01-06-2019 FAVTRAX:MiX ~ 33 FAVOURiTE tracks 1987-1982

Suzanne Vega

01-06-2019 FAVTRAX:MiX ~ 33 FAVOURiTE tracks 1987-1982  >>Suzanne Vega, Melvins, Peter Gabriel, David Sylvian, Talking Heads, Greg Sage, Felt, Redd Kross, Sonic Youth, Bauhaus, X<<

M U S I C

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1987-1982

Her literate, artful, and intellectual brand of troubadourism rescued the singer/songwriter tradition from the clutches of sentimentality. 
Suzanne Vega
Tom's Diner (Suzanne Vega) 2:11
Luka (Suzanne Vega) 3:51
Ironbound/Fancy Poultry 6:20
from Solitude Standing 1987
The songs on Solitude Standing, Suzanne Vega's second album, had years listed beside them on the lyric sheet, so you could see that some of them dated back to 1978. But that bold admission heralded the album's triumph -- its diversity was what made it so good... On Solitude Standing, however, they became part of an album of story songs set in a variety of musical contexts; many had band arrangements, and in fact, members of Vega's touring band often were credited as co-writers. Additionally, Vega had developed more as a singer without losing the focused intonation that had made her debut -- one of many compelling elements which helped make "Luka," a character song about domestic abuse, a fluke hit.

Pacific Northwest doom-grunge gods who were legendarily Kurt Cobain's favorite band.  The Melvins weren't the first band to acknowledge the heavy metal influences that most left-of-center bands had been trying to shake off since punk rock broke in 1977 (that honor would go to Black Flag on their polarizing 1984 album, My War)...
Melvins
Eye Flys (Buzz Osborne) 6:16
Heater Moves and Eyes (Buzz Osborne) 3:52
Happy Grey or Black (Melvins) 2:01
from Gluey Porch Treatments 1987
The second and last album done with Lukin keeps the Melvins' freak flag flying. Starting with the slow-as-hell "Eye Flys," which, if nothing else, shows off Osbourne's skill at monster soloing while Crover and Lukin play a rhythm that would be too slow even for funerals, Gluey Porch Treatments is, to a large extent, more of the same. Then again, with the possible exception of St. Vitus, not many other bands out there were embracing the love of sludge metal monstrosities as the threesome was (just compare it what Ozzy Osbourne himself was doing at the time)...

Theatrical leader of '70s-era Genesis and a bona fide pop star by the '80s despite his experimental, often exotic, material. As the leader of Genesis in the early '70s, Peter Gabriel helped move progressive rock to new levels of theatricality. He was no less ambitious as a solo artist, but he was more subtle in his methods. With his first eponymous solo album in 1977, he began exploring darker, more cerebral territory, incorporating avant-garde, electronic, and worldbeat influences into his music.
Peter Gabriel 
Red Rain (Peter Gabriel) 5:40
Don't Give Up (Peter Gabriel) 6:34
Sledgehammer  (Peter Gabriel) 5:13
from So 1986
Peter Gabriel introduced his fifth studio album, So, with "Sledgehammer," an Otis Redding-inspired soul-pop raver that was easily his catchiest, happiest single to date. Needless to say, it was also his most accessible, and, in that sense it was a good introduction to So, the catchiest, happiest record he ever cut. "Sledgehammer" propelled the record toward blockbuster status, and Gabriel had enough songs with single potential to keep it there...  Even so, those songs are so strong, finding Gabriel in a newfound confidence and accessibility, that it's hard not to be won over by them, even if So doesn't develop the unity of its two predecessors.

Front man for Japan whose striking image and ethereal vocals made him a prominent figure in the New Romantic movement. 
David Sylvian 
Taking the Veil (David Sylvian) 4:38
Before the Bullfight (David Sylvian) 9:20
Wave (David Sylvian) 9:13
from Gone to Earth 1986
Sylvian is joined by guitarists Robert Fripp and Bill Nelson on this 68-minute CD, which features tracks of Sylvian's trademark vocals and instrumentals. These dreamy, atmospheric works have nice musical support from Steve Nye, Kenny Wheeler, and Mel Collins.

Robert Fripp and David Sylvian

One of the most acclaimed bands of the post-punk era, a vision of innovative art-pop featuring David Byrne's manic yelp over tight R&B grooves. 
Talking Heads
And She Was  (David Byrne) 3:39
Perfect World (David Byrne / Chris Frantz) 4:27
Road to Nowhere  (David Byrne / Chris Frantz / Jerry Harrison / Tina Weymouth) 4:20
from Little Creatures 1985
Talking Heads' most immediately accessible album, Little Creatures eschewed the pattern of recent Heads albums, in which instrumental tracks had been worked up from riffs and grooves, after which David Byrne improvised melodies and lyrics. The songs on Little Creatures, most of which were credited to Byrne alone (with the band credited only with arrangements) sounded like they'd been written as songs. Perhaps as one result, the band had been streamlined, with extra musicians used only for specific effects rather than playing along as an ensemble. Byrne, who was singing in his natural range for once, frequently was augmented with backup singers. The overall result: ear candy. Little Creatures was a pop album, and an accomplished one, by a band that knew what it was doing. True, Byrne's lyrics were still intriguingly quirky, but even his subject matter was becoming more mature...

