On the way home from work (for the last time in a while I think, thanks Covid-19) Radio 2 played The Whole of the Moon by The Waterboys. I loved and love that song from their album, This is the Sea. I knew the album was released in 1985. It’s a year I won’t forget in a hurry for lots of reasons; the main, unbearably sad one is losing my mum, but, also, for other reasons that were not at all sad. The aforementioned album being one, another being another album - Kate Bush’s Hounds of Love. (Another was Knebworth opening its gates to music for the first time in a few years….what a gig that was!)
So, did I listen to any other albums that year? I seriously couldn’t tell you, for certain, the name of any other album released in that year….with aging memory it seems to me my turntable’s time was equally divided by Mike Scott and Kate - six months apiece.
I decided to check it out. A quick search on Google and the first hit I clicked was this one from the NME that lists 50 albums.
I decided to listen to each in turn, from its count of 50 down to 1.
I posted a one line review on each on FB. Here are those one-liners below, with supplementary comments as and when.
50. ABC, How to be a Zillionaire. I didn't learn that actual trick but I did learn to love Martin Fry's delivery once again.
49. Sade, Promise. Smoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooth.
48. Sheila E – Romance 1600. One I missed posting about of FB, probably because it was that forgettable. I can’t remember one track from it and it was only a couple of weeks ago!
47. Alex Chilton, Feudalist Tarts. Who knew? Seriously never heard of him before!
46. George Clinton, Some of My Best Jokes Are Friends. Funky. Another new one on me.
45. The Replacements, Tim. Never heard or heard of them b4 today. Shan't bother again!
44. Run DMC, King of Rock. Dunno why I like this album, just do. It's like that and that's the way it is.
43. Cameo, Single Life. I've already forgotten about it.
42. New Order, Low Life. The first album on NME's 1985 list that properly rocks all thru.
It’s a proper ‘of its time’ album and yet timeless. This gets the bold review ‘cos I would definitely take time out to listen to this again. First one of the NME list!
41. Robert Wyatt, Old Rottenhat. Out there. A defo doob album.
40. The Style Council, Our Favourite Shop. I recall this album & it's better than it was.
Weller has a voice that sometimes sounds like it’s going to break at the sterner test but then he carries it off. It adds to the originality.
39. Sonic Youth, Bad Moon Rising. Proper industrial punk. I like it.
38. Dexys Midnight Runners, Don't Stand Me Down. Not one track had I heard before. Fab.
I really enjoyed this. I like the fact it’s a real deviation from what I remember Dexys for - all denim and oddly-antifashion fashionable. This album showed real confidence in their own ability, quite rightly.
37. Husker Du, New Day Rising. 'Salright.
36. Bobby Womack, So Many Rivers. “Let Me Kiss You Where It Hurts.” 😂😂😂
Yep - the only thing I wanted to post about this album, having listened to it (like so many others, for the first time) was the name of one track which still, as I type, makes be chuckle like a school boy. Sorry Bobby.
35. The Fall, This Nation's Saving Grace. I never really got The Fall. This album doesn't help.
This post on FB attracted some comment - Ralph White (fellow Posh and music fan) was, I sensed, a little perplexed at my opinion. But, I can’t lie, the band, and Mark E Smith, just didn’t, and still don’t, do it for me. I’m too old and long in the tooth to persist. Sorry Ralph.
34. Propaganda, A secret Wish. If you had to guess the time of this album's release from its sound, it couldn't be anything other than slap bang middle of the 80s.
I mean it is sooooo eighties. It’s the sort of record that will be used for educational purposes - in history lessons.
33. Scritti Politti, Cupid & Psyche 85. I feel I should be more impressed than I am.
32. The Pogues, Rum, Sodomy and the Lash. What an album, what a fucking album.
I listened to this while out walking and it really took me by surprise just how much I enjoyed it. Of course, I’d heard a lot of the songs before but, as a collection, along with the tracks new to me, it really stands out.
31. The Cure, Head on the Door. The Cure does easy listening.
30. The Cult, Love. What's there not to love? No sudden death, just love.
Contains one of my favourite all time tracks. Can you guess?
29. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, The Firstborn is Dead. Interesting. Definitely a band you have to be in the right mood before the needle hits the record.
28. David Sylvian, Alchemy: An Index Of Possibilities. Music to have acupuncture to.
By that, I mean it was very, very, very Japanese-y.
27. Suzanne Vega, Suzanne Vega. Singer song writing by numbers.
To be perfectly blunt, I found it boring.
26. The Smiths, Meat is Murder. The Smiths are an enigma to me. Good music, good musicians but, that condescension. Morrissey, Geldof, Thunberg....peas in a high & mighty pod.
All that being said a few days ago now, I’m sure I’ll listen to this (and maybe other a records of theirs) again. I fucking hate that it was that good.
