timbuk 3, Eden Alley, 1988 on I.R.S. Records

Timbuk 3 was the stage name for the duo of Pat MacDonald and Barbara K. MacDonald (nee Barbara Kooyman, aka Barbara K), as it evolved out of Pat…

The Clash, Sandanista!, 1980 on CBS Records

The Clash’s fourth album, released in 1980 on CBS Records, distributed by Epic in the US. Sprawling, six-sided 3xLP collection that truly is all over the map, including…

Midnight Oil; 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1; 1982 on Columbia

The fourth full-length from Midnight Oil, released in 1982 on Columbia in the US and CBS in the UK and Australia. The album reached #3 on the Australian…

Phantom, Rocker & Slick; Phantom, Rocker & Slick, 1985 on EMI America

Self-titled debut album for Phantom, Rocker & Slick (I’ll forgive them for the lack of an oxford comma) from 1985. Slim Jim Phantom (drums) and Lee Rocker (vocals,…

Marty Stuart, Busy Bee Cafe, 1982 on Sugar Hill Records

No, that’s not the same Sugar Hill that put out Rapper’s Delight – it’s a folk/bluegrass label out of North Carolina, later merged in Concord and now Rounder….

The Romantics, The Romantics, 1980 on Nemperor / Epic

“What I like about you, you hold me tight / tell me I’m the only one / wanna come over tonight” The Romantics were a Detroit power-pop /…

Syd Straw, Surprise, 1989 on Virgin

Syd Straw’s career started as a backup singer for Pat Benatar, and fronting Golden Palaminos on a couple of their albums. This was her solo debut, with MIchael…

Toto, Tovo IV, 1982 on Columbia

Toto came together as a group of studio / session musicians, including Jeff, Steve, and Mike Porcaro with Steve Lukather and David Paich. This was their breakout album,…

Laurie Anderson, Big Science, 1982 on Warner Bros.

I posted another Anderson album last week – Home of the Brave – but this was her major label debut in 1982. The songs here are a subset…

Various Artists, Atlantic Blues:Guitar, 1986 on Atlantic

Great two-LP set of blues guitar greats recordings on Atlantic, including: Blind Willie McTell, Mississippi Fred McDowell, John Lee Hooker, Stick McGhee, Texas Johnny Brown, T-Bone Walker, Chuck…

Laurie Anderson, Home of the Brave, 1986 on Warner Bros

If I planned these posting further in advance (i’m just working through records as I add them to my collection), I would have planned this one for the…

David Bowie, Tonight, 1984 on EMI America

Bowie’s follow up to Let’s Dance, produced by Bowie with Derek Bramble and Hugh Padgham, with many of the same musicians, but also with contributions by Iggy Pop…

Midnight Oil, Diesel and Dust, 1987 on CBS / Columbia

Peter Garrett, Rob Hirst, Jim Moginie, and Martin Rotsey are the core of Midnight Oil, the politically earnest band from down under. This was their sixth full length (the band started all the way back in the 70s and released their self-titled debut in 1978), but it was their breakout album in the US, with “Beds Are Burning.”

Various Artists, This Are Two Tone, 1983 on Chrysalis/Two Tone

In the UK, this was released on Two Tone, but in the US they were distributed by Chrysalis and issued on the Chrysalis label. Sleeve design credit to…

Irma Thomas, Down at Muscle Shoals, 1984 on Chess

Thomas recorded for Chess in the late sixties, and made this recording at Fame Recording Studios in Muscle Shoals in 1967, but the album was not released until…

Bruce Springsteen, Nebraska, 1982 on Columbia

Springsteen’s sixth studio album, which he recorded himself on a four track to use as demos but then decided to release them directly. (Somewhere in the vaults exist…

Various Artists, L80s: So Unusual, 2023 on Numero Group

Really interesting package here – the sleeve is basically denim, with a pocket looking like an 80s jeans pocket, complete with lipstick mark and phone number (which actually…

Prince, Controversy, 1981 on Warner Bros.

Prince’s fourth full-length album, which he wrote, produced, and played most the instruments on. (AndrĂ© Cymone gets co-writing credit on “Do Me Baby” on some later versions, but…