1987 - Clive's Top Albums of Every Year Challenge

September 15, 2022 by Clive in Clive's Album Challenge, Music

And so, 27 years down the line from 1960, the first year we covered, we’re up to my birth year, 1987, which seems quite poignant with the birth of my own son due for the end of the month. Other than the momentous fact that I was born, without which this whole daft challenge wouldn’t exist, there were some other events in 1987. Namely: Margaret Thatcher won a rare third term as Prime Minister in the UK, the term ‘world music’ was apparently coined, the US Supreme Court ruled that Rotary Club rules must admit women, and Óscar Arias Sánchez won the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to end the Central American crisis.

On the album side of things, here’s what rateyourmusic.com’s users rate as their top 5 albums of the year:

#1 Prince - Sign o’ the Times
#2 Sonic Youth - Sister
#3 Dinosaur Jr - You’re Living All Over Me
#4 Requiem - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart / Franz Xaver Süssmayr
#5 Dead Can Dance - Within the Realm of a Dying Sun

I’ll also grab this lot from further down the list:

#9 Swans - Children of God
#10 Depeche Mode - Music for the Masses
#12 Tom Waits - Frank’s Wild Years
#18 The Smiths - Strangeways Here We Come
#20 U2 - The Joshua Tree

and these from Pitchfork’s top 20 of the 1980s list that aren’t on rateyourmusic.com’s list:

Eric B & Rakim - Paid in Full
Boogie Down Productions - Criminal Minded

and finally, these from NPR readers’ list of the best albums by female artists:

Whitney Houston - Whitney
Sinead O’Connor - Lion and the Cobra

That’s 14 albums to check out, let’s go.

“Whitney is the second studio album by American singer Whitney Houston, released on June 2, 1987, by Arista Records as the follow-up to her best-selling debut album, Whitney Houston. The album features five top 10 hits on the US Billboard Hot 100, which also became international hits. The album's first four singles—I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me), Didn't We Almost Have It All, So Emotional and Where Do Broken Hearts Go—all peaked at number one on the US Hot 100, making her the first female act to achieve four number one hits from one album.” - Wikipedia

When an album opens with one of the finest pop songs ever written, I Wanna Dance With Somebody, with its impossibly uplifting chorus, perfect brass stabs and what is surely one of the finest vocal performances on a pop song ever, it’s going to be difficult for the rest of the album to keep up. Whitney has a good go though. As many critics expressed at the time, it sticks pretty rigidly to the formula of the first album and as such there’s nothing particularly new here, but the production is silky smooth, Whitney’s vocals and melodies are as powerful as ever, and the tracks are of good quality from start to finish. It’s a thoroughly enjoyable dip into 80s pop.

Song Picks: I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me), Where Do Broken Hearts Go

8/10

“Music for the Masses is the sixth studio album by English electronic music band Depeche Mode, released on 28 September 1987 by Mute Records. The album was supported by the Music for the Masses Tour, which launched their fame in the US when they performed at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. The tour led to the creation and filming of the documentary/live album titled 101. This saw the band using heavy amounts of sampling, much like they did in their previous album Black Celebration.” - Wikipedia

Depeche Mode sound like a kind of mix of Kraftwerk and Tears for Fears to me, with the slightly robotic detachment of the former, and the more atmospheric electronic soundscapes of the latter. They sure know how to make a tuneful synth line, as shown on The Things You Said and Strangelove, among others. David Gahan’s vocals are either multi-tracked, or have some sort of chorus effect on them, giving them a slightly washed-out quality that works well with the often bleak minor key melodies he sings.

Music for the Masses isn’t trying to be feel-good or fun, but it is remarkably tuneful for an album as bleak as concrete in a J.G Ballard novel.

Song Picks: The Things You Said, Strangelove, Nothing, To Have and to Hold

8/10

12. Requiem

**Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Franz Xaver Süssmayr**

It’s hard to find much online about this particular recording, but the following paragraph from Wikipedia gives some context to the piece’s composition:

“The Requiem in D minor, K. 626, is a requiem mass by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791). Mozart composed part of the Requiem in Vienna in late 1791, but it was unfinished at his death on 5 December the same year. A completed version dated 1792 by Franz Xaver Süssmayr was delivered to Count Franz von Walsegg, who commissioned the piece for a requiem service on 14 February 1792 to commemorate the first anniversary of the death of his wife Anna at the age of 20 on 14 February 1791.” - Wikipedia

This 1987 recording is performed by the Vienna Philharmonic and conducted by Herbert von Karajan, and it’s as dramatic as you’d expect. It’s one of the first classical pieces we’ve had on this challenge where I‘ve not recognised any of it, and one of the most affecting. The choir adds a full and rich sound that helps to round out some of the sharper edges coming from the string and brass sections. Appropriate to its title, the recording definitely has a funeral feel to it. It’s beautifully performed throughout, but there’s a few moments that really stand out, such as particular sections of III: c Rex Tremendae where the choir and orchestra combine so perfectly I thought it was me who’d made it to heaven. I’m not particularly knowledgeable about classical music as you’ll have gathered by now, but I do appreciate it, and this is another recording I’m really glad to have been enlightened to.

8.5/10

**11. Within the Realm of a Dying Sun**

Dead Can Dance

“Within the Realm of a Dying Sun is the third studio album by Australian band Dead Can Dance. By this time, Dead Can Dance were predominantly a duo of Lisa Gerrard and Brendan Perry, along with Peter Ulrich, after the departure of Scott Rodger and James Pinker in 1987.” - Wikipedia

Lisa Gerrard famously sings that song in Gladiator where she uses glossolalia (sounds made to sound like words and speech while not being in any language) to great effect. On this album, it takes a while for her vocal to start gaining prominence, but when it does, as on the penultimate track Summoning of the Muse, it’s all-encompassingly vast, the church bells behind her ringing as she seemingly echoes out from the top of the tower for all the world to hear. Brendan Perry’s vocal, which features more on the opening tracks of the album, is a little less remarkable, but it blends well with the gothic, heavily reverbed instrumentation behind him.

Within the Realm of a Dying Sun is incredibly atmospheric, and it’s easy to get lost in its wells of slow melodies and cathedral reverbs. The drama has been turned up to 11, which at times can be a bit too much, but if you catch this album at the right time it’s spectacular experience.

Song Picks: Summoning of the Muse, Persephone (The Gathering of Flowers)

8.5/10

I love it when a new genre appears on this challenge, it’s exciting. This particular genre will be making an appearance in pretty much every year from now on I imagine, It’s a grand welcome to……. hip-hop.

“Paid in Full is the debut album of American hip hop duo Eric B. & Rakim, released on July 7, 1987, by Island-subsidiary label 4th & B'way Records. The duo recorded the album at hip hop producer Marley Marl's home studio and Power Play Studios in New York City, following Rakim's response to Eric B.'s search for a rapper to complement his disc jockey work in 1985. The album peaked at number fifty-eight on the Billboard 200 chart, number eight on the R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, and produced five singles: Eric B. Is President, I Ain't No Joke, I Know You Got Soul, Move the Crowd, and Paid in Full. Paid in Full is credited as a benchmark album of golden age hip hop. Rakim's rapping, which pioneered the use of internal rhymes in hip hop, set a higher standard of lyricism in the genre and served as a template for future rappers.” - Wikipedia

I think that Wikipedia blurb pretty much sums it up. Paid in Full is hugely influential. I mean without Rakim pioneering of internal rhymes we’d never have had the following Flight of the Conchords lyric:

And he said, "Can somebody
Get the knife and fork out of my leg, please"
"Can somebody please remove
These cutleries from my knees"

Obviously, that would have been a travesty. That aside, the beats, DJ scratching and Rakim’s flow all just oozes old-school cool, and what more could one want from early hip-hop?