25. Bryan Ferry, Boys and Girls. Slick as you like. Is he the coolest man in music? I think he is.
24. 10000 Maniacs, The Wishing Chair. I can take this or leave it.
When I posted this on FB there were a couple of posters encouraging me to try In My Tribe - it’s on as I type and it’s a little better.
23. Whitney Houston, Whitney Houston. I like this debut album. What a voice she had!
22. A-Ha, Hunting High and Low. Not bad song writing in a second language.
Nice enough album...but this band will always just be ‘nice’ and, memorable for a video, not much else.
21. Grace Jones, Slave to the Rhythm. A mess of an album.
Worst one on the list so far even if it has got David Gilmour playing on it.
20. Simple Minds, Once Upon a Time. I always felt, & feel, this band are wannabes to U2's crown. Nice enough album though.
19. The Colourfield, Virgins and Philistines. A gem of an album.
Terry Hall reminds me of Bowie. So talented, so prolific.
18. Everything but the Girl, Love not Money. Pleasant enough but won't be on repeat.
17. Loose Ends, So Where Are You? Hmmmm, not quite Color Me Badd. Very Delia Smith.
The Delia Smith comment was because I found this album was an embarrassment much like Delia that fateful night at Carrow Road. If you don’t know to what I am referring, Google it.
16. Killing Joke, Night Time. Great album, cracking band.
15. Tears for Fears, Songs from the Big Chair. A big collection of comfortably accomplished songs.
The first album on the list I had definitely played, in its entirety, before...just not in 1985.
14. Dire Straits, Brothers in Arms. By no means their best.
Tbf, you’d have to go some to best a debut or 3rd or 4th albums of the quality Dire Straits had under their belt. And, a side note, I think probably the best name for a band, ever.
13. The Sisters of Mercy, First and Last and Always. A moody, gothic masterpiece.
I reckon the growling vocals are the stuff of genius and nightmares.
12. Prince, Around the World In A Day. Prince is brilliant, this album isn't.
Like a few on this list, the decade’s half-way point didn’t see his finest hour.
11. Felt, Ignite the Seven Canons. I've never heard of this band before, nor heard a single track from this album, until now. I like them, I like it.
And I reached the Top Ten....I found myself really looking forward to the next 6-7 hours of the supposed mid-80s finest....
10. The Jesus and The Mary Chain, Psychocandy. Mentally sweet.
It is a great album by a seminal band but I didn’t really get on the band wagon back then, and I don’t have the time nor the inclination to now. That’s gonna piss some people off, I’m sure!
9. Microdisney, The Clock Comes Down The Stairs. Never heard of them before, probably never listen to them again.
This album left me feeling nothing. It’s the most nondescript one of the list thus far and I doubt that will change.
8. REM, Fables of Reconstruction. This band were good before they got massive.
Fucking brilliant. I had never listened to this album before and it’s such a precursor - we all know how massive they became and one or two of their later albums were residence, for a time, in my CD player. I reckon this one could become a real favourite of mine. Not just of REM stuff but in general.
7. Lloyd Cole & The Commotions, Easy Pieces. Easy listening and first rate easy listening, at that.
‘Brand New Friend’ is the stand out track.
6. Prefab Sprout, Steve McQueen. I don’t switch the radio off if this band are played, but I never play them. This album doesn’t alter that.
5. Madness, Mad not Mad. Who'd thought the stalwart rude boys would be so innovative?
Another cracker from this list. It really stood out for me, they way the band changed things up a notch with this record. I can imagine some long-time fans would have baulked at this at the time of release but now, 35 years on, it smacks of progression. I’ve just asked Alexa to play it as I’m typing.
4. Talking Heads, Little Creatures. A wonderful, totally original band and album.
This album reminded me that I do not spend enough time listening to Talking Heads.
3. The Waterboys, This Is the Sea. Marvellous. This is an album I know and love.
So, here it is, one of the aforementioned two. It’s is still one of my favourite albums, definitely, but, just a little bit, the metaphors grate - there’s enough of the fuckers on this album - the sea, the moon, the spirit.
But I will always love this album and I will revisit many more times, I wager (and hope).
2. Tom Waits, Rain Dogs. Not really a musical masterpiece, more a lyrical one.
I found this a unusual choice for number 2. That’s subjectivity for you, I’d have picked many others before this one for the runner’s up slot.
1. Kate Bush, Hounds of Love. One of my favourite ever albums. The best of 1985, maybe of the 80s, very close to of all time.
It’s number 1 for the NME and it most certainly is for me.
So, I listened to all of these NME listed albums in turn and it was, in the main, an enjoyable musical journey
And I reminded myself that, in 1985, I did indeed only put two albums, that first saw the light of day in that year, on my turntable (Kate Bush and The Waterboys). Any other releases didn't get a look in.
