we listen so fast: forgotten/unkown/unloved 80s we are listening to.

yeah on the listening thread. its so amazing. so much unknown goodness. unknown to me anyway.

this was fun today. i actually got a lot of work done with this music playing!

i'll be back in a day or two. going to get more records. because more records.

and then more to talk about! (and i will be checking out all the links on here too...)

the chorus on this is amazing

Stella Carnacina - “Non Bastera”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-W26GQuXcs

(seriously, do you all own the first album by The Jets? the one with "You Got It All" on it? every home should have one. this has been an 80s public service announcement.)

― scott seward, Monday, August 14, 2023 5:08 PM (yesterday) bookmarkflaglink

And speaking of public service announcements

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-lLIE55hUw

started my day with two records i've never heard by people certainly not obscure but maybe not a part of the daily national conversation. both records have really good sound. evelyn's record has a nice barebones freestyle vibe. cole & clivilles work their magic on a couple of tracks. payola$ were produced by mick ronson but bob rock did a lot and why do i forget that bob rock was in payola$? if i was canadian i would know this. anyway, this record doesn't ever sound like generic mush and it would have had the label just thrown some generic producer at them. their fake reggae sounds fine. i vaguely remember "eyes of a stranger". i think it was the album after this that had the college radio song i liked.

oh shit cole & clivilles are sampling art of noise on evelyn's album now. "before the date". i will never not love that.

https://i.discogs.com/GEEbKrOJwCCjZEGsR6l4bk4eS-2lWQimryY0LWC2aXQ/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTc1MjIx/OS0xMzk5MTg1MDA3/LTU1ODcuanBlZw.jpeg

https://i.discogs.com/1F3L8yK1bZUuV2SFxPUWE4HAaMCFauJsBY-N19eRqOQ/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:596/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTU3Njgy/OS0xNTgzMzQzODA1/LTg2NDkucG5n.jpeg

Some relatively new to me tracks I've thrown into my 80-84 playlists. Probably around half of these came thru from Discover Weekly.

Ryuichi Sakamoto - Riot In Lagos
Polyrock - Your Dragging Feet
Talking Heads - Unison
Felt - Evergreen Dazed
The Au Pairs - Headache For Michelle
Essential Logic - Wonderful Offer
Rexy - Running Out Of Time
Kim Carnes - Draw Of The Cards
Cha Cha Guitri - Non Non Non
James Last - Biscaya
Pilou - Ca Va
Antena - Camino Del Sol
Pat Metheny Group - Au Lait
The Flirts - Surf’s Up
Material - Don’t Lose Control
Manu Dibango - Mouna Pola
Richenel - Autumn
International Music System - Mojave
XTC - Frost Circus
Roy Ayers - Chicago
The Durutti Column - Prayer
Eddy Trauma - Macaroni Radio
Suburban Lawns - Flavor Crystals
Sisters Of Mercy - Phantom
The System - Pendy! You’re In Some Awful Danger
Witch - Erotic Delight
Thomas Leer - International

Blitz - Second Empire Justice

British OI! lads go post-punk on their second album

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pJnYbcMz2U

Jimmy Harnen - Where are you Now?

if i'm gonna listen to an 80s record produced by mick ronson then its only fair to then play an 80s record produced by rick derringer. this is pretty good. milwaukee band's one and only album from 1984. they try to sound british which is always a plus with american new wave. i would totally put the cut "adrianna dreams" on a new wave mixtape. check that one out. they actually say "fade to grey" in the lyrics! wearing their influences on their sleeve. anyway, underrated!

https://i.discogs.com/Uwlyc9BnzEzt09v244niMOBKoEr-liETAyhKNRVOUg8/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:467/w:465/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTI5OTk1/MjItMTMyNzIzODc0/OC5qcGVn.jpeg

i love that Blitz record! its so good.

those jimmy pursey post-punk albums have always been underrated as well.

it doesn't fit this thread but i ALSO love the 1990 Blitz album The Killing Dream. such a weird one.

was the Payola$ singer...welsh? i can't place his accent. doesn't sound canadian but maybe he wanted to sound more exotic.

love this. keeping it too! my keeping something is not exactly a trademark of quality but i support this record. if you are german and want to sound like gary numan its a safe bet that i will support you. now i just have to find their four(!!) other 80s albums.