Song Picks: I Ain’t No Joke, I Know You Got Soul, Paid in Full

8.5/10

“Franks Wild Years is the tenth studio album by Tom Waits, released 1987 on Island Records. Subtitled Un Operachi Romantico in Two Acts, the album contains songs written by Waits and collaborators (mainly his wife, Kathleen Brennan) for a play of the same name. The shared title of the album and the play is an iteration of Frank's Wild Years, a song from Waits' 1983 album Swordfishtrombones.” - Wikipedia

Generally considered the final album of a trilogy that includes Swordfishtrombones and Rain Dogs, Franks Wild Years continues in a similar vein, with the familiar and unique barroom instrumentation of the previous two albums. It also continues the trend of having a mix of songs containing more substantial melodic instrumental parts and those with more space, where Waits’ vocals carry the vast amount of the melody.

By virtue of this being the third album in this style, the sound loses some of its freshness, but there was still no one out there making music like Tom Waits at the time. We’ve still got atmospheric production and raw-sounding varied instrumentation, and Waits’ vocals continue to have that worn growl. Lyrically the album again tackles the lives of the downtrodden, and his lyrics are as vivid as ever. I think you could certainly argue that Franks Wild Years is the most varied album of the three, and that is quite the achievement, which is largely led by Tom’s more open and free vocal style on the record. Frank’s Wild Years is consistently very good, but doesn’t quite achieve the highs of Rain Dogs, though the beautiful Innocent When You Dream and comes mighty close. Nevertheless, this is another brilliant record, in what is surely one of the 80s strongest album runs.

Song Picks: Temptation, Innocent When You Dream (both versions), Way Down in the Hole, Cold Cold Ground, I’ll Take New York

8.5/10

“Children of God is the fifth studio album by American experimental rock band Swans. It was released on October 19, 1987 through record label Caroline. The album was recorded over the course of six weeks in February–March 1987 at Sawmills Studios in Cornwall, England. It represented a dramatic, experimental change in sound from earlier Swans releases.” - Wikipedia

In the words of vocalist Michael Gira: “By 1986/7 Swans had run its course with the physical assault of sound that we had employed previously for the most part. I wanted to move on to other things and didn’t want to get stuck in some style, which in our case had the potential of becoming cartoonish if we’d continued in that direction. So, I pushed the music into unfamiliar territory.”

Children of God is slightly less of a bludgeon to the head than the previous Swans album we’ve had on these lists, Filth. There’s even some acoustic tracks here, which would have been unthinkable back then. In the words of Super Hans from Peep Show ‘the longer the note, the more dread’, and Children of God revels in a sense of dread, though it does this more with the heavy reverb and space in between notes than their length specifically. Whether distorted guitars or gently plucked acoustic guitar notes, each of these songs is a slow dirge, a fight through treacle in the belly of a whale that has just eaten you, a speedy punk rock album slowed down until it starts falling apart. I think it’d be fair to say that at over 70 minutes long it overstays its welcome a little, but then Children of God never expected to be welcomed, it just slowly smashed your door down and made a racket. If you submit yourself to the racket for its duration, I can guarantee you’ll come out the other side having experienced something akin to the end of the world, with you passing over to the afterlife during the beautiful closing title track. And who wouldn’t want to experience that?

Children of God is slow, magnificent carnage.

Song Picks: New Mind, Beautiful Child, Children of God

8.5/10

7. Criminal Minded

Boogie Down Productions

“Criminal Minded is the debut studio album by hip hop music group Boogie Down Productions, released on March 3, 1987 by B-Boy Records. It is considered a highly influential hip hop album and one of the first in the gangsta rap genre. Since its release, the album has been sampled, interpolated and paraphrased. Its samples and direct influences were unusual at the time, ranging from liberal use of dancehall reggae (as well as the more commonly used James Brown) to rock music artists such as AC/DC, The Beatles and Billy Joel.” - Wikipedia

Sure, you could argue it sounds primitive when compared to today’s hip-hop productions. The rapping doesn’t have the multitude of cadences and complexity of someone like Kendrick Lamar, and the production is rarely more advanced than a simple drum beat, a repeated bass hook and the odd more trebly instrument, but darn this is enjoyable. It’s old school maaaaan. KRS-One’s vocal has a great timbre for rap, and his lyrics and delivery have an infectious sense of fun to them, even when rapping about more serious topics. Criminal Minded is regarded as one of the first gangsta-rap albums, with tracks like 9mm Goes Bang pioneering ‘first person crime storytelling in rap’ (Pitchfork).

I’m a big fan of Criminal Minded, its simplicity leads to a lot of space, something not all that prominent on more modern hip-hop recordings which follow a much more maximalist vein, and it all just leads to a record that exudes a ‘chill’ atmosphere.

Song Picks: 9mm Goes Bang, South Bronx,

9/10

6. Strangeways, Here We Come

The Smiths

“Strangeways, Here We Come is the fourth and final studio album by English rock band the Smiths. It was released on 28 September 1987 by Rough Trade Records, several months after the group had disbanded. All of the songs were composed by Johnny Marr, with lyrics written and sung by Morrissey.” - WIkipedia

The most noticeable change from the Smiths’ other albums is Johnny Marr’s less speedy guitar riffing, with a style that is a little more restrained and much less jangly, something Marr did very intentionally as he wanted to move the band to a new sound. He even whips out the odd guitar solo. Morrissey’s vocals are also more restrained, featuring less of the faux-operatic and dramatic quality that they’re famous for.

You’d be forgiven for thinking these changes would take away some of the band’s character but, remarkably, I don’t think they do. Morrissey’s vocals may have been reined in, but his lyrics are still punchy, and he’s added a few more techniques to his vocal locker - most notably the odd growl. To me, the new style adds a nice layer of intrigue.

Strangeways Here We Come doesn’t have the song-power that The Queen is Dead has (only Stop Me If You Think You’ve Heard This One Before is a household song thanks to the recent Mark Ronson version) but it is another cohesive statement by the band that has more great songs on than I’d been lead to believe, and that is probably their most atmospheric album. It feels like the transitional album before another masterpiece. Sadly, it was their last.

Song Picks: Stop Me If You Think That You’ve Heard This One Before, I Started Something I Couldn’t Finish, Death of a Disco Dancer, Paint a Vulgar Picture

9/10

“The Joshua Tree is the fifth studio album by Irish rock band U2. It was produced by Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno, and was released on 9 March 1987 on Island Records. In contrast to the ambient experimentation of their 1984 release, The Unforgettable Fire, the band aimed for a harder-hitting sound within the limitation of conventional song structures on The Joshua Tree. The album is influenced by American and Irish roots music, and through sociopolitically conscious lyrics embellished with spiritual imagery, it contrasts the group's antipathy for the ‘real America’ with their fascination with the ‘mythical America’.” - Wikipedia

The Joshua Tree opens up with 3 iconic tracks in a row: Where the Streets Have No Name, I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For and With or Without You, all timeless classics that are as great examples of songwriting as they are of atmospheric production. The album’s brilliance doesn’t stop there though, Bullet the Blue Sky features bass that’ll rattle your skull, In God’s Country is an example of The Edge’s brilliant guitar work, showing both his well-known mastering of delay and his lesser-known ability to craft a jangly riff. Eno and Lanois’ production is superb throughout and is a big part of why the album is often called timeless. It doesn’t sound like an 80s album. It really could have come out this year, the 90s, or the 2000s. Every song sounds full and stadium ready. The influence of The Joshua Tree echoes like the delay on one of The Edge’s guitar parts throughout the following decades.

