Tag: 1980s
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Peter Gabriel, Plays Live!, 1983 on Charisma
Peter Gabriel’s first solo live album, released following his four self-titled solo albums (commonly called Car, Scratch, Melt, and Security). It was recorded across multiple venues in the American midwest: Illinois State University, Kansas City, Northern Illinois University, and South Illinois University. Accompanying Gabriel are Jerry Marotta, Tony Levin, David Rhodes, and Larry Fast, with…
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Blancmange, Mange Tout, 1984 on London Records
Second studio album from British synth-pop duo Blancmange (Neil Arthur and Stephen Luscombe), following Happy Families. This was their best selling album, with “Blind Vision” and “Don’t Tell Me” as successful singles. I always loved “The Day Before You Came” but did not realize it’s an ABBA cover! My copy is a UK pressing via…
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Edie Brickell & New Bohemians, Shooting Rubberbands at the Stars, 1988 on Geffen
This was an inescapable album in 1988 – not that I was trying to escape it. It was their studio debut and came out of nowhere to go 2x platinum. You could argue they were one-hit wonders with “What I Am,” with its ear-worm chorus (“What I am is what I am / are you…
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Talking Heads, Naked, 1988 on Fly/Sire
Eighth and final studio LP from Talking Heads – talk about going out with a bang! What a great record. They apologized in the liner notes to Minneapolis band The Wallets, who had a popular song called “Totally Nude” that came out in 1986. As a teenager in a Minneapolis that sometimes felt rather provincial…
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Run D.M.C., Run D.M.C., 1984 on Profile
Run D.M.C.‘s debut album on Profile, a NY area hip-hop label that was distributed by Arista, who would later reissue it. It was produced by Russell SImmons and Larry Smith, and recorded at Greene St. Recording in Soho. Note the credit on the rear jacket to “Music by Orange Krush” – that’s Larry Smith and…
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Icicle Works, Icicle Works, 1984 on Arista / Beggars Banquet
In the UK (and elsewhere) this was credited to The Icicle Works and was on Beggars Banquet, but in the US it was titled just Icicle Works (no “the”) and was on Arista. Either way this was their self-titled debut album and included their biggest hit, which—like the album—was titled differently in the US. Most…
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Fleshtones, Roman Gods, 1981 on IRS Records
Debut album from Queens New York’s own The Fleshtones (credited as just Fleshtones here). This included the song – “Shadow-line (to J. Conrad)” – that was included in Urgh, a Music War!. Artwork by Carl Grasso. Produced by Richard Mazda and recorded (mostly) in New York at Skyline Studios. I.R.S. was one of my favorite…
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Squeeze, East Side Story, 1981 on A&M
Squeeze’s fourth studio LP, between 1980’s Argybargy and 1982’s Sweets from a Stranger. This was the first album after Jools Holland departed, replaced by Paul Carrack, who provided lead vocals on “Tempted.” Produced by Elvis Costello and Roger Bechirian, except for “In Quintessence” which was produced by Dave Edmunds. My copy, via Academy Records in…
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Fleshtones, Up Front, 1980 on I.R.S. Records
First EP Fleshtones issued, before the release of Roman Gods. Fleshtones were Bill Milhizer, Jan Marek Pakulski, Keith Streng, and Peter Zaremba. Miles Copeland signed them to IRS Records, and got them on Urgh! A Music War. Zaremba may be better known to some as the host of I.R.S. Records Presents the Cutting Edge on…
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Beat Surrender, Foundation, 1985 on Shake Records
Beat Surrender (this one at least – there are many things by that name including the Jam’s last single) was a Boston band made up of Paul Souza, Jackson White, David Matthews, and Ted Lyon. Check out that 1985 look on the back cover! Paul Souza went on to be in The Velveteen Playboys and…
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Squeeze, Sweets From a Stranger, 1982 on A&M
Fifth studio album from Squeeze, this one including Don Snow, John Bentley, and Gilson Lavis alongside Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook. and featuring “Black Coffee in Bed” with backing vocals from Elvis Costello and Paul Young. Lover the overlay flap on the front – “When it comes to Squeeze, they can’t be called ‘critics’” –…
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Townes Van Zandt, At My Window, 1987 on Sugar Hill
Van Zandt’s eighth studio album and only one recorded in the 1980s, originally released on the bluegrass label Sugar Hill. I never miss a chance to pick up a Townes Van Zandt record in good shape. Recorded at Jack Clement’s studio in Nashville (“Cowboy Arms Hotel and Recording Spa”) and produced by Clement and Jim…
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Camouflage, Voices & Images, 1988 on Atlantic
Camouflage were a synth-pop trio from Bietigheim-Bissingen in West Germany (near Stuttgart). Voices & Images was their debut album and included “The Great Commandment” which was a hit in Germany and broke through to the US. My copy via Pitchfork Records in Concord NH, has the gold promo stamp and a hype sticker listing the…
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Heaven 17, The Luxury Gap, 1983 on Virgin
Heaven 17 included Martyn Ware and Ian Criag Marsh who had been founding members of The Human League – Glenn Gregory took the place of Philip Oakey to make Heaven 17. This was their second studio album (and best selling album) – with the single “Temptation” being the best known hit. My copy, via Pitchfork…
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JoBoxers, Like Gangbusters, 1983 on RCA
I had not actually heard of JoBoxers but took a flyer on this one just based on the sheer 80s new-waveness of the cover – the hair, the braces, the hats: vaguely Depeche Mode, vaguely Dexy’s Midnight Runners. They were a UK new wave band, who toured opening for Madness – their debut single “Boxerbeat”…
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Steve Earle, Guitar Town, 1986 on MCA Records
Earle’s debut album from the mid-eighties – note the proud “Digital Recording” stamp on the cover (where now you’d see “All Analog” promoted). Topped the country charts, and the title single made #7 on the country singles charts. I think Earle’s really matured into a wonderful elder statesman of a certain kind of roots /…
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Wham!, Make it Big, 1984 on Columbia
This was the second studio album from the duo of George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley – the first, Fantastic!, didn’t make much of an impression in the US, but this album was unavoidable in the mid-80s. “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go” seemed to come on MTV every hour for a year. “Careless Whisper” maybe…
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The Replacements; Sorry Ma, Forgot to Take Out the Trash; 1981 on Twin/Tone
This was the debut album of Minneapolis’ own The Replacements, in all its ragged glory. Somehow – likely because of how I acquired them – I’d always thought that Stink! (the EP) came out before Sorry, Ma – but it was the other way ’round. I don’t usually by CDs these days, but this reissue…