Tag: 1981Page 1 of 3

The Cure, Faith, 1981 on Fiction

The Cure’s third full length, between Seventeen Seconds and Pornography, released in 1981 on Fiction records in the UK, and later in the US on Elektra in 1988….

Echo And The Bunnymen, Heaven Up Here, 1981 on Sire/Korova

Second album from Echo & the Bunnymen, produced by Hugh Jones (and the band) and recorded in Wales. It was put out by Korova in the UK and…

Modern English, Mesh & Lace, 1981 on 4AD

Debut album from Modern English on the 4AD label. This wasn’t released in the US formally until the 2012 CD reissue and then 2016 on vinyl. The debut…

Bauhaus, Mask, 1981 on Beggars Banquet

Second studio album from Bauhaus and their first on Beggars Banquet (In The Flat Field was on 4AD), with a cover drawn by Daniel Ash, across a gatefold…

Foreigner, Foreigner 4, 1981 on Atlantic

Fourth (as the name suggests) full length studio album from Foreigner, who brought together three Brits and three Americans (making half the band at least foreigners wherever they…

The Romantics, Strictly Personal, 1981 on Nemporer

Third album from The Romantics, who originally came out of Detroit MI. Look at the new wave style here – matching pink leather suits and bolo ties. Did…

Wall of Voodoo, Dark Continent, 1981 on I.R.S. Records

This was the debut album for Wall of Voodoo, before the big hit “Mexican Radio” which was on their follow-up Call of the West. In addition to the…

The Selecter, Celebrate the Bullet, 1981 on Chrysalis

The Selecter were a Coventry band on 2 Tone; Celebrate the Bullet was their second album, following Too Much Pressure. Neol Davies, Pauline Black, and Arthur Hendrickson did…

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…

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…

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…

The Time, The Time (Self-Titled), 1981 on Warner Bros.

This was the debut LP from Morris Day and co, though they started playing together in the early seventies under different names. The band here still includes Jimmy…

Rush, Exit . . . Stage Left, 1981 on Mercury

Like many, I found Rush as teen (or maybe pre-teen?) and was immediately hooked by the aggressive musicality and complexity and the allusive nature of Peart’s lyrics. Even…

Sly & Robbie; The Sixties, Seventies + Eighties = Taxi; 1981 on Mango

Great collection of songs produced by Sly Dunbar & Robbie Shakespeare, whose production company and label were both called Taxi, released on Mango which was an Island Records…

Prince, Controversy, 1981 on Warner Bros.

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

Daryl Hall and John Oates, Private Eyes, 1981 on RCA

I thought of this as an early Hall & Oates record, until I checked out their discography, which goes back to 1972’s Whole Oats. Turns out it is…

Elvis Costello & The Attractions, Almost Blue, 1981 on Columbia

Recorded in Nashville, this is Costello’s covers album of country greats – including Hank Williams and George Jones. I love Costello in his Americana / roots / country…

Depeche Mode, Speak & Spell: The 12″ Singles, 2018 on Mute

Reissued box of singles by Rhino / Sire / Mute. The singles: “Dreaming of Me,” “New Life,” and “Just Can’t Get Enough” all came out in 1981, the…

Depeche Mode, Live at Crocs Night Club Rayleigh Essex 27th June 1981, unlabelled bootleg, 2018

Per discogs, this seems to be a 2018 Spanish pressing of a bootleg that first appeared in the UK in 2006. Track A6 is listed just as “Boys”…

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…