Song Picks: Where the Streets Have No Name, I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For and With or Without You, Bullet the Blue Sky, In God’s Country. One Tree Hill

9/10

“Sister is the fourth studio album by American alternative rock band Sonic Youth. It was released in June 1987 by SST Records. The album furthered the band's move away from the no wave genre towards more traditional song structures, while maintaining an aggressively experimental approach. Like Sonic Youth's previous records, Sister was not successful at the time of its release. In the years following, however, it received much critical praise, with several publications naming it as one of the best albums of the 1980s.” - Wikipedia

A loose concept album about the life and works of Philip K Dick, the album is reportedly named after his twin sister, who died shortly after her birth. Sister sees Sonic Youth sand down some of the abrasiveness of EVOL, but more in terms of song structures than sound. There’s more traditional choruses and verses here, but the instrumentation still howls and screams like a dying factory at points. To me, Sister is the brilliant distillation of what their previous experimentation and envelope-pushing has taught them into a package that is a little easier to digest, and I’d say even more brilliant. I’m told their most famous album Daydream Nation (which we’ll get to next year) continues this trend, which has me rather excited.

Sister is a paranoid, dystopian cry fed to us in more bitesisize and digestible chunks, which makes it all the more effective.

Song Picks: Schizophrenia, Catholic Block, White Cross, Stereo Sanctity

9/10

3. You’re Living All Over Me

Dinosaur Jr

“You're Living All Over Me is the second studio album by American alternative rock band Dinosaur Jr. It was released on December 14, 1987, through SST Records. A refinement of the formula introduced on the band's debut album Dinosaur, You're Living All Over Me features drawling vocals paired with loud guitars and driving rhythms. The album was well-reviewed upon release, and is now regarded as a high point of American rock in the 1980s. The album was originally issued when the band was still known as Dinosaur, before a lawsuit forced the name change to Dinosaur Jr.” - Wikipedia

I’m listening to the Merge remaster, which I’m told cleans up the sound of the album somewhat. And indeed it does sound like something that was roughly recorded but well mastered. I can see why this was such a huge influence on many grunge artists later on, and J. Mascis’ vocals have more than a hint of Kurt Cobain about them at points, though he is much less shouty. To me, this sounds like a mix of midwest emo and the upcoming grunge, which qualifies it as a pioneering album in my books. As well as being pioneering though, the album is also hugely enjoyable. J Mascis is clearly the leading creative force here, and it’s his powering guitar-riffs, eclectic solos and melodic and evocative vocal lines that make the album what it is, with Murph’s drums and Lou Barlow’s bass making a very solid, if unremarkable rhythm section.

You’re Living All Over Me is one of those albums that would sound like a greatest hits album if it wasn’t so roughly recorded, it’s just full of great songs from start to finish, largely thanks to J Masics’ superb ability to write effective choruses, though I love his unbarred guitar solos too (Raisans being a great example). I have a J Mascis signature Squier guitar, which I bought before I’d listened to the band because I loved the look of it, so I’m extra pleased the guy is behind one of the 80s’ best albums.

Song Picks: Little Fury Things, Sludgefeast, Tarpit

9.5/10

“Sign o' the Times is the ninth studio album by American singer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Prince. It was first released on March 31, 1987 as a double album by Paisley Park Records and Warner Bros. Records. The album is the follow-up to Parade and is Prince's first album following his disbanding of the Revolution. The album's songs were largely recorded during 1986 to 1987 in sessions for releases Prince ultimately aborted: Dream Factory, the pseudonymous Camille, and finally the triple album Crystal Ball. Prince eventually compromised with label executives and shortened the length of the release to a double album.” - Wikipedia

From the opening of the title track, it’s clear Prince is turning up the funk on this album. Who knew tracks featuring programmed drums could be this funky? It turns out that with the help of catchy bass lines and a measured sprinkling of superb guitar licks they can. All this is repeated again in Housequake, one of the album’s most infectiously fun tracks.

The album is essentially just a great showcase of Prince's musical prowess. Prince is credited as playing ‘various instruments’, which seems to equate to pretty much all of them, as well as programming the drums (which are really well done considering the age of this album). He shows a Stevie Wonder level of multi-instrumental musical genius that you can’t help but respect. That’s before we even talk about his consistently alluring and singular vocal performances. There's a wide variety to the songs too with that punchy programmed drum sound, and consistently great melodies still giving the album a thread of cohesion.

As a side note, the digital version of the original album seems to have numerous volume imbalance issues with some tracks much louder than others. Though I’m not always a fan of remasters, if listening on streaming services I’d recommend listening to the 2020 remaster in this case, where the volume levels are a little more consistent.

Sign o’ the Times is less of a coherent statement than the masterpiece that is Purple Rain and instead it feels like an album showing us the breadth of what Prince can do. “What can he do?” I hear you ask. Well, he can make music that’s as fun as anything ever recorded, that’s what.

On that note, I literally can’t listen to I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man and not be in a good mood. That thing is an 80s guitar-solo-infused ecstasy pill.

Song Picks: Sign O’ the Times, Housequake, I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man, It, U Got the Look

9.5/10

1. The Lion and the Cobra

Sinéad O'Connor

“The Lion and the Cobra is the debut album by Irish singer Sinéad O'Connor, released on 4 November 1987 by Ensign and Chrysalis Records. O'Connor recorded the album while in the later stages of pregnancy with her first child. The title of the album is from Psalm 91:13 ‘you will tread upon the lion and cobra"‘, and the track Never Get Old opens with an Irish language recital of Psalm 91 by singer Enya.” - Wikipedia

It turns out there’s more to Sinead O’Connor than her famous cover of Prince’s Nothing Compares 2 U. The Lion and the Cobra is an ambitious album that demands your attention. O’Connor’s angry, at times tormented vocals aren’t conducive to great background listening, but that’s not what she wants to be. The Lion and the Cobra is full of attitude, and occasionally restrained anger at the world. She herself said “I couldn’t admit it was her I was angry at, so I took it out on the world” referring to her anger at her abusive mother, who died in a car crash when O’Connor was 19.

Songs like Mandinka and Jerusalem are some of the decade’s most powerful songs, and the album jumps from huge productions like those to sections of songs like Never Get Old that are almost acapella, save for some muted drums somewhere in the background. Her vocals though, consistently roar with the energy of a high-speed train. There are famously two covers to the album: the one where she looks as if she’s shouting but was apparently singing above, and the North American version where they decided she needed a ‘softer’ image. Screw that, the above cover is perfect. It looks like someone who has repressed their anger so much that when they try to look angry, they look close to maniacal laughter. On the Lion and the Cobra that mania is there for all to hear, the catharsis palpable, and the creativity undeniable. I think it’s one of the decade’s most underrated albums.

Song Picks: Troy, Mandinka, Jerusalem

9.5/10

1986 - Clive's Top Albums of Every Year Challenge

August 15, 2022 by Clive in Clive's Album Challenge, Music

Over what will likely be the next few years I’m going to be ranking and reviewing the top 5 albums - plus a fair few extras - according to users on rateyourmusic.com (think IMDB for music) from every year from 1960 to the present. If you want to know more, I wrote an introduction to the ‘challenge’ here. You can also read all the other entries I’ve written so far by heading to the lovely index page here.

The top 1986 headlines aren’t particularly positive I’m afraid: the Soviet nuclear reactor at Chernobyl exploded spreading radioactive material across much of Europe and the Space Shuttle Challenger also exploded 73 seconds after launching, killing all seven astronauts on board.

