The 1980's Appreciation Lounge

[JK]

John, the cactus @3:00 is the Golden Barrel Cactus I mentioned in the mysterious pictures thread at your site.

Thanks a lot, Will. I finally got round to thanking you for it over there (with a "thumbs-up", as it's nice to see someone else's name heading a topic rather than just the usual suspects, lol).   

[alf wiedersehen]

Their swansong, Laughing Stock, is well worth investigating too...

I have it. After spending more time with SoE, I'll give that one a listen, too.

[alf wiedersehen]

For whatever reason, I haven't discovered many more artists of note from this decade during my regular musical travels. I guess I don't need more artists to appreciate the 1980s, and it's possible I've been focusing more on other decades for whatever reason, but it is a shame. It might not be inaccurate to say the 80s became my favorite time for music due to creating this thread. There's so much waiting to be found if you're willing to look for it.

Speaking of which, I've been listening to The Sound's album Jeopardy, which I just found:

Reminds me of a more straight-forward Wire.

[undercover-m]

Maybe someone can suggest music to me from the '80s that doesn't sound like the stereotypical-radio-edit '80s that I just described...

I shall do this for you. Here are some 80s albums I love with accompanying favorite songs. Click the album covers for YouTube links.

I'm not sure how I got here, but I ended up listening to this album in full tonight. I might have done so last summer, but apparently I never revisited.

I'm a better listener now, or at least I'd like to think so. I'm not just hurling songs onto Spotify playlists and forgetting about them forever, and with my new schedule I'm finding quite  a bit of time to listen to full albums.

First of all, this one of those albums that has a beautiful balance of upbeat and mellow songs. I think I'm more drawn to the happier-sounding ones, at least in this moment. I can see myself using "Seven Days Too Long" and "There There My Dear" as go-to feel-good songs (everyone needs a few of those, it's emotional first-aid). I'd like to listen to this and Too Rye Aye more.

And now I find myself going from Midnight Runners to Midnight Marauders as I'm writing this, fancy that.

On my list of other '80s stuff I've grown to enjoy include the Soft Boys' Underwater Moonlight ("Positive Vibrations" and "I Wanna Destroy You" are great little songs), and I think I finally understand the buzz around Kate Bush. I've listened to The Sensual World a handful of times and The Dreaming once. Although I was turned off by her voice before, I have slapped my former self in the face for thinking that way. Her voice is like an instrument, and it's pretty fun to listen to what she does with it throughout her songs. I'm incredibly exhausted after work, where I'm walking neighborhood to neighborhood, door to door, trying to sign people up for clean, renewable energy and receiving a lot of disinterest and rejection. Also, my feet and legs ache afterwards. I listened to KB after a shift on the long bus ride back, and it prevented my mind from spiraling into the fatigue-induced anxiety that ensues after work. Pretty music will get to me, one way or another.

I'm not sure if my words are making sense anymore, but I hope to delve into this decade more.

[JK]

I think I finally understand the buzz around Kate Bush. I've listened to The Sensual World a handful of times and The Dreaming once. Although I was turned off by her voice before, I have slapped my former self in the face for thinking that way. Her voice is like an instrument, and it's pretty fun to listen to what she does with it throughout her songs. I'm incredibly exhausted after work, where I'm walking neighborhood to neighborhood, door to door, trying to sign people up for clean, renewable energy and receiving a lot of disinterest and rejection. Also, my feet and legs ache afterwards. I listened to KB after a shift on the long bus ride back, and it prevented my mind from spiraling into the fatigue-induced anxiety that ensues after work. Pretty music will get to me, one way or another.

I'm not sure if my words are making sense anymore, but I hope to delve into this decade more.

They're making sense. ;=)

It took me 35 years to come to appreciate Kate B. I suppose if all you know is "Wuthering Heights" you tend to pigeonhole her as that girl/woman with the high voice. I've since listened to all her studio albums and they are all well worth hearing. I love The Sensual World and its follow-up, The Red Shoes, an album more suitable than most for playing live (she was contemplating a tour at the time). Hounds of Love is pretty astounding too.

They say Kate provides the medicine for the parts the doctors can't reach----sounds about right to me!

This is my favourite Dexy song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H53CIJzNohw

[JK]

A tip from Mari (undercover-m):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wo1l_G8e6gY

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Felt_(band)

[undercover-m]

Gotta give credit where credit's due. I was up late, browsing my old Spotify playlists, some of which I had added songs to while chatting with Josh last summer. In one such playlist, I re-discovered "Sunlight Bathed the Golden Glow," and I ended up listening to all of Ignite the Seven Cannons and The Strange Idols Pattern and Other Short Stories that night. Stayed up a bit too late, but completely worth it.

