Tag: 1980sPage 4 of 18

Bob Marley & The Wailers, Legend (The Best Of Bob Marley & The Wailers), 1984 on Island Records.

This was required listening and a mandatory part of any healthy CD collecting heading into college in the 80s. It didn’t matter what musical subculture you came from,…

Stray Cats, Stray Cats / Pin Up, 1981 on Arista

This was their debut album – after forming in NY they moved to the UK and this was first released there in early 1981. It wasn’t released in…

Talking Heads, Stop Making Sense, 1984 on Sire

It’s hard to overstate how critical this album and movie were – the impact on live music films, the impact on shows themselves (in staging and effects) and…

James Blood Ulmer, Free Lancing, 1981 on Columbia.

A happy and accidental find at Academy Records in New York. Ulmer had played on several Ornette Coleman releases before going out on his own – this was…

Peter Gabriel, Peter Gabriel (aka Peter Gabriel III, or Melt), 1980 on Mercury

The third in the series of self-titled releases Gabriel put out between 1977 and 1982, Melt features lots of complex synthesizer and percussion work, with guests like Robert…

The Blasters, Non Fiction, 1983 on Slash

I had (and wore out) a cassette copy of one of the Slash records compilations that had Red Rose and Long White Cadillac on it, so hard to…

Archie James Cavanaugh, Black and White Raven, 1980 on Black and White Raven, Inc.

Self-released in 1980 but reissued by the Numero Group, Black and White Raven mixes Yacht Rock, Disco, and Gospel with some flavor of Cavanaugh’s native Tlingit heritage. Lots…

Taco, After Eight, 1982 on RCA Victor

Taco is one of those bands/artists which fell into a trap after their first single from their debut album becomes a massive hit – Puttin’ on the Ritz…

Wall of Voodoo, Ring of Fire (Remix) / The Morricone Themes (Live), 1982 on Index

12″ single from Stan Ridgway and Wall of Voodoo. The live tracks were recorded live at “The Barn” (Barstow CA?) November 22, 1980. Not sure why they chose…

Juluka, Scatterlings, 1982 on Warner Bros Records

US version on Warner Bros – globally came out on Safari Records, Lark, and/or MINC. Johnny Clegg – sometimes referred to as Le Zoulou Blanc (“the White Zulu”)…

Peter Schilling, Error in the System, 1983 on Elektra

Most well known for “Major Tom (Coming Home)” which was a top 20 hit in the US. Unfortunately the runaway success of that single relegated Schilling to something…

Ball and Pivot, Ball and Pivot EP, 1984 on Z Club Records

Ball and Pivot were a self-described “glam-rock” band in the early 80s in Boston, featuring Tom Hauck, B Wilkinson, and Paul Caruso (all of whom had also played…

Michael Jackson, Thriller, 1982 on Epic

I remember listening to this right when it came out. I was young enough to not yet know I was supposed to reject Michael as too popular or…

Null and Void, Happiness and Contempt, 1980 on M.A.O. Records.

Null and Void were a self-described “early 80s SoCal synth wave band.” This was their debut EP, recorded at Devon Sound – it’s been reissued by Medical Records…

Lucinda Williams, Happy Woman Blues, 1980 on Folkways (FTS 31067)

My copy is a 2019 reissue on what is now called Smithsonian Folkways (the Smithsonian acquired Folkways in 1987 from the estate of Moses Asch). This was Williams’…

Pylon, Chomp, 1983 on DB Recs.

My copy is a 2020 reissue on New West Records. Pylon is one of the bands more felt by its influence than its direct fans – but definitely…

Eurythmics, In the Garden, 1981 on RCA

Many folks know Eurythmics only through a small set of hits – Sweet Dreams most notably, maybe a few others – but their output is really outstanding across…

The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Butt Rockin’, 1981 on Chrysalis

Kim Wilson, Jimmy Vaughan, Keith Ferguson, and Fran Christina, joined by the Roomful of Blues horn section. Produced by Denny Bruce, this was their third LP. I feel…

Bauhaus, The Sky’s Gone Out, 1982 on A&M / Beggars Banquet.

I’m a bit late for World Goth Day here, but I definitely went through a hardcore Bauhaus phase – listening to the 1979-1983 compilation (volume one with white…

Huey Lewis and the News, Sports, 1983 on Chrysalis

Pretty hard to ignore this LP if you were listening to the radio (or more accurately watching MTV which showed videos then) in the early 80s. I think…