Tag: 1989
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Love and Rockets, Love and Rockets, 1989 on Beggars Banquet.
Although self-titled, this was actually the fourth LP from Love and Rockets, following after Earth Sun Moon. It was also their last for 5 years as they pursued various solo projects. “So Alive” became their biggest hit in the US and made the album their best-selling here. It’s not my absolute favorite—that would be Seventh…
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Bob Dylan & The Grateful Dead, Dylan & The Dead, 1989 on Columbia
Recorded live in July 1987 during the six-city tour of that summer. While the shows from that tour typically had a first set of Dead material followed by a set with Dylan, this recording highlights the Dylan songs with the Dead serving as a backup band. Got some harsh critical reviews a the time as…
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Grandmaster Melle Mel and the Furious Five, Piano, 1989 on New Day Records
After the split between Grandmaster Flash and Melle Mel, Mel took the “Grandmaster” role and continued with the Furious Five splitting. On this record the Furious Five include Cowboy, Scorpio, Rahiem, and Kidd Creole (credited as Kid Creole), but no Flash. The Furious Five with Flash did reunite in 1988 for On the Strength, on…
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Neneh Cherry, Raw Like Sushi, 1989 on Virgin
I don’t think I knew it at the time, but Neneh Cherry is Swedish-born (Neneh Mariann Karlsson), and related to both Don Cherry the jazz trumpeter (step-daughter) and Eagle-Eye Cherry (shared mother, different fathers). This was her debut studio album and “Buffalo Stance” was huge in the late 80s. It’s really a great album well…
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The Smithereens, 11, 1989 on Enigma/Capitol
Third studio full-length from New Jersey’s own The Smithereens: Pat DiNizio, Jim Babjak, Dennis Diken, and Mike Mesaros. Belinda Carlisle guests on “Blue Period” and Maria Vidal adds background vocals on “A Girl Like You.” Apparently the title is inspired by Spinal Tap and Ocean’s 11, but there are only 10 songs. These 10 go…
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Michelle Shocked, Captain Swing, 1989 on Mercury
This was Shocked’s third LP and the follow up to the massively successful Short Sharp Shocked which came out in 1988. It’s (deliberately) all over the place in genre but wonderful. The “hidden” track is also present on the vinyl – “Russian Roulette” is not listed on the labels but plays after “Must Be Luff.”…
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David Byrne, Rei Momo, 1989 on Luaka Bop / Sire / WB
David Byrne’s first “solo” album which “transforms and pays tribute to the music of Latin America.” (Solo in the sense of not with Talking heads, but with a ton of talented musicians). The vinyl releases omit three songs that were on the CD – would be a great candidate for a deluxe vinyl reissue 2xLP…
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Cowboy Junkies, Misguided Angel, 1989 on RCA
Margo, Peter, and MIchael Timmons with Alan Anton were Cowboy Junkies. This EP came out alongside the Trinity Session album, with the lead single “Misguided Angel” from that session at the Church of the Holy Trinity in Toronto, plus four live tracks recorded at the ROXY in Hollywood. Both “Sweet Jane” and “Walking After Midnight”…
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Indigo Girls, Indigo Girls, 1989 on Epic
Sophomore album from Amy Ray and Emily Saliers, with their massive breakout hit “Closer To Fine.” Michael Stipe guests on “Kid Fears” and Hothouse Flowers guest on multiple tracks including “Closer to Fine” (which recently had a revival as it appeared in the movie Barbie). My copy—via A1 Records in NYC—is a promo copy labelled…
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Bob Dylan, Oh Mercy, 1989 on Columbia
Dylan’s 26th studio album, produced by Daniel Lanois and recorded in New Orleans. “Political World,” “Where Teardrops Fall,” and “Everything is Broken” make a great opening trio on side 1 – but really a great album overall. My copy—via Waterloo Records in Austin TX—is a Carrollton GA pressing with original inner sleeve from 1989.
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Freddie Hubbard and Art Blakey, Feel The Wind, 1989/2023 on Tidal Waves Music
Originally issued in 1989 on Timeless Records out of the Netherlands, this was reissued by Tidal Waves music in 2023. Hubbard and Blakey are joined by Leon Dorsey (bass), Benny Green (piano), and Javon Jackson (tenor sax). The last track swaps Lonnie Plaxico for Dorsey and Mulgrew Miller for Green. Blakey died in 1990 so…
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Maria McKee, Maria McKee, 1989 on Geffen
This was the debut solo album from the lead singer of Lone Justice. She’s joined here by Richard Thompson and Marc Ribot on guitar and Steve Wickham on fiddle. She’d go on to record six more solo records and some live recordings – but I don’t think any of them did very well in the…
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Peter Case, The Man With The Blue Postmodern Fragmented Neo-Traditionalist Guitar, 1989 on Geffen
This was Case’s sophomore album as a solo artist, follow his 1986 self-titled debut. I’m a sucker for anyone cribbing album or song titles from Wallace Stevens and love this album. Guests include Los Lobos, T-Bone Burnett and Ry Cooder, alongside folks like Benmont Tench, Jerry Scheff, David Hidalgo, David McKelvy, Jim Keltner, and Steven…
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The Del Fuegos, Smoking In The Fields, 1989 on R.C.A.
Fourth and final studio album from Boston Massachusetts’ own The Del Fuegos, recorded after Warren Zanes and Woody Giessmann left the band. Recorded in Woodstock NY and produced by David Thoener. The first three Del Fuegos albums were on Slash Records – this was their only one on R.C.A. The Del Fuegos reunited in 2011…
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Flesh for Lulu, Plastic Fantastic, 1989 on Capitol / Beggar’s Banquet
This was the fourth studio LP from Flesh for Lulu, and the second on Beggar’s Banquet (in the UK) and Capitol (in the US). “Decline and Fall” from this LP was a hit on the “modern rock tracks” charts. It would also be their last studio LP. (Gigantic was later released under the Flesh for…
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Guadalcanal Diary, Flip Flop, 1989 on Elektra
The fourth and final (original) full length from Marietta Georgia’s Guadalcanal Diary. Guadalcanal Diary is kind of the most underappreciated indie 80s band from Georgia – they weren’t R.E.M. or the B-52s or Pylon or even Let’s Active, but this is a great album. It takes some guts to label one side of your fourth…
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The Replacements, Don’t Tell a Soul, 1989 on Sire / Reprise
This was the Replacements first album with Slim Dunlop replacing Bob Stinson on guitar. It was recorded in LA, produced by Matt Wallace and mixed by Chris Lord-Alge, purportedly in an attempt to be more radio friendly, though Westerberg said he preferred the rougher approach of other ‘mats albums. I think it’s a wonderful album…
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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…