But onto more positive things, here’s rateyourmusic.com users’ top 5 albums of 1986:

#1 The Smiths - The Queen is Dead
#2 Metallica - Master of Puppets
#3 Slayer - Reign in Blood
#4 Astor Piazzolla and The New Tango Quintet: Tango: Zero Hour / Nuevo Tango: Hora Zero
#5 Iron Maiden - Somewhere in Time

As is customary, I’ll also grab some from further down the list

#6 Candlemass - Epicus Doomicus Metallicus
#7 XTC - Skylarking
#8 Talk Talk - The Colour of Spring
#9 Sonic Youth - EVOL

#12 Peter Gabriel - So
#14 Paul Simon - Graceland
#28 Siouxsie & the Banshees - Tinderbox

Finally, to add more female artists to the equation, I’ll be grabbing anything from 1986 from NPR’s list of the best albums of all time by female artists, as well as the same list as voted on by their readers. This year we’ve just got the one album to add:

Janet Jackson - Control

13 reviews to do then, off we go.

Somewhere in Time is the sixth studio album by English heavy metal band Iron Maiden. It was released on 29 September 1986 in the United Kingdom by EMI Records and in the United States by Capitol Records. It was the band's first album to feature guitar synthesisers. Since its release, Somewhere in Time has been certified platinum by the RIAA, having sold over one million copies in the US. - Wikipedia

Ah, another Iron Maiden release. Unfortunately, they remain that one band regularly appearing in these top 5s that I just can’t get into. Entertaining enough, and I can appreciate why others would like it, but I’m just not feeling it y’know. This one feels a little, dare I say it, poppier. I preferred some of their earlier releases, but this still has plenty of rock-solid riffs, guitar solos, and howling vocals.

Song Picks: Deja Vu

6.5/10

12. Epicus Doomicus Metallicus

Candlemass

Epicus Doomicus Metallicus is the debut album of the Swedish doom metal band Candlemass. It was released June 10, 1986 on Black Dragon Records. On its release, the album had a significantly different sound than other European heavy metal bands of the time, because of their use of operatic vocals mixed over slow and heavy guitar riffs. The album did not sell well on its initial release, which led to the group being dropped from the label during the same year. Since then, the album has been re-issued in several different formats. - Wikipedia

I’m getting a definite Black Sabbath vibe from Mats Björkman’s riffs on Epicus Doomicus Metallicus, they’re slow, methodical and powerful. Indeed they’re easily some of the most crushing I’ve ever heard. Messiah Marcolin’s vocals are operatic, and he’s less prone to high pitched wails than many of his contemporaries. The whole thing is a change of pace from the thrash-metal of Slayer and Metallica.

I’m generally a little biased against music that is too operatic, finding it rather hard to get into. The fact I very much enjoyed this is testament to how good it is, and though it was never going to become a favourite, I can absolutely appreciate why they’re as highly thought of as they are.

Song Picks: Demons Gate, Crystal Ball

8/10

Control is the third studio album by American singer Janet Jackson, released on February 4, 1986, by A&M Records. Her collaborations with the songwriters and record producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis resulted in an unconventional sound: a fusion of rhythm and blues, rap vocals, funk, disco, and synthesized percussion that established Jackson, Jam and Lewis as the leading innovators of contemporary R&B. The album became Jackson's commercial breakthrough and enabled her to transition into the popular music market, with Control becoming one of the foremost albums of the 1980s and contemporary music. - Wikipedia

Control contrasts nicely to many other pop albums by female artists in the 80s, such as those by Whitney Houston or Cyndi Lauper, in that it often has more of a focus on percussive power and energy than balladry. Tracks aren’t saturated with instruments blasting evocative chord structures, but instead have a sense of space, one which allows the cataclysmic drums to take centre stage. The album is more about funk and groove than it is about melody, and it sets Jackson apart from her contemporaries in way that is refreshing. While others blasted us with powerful vocals, Jackson blasts us with programmed, gated drums and funky bass grooves. It also features some superb guitar solos, which is a good way to my heart.

Song Picks: Control, You Can Be Mine, Principle of Pleasure

8.5/10

Skylarking is the ninth studio album by the English rock band XTC, released 27 October 1986 on Virgin Records. Produced by American musician Todd Rundgren, it is a loose concept album about a nonspecific cycle, such as a day, a year, the seasons, or a life. The title refers to a type of bird (skylark), as well as the Royal Navy term "skylarking", which means "fooling around". It became one of XTC's best-known albums and is generally regarded as their finest work. - Wikipedia

Andy Partridge’s ability to write a tune is evident from the opening Summer Cauldron (a song about a baby in the womb about to enter the world) and Grass (a song about ‘fumbling’ about on some grass). Recording was plagued with tension between Partridge and producer Todd Rundgren, the former apparently saying he wanted to embed an axe in the latter’s head at one point. The tension is somewhat audible, with the band and Partridge’s vocal sounding quite distant from each other. It’s that detached sound that gives the album a very unique feel though. A lot of these tracks would be a little kitschy (I’m looking at you That’s Really Super, Supergirl) if it weren’t for Rundgren’s grey production adding some darkness to Partridge’s ice-lolly coloured melodies, though the curveball lyrics help too. If you want a nerdier take on 80s pop, then you can’t go wrong with Skylarking.

Song Picks: Summer’s Cauldron, Season Cycle, That’s Really Super, Supergirl

8.5/10

9. Tinderbox

**Siouxsie & the Banshees**

Tinderbox is the seventh studio album by English rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees. It was released on 21 April 1986 by Wonderland and Polydor Records in the United Kingdom and by Geffen Records in the United States. It was the band's first full-length effort recorded with then-new guitarist John Valentine Carruthers; Carruthers had previously only added a few parts on the 1984 EP The Thorn. The first recording sessions for the album took place at Hansa by the Wall in Berlin in May 1985. - Wikipedia

As with 1981’s Juju, which I loved, Siouxsie Sioux’s vocals are in a class of their own, while the fact the guitars have stepped back a little bit gives the whole thing a slightly more ethereal feel. Tinderbox is one of those albums that is hard to get a grapple of, with the single Cities in Dust (about Pompeii) providing one of the album’s firmer emotional handholds with its great chorus. Tinderbox is the perfect mix of intrigue and accessibility.

Song Picks: Cities in Dust

9/10

Master of Puppets is the third studio album by the American heavy metal band Metallica, released on March 3, 1986, by Elektra Records. Recorded in Denmark at Sweet Silence Studios with producer Flemming Rasmussen, it was the band's last album to feature bassist Cliff Burton, who died in a bus accident in Sweden during the album's promotional tour. - Wikipedia

Widely regarded as one of the most influential thrash metal albums of all time, it incrementally improves on Ride the Lightning in pretty much every way, and that was already a very good album. The riffs are punchier, the whole thing feels more cohesive, and while Ride the Lightning felt more cerebral than visceral, Master of Puppets, although still leaning towards the former, hits a lot harder in terms of its production and riffs than its predecessor. Anyway, enough comparing, Master of Puppets is a truly great album in a genre that I have to confess to knowing little about. Hetfield’s vocals don’t have much range, but they do manage to add weight to the already heavy riffs here, and when he does crack out a more melodic part - such as on the excellent title track - it hits.

I’ve been a critic of Lars Ulrich over the years, largely because when I saw the band at Rock Im Park in Germany many years ago he was consistently well ahead of the beat, and even on these cleaner recordings he seems in a bigger rush than the rest of the band to me, denying the tracks some of the percussive power a more ‘relaxed’ drummer might have given them, which is a shame.

