1986 in music. • Page 2

wowee

 

1. Paul Simon - Graceland
2. Beastie Boys - Licensed To Ill
3. Talking Heads - True Stories
4. Queen - A Kind of Magic
5. Billy Joel - The Bridge
6. Paul McCartney - Press To Play

first listens I liked:

Depeche Mode - Black Celebration
Elvis Costello - King of America
Huey Lewis & The News - Fore!
Janet Jackson - Control
Metallica - Master of Puppets
Prince - Parade

 

1986 mix

 

I've never heard anything after Hot Space for Queen. How would you rank their late-career stuff? Is A Kind of Magic a particularly strong one for them?

 

So... in short, I like it but I don't think I would necessarily recommend it if that makes sense haha. I don't think they have any bad albums, but The Works - A Kind of Magic - The Miracle is the lower period for sure, but still I dig them.

That being said, what I would recommend is Innuendo, which is something I'm not sure people say a lot. I find it to be really really beautiful in a specific way. Freddie knew he was dying but the public didn't know it. You can hear multiple times on the record his struggle and it's kinda amazing that he made the album that it is. It really feels like the perfect bookend to their career.

Made in Heaven is also better than it has any business being as a posthumous album. A lot of that comes from Freddie being involved til his death and giving the rest of the band his blessing to finish the album.

 

1. REM - Life's Rich Pageant
2. Peter Gabriel - So
3. Sonic Youth - Evol

 

A slightly slimmer year for me, though hopefully some more to discover, and a great top three.

1. Paul Simon - Graceland
2. Billy Bragg - Talking with the Taxman about Poetry
3. Sonic Youth - Evol

Graceland is Paul Simon's great mid-career revival of sorts, incorporating world music into his folky sounds, with the contributions of Ladysmith Black Mambazo. Simon's lyrics are wonderful here, he conjures up these incredibly evocative imagery and scenes. Incredible album.

Talking with the Taxman about Poetry is probably my favourite Billy Bragg album, with him taking the folksy punk singer-songwriter stuff like his older records, and making it a bit bigger with a band behind him. As always, Bragg's lyrics are insightful, and frequently funny.

Evol is a classic Sonic Youth record, that shows them start adding bits of melody to their chaotic experimentation. "Expressway to Yr Skull" is an absolute classic Sonic Youth track and as always the guitar tones and sounds on Sonic Youth records are consistently fantastic.

Honourable mentions;

The Smiths - The Queen is Dead: Some classic Smith's stuff here, with some of their best songs, like "There's a Light that Never Goes Out" and "The Boy with the Thorn in his Side". Morrissey shows off his humorous and witty side on this record in particular, which could sometimes be seriously lacking.

Dead Kennedys - Bedtime for Democracy: Dead Kennedys final record, and you can kind of feel that listening to it. A bit overlong, but some great DK tracks on here like "Take This Job and Shove it" and "Anarchy for Sale".

Cocteau Twins - Victorialand: Beautiful shimmering dream pop as usual from Cocteau Twins, with mesmerising guitar work, and Elizabeth Fraser's indecipherable but gorgeous vocals.

Luther Vandross - Give Me the Reason: Just classic, effortless and brilliant Luther. You know what you'll be getting from an album like this, and obviously hugely enjoyable.

Dag Nasty - Can I Say: Excellent punk album and a big influence on the coming post-hardcore and emo bands in the early 90s.

 

dag nasty rules

 

Yes they do

 

@phaynes12 have you heard Georgia Satellites? Loud, messy blues-rock that steals from the Stones, Chuck Berry, Faces and AC/DC, etc. Seems relevant to your interests

 

They’re like 38 Special’s little brother

 

In production maybe, but I feel like their DNA is very different. Much bluesier, and much looser. .38 Special were always clean as a whistle, and I love them for that.

Super into this Georgia Satellites s/t though

 

I was born in 86. So many great songs from that year. The number one song on the day I was born was “Rock Me Amadeus.”

 

this might be mildly interesting to some folks. All of Casey Kasem's Top 40 playlists:

https://billdembski.com/nostalgia/casey-kasem-classic-american-top-40-countdown/

 

i have not, no. i’ll check it out for sure

 

Whoops missed this year

 

Not huge on this year.
1. The Smiths - The Queen is Dead
2. Run DMC - Raising Hell
3. The Book of Love - The Book of Love

Book of Love was a cool discovery that I brought up in another thread. Synthpop from Philly!

 

the book of love is a cool band, for sure

 

haven’t done a ton of listening this week bc i’m out of town but i’ll get to it eventually

 

I’ve listened to 9 so far. Gotta try and squeeze in a few more

 

The Fabulous Thunderbinds - Tuff Enuff
Shockingly bad, honestly. I love the title track so much but everything else was pretty lifeless and unimpressive to me.

Jermaine Stewart - Frantic Romantic
The whole thing is fun, the hit is an all-timer, and there were two or three other knockouts. And even the filler was danceable.

XTC - Skylarking
Incredibly impressive. Almost had a Beatles-esque quality in how they were taking well-written pop songs and experimenting with how to present and arrange them in ambitious ways. Definitely think repeat listens will bring more out, too.

Bob Seger and The Silver Bullet Band - Like a Rock
I love Seger, so I enjoyed him on autopilot with some '80s sounds, which is exactly what this is. The closing CCR cover leaves a bad taste though. Just shows you how far they'd slid from being one of the great American rock bands.

Georgia Satellites - Georgia Satellites
Fucking excellent. Big '80s production (those drums) on Faces/Stones style loose rock and roll. Really sharp, tasty guitar licks all over it, too.

Marti Jones - Match Game
She was going for '80s Ronstadt. Didn't write, but interpreted under-heard songs from great writers of her era (Elvis Costello, Marshall Crenshaw, Dwight Twilley, etc.) "We're Doing Alright" and "Whenever You're on My Mind" are outright incredible.

Talk Talk - The Colour of Spring
Beautiful. Just stunning. Has that Bon Iver thing I love where the songs are melodic and accessible, but atmospheric, even avant garde stuff is happening around the edges of the arrangements.

Pat Metheny and Ornette Coleman - Song X
A little too wild for me overall. There were really cool moments, but this far into his career, Ornette was doing stuff that just doesn't click with me.

Reba McEntire - Whoever's in New England
Rock-solid mainstream country. "I'll Believe It When I Feel It" is one of the best '80s country songs I've heard, too.

 

can we go back now please?

 

1. XTC - Skylarking
2. Paul Simon - Graceland
3. Metallyca - Master Of Puppets

skylarking is very good

 

@cshadows2887 glad to hear you enjoyed Skylarking!

 

Didn't get nearly enough listening in again YET again this week - Hornsby is on my docket for tomorrow now.... But at least can get in my Top 5 which hasn't changed

1. XTC - Skylarking
2. Beastie Boys - Licensed To Ill
3. Peter Gabriel - So
4. R.E.M. - Life's Rich Pageant
5. Tommy Keene - Songs From The Film