https://i.discogs.com/BVrrHhyhWWAg4F-rYaZiONr2JvYCRf9Hz5IeEIXNDss/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:440/w:440/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTI0OTM4/Ny0xMTYxNDY3MzIz/LmpwZWc.jpeg

i bumped into the cassandra complex bloke a couple of times in leeds back in the day.
first time was in a synth/keyboard shop, and then he would always give me the nod after that.
always meant to pick up their 'hello america' album, but never got around to it.
in my head their stuff was in the same ballpark as 'drug free america',
but have never really dug around to confirm/deny this mental association due to forgetting about them both until scotts mention.

listening to Carole Davi$'s 1988 LP produced by Nile Rogers. she should have toured with Payola$. it's good! she collaborated with Prince and this would definitely fit on the paisley park roster but its on Warner. this is the kind of thing i usually play on CD. if i had the CD it would totally make my car's playlist. she doesn't have a great voice but the songs and production are cool. plus: surprise appearance by MC Shan!

https://i.discogs.com/4tiyu5nr_pMELZcmPqpAdco3VoX4hL8pQI9SfVIJdDw/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:598/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTMxMjcw/OS0xNDI3NTYwMDE5/LTYxMjguanBlZw.jpeg

https://i.discogs.com/uqRq8-laQAfYvCZxg-7IjXw8Af404ovWEdgaLlElUB8/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:596/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTMxMjcw/OS0xNDI3NTYwMDE5/LTUzOTYuanBlZw.jpeg

uh oh i've gone full ebm. set yer walkie-talkie vocals on stun. #lucvanacker

(could kinda listen to this stuff all day...)

https://i.discogs.com/C2Ocl6hvdCZjUpxd-6NGw92TlmHuhWjeWxr93aJL0Is/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTk1NTc5/OS0xNjQ1OTgxNjE5/LTQwNTcuanBlZw.jpeg

seriously thought about getting this logo as a tattoo. now i'm thinking i might get a tattoo of tony tony chopper from one piece wearing an antler subway t-shirt.

https://i.discogs.com/GjC1CCFB2TIejLQ4FDcm5n3tkJ1NZ_nrp10-J0xON8o/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:303/w:280/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9MLTI1MjYt/MTY0MTQ5NDEyNC01/MTY4LmpwZWc.jpeg

this KK insert is a gem.

https://i.discogs.com/DgiFXzsMgE9mP6EZRkIIU5MjwK33QNOzW9WyZHUQhYE/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:422/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTk1NTc5/OS0xNjQ1OTgxNjIy/LTUwMjEuanBlZw.jpeg

that H.N.A.S. record is an all time fave, the D.D.A.A. is very disappointing

lol the Vinyl On Demand guy has been raving about Force Dimension today #onethread

christoph heemann of h.n.a.s. played at my store once. he is so nice. and so fun to talk to about records cuz he has that crazy brain like his nurse with wound friend. crazy in a good way. for instance, one of his favorite records is Ball by Iron Butterfly. i always liked that about him.

haha that's awesome

listening to the one and only album by The Ladder. not terrible? so far. that production though...wow. 1986 in full effect. 1985 to 1989 could be an awkward period for studio engineers. apparently. but they were right there in joe the butcher's house! i know that they probably said make it like the hooters, joe! and they should have said make it like schoolly d, joe!

https://i.discogs.com/tM30HH6Z-iwgDWPR4RqkNXrjwj81EdM-0we6tl8ftCI/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:448/w:450/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTI4NDUy/MTQtMTMwMzY3NDk3/Ny5qcGVn.jpeg

I mentioned this in another obscure 80s thread, but this album was fucking fantastic, and dark as hell.

https://i.discogs.com/tOmoEDhf4wY1G7RkYngkbG3RQaNlC3Ax99fiU_ndi_8/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:593/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTkwNzM1/Ni0xNDcwNzUzOTY1/LTYyMzAuanBlZw.jpeg

i should listen to it! i have avoided it all these years and it is ubiquitous around here. i mean i know the hit obviously.

Ubiquitous, really? They always struck me as one-hit wonders. David Baerwald had a solo album or two afterwards, but I don't think they did very well. I remember getting a promo copy of this one from the record store I was working at and being just blown away.

there are a million copies of it around here. must have been their core demographic. the state of massachusetts.

I don't remember selling a single copy of it back in the day lol

Boulder, Colorado may not have been their core demographic

That sleeve is v.v. familiar, must have been a bargain bin perennial in the UK too

nothing like the sheer weight and volume of joan armatrading albums but i've had dozens and dozens of copies of boomtown here.

related: I cannot believe how much cheaper records are on the east coast/midwest. the Goodwills here charge $3.99 for total garbage, the other thrift chain (St. Vincent de Paul) charges $2.99 for everything, you can still find deals but jeez

xp Yeah, I think A&M tried to promote it pretty hard.