Nevertheless, Master of Puppets is marvellous. I find people are often too quick to call something heavy, but this absolutely qualifies. It sounds like a massive meteorite hurtling through Earth’s atmosphere.

Song Picks: Master of Puppets, The Thing That Should Not Be, Damage Inc

9/10

Reign in Blood is the third studio album by American thrash metal band Slayer, released on October 7, 1986, by Def Jam Recordings. The album was the band's first collaboration with producer Rick Rubin, whose input helped the band's sound evolve. The release date of the album was delayed because of concerns regarding the lyrical subject matter of the opening track "Angel of Death", which refers to Josef Mengele and describes acts such as human experimentation that he committed at the Auschwitz concentration camp. The band's members stated that they did not condone Nazism and were merely interested in the subject. - Wikipedia

Rick Rubin is now synonymous with the loudness wars, but his production here is perfect. Reign In Blood hits harder than Metallica’s Master of Puppets, and that’s going somewhere. This is real thrash metal, no-nonsense melodic acoustic breakdowns here, just pedal-to-the-metal blistering riffs, powerhouse drumming and Araya’s vocals roaring like an angry lion. I kid of course, melodic breakdowns are fine. Reign In Blood though wants nothing to do with them and thinks they’re a bootless errand. Reign In Blood is clearly keen not to waste your time, hence why it is only 28 minutes long, and not a second is wasted.

Song Picks: Altar of Sacrifice, Jesus Saves, Postmortem

9/10

The Colour of Spring is the third studio album by English band Talk Talk, released in February 1986. Musically, The Colour of Spring was a major step away from the synthesised pop of early Talk Talk, with a greater focus on guitars, pianos, and organs on such songs as "Life's What You Make It", "Living in Another World" and "Give It Up". It had a sound described by the band as much more organic than their earlier records, with the improvisation that was to dominate on their later works already apparent in the recording process. - Wikipedia

Is there a more sumptuous piece of 80s production than the opening Happiness is Easy? I think not. Webb’s bass groove, the variaphone and Hollis’ vocals all blend together to create something that is like audible honey. Hell, this whole thing is some gorgeous, sophisticated desert, like a fine tiramisu. Everything is tastefully done, and has had a lot of thought, but it at no point feels sterile. The Colour of Spring is one of those albums I’d not heard of at all that I’m really happy this challenge has introduced me to.

Song Picks: Happiness is Easy, I Don’t Believe in You, Life is What You Make It, Time it’s Time

9/10

Tango: Zero Hour (Nuevo Tango: Hora Zero in Spanish) is an album by Ástor Piazzolla and his Quinteto Nuevo Tango (in English: New Tango Quintet, often loosely referred to as his second quintet). It was released in September 1986 on American Clavé, and re-released on Pangaea Records in 1988. - Wikipedia

Piazzolla considered this his greatest album, and it appropriately marks zero hour for my adventure into any sort of tango music. Zero Hour is glorious, it rings with an energy and intricacy that never loses its feeling of rawness. I’d like to say it sounds like a dusty Spanish town on a hot day, where people have their windows open talking to each other across the street, but that would be incorrect. Zero Hour sounds like a couple dancing as that street interchangeably loudly and quietly collapses around them, until there’s nothing left but them in a desert of dust and rubble. If that sounds dramatic, just wait until you’ve heard this hauntingly beautiful record.

Song Pick: Concierto Para Quinteto

9/10

So is the fifth studio album by English singer-songwriter Peter Gabriel, released on 19 May 1986 by Charisma Records. After working on the soundtrack to the film Birdy (1984), producer Daniel Lanois was invited to remain at Gabriel's Somerset home during 1985 to work on his next solo project. Initial sessions for So consisted of Gabriel, Lanois and guitarist David Rhodes, although these grew to include a number of percussionists. Often considered his best and most accessible album, So was an immediate commercial success and transformed Gabriel from a cult artist into a mainstream star, becoming his best-selling solo release. - Wikipedia

So opens with Red Rain, a typically epic and 80s sounding Gabriel track, and one of my favourites. Though I think the live version from Secret World Live is superior to the version here, largely because I prefer Manu Katche’s drumming on the live track to the drumming here, it’s still a really powerful way to open the album. The album continues in a pretty forceful vein: gated drums, synths, and an exaggerated sense of drama helping bring a really 80s feel to the record. Sledgehammer is one of Gabriel’s most famous songs, and it brilliantly demonstrates his nous for huge sounding production (with backing choirs and a synthesised shakuhachi flute in this case) and playful melodies. Kate Bush features on the angelic Don’t Give Up, and excels in production perhaps a little less experimental than that on her own songs. In Your Eyes, ‘inspired by an African tradition of ambiguity in song between romantic love and love of God’ according to Gabriel, received a new lease of life when it played a prominent role in a scene in Say Anything…, starring John Cusack, is another one of the album’s famous tracks. A perfect love song that escapes its rather cheesy lyrical theme through yet more monumental production (this time including a clear African influence, including a great part in Wolof by Youssou N'Dour) and melodies to die for.

So is another 80s classic, from the man who had a knack for distilling the musical ideas of the decade (at least in pop) into songs that were catchy, huge, and interesting. Some say the album leans too much into the time, and feels dated now. I disagree, it’s a product of the 80s, and it wears that on its sleeve like a badge of honour.

Song Picks: In Your Eyes, Red Rain, Sledgehammer, Don’t Give Up, That Voice Again

9/10

EVOL is the third full-length studio album by the American alternative rock band Sonic Youth. Released in May 1986, EVOL was Sonic Youth’s first album on SST Records, and also the first album to feature then-new drummer Steve Shelley who had just replaced Bob Bert. In retrospective reviews, critics cite EVOL as marking Sonic Youth’s transition from their no wave roots toward a greater pop sensibility, while bassist Kim Gordon has referred to it as the band’s “goth record.” - Wikipedia

The first in what will be plenty of Sonic Youth albums appearing on these lists in the upcoming years is a paranoid and dark album of guitar chord drones and vocals that sound resigned to the ether. On Shadow of a Doubt Gordon whispers hauntingly over the plucked guitar part, before the other vocalists back her ever more paranoid screams during the chorus (if you can call it that). The fact the band has three distinct vocalists (bassist Kim Gordon and guitarists Lee Ranaldo and Thurston Moore) adds to the album’s anarchy. EVOL can be a challenging listen, particularly for those prone to anxiety among us. There’s a deep unease to a lot of the guitar work, Starpower features a superb riff that is both unsettling and enjoyable, while In the Kingdom #19 switches between a head-bopping riff and what sounds like an air raid (reminiscent of Hendrix’s version of the Star Spangled Banner) in a way that only Sonic Youth could make work. On Death to our Friends the guitar sounds so dissonant it’s as if it’s been found in an attic and never tuned.

EVOL is a dark chaos which has begun transforming itself into something resembling songs. It’s a masterful subversion of established genres to create something that sounds so punk, that you can’t call it punk at all.

Song Picks: Starpower; Shadow of a Doubt; Secret Girl; Madonna, Sean and Me

9/10

The Queen Is Dead is the third studio album by English rock band the Smiths. Released on 16 June 1986 in the United Kingdom by Rough Trade Records, and on 23 June 1986 in the US by Sire Records, it spent 22 weeks on the UK Albums Chart, peaking at number two. It also peaked at number 70 on the US Billboard 200, and was certified Gold by the RIAA in late 1990.