[JK]

Gotta give credit where credit's due. I was up late, browsing my old Spotify playlists, some of which I had added songs to while chatting with Josh last summer. In one such playlist, I re-discovered "Sunlight Bathed the Golden Glow," and I ended up listening to all of Ignite the Seven Cannons and The Strange Idols Pattern and Other Short Stories that night. Stayed up a bit too late, but completely worth it.

Hi, Mari. I've since moved on to an all-instrumental album of theirs, Let the Snakes Crinkle Their Heads to Death. Guitarist Maurice Deebank had left by then and the sound became more organ-fuelled, courtesy of Martin Duffy (later of Primal Scream).   



A lot of cool tunes in there. Next up is the other album you mention----all in due course...

[undercover-m]

this is bloody fantastic:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnDTTffIGpI

[undercover-m]

It's only taken me 21 years and 10 months to realize this, but the '80s are grrrreat (even, perhaps especially, with wine).

[JK]

this is bloody fantastic:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnDTTffIGpI

I've got it bookmarked, M. Thanks. I liked all the other stuff of theirs that I've heard. A most original and unfairly neglected band.

Been away. It's great to be back. :=)

Yes, wine and the '80s----a good combination.

[JK]

This is that other album of theirs I've just finished listening to----fantastic!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pAdmVyRSD4

Felt: The Strange Idols Pattern and Other Short Stories (1984)

[JK]

I'm in the throes of organizing a Shamen topic across at my other board.

Theirs is a fascinating story, tinged with tragedy. From 1989, this is "Transcendental":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMqXeqaNhjo

[JK]

This is for all the posters who are having trouble waiting until their copy of Sunshine Tomorrow arrives:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErvgV4P6Fzc

[undercover-m]

I think I've discovered a new way to embrace music.

I've also got the munchies, what's it to you.

[JK]

I think I've discovered a new way to embrace music.

I've also got the munchies, what's it to you.

Gotta have the munchies in these trying times, M.

[JK]

This fantastic track caught my eye while I was looking for something else entirely. Seems "I'm In Love With A German Film Star" was the only hit for the UK band The Passions (what's in a name?). Surely this is an early example of shoegaze? I'm gobsmacked (happens).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLn_oMd1DQU

Richard Cooper's comment is too good not to post: "from an age of non designer drugs, cheap beer. An age where men did not use moisturiser or have waxings. Where you could ride bicycles without wearing a f*****g suit of armour. But more importantly, from an age where you could say blackboard without fear of being burnt at the stake by the PC police."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Passions_(UK_band)

[JK]

Wow. Dave Vanian is looking yummy. This is The Damned's version of the Paul Ryan song "Eloise". (The keyboard player really is called Roman Jugg!)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b31L4P7G5j8

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eloise_(Paul_Ryan_song)#The_Damned_version

[JK]

I was reminded of this tonight. It was the line "This is Phil talking" that triggered it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVzGl9FFOns

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love_Action_(I_Believe_in_Love)

[JK]

Haven't heard this one in a while. I was reminded of it at Hoffman in a topic asking for remixes that have become the standard versions of songs. Climie Fisher's "Rise To The Occasion" sounds awesome in this hip hop remix:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bk7qt2W6cwM

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rise_to_the_Occasion_(song)

[JK]

Recently YouTube has been feeding me '80s stuff from former Yugoslavia. This has opened up a whole new world of music--and there is much to discover. The first track to come my way was "Aleksandrija" sung by Dada, who hails from Tuzla. Love those synth sounds!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=taPy-8FXV_I

[JK]

I never realized Culture Club had released a song called "Colour By Numbers". It's wonderful wee-wee-hours stuff (like a lot of Culture Club music). Odd that I hadn't heard of it before. Even odder is the complete lack of online information about it (at least I can't find any).   

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfNfdOnMW2g

[JK]

I'd forgotten that The Communards had done a stunning version of "Never Could Say Goodbye", best known to me from Gloria Gaynor's disco romp:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hvlv5qrhDUM

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Communards

[JK]

I'd known about U2 since the onset of their career in 1980 but my eyes were opened by a good friend about ten years ago.

Favourite albums? Achtung Baby, The Unforgettable Fire and The Joshua Tree, which is where this next track comes from:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxIjlo1ZPcQ

[JK]

Thanks in heapfuls to RangeRover for alerting me to this fantastic song (and video) by Psychic TV. According to Wikipedia, "Godstar" is "about the life of Rolling Stones founder Brian Jones, with whom Genesis P-Orridge has a peculiar fascination".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1yr8w_vZ5E

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychic_TV