A Century of Music

And today so far:
Van Halen - Women and Children First (1980)
Talking Heads - Remain in Light (1980)
Joy Division - Closer (1980)
The Jam - Sound Affects (1980)

The band members posing together and leaning in toward the camera at a worm's eye view
Album cover containing four portraits covered by red blocks of colour, captioned TALKING HEADS (with inverted As) at the top and (much smaller) REMAIN IN LIGHT at the bottom.
Joy Division Closer.jpg
The Jam - Sound Effects.jpg
 
Yes, it's been a busy week - miss me? Anybody? Anybody? :(

And yes I've been listening to all things 1981. Will try to catch up on what I listened to over the day
Posting the singles playlist takes a bit, so lets just start with some albums I've played this week

The Police - Ghost in the Machine (1981)
The Rolling Stones - Tattoo You (1981)
The J. Geils Band - Freeze Frame (1981)
Rush - Moving Pictures (1981)


Ghost In The Machine cover.jpg
TattooYou81.jpg
J. Geils Band - Freeze Frame.jpg
Moving Pictures.jpg


Started my albums with the first three albums I ever personally bought for myself in preparation for an 8th grade graduation party i n 1982that my parents threw for me that I was terrified to have (ah 8th grade angst). I've told this story before, but I was concerned that I was not musically savvy and had nothing to play for the party. But I did watch MTV which debuted in 1981 and grabbed three album with videos/songs I enjoyed. My dad knew a DJ from his Knights of Columbus chapter and borrowed some records from him. I was very concerned he'd be out of touch with old Jerry Vale and Don Ho albums, but turns out the guy (who looking back was much younger than I am now) was pretty hip and his albums were a hit.
 
The Go-Go's - Beauty and the Beat (1981)
Rick James - Street Songs (1981)
Squeeze - East Side Story (1981)
Genesis - Abacab (1981)

The Go-Go'sBeautyandtheBeatalbumcover.jpg
Rick James - Street Songs.jpg
East side story album.jpg
Abacab.jpg


I had always enjoyed the singles (again from early-MTV) but years later would discover Beauty and the Beat was an excellent pop album akin to some of Blondie's albums
Street Songs - great funk album, bitch
Most feel East Side Story is Squeeze's best. I like Argybargy more, but ESS is still really good
Again one of the earliest videos I remember is "Man on the Corner" from Abacab which was nothing more that film of the band singing "live" - Duke, Abacab, and Genesis self-titled was a nice run for the group
 
Some more 1981 albums from earlier this week:

Stevie Nicks - Bella Donna (1981)
Sioxsie and the Banshees - Juju (1981)
Phil Collins - Face Value (1981)
Black Flag - Damaged (1981)

Stevie Nicks - Bella Donna.png
Siouxsie & the Banshees-Juju.jpg
Phil Collins - Face Value.png
Black Flag - Damaged cover.jpg


Trying to mix the popular music of the year (Stevie Nicks and Phil Collins solo debuts) with the more experimental music - punk of Black Flag, alternative of Siouxsie
 
Human League - Dare (1981)
X - Wild Gift (1981)
Billy Squier - Don't Say No (1981)
Elvis Costello & the Attractions - Trust (1981)

Dare-cover.png
XWildGift.jpg
Billy Squier - Don't Say No.jpg
Trustelviscostello.jpg


Yesterday's listens - hey almost caught up. I don't think I've broke out any of these in years - one of the benefits of this exercise. Big Elvis Costello fan and love the hits on Dare and Don't Say No, but I LOVE Wild Gift more so than X's excellent debut.
 
Styx - Paradise Theatre (1981)
Brian Eno & David Byrne - My Life in the Bush of Ghosts (1981)
Prince - Controversy (1981)
Motorhead - No Sleep 'til Hammersmith (1981)


Styx - Paradise Theater.jpg
My Life in the Bush of Ghosts.jpg
Prince-Controversy.jpg
Motörhead - No Sleep 'til Hammersmith (1981).jpg


Quite the random selection of Friday albums. Headbanging (as best I can) to Motorhead now. Controversy is a bit underrated I think as a Prince album.
Does anyone listed to Paradise Theatre anymore - included it as a bit of nostalgia as I had in high school. It's a decent overall record, somewhat easy to forget, but glad I revisited it.
Of course, this little poignant lyric hit me differently than it has in the past:
"I know you feel these are the worst of times
I do believe it's true
When people lock their doors and hide inside
Rumor has it it's the end of Paradise" (from "The Best of Times")
 
Hey it's Tuesday which means it's time for another year. What's that you say? Monday is supposed to be new-year day. Well, yes, I did start my singles playlist yesterday but busy day and didn't get very far so finishing this 100 song playlist today before diving into albums of 1982 tomorrow