In 2020, Rolling Stone ranked The Queen Is Dead 113th on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. In its 2013 list, the NME named The Queen Is Dead the greatest album of all time. - Wikipedia

I had a feeling as I listened to other albums by the Smiths that this one would end up being my favourite, and it is. The Queen is Dead does away with some of the consistency issues of previous albums (though I very much like them all) and is packed front to back with everything that makes the Smiths great. Johnny Marr’s riffs power things along at pace, and occasionally even add a dramatic sense of urgency to things, such as on the opening title track’s second half. Morrissey is at his melodic best, I’ve talked about his style being almost operatic, and here its singularity is coupled with memorable melody after memorable melody. The album also contains some of his best lyrics, ‘I’ve got the 21st century breathing down my neck’ being just one example of the many great lines on this record. Love him or hate him, these are some of the most memorable vocal performances of the 80s.

The drums and bass are on point too, aided by the album’s sleek production, no doubt as much the work of Stephen Street (who produced Meat is Murder) at the mixing desk, as it was that of Marr and Morrissey who are credited as producers here.

The Queen is Dead is one of the 80s’ best bands at their absolute peak, and its effect on all ‘indie’ music since can’t be understated, something made evident by the fact that the NME - who typically loves that genre - named it the best album of all time in 2013.

Song Picks: The Queen is Dead, There is a Light That Never Goes Out, Bigmouth Strikes Again

9.5/10

Graceland is the seventh solo studio album by the American singer-songwriter Paul Simon. It was produced by Simon, engineered by Roy Halee and released on August 25, 1986, by Warner Bros. Records. In the early 1980s, Simon's relationship with his former musical partner Art Garfunkel had deteriorated, his marriage to actress Carrie Fisher had collapsed, and his previous record, Hearts and Bones (1983), had been a commercial failure. In 1984, after a period of depression, Simon became fascinated by a bootleg cassette of mbaqanga, South African street music. He and Halee visited Johannesburg, where they spent two weeks recording with South African musicians. Further recordings were held in the United States, with guest musicians including Linda Ronstadt, the Everly Brothers, Louisiana band Good Rockin' Dopsie and the Twisters, and Los Angeles band Los Lobos. - Wikipedia

Objective reviews don’t exist - particularly not when I’m writing them - but this is an album that it’s particularly hard for me to look at with any distance. If I had to name one album that was the biggest part of my childhood, it’d be Graceland. My Mum had the tape, and I remember listening to it repeatedly on our drive to and from school every day in our old Volvo. It’s an album I know every word to, every nuance, and where the end of one song immediately means the intro to the next starts playing in my head. It’s been a factor of so much of my life that it doesn’t take me back to any specific part of it, but instead feels like the musical equivalent of the teddy bear I was given at birth. That guy still sits on my sofa by the way.

The idea of blending western music with South-African music sounds like some sort of gimmick, but Simon and his multiple collaborators here absolutely pull it off. This is a glorious blending of musical styles, one that soaks up another culture, rather than tokenises it, a beautiful testament to the artistry in diversity. It’s the musical equivalent of living in another country and adopting its culture rather than taking a tour bus, looking at the highlights, and returning with a head full of stereotypes. Throw into the mix fact that this is some of Simon’s best lyrical and melodic work since Simon & Garfunkel, delivered with a cadence like honey, and you get an album that is just a pure, effervescent joy. I don’t think an album has to be perfect to get a 10, but Graceland is.

P.S I think the title track is one of the most finely crafted songs of all time.

And she said, "losing love
Is like a window in your heart
Everybody sees you're blown apart
Everybody sees the wind blow"

Song Picks: Graceland, I Know What I Know, Gumboots, Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes, You Can Call Me Al,

10/10

1984 - Clive's Top Albums of Every Year Challenge

May 09, 2022 by Clive in Clive's Album Challenge, Music

So, we’re into 1984, the year forever immortalised by the name of George Orwell’s novel (published in 1949). Also the year that Joe W. Kittinger made the first solo transatlantic balloon flight, Apple released their Macintosh personal computer and Bishop Desomnd Tutu was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

Musically, here’s the top 5 albums of the year as rated by rateyourmusic.com’s users

#1 Metallica - Ride the Lightning
#2 Prince - Purple Rain
#3 The Smiths - Hatful of Hollow
#4 Iron Maiden - Powerslave
#5 Cocteau Twins - Treasure

I’ll be grabbing a few more from further down the list, namely:

#6 Staatsorchester Stuttgart - Tabula Rasa
#8 Minutemen - Double Nickels on the Dime
#9 The Replacements - Let It Be
#10 Husker Du - Zen Arcade
#13 The Smiths - The Smiths
#20 R.E.M - Reckoning

Finally, as usual, to add more female artists to the equation, I’ll be taking the below from NPR’s list of the best albums of all time by female artists, as well as the same list as voted on by their readers.

Tina Tuner - Private Dancer
Sade - Diamond Life
The Pretenders - Learning to Crawl

Having said I’d try to have a few less per year so that I can actually finish this challenge at some point in my life, I’ve gone and picked 14 albums to review - which I think is tied with the most I’ve ever looked at for any particular year - because I’m an idiot. Anyway, let’s see which of these 14 emerges victorious.

Iron Maiden’s 5th album was their first album to be recorded with the same line-up as the previous. That’s your stat for the week. It was ranked 34th in Rolling Stone’s list of the 100 best metal albums of all time.

I feel like Iron Maiden are the one band that keep appearing in these top 5s that I’ve still not massively got into. Has Powerslave changed that? Not exactly. Again, I can very much appreciate the great riffs and rapid solos all on display in the album’s opener Aces High and beyond, but I still can’t get into that 70s high pitch hard-rock vocal sound from Bruce Dickinson. I don’t love their Dungeons and Dragons lyrics either, but if I just chill out and try to listen without these prejudices, you know what? I end up having a good time. It’s hard not to be swept away by the barnstorming instrumental section (even if the mix is a little thin) and some internal headbanging definitely occurred. it does have to be said that Powerslave is infectiously riff-tacular, I was literally saying ‘oooo that’s a great riff’ at the start of every track.

Song Picks: 2 Minutes to Midnight, Losfer Words

7/10

The second studio album by the American punk rock band was originally released as a double album on two vinyl LPs. It tells the story of a young boy who runs away from an unfulfilling home life, only to find the world outside is worse. It’s widely regarded as one of the most influential albums in alternative rock, as the band moved away from their more hardcore roots to create some slower, and even acoustic songs.

I have to confess to not following the album’s narrative in particular, which the somewhat muffled vocal mix doesn’t help with, and I do think the album - at 70 minutes - is a bit long for my tastes in this genre, but I have to say it’s a really inventive album. It stretches what can be a slightly repetitive genre (whoa calm down there, I love punk as much as the next guy) in enough directions to make 70 minutes just about work, and that’s impressive in itself.

Song Picks: Never Talking to You Again, Reoccuring Dreams,

7.5/10

The English rock band’s debut was re-recorded between tour dates by John Porter, after Troy Tate’s initial production was deemed inadequate. The album peaked at number 2 in the UK, where it helped the band become a key member of the decade’s music scene, but it also had significant international success.

Morrissey, despite the insufferable man he’s become recently, is undoubtedly one of the most unique vocalists of not only the 80s, but ever. His faux-operatic whines slide from note to note like the vocal version of a lap steel guitar, a perfect sound of dejection. But he was far from the only great thing about the Smiths, as this collection of songs demonstrates. Johnny Marr’s guitar playing is jangly, pacey and percussive, while the rhythm section helps to provide the instrumental momentum that makes tracks like This Charming Man as effective as they are.

