Tag: 1987
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Los Lobos, By the Light of the Moon, 1987 on Slash Records
Los Lobos’ follow on record to How Will The Wolf Survive?. which was produced by T-Bone Burnett. I love the Slash! records catalog from the 80s – great Americana tinged but contemporary music – and this is no exception. My copy—via Slipped Disc at a record fair at Mill No. 5—is an Allied pressing from…
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Bruce Cockburn, Waiting for a Miracle: Singles 1970-1987, 1987 on True North
Collection of singles from Canada’s Bruce Cockburn, whose career ranged widely from folk to what we might call world music to rock. Cockburn was a Berklee School of Music dropout before being a dropout from Berkelee was de rigeur. I first found Cockburn via “If I Had A Rocket Launcher” and his association with various…
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Flesh for Lulu, Long Live The New Flesh, 1987 on Beggars Banquet / Capitol
Third full-length album from Brixton London post-punks Nick Marsh, James Mitchell, Rocco Barker, Derek “Del Boy” Greening, and Kevin Mills—and their first on Beggars Banquet/Capitol. (Capitol in the US, Beggars Banquet in the UK). The lead single “I Go Crazy” was featured in the film Some Kind of Wonderful and became a minor hit. This…
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Various Artists, The Best of Chess Blues, 1987 on Chess / MCA
Great 2xLP 80s compilation of the post-war blues that made Chess such a critical label, issued by MCA who acquired the rights to the Chess catalog in the mid-eighties. My copy—via Mel’s Record Shop in Amesbury MA—is a 1987 pressing by MCA Records’ plant in Gloversville, NY.
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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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Ike Quebec, Easy Living, 1987 on Blue Note
Though this was first released / issued by Blue Note in 1987, it was actually recorded in 1962 at Rudy Van Gelder’s studio in New Jersey, and represents that early 60s jazz era. It was originally going to be issued as BST-84103 – but the tracks on side one did ultimately make it on Blue…
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Various Artists, A Very Special Christmas, 1987 on A&M
Long before Maria’s “All I Want For Christmas” came this wonderful compilation to benefit Special Olympics International with a whos-who of mid-late 80s artists covering holiday songs: This is holiday music I can get behind – though Christmas in Hollis does have a certain earworm quality I still love it. Artwork by Keith Haring, of…
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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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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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Sonny Boy Williamson, The Real Folk Blues, 1966 on Chess
This album was first released in the UK in 1965 as In Memorium, (Williamson died in May of 1965). In the US it was retitled to The Real Folk Blues and released in 1966. Later reissues have appeared with either title in different regions. This is one of my favorite blues albums of all time…
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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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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…
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The Housemartins, The People Who Grinned Themselves To Death, 1987 on Elektra
On this record the Housemartins were Norman Cook, Dave Hemingway, Stan Cullimore, Pete Wingfield, and P.D. (Paul) Heaton. Heaton & Hemingway went on to form The Beautiful South, while Norman Cook went on to form Beats International (and also was Fatboy Slim). The Housemartins were Christian Socialists from Hull (in the UK, not Massachusetts), which…
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R.E.M., Dead Letter Office, 1987 on IRS Records
Divded into a “Post” side and a “Script” side, this was one of my favorite R.E.M. releases of the 80s, with the unofficial subtitle from the rear cover: “We do sountracks, a virtuous compost, Being a Compendium Of Oddities Collared and B-sides compiled.” “Voice of Harold” was a completely different vocal improvised over the track…
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R.E.M., Document, 1987 on IRS Records
Their last full-length on IRS before making the jump to Warner Bros, capping really a perfect run from 1982 (Chronic Town) to 1987. The “No. 5” on the cover and opposite table of contents on the rear refers to this being the fifth album. (I love many of the albums after the move to the…
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The Silencers, A Letter From St. Paul, 1987 on RCA Victor (US).
The Silencers, A Letter From St. Paul, 1987 on RCA Victor (US). That’s St. Paul as in Minneapolis, not the Apostle. Loved the local Minnesota reference from a hip Scottish band – really solid debut LP all around.
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Camper Van Beethoven, Vampire Can Mating Oven, 1987 on Pitch-a-Tent Records.
Camper Van Beethoven, Vampire Can Mating Oven, 1987 on Pitch-a-Tent Records. Early EP including a cover of Photograph (the Ringo Starr solo song cowritten with George Harrison)
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Thompson Twins, Close to the Bone, 1987 on Arista.
Thompson Twins, Close to the Bone, 1987 on Arista. Later Thompson Twins without Joe Leeway