So songs of 1982:

"Billy Jean", "Beat It", "Thriller", basically lots by Michael Jackson
"1999", "Little Red Corvette" by Prince
"Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" by Eurythmics
"Rock the Casbah", "Should I Stay or Should I Go" by The Clash
"Hungry Like the Wolf", "Save a Prayer", "Rio" by Duran Duran
"Goodbye to You" by Scandal
"Vacation" by The Go-Go's
"Come On, Eileen" by Dexys Midnight Runners
"Sexual Healing" by Marvin Gaye
"Eye of the Tiger" by Survivor
"The Message" by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five
"I Ran (So Far Away)" by Flock of Seagulls
"Gloria" by Laura Branigan
"I'm So Excited" by The Pointer Singers
"Only Time Will Tell", "The Heat of the Moment" by Asia
"Planet Rock" by Afrika Bambaata
"Do You Really Want to Hurt Me" by Culture Club
"The Look of Love" by ABC
"Rosanna", "Africa" by Toto
"Jack and Diane", "Hurts So Good" by John Mellencamp
"Situation", "Only You" by Yaz
"Maneater" by Hall & Oates
"She Blinded Me With Science" by Thomas Dolby
"Twilight Zone" by Golden Earring
"It's Raining Men" by The Weather Girls
"Our House" by Madness
"Abracadabra" by Steve Miller Band
"White Wedding" by Billy Idol
"Do You Believe In Love" by Huey Lewis & The News
"Pressure", "Allentown" by Billy Joel
"Atlantic City" by Bruce Springsteen
"Everybody Wants You" by Billy Squire
"The Safety Dance" by Men Without Hats
"(Oh) Pretty Woman" by Van Halen
"Shock the Monkey" by Peter Gabriel
"More Than This", "Avalon" by Roxy Music
"Steppin Out" by Joe Jackson
"Caught Up In You" by .38 Special
"Southern Cross" by CSN
"Eminence Front" by The Who
"Come Dancing" by The Kinks
"Someday, Someway" by Marshall Crenshaw
"Somebody's Baby" by Jackson Browne"
"Think I'm In Love" by Eddie Money
"Atomic Dog" by George Clinton
"Too Shy" by Kajagoogoo
"You Dropped A Bomb On Me" by The Gap Band
"I Want Candy" by Bow Wow Woo
"Bad to the Bone" by George Thorogood
"Senses Working Overtime" by XTC
"Mad World" by Tears for Fears
"The Number of the Beast" by Iron Maiden
"You've Got Another Thing Comin'" by Judas Priest
"Goody Two Shoes" by Adam Ant
"Empty Garden (Hey Hey Johnny)" by Elton John
"Temptation" by New Order
"Let's Go to Bed" by The Cure
"Love My Way" by Psychedelic Furs
"Candy Girl" by New Edition
"Bang the Drum All Day" by Todd Rundgren
 
One last one for today:
ABC - The Lexicon of Love (1982)

ABC-Lexicon.jpg


One would not typically think I'd enjoy this one, but I have always like it (I guess not too surprising given my Roxy Music love). Wonderful synth pop (or as Wiki notes "sophisto-pop") album - Trevor Horn's production is excellent.
 
One last one for today:
ABC - The Lexicon of Love (1982)

ABC-Lexicon.jpg


One would not typically think I'd enjoy this one, but I have always like it (I guess not too surprising given my Roxy Music love). Wonderful synth pop (or as Wiki notes "sophisto-pop") album - Trevor Horn's production is excellent.
The cheese is thick with this one. :p

But, it's all good. :thumbsup:
 
Yes, I'm at 1983 albums today (after a 1983 playlist yesterday)

Violent Femmes - Violent Femmes (1983)
The Police - Synchronicity (1983)
U2 - War (1983)
David Bowie - Let's Dance (1983)
R.E.M. - Murmur (1983)

Violent Femmes.jpg
Police-album-synchronicity.jpg
U2 War album cover.jpg

David-bowie-lets-dance.jpg
A train trestle covered in thick kudzu with R.E.M. / MURMUR written in blue


Great group of albums today. As much as I love Synchronicity, started with my favorite (and IMO the best) album of the year - Violent Femmes debut (best album cover too). I would not discover this album until well after my teen angst needed to hear it, but even in my 50s break it out several times/year.

If it wasn't for Andy Summers "Mother", Synchronicity would be the best Police album for me, but gack that song just drags it down.

Hey, I love Achtung Baby and enjoy The Joshua Tree but for me War is still U2's best album
 
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