Tag: Beverly Coin & Jewel
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Depeche Mode, Construction Time Again, 1983 on Sire / Mute / Reprise
This was the third full length from Depeche Mode, originally released in 1983 on Mute, distributed in the US by Sire. Alan Wilder had joined and wrote two of the songs on the album. (Vince Clarke had departed after the debut album). One of my favorites, including “Love, In Itself,” “More Than a Party” and…
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Love and Rockets, Seventh Dream of Teenage Heaven, 1985 on Beggars Banquet
Debut album for Love and Rockets, though “Ball of Confusion” preceded it as a single under that band name. I always called this “Seventh Dream of a Teenage Heaven” but clearly it isn’t. Daniel Ash, David J, and Kevin Haskins crafting just a fantastic and new sound here after Bauhaus split in 1983 and after…
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The Specials, More Specials, 1980 on Two-Tone
Second album from Coventry’s own The Specials, with Jerry Dammer, Sir Horace Gentleman, John Bradbury, Dick Cuthell, Roddy Radiation, Lynval Golding, Rico Rodrigues, Neville Staples and Terry Hall. Several members of the Go-Go’s join for backing vocals: Belinda Carlisle, Charlotte Caffey, and Jane Wiedlin (who would co-write “Our Lips Are Sealed” with Hall). My copy—via…
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Mose Allison, Back Country Suite, 1957 on Prestige
Mose Allison’s debut album, recorded at Van Gelder’s studio in Hackensack in March 1957, with Taylor La Fargue (bass) and Frank Isola (drums). Largely instrumental. The song titled here just “Blues” was later recorded on Live at Leeds by the Who as “Young Man Blues”: Well a young man ain’t got nothing in the world…
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T. Rex, T. Rextasy: The Best of T. Rex, 1970-1973, 1985 on Warner Bros.
Mid-eighties compilation of T. Rex. Between 1970 and 1973, the band had eleven top 10 singles in the UK – including many here. Produced by Tony Visconti. I came to T. Rex indirectly through The Replacements (who covered “20th Century Boy” on Let it Be), Bauhaus (who covered “Telegram Sam”) and The Power Station (who…
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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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Wham!, Make it Big, 1984 on Columbia
This was the second studio album from the duo of George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley – the first, Fantastic!, didn’t make much of an impression in the US, but this album was unavoidable in the mid-80s. “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go” seemed to come on MTV every hour for a year. “Careless Whisper” maybe…
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Willie Dixon, Mighty Earthquake And Hurricane, 1984 on PA USA
Though one doesn’t normally think of Dixon as an eighties artist (he started putting out recordings in the late 50s) he was still making great music into the 80s before passing in 1992. He also toured behind his album well into his 60s. The band here includes Freddie Dixon (bass), Jimmy Tillman (drums), John Watkins…
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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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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 subsidiary focused on Caribbean artists. Great covers of Herbie Hancock’s “Watermelon Man” and the Lennon-McCartney “I Should Have Known Better” as well as some more traditional ska…
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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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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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Tim Finn, Escapade, 1983 on A&M
Tim Finn’s better known as one of the co-founders of Split Enz, and later member of Crowded House. This was his debut album as a solo artist, originally on Mushroom records, a large indie label in Australia, but distributed in the US by A&M. It was a #1 record in New Zealand, top ten in…
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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…