There were better, more consistent albums to come from the Smiths (one of which is on this list), and a few of the songs are a bit meandering and lacking in the engaging melodies that we know Morrissey is capable of. Their debut did make it very clear just how unique they were though, and that’s enough to make it very much worth a listen. Also it has This Charming Man on it, quite probably one of the best jangly pop songs ever written.

Song Picks: This Charming Man, What Difference Does It Make, Still Ill

7.5/10

Sade Adu began back-up singing for Pride following her work in modelling. She later formed Sade with 3 other members of Pride. Diamond Life was the best selling debut album by a female British vocalist for the next 24 years.

Diamond Life doesn’t just start with Smooth Operator, it is a smooth operator. With a chilled funky backing featuring prominent bass lines, simple and relaxed drums and frequent brass flourishes, the album sounds like some slightly jazzy silk. Sade’s vocals are full, soulful, and yet rather cold and detached, helping add to the synthetic 80s atmosphere, and giving proceedings a very sophisticated feel. It’s easy listening, but also interesting and progressive; that guy in a tuxedo on the dancefloor at the wedding with understated moves that he’s clearly put a lot of thought into.

Song Picks: Smooth Operator, Frankie’s First Affair

8/10

Metallica’s second album sees them tackling more complex arrangements and instrumental parts than their bullish debut Kill ‘Em All. This was largely influenced by bassist Bill Clifton teaching the band music theory, something that led to a more deliberate style of songwriting.

Ride the Lightning almost sounds like prog-rock at points, with major key acoustic guitar parts thrown in, you half expect them to start singing about to start singing about elves and trolls. Fade to Black is a good example of this but, of course, there’s no sign of elves and instead Hetfield sings about suicide. I generally prefer Hetfield’s almost hollow vocal to that of other metal bands of the time (e.g. Iron Maiden). He’s dramatic in a more believable way somehow, and his growls on For Whom the Bell Tolls give the track the gravity its topic - corporal punishment - merits.

Ride the Lightning’s riffs dodge and weave, they’re unpredictable and yet brutal. The album is as sophisticated as it is angry and heavy. This makes it a bit less visceral, but more cerebral, and that was to have a huge influence on the metal to come.

Song Picks: For Whom the Bell Tolls, Fight Fire With Fire

8.5/10

The Scottish band’s third album cemented both their line-up and sound going forward, their ‘signature ethereality’ as Pitchfork puts it. Interestingly, producer and bassist Simon Raymonde hated the album, claiming it to be their “worst album by a mile”.

Treasure is soaked in reverb, so much so that the fact that Elizabeth Fraser is singing an entirely made up language isn’t immediately obvious, and doesn’t seem remotely out of place. It feels like the kind of album the elves in Lord of the Rings would make if they happened upon an electric guitar, twin reverb amp and a drum machine in the forest. With Treasure, only Fraser will know if there’s any meaning behind her glossolalia, and it matters not whether there is. In some ways that lack of any literal meaning takes the pressure off and lets you sink comfortably into Treasure’s lush, washed out soundscapes, with Fraser’s melodies lulling you along.

Song Picks: Lorelei, Cicely, Donimo

9/10

R.E.M’s second album was recorded over 16 days, with producers Mitch Easter and Don Dixon intending to capture the band’s live sound, binaural recordings were used to help achieve this.

Many of Stipe’s takes were too quiet and needed re-doing as he was so worn out from the 1983 tour. The end result is perhaps even mumblier than his work on the band’s debut, but the cleaner production means that overall, they’re a little more discernible. The lyrics are no easier to understand though and the album is another great example of why Stipe is one of my favourite lyricists. He has an ability to be completely evocative while remaining mysterious which, along with his singular vocal style, make him such a noteworthy songwriter.

Melodically, the vocals are as mesmerising as always. The coupling of the band’s bass-led and often up-tempo sound combined with Stipe’s long, thick and wavering notes continues to create one of the most unique combinations in music.

Song Picks: Harborcoat, 7 Chinese Bros, So, Central Rain, (Don’t Go Back to) Rockville

9/10

7. Tabula Rasa (Arvo Pärt)

Gidon Kramer, Keith Jarrett Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra

Tabula Rasa is a musical composition written in 1977 by the Estonian composer Arvo Pärt. The piece contains two movements, "Ludus" and "Silentium," and is a double concerto for two solo violins, piano, and chamber orchestra. A recording of the composition was first released in 1984 by ECM records and features violinist Gidon Kremer, pianist Keith Jarrett and the Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra among others.

Tabula Rasa is often sparse, with the focus regularly being on one melody at a time, whether it be the crying violin in Fratres - a piece of beautiful melancholic, wistful warmth - or the choral Celli in For 12 Celli. The first three pieces are fairly tranquil, if at times quite haunting, but things get much more frantic and intense in the penultimate piece, I. Ludus, before II. SIlencio, calmly takes us home on the musical version of a floating candle through the remnants of a battlefield.

Tabula Rasa is another classical classic, if you pardon my expression.

9/10

The Pretenders’ second album was recorded with a new guitarist and bassist after original members James Honeyman-Scott and Pete Farndon both died of drug overdoses.

Learning to Crawl is a pretty straight rock ‘n’ roll album. New guitarist Robbie McIntosh is less edgy than his predecessor, and his soloing very much recalls early rock ‘n’ rollers such as Chuck Berry in a way that would be cheesy if it weren’t so fun. I wasn’t expecting to love this album as much as I do, but it is a completely unpretentious, delightfully fun 40 minutes. Alongside McIntosh’s playful solos we have a rock solid rhythm section so comfortingly on it that at times it feels like you’re being physically hugged by the 4/4 time signature. Chrissie Hynde’s songwriting ability is on display from start to finish, and her vocals have a lovely warmth to them that fits perfectly with the band’s palette. Nowhere is this more perfectly on display than on the album’s iconic closing track, 2000 Miles, a song written for Honeyman-Scott after his death, and one that has now become on of the country’s most beloved Christmas songs. I think it’s one of the best songs ever recorded.

Song Picks: Watching the Clothes, Back on the Chain Gang, 2000 Miles

9/10

This compilation released by Rough Trade Records features various John Peel Session recordings for BBC Radio 1 and two singles and their respective B-sides. It came 44th on Q’s list of the 100 best British albums, and was successful in the UK album charts much like their debut.

There’s some crossover here from their debut album The Smiths, and Hatful of Hollow doesn’t always include the best version. The version of This Charming Man here for example isn’t quite as energetic as the studio recorded version, and I also prefer the studio version of Still Ill, though this one is still very good. Where Hatful of Hollow shines is in the sheer number of great songs it crams on, and it’s overall more cohesive feel despite it being a compilation album. The Peel sessions have a surprisingly upbeat feel, I think because of the generally less effects-driven sound produced at the Radio 1 studio combined with slightly less focus on the vocals, and perhaps just the live feel in general.

Marr’s guitar work is fantastic throughout, generally providing a lively backing to Morrissey’s howls, which have better melodies here than on the band’s debut. On Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now, a song that despite it’s lyrical content ends up feeling defiantly bright and hopeful, the guitar skitters away like a jolly grasshopper. On the masterful Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want it strums wistfully as if it’s holding your hand - Marr’s rare solo being one of the finest ways any album has ever ended. On Back to the Old House it gets fingerpicked in a way that almost makes it feel Latin. On every song it’s perfect and backed by such solid drums and bass that it’s easy to forget you’re listening to mainly live performances. Morrissey’s vocals are as distinctive as always, and it’s here where he really starts to show his melodic prowess, particularly on the album’s penultimate track Reel Around the Fountain.