(I am in Oregon, which appears to be the worst state in the country for used vinyl)

ATL is all over the map, some bargains and a ton of stuff overpriced (like $35 and up for middling releases).

okay, screw The Ladder and their bloat this is more my speed. Philadelphia Five via KK Records. 1988 New Beat the way I love it. this is dope!

https://i.discogs.com/4RScPRR-w0ScOg0bIYviZajZ7mo6JsvD3bezfNuUKrM/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTE2NTgz/NS0xNTYxMzQ5NzA1/LTMwMTcuanBlZw.jpeg

i like stacy. never listened to this record all the way through! a narada michael walden production. A+ pop r&b.

https://i.discogs.com/ohYVcPhv8JqsB_yVtYqJRtYwddjwIt_QvMQc1Lcc3_A/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:590/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTE2MDIw/NzQtMTUyMzExNDA3/Mi02NDkyLmpwZWc.jpeg

listening to 1981 power pop right now. i've heard worse! but there is definitely some corniness here.

https://i.discogs.com/nH-lRr9GM6OlEIMMC8HpHUuCDz4k-puNTjLdx6X4d2U/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:500/w:500/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTE1MTYz/MTQtMTMzODYyMzg2/Ni05MzE3LmpwZWc.jpeg

Previously on ILM:
C/D: David & David - Boomtown
David and David: "Boomtown" -- C/D?

Whenever I see H.N.A.S. written out I momentarily mix it up with HSAS a.k.a. Hagar Schon Aaronson Shrieve which is an 80s band that no one should really remember. Except I think that J. D. Considine's review of the HSAS album ("Fred Zeppelin") is funnier than the infamous GTR review

It was a long way from Santana at Woodstock to HSAS for Michael Shrieve

your morning workout!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rs_gXpPg31c

canadian new wave from 1982. this is actual synth-pop! so far. i dig it. we shall see how things progress. with these types of dollar records you don't know if you will get actual synth-pop or slightly skinny tie power pop with a dash of synth from a band that turned in its steve miller and eagles covers 6 months ago and bought some pointy shoes. not that i have a problem with the latter if the songs are good. but often the former bar band will have one cool single that is A1 on side 1 and then a bunch of whatever.

https://i.discogs.com/PLarDiRE-LR5sn4M6EDFD1OW0z4U_3T5FiPdo5qg4jg/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTE1NzA0/NDctMTM3MTI2Mzk0/MC03ODcxLnBuZw.jpeg

in general, though, all bets are off once the calendar turns to 1985. things go downhill fast. as far as that kinda stuff goes. by 1985 you have full rooster hair a la The Alarm and cowboy boots and before you know it you are caught in a zodiac mindwarp!

i love this one! but i have already expressed my love for radio songs. this is kinda ultravox + blue nile.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IU7IESCs-j0

I haven't been following this thread (was planning to revisit it later when I'm next obsessed with a very minor 80s band, upon which I'll mention the ones I already have in mind) but I just want to say Cruella de Ville are great and it's a shame there was never an album.

it's official. the first Strange Advance album is UNDERRATED. maybe not in canada. i wouldn't know. they don't put a bar band new wave rock song on the album until track 10! and its the only song with Bob Rock playing rock guitar. everything before that any new wave band would have been happy to have a single. for the most part. good job, gang!

https://i.discogs.com/78UZaLBZo4_3B_h4djo9jmasakJ_sjPkny_uj7hKPh0/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:423/w:500/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9BLTI5MzE5/NC0xNDg0NTAzMDc0/LTI2NDQuanBlZw.jpeg

It's Jesse's Gang! Who could ever forget them? Me! I'm sure I've seen their singles a bunch. That's the great situation I'm in right now. I have a ton of full-length albums by artists who I have only seen on singles before. The albums rarely pop up. The singles tanked so the album tanked. Or something like that. Plus, this is from 1987 so if anyone was a Jesse's Gang fanatic they would buy the tape or CD. anyway, I'll report back. I'm looking forward to their song "Noiz Without Words".

https://i.discogs.com/rEz4vpsByk-xGYu-ut62rcMCxUZ5RqHZsq1WpjhR0Sc/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTE5OTAw/OTEtMTM3OTYwMjYx/Ny00NjE3LmpwZWc.jpeg

since canadian synth-pop is a recurring theme of this thread, i will humbly submit this amazing b-side by the band Roman Grey, who had some degree of success in their home country but are basically unknown in the states. could only find one mention of them in the ilx archives.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHRAUN8rudU

i like that a lot!