Singer/guitarist who formed influential punk band The Wipers and released a number of solo albums. 
Greg Sage
Straight Ahead 4:12
Blue Cowboy 3:10
World Without Fear 5:03
from Straight Ahead 1985
I didn’t think too much about acoustic guitar before, but Greg Sage somehow made it ok. If all these great songs were gonna come out of it, maybe it’s not so bad. Straight Ahead sold me on the concept of acoustic guitar. Now it was something I had to deal with. – J. Mascis
Arriving two years after the release of Wipers’ seminal Over The Edge LP, Straight Ahead was Sage’s first proper release of new material since signing to a major label (Enigma-offshoot, Restless Records) – a statement itself in an era where “selling-out” was a looming concern in the DIY community. Despite this, Sage’s first solo album remains even more insulated from the outside world than the Wipers – a quality exacerbated by the stripped-down instrumentation and themes of alienation. Today, some might call it “death folk” but in 1985 there were few precedents for the spectral, echo-laden folk-punk of Straight Ahead.

Revered English cult band of the '80s, led by expressive singer Lawrence Hayward, creators of cerebral jangle pop. 
Felt
Roman Litter (Maurice Deebank / Lawrence) 3:30
Spanish House (Maurice Deebank / Lawrence) 4:28
Crystal Ball (Maurice Deebank) 2:55
from The Strange Idols Pattern and Other Short Stories 1984
After establishing their sparse, dramatic sound with two albums and a handful of singles, Felt exploded into brilliance on their third album, 1984's The Strange Idols Pattern and Other Short Stories. Working with producer John Leckie for the first time, the band made a purposeful leap into the world of hi-fi recording: the arrangements are full and layered, Lawrence's vocals pop with confidence and vigor, and Felt have a limber swing to them that they'd never exhibited before. As usual, the record was split between Maurice Deebank's intricate instrumentals and Lawrence's songs, but for the first time Deebank's guitar explorations and Lawrence's tightly wound inner journeys sound like the work of two different visionaries instead of a united front...  The Strange Idols Pattern and Other Short Stories may not have the cachet or reputation of albums by the "big-name" bands of the era, but it has the songs and that's what counts the most. This is Lawrence and Felt at their absolute classic best, not to be overlooked or missed for any reason.

Teen trash poppers of the early '80s who tempered their fast and loud sound to become a major alternative rock act. 
Redd Kross
Citadel (Mick Jagger / Keith Richards) 2:58
Ann (The Stooges) 3:07
Saviour Machine (David Bowie) 4:22
from Teen Babes from Monsanto 1984
By the time Redd Kross' dynamic siblings Jeff and Steven McDonald hit the studio with drummer Dave Peterson to record 1984's EP of covers Teen Babes from Monsanto, any notions they once had of being a punk band were far in the rearview window. They'd become a kickass rock & roll band instead, giving the rock & roll icons whose songs they cover here a serious run for their money...  they give the Rolling Stones' "Citadel" a pummeling hard rock remake, play the Stooges to a draw on a spookily explosive version of "Ann," and steamroll all the whimsy out of David Bowie's "Saviour Machine" while giving it a doomy Black Sabbath makeover... More of a lark than a serious statement, Teen Babes is a serious good time and cleared the decks for Redd Kross, paving the way for them to start writing great songs of their own.

Pioneers in noise rock who continued creating sophisticated, visceral music long after they became an alt-rock institution. 
Sonic Youth
(She's in A) Bad Mood 5:36
Protect Me You 5:28
Freezer Burn/I Wanna Be Your Dog 3:38
from Confusion Is Sex/Kill Yr Idols 1983
before becoming alt-rock icons, before marriages and children, the Youth were a struggling young noise loving art-rock group from New York with empty pockets.
their first LP (depending on whether or not you consider the self titled EP the first BRUISE PRISTINE :p) , which was joined at the end by an EP of theirs ("Kill Yr Idols") to become one full album, is a hard find, and to the casual listener, a difficult listen. but when one learns to appreciate it, this record is a gem.
so there we go. if you are an SY fan, and you spot this at the record store, BUY IT. it is an extremely good find. keep in mind though, this album is not for everyone. this is an album for the open minded listener, interested in hearing something completely strange and new. i'll give 2 ratings.
for the casual listener: 1.5/5 / for the open mind: 4.5

Founding fathers of goth rock, driven by moody post-punk dynamics and jagged guitar chords, plus the manic mysticism of singer Peter Murphy. 
Bauhaus
She's in Parties (Bauhaus) 5:46
Who Killed Mr. Moonlight (Daniel Ash / Bauhaus / Kevin Haskins / David J / Peter Murphy) 5:01
Burning from the Inside  (Daniel Ash / Bauhaus / Kevin Haskins / David J / Peter Murphy) 9:21
from Burning From the Inside 1983
If The Sky's Gone Out felt like a collection of various recordings, Burning from the Inside really was, due in large part to outside events -- Murphy had fallen victim to a life-threatening illness, so the rest of the band began recording without him, which more than anything else foreshadowed both Bauhaus' breakup and the trio's future work as Love and Rockets... While imperfect, Burning from the Inside has much more to recommend it than many other albums.

Influential L.A. punk band known for an exhilarating blend of punk, rockabilly, and blues, with a sound and style that outlived the movement. 
X
The Hungry Wolf  (Exene Cervenka / John Doe) 3:46
Motel Room in My Bed (Exene Cervenka / John Doe) 2:40
Riding With Mary (Exene Cervenka / John Doe) 3:41
Under the Big Black Sun (Exene Cervenka / John Doe) 3:23
from Under The Big Black Sun 1982
X's first album issued on a major label, 1982's Under the Big Black Sun, is arguably their finest record. All 11 songs are exceptional, from both a performance and compositional point of view. Ray Manzarek's production is more akin to hard rock bands than their earlier punk works, but the songs still pack quite a punch. Before the recording of the album, singer Exene Cervenka's sister was killed by a drunk driver, and the band decided to work out their grief in the music, as evidenced by two of the album's best tracks: the melodic "Riding With Mary"...