Hatful of Hollow is a wonderful document of a singular band. It has a raw quality to it that makes it a great addition to their studio albums. It feels like someone spotted the band on tour and asked them to record a few songs at a studio on their way to their next venue, a moment in time forever captured in a bottle.

Song Picks: Accept Yourself; Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want; What Difference Does It Make?; Reel Around The Bus

9/10

Turner’s fifth album is the one that put her on the map as a solo artist, and is still her best selling record to this day.

Private Dancer plays like a defiant roar as she emerges from the ashes of her abusive relationship with Ike Turner, which ended in 1978. The opener I Might Have Been Queen is a perfect showcase of the way she belt out notes with tremendous power, the chorus playing like a glorious self-affirmation.

Private Dancer also features Tina Turner classics What’s Love Got to Do With It and Let’s Stay Together, showcasing Turner’s melodic aplomb at the softer end of the spectrum as well as when growling at the top of her voice. Production-wise the album is very 80s, with gated snares and synths aplenty, but it serves up some completely engrossing soundscapes. Can’t Stand the Rain is one of my favourite examples, creating a musical equivalent of a neon tinged city being drenched with rain, as Tina waltzes through it, screaming her heart out to the tune of everyone’s broken dreams.

Song Picks: I Might Have Been Queen, What’s Love Got to Do with It, I Can’t Stand the Rain, Let’s Stay Together, Better Be Good to Me

9/10

3. Double Nickels on the Dime

Minutemen

Minutemen’s third album contains 45 songs, most likely the highest song count for any album I’ve reviewed on this challenge. The vast majority of these songs are only between one and two minutes long though, but that still brings the total running length to an epic 81 minutes. The album, like Hüsker Dü’s Zen Arcade, was released on two vinyls and the three band members chose the songs for one side each, with the remaining songs going on the the album’s fourth side, self deprecatingly named ‘chaff’.

By far my favourite of the year’s two punk rock epics, Double Nickels on the Dime is never punk of the really heavy variety. Sure there’s distorted guitars and the odd shout, but generally things are more rock ‘n’ roll inspired than punk I’d say, with Mike Watt’s snakelike basslines weaving perfectly in and out of George Hurley’s drums (which have a punchy sound that is to die for). D. Boon’s vocals are sometimes spoken word, generally slightly off key, and in many ways unremarkable, but they just fit. His guitarwork is superbly diverse, from one song to the next he can completely change the atmosphere (My Heart and the Real World into History Lesson Part 2 being a prime example) and his riffs and noodling sound as loose and unshackled as his lyrics, which cover all sorts of ground.

To call this album punk is selling it short in some ways, there’s just as much jazz, funk, country and rock as there is punk. And yet there’s no better word for it, it typifies punk’s disregard for boundaries or rules - the idea it has a sound is kind of daft - and beams with the energy of a band who just played whatever they felt like in the moment.

Double Nickels on the Dime is like walking down into a basement bar and inadvertently going to what ends up being one of your favourite gigs, not necessarily for any profound reason, but simply because you found a bunch of blokes you could relate to, having the time of their lives.

9.5/10

Now and again in this challenge - as with all the Dylan albums in the 60s - we come to an album that was already very much established as a favourite before I started this whole thing. Let It Be is one of those. While studying music production and sound engineering at Islington Music Workshop in London I made friends with the Replacement’s biggest fan, Matt Rider, now lead singer of Paper Mill. I rather quickly fell in love with the band too, loving Westerberg’s grainy vocals, the band’s energy, and their raw and punchy DIY sound. Westerberg is still one of my favourite punk songwriters.

Let It Be is the band’s third album. It was the first album that didn’t see the band playing at hell-for-leather speeds constantly. Let It Be is generally ranked among the best albums of the 80s, and was ranked as number 241 in Rolling Stone’s all time top 500.

"Playing that kind of noisy, fake hardcore rock was getting us nowhere, and it wasn't a lot of fun. This was the first time I had songs that we arranged, rather than just banging out riffs and giving them titles." lead singer Westerberg says of the album, and indeed it shows; the song structures, instrumental arrangements, and lyrics are clearly more thought out here. Let It Be is probably the least predictable punk album I’ve ever heard, things change up regularly not only from song to song (Tommy Got His Tonsils Out to Androgynous), but within the songs themselves. We’re Coming Out comes out of the gates like the messy, fast-paced rumble the band had been known for but unexpectedly turns into a low-key, sparse jam before its frantic ending, Seen Your Video spends two and a half minutes as an instrumental before Westerberg comes in with his characteristic melodic shouts.

Let It Be is crammed with musical ideas, it’s a band at the peak of their playfulness, led by Westerberg’s songwriting, which more than once goes into masterpiece territory. Androgynous is one of the finest celebrations of gender non-conformity ever written, Westerberg’s melodies croaking perfectly over the top of his bouncy piano playing and Unsatisfied would easily make it onto a CD of my very favourite songs. It’s the perfect cry into the ether of ennui and despair. As Westerberg himself puts it:

“It was just the feeling that we’re never going anywhere and the music we’re playing is not the music I feel and I don’t know what to do and I don’t know how to express myself. I felt that one to the absolute bone when I did it.”

That opening guitar riff, Stinsons’ elaborate sparkles, the snare slam that announces the band’s arrival, the slightly off-kilter drums, the messy mix, and most of all Westerberg’s superlative vocal performance that resonates to his very bone (as he himself says above), Unsatisified is perfect, and Let It Be is one of punk’s greatest achievements.

Song Picks: Unsatisfied, Androgynous, Answering Machine, Favorite Thing, Sixteen Blue

9.5/10

Prince’s sixth album needs no introduction, but I’m going to introduce it anyway. Purple Rain is the soundtrack to a film of the same name (I did not know this), starring Prince in the lead role. It’s rarely absent from the upper echelons of any best albums of all time list, and very much cemented Prince’s status as a pop legend.

First and foremost, Purple Rain is an absolute joy to listen to. Upbeat energetic tracks like the bombastic Let’s Go Crazy and grooving Take Me With U are impossible to have on without bopping - at least for me. The Beautiful Ones nails an atmosphere and delicate vocal style (until the screeched ending) that have been copied many times since, and rarely anywhere close to as effectively. Prince’s superlative guitar skills are evident throughout, not only his unbelievably fast lines on Computer Blue and that solo on the title track, but also in his general ability to create riffs that could be described as anything from groovy (on Let’s Go Crazy) to cataclysmic (on Darling Nikki).

When Doves Cry is notable for its lack of the bass guitar, an inspired decision which makes those drums pound all the harder. Prince’s melodies are superb as always, and it’s just a perfectly constructed song. Everything has its place, from the piano part chorus to the synth that enters half way through the song, to Prince’s stuttering solo that fires the track into rock and roll fame. The whole album sounds very much like the picture adorning its cover, featuring an impressively overdressed Prince standing astride a vibrant purple motorbike in a world that has learnt to cover up its own griminess with neon lights.

Of course the album’s most famous song is the title track, an eight minute and 40 second masterpiece featuring one of the most famous choruses of all time, as Prince anthemically repeats the song’s title - blares of instruments entering on his second repetition - you feel like you’re listening to more than music, but Prince’s very soul. The guitar solo tugs at the heart-strings more than any other I can think of, while the high choral vocals that provide the foundation for the track’s bombastic finale sound like the heavens themselves have opened to bless you. Indeed they have, and they’ve given you Purple Rain.

Song Picks: Purple Rain, Let’s Go Crazy, Computer Blue

10/10