Tag: 1980s
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Sinéad O’Connor, The Lion and the Cobra, 1987 on Chrysalis / Ensign
This was Sinéad’s debut album and is still just astonishingly great. The spoken word intro in gaelic by Enya before “Never Get Old” is Psalm 91: For He will give His angels charge over thee, To keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee upon their hands, Lest thou dash thy foot against…
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Michelle Shocked, The Texas Campfire Tapes, 1986 on Mercury / Cooking Vinyl
This was the debut album for Michelle Shocked, purportedly recorded by Cooking Vinyl founder Pete Lawrence on a Sony Walkman at an unplanned performance at the Kerrville Folk Festival in Texas. Shocked herself has called it a “bootleg” and says it was released without her permission: My music career began as the Bootleg Poster Child.…
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Depeche Mode, Some Great Reward, 1984 on Sire
I’ve not shared many Depeche Mode records here, mostly because I’m sharing new additions to my collection and I don’t find many DM records I don’t already have, but also because my collection is very 80s heavy, and I’m trying to rotate through decades. That said, I have been a massive Depeche Mode fan from…
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Commodores, All the Great Hits, 1982 on Motown
Wonderful collection of Commodores songs – their second compilation of hits, with many more to follow. “Lady.” “Sail On,” “Brick House,” “Easy,” and “Three Times a Lady” are each worth the price of admission. Solid find as I don’t have any of their original records from the 70s or 80s. My copy, via Bull Moose…
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Screaming Blue Messiahs, Bikini Red, 1987 on Elektra
Bill Carter and the Screaming Blue Messiahs put out four major label studio albums in the 80s – this was the third, in 1987. Some great and funny songwriting here: “I Wanna Be a Flinstone” and “Jesus Chrysler Drives a Dodge” as well as “I Can Speak American.” Power rock trio of Carter on guitar…
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Safety Last, Safety Last, 1982 on Twin/Tone
Safety Last only put out two records – this self-titled “mini-album” and Struck By Love, both on Twin/Tone and produced by Paul Stark. On this EP, recorded at Blackberry Way (in Minneapolis) the personnel (many of whom went on to other MNPLS bands) are: Rusty Jones on bass & vocals, Jim Tollefsrud on drums, Sprague…
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The Getz/Gilberto Collection: 20 Golden Greats, 1985 on Deja Vu
Italian release of tunes recorded between 1958 and 1964 by Stan Getz with Joao and Astrud Gilberto – varying recording quality from track to track. Classic bargain bin find – the music is wonderful as you’d expect. My copy via Pleasant Village Records in Marblehead MA
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Howard Jones, One to One, 1986 on Elektra
Howard Jones was one of my first concerts I saved up for and bought tickets to myself. I don’t think he was the first, but he was certainly an early one. I especially loved his early-80s output: Human’s Lib and Dream Into Action. One to One was his third studio album – for some folks…
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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 and this followup. I’ve actually got both a Canadian pressing (white cover with red letters) and a US pressing (red cover with white letters) of this LP.…
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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 “This Side” and “That Side”) but the side with “Slippery People” on it has an A in its runout etchings so calling that the A side. My…
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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 MacDonald & The Essentials. They formed in Madison Wisconsin (later relocating to Austin Texas) and put out six albums, of which this was their second. I love…
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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 a cover of Mose Allison’s “Look Here.” The FSLN catalog number on the labels is a nod to Frente Sandinista de Liberación Nacional, the name of the…
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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 charts and 178 on the Billboard charts in the US. Having found Midnight Oil via Deisel and Dust I came back to this record but love “Power…
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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, bass) had been part of Stray Cats. They were joined by Earl Slick who had replaced Mick Ronson on the Diamond Dogs tour and played on Young…
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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. Although Stuart’s recorded output starts in the 80s, he spent years touring with Lester Flatt and in Johnny Cash’s road band. This was his second album, the…
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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 / new wave band formed in the late 70s: Wally Palmer, Rich Cole, Mike Skill, and Jimmy Marinos. “That’s What I Like About You” made a top 50…
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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 Stipe (of R.E.M.) joining on “Future 40s” and other guests like Ry Cooder, Van Dyke Parks, Richard Thompson, Anton Fier, Bernie Worrell, Marc Ribot, Peter Holsapple, Dan…
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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, with the now unavoidable “Africa” and “Rosanna.” Per wikipedia, although Steve Porcaro was dating Rosanna Arquette at the time, songwriter David Paich insists “Rosanna” was not about…