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

i can't believe i'm still listening to the woodentops. with a brief rest for stevie's clanky clunky thing. listening to that 1988 woodentops album that i've never heard. who was still listening to the woodentops in 1988? not me, brother. its not bad! but i had surfa rosa and public enemy and every other legendary rapper and metallica and spirit of eden (found the import right at sound of market after it came out i was so happy) and south of heaven and strictly business and my fave album of the year follow the leader. but woodentops? not when i could go down the street and see the feelies at chestnut cabaret right after only life came out! i mean we all have priorities. found blue bell knoll at sound of market too. didn't have to walk all the way down to tower on south street.

speaking of 1988 i wrote this on facebook and then i took it down but i will leave it here forever. sorry this has turned into my blog! feel free to post all you want. i will totally listen to stuff. i'm good at it. anyway, this is all about listening to the "jump in the river" remix with karen finley on it and sinead but also about how formative 1988 as a year was for me:

I first heard The Lion And The Cobra in the winter of 1987 at my friend Liz Buckingham's house in Connecticut. She also played Diamanda Galas's Saint Of The Pit and that record also blew my mind. It was a religious experience all around. These strong and sure and fiery female voices telling me that there were all these worlds that I had no idea about. And almost daring me to try harder to make my own reality more magical and strong. Thank you Liz! I turned her on to Slayer and Crass when we were kids so fair is fair. Jim Roberto was there! I think we might have all slept in the same bed that night. It was cold. True story: I've slept in a bed with Jim Roberto more than once. I think the last time was when he opened up for Elastica at the Khyber Pass with St. Johnny when they were supporting their new album on Geffen. Those Geffen guys were assholes! Are they Mafia or something? I will never ever sign to that label no matter what and that's a promise. St. Johnny rocked the house that night. Elastica's tour bus took up half the block. Either me or my pal Lance bought this single in 1988. We couldn't fucking believe it! Karen Fucking Finley! Lance and I saw The Constant State Of Desire in 1988 at the Painted Bride in Philly and we thought we were going to DIE of sheer exhilaration. Or maybe a panic attack! Not unlike how we felt when we went to see Robert Maplethorpe at UPenn for his The Perfect Moment show also in 1988. Something was happening! Punk wasn't dead! People were dying all over Philly and art was trying to keep up with the anger all around us. And Sinead's collab with MC Lyte in 1988? And Lyte's 1988 masterpiece Lyte As A Rock! Ahhh! It was all so much beauty. An embarrassment of brilliant women. Art was keeping me alive back then. I clutched at it like a lifeline. Thank you so much, Sinead. I love you so much. Thank you for loving and respecting Hip Hop. I am so sorry that this world can be so cruel. You made it less so. You really did. I will listen to your voice until I die.

Keep it up Scott - love this thread. Ya turned me on to Larry Gatlin's Rain Rainbow once upon a time so, there's bound to be a fun discovery here! Forgot all about the Woodentops! The Zulu sounded good!

cheers. the first song on Rain Rainbow makes me swoon. so beautiful. the whole thing is great.

i remember getting a record, like ep length, called well well well by woodentops while living in boston, when it dropped. ohhh man, so great. then giant happened, and i really liked it tho it was a bit of a tone change, and not quite as good to me. then it was "what ever happened to woodentops?" basically. fuck i wish i had that woodentops vinyl anymore.

that was my experience pretty much. bought the EP and the album and then just forgot about them.

i do remember them having a resurgence during the whole balearic craze of the early 2000s. i think. maybe even here i remember that? tim f. would know.

so far so pleasant. with st. elmo's fire saxophone. but even that sounds pleasant. i like skipper's voice. skipper wise of wink! and windows fame, of course.

https://i.discogs.com/XETpoztvO5D3OR-8SGyt0V0oRQryoKYFVjJJRXobG5g/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:522/w:516/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTQzNDg0/MjItMTM2MjQ0MzQw/Ny00NjkyLmpwZWc.jpeg

skipper should have stayed in the mellow zone. the uptempo stuff on his album really ruins the vibe. oh well. he had the right idea with this track:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_Hf5GdB6R4

best song i've heard in a while. courtesy of the double album entitled *Revolutions Per Minute (The Art Record)* from 1982.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p230fgtXcUc

both of the 80s woodentops albums/eps and various remixes were put onto a 3cd set a few years back.
my vinyl of GIANT is a truly dreadful 80s pressing, so was good to hear it properly.

wow, this Snapper EP on Flying Nun. You guys never told me! so cool. motorik in 1988. "Buddy" is now my new theme song.

SO GOOD

I quite like 'Skeletons' but 'Go Home' is a better Stevie Embraces Digital (and House - the bass sound kinda anticipates Larry Heard wonderfully) endeavour imo.

the video they made for buddy is a classic, very south island

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhyIV-XLgPo

the funny thing is: it's 9:20 am and i might not be the only person in new england blasting gorilla biscuits and pricing journey records.

don't worry their album came out in 1989 otherwise i wouldn't mention it. i used to see them live when i was a youth of today.

australian new wave. i dig it. i guess this band was around since the 70s but this album is from 1988. i don't know who i would compare them to...

https://i.discogs.com/cUTimiGFBRZsME1tVYu1ld22748eaDtbI9xq-zfVx3A/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:568/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTI1Nzky/MDUtMTUyMDIzNTk5/NS04MjMwLmpwZWc.jpeg

actually you know what some of it reminds me of? roky in the 80s with some punky band behind him. like the aliens album. which is cool. why did i ever sell my copy of the evil one? oh well.

oh also: i listened to Monsters by Meat Puppets for the first time yesterday. that's a weird one. "touchdown king" is the one song i really liked probably because it reminded me of up on the sun or something from that era.

(i think after the godhead that is up on the sun i bought the next three things when they came out mirage/huevos/out my way and just never listened to them much. i really wanted to like them as much as up on the sun so bad. but it didn't happen. so, by 1989, i was on another planet. with rakim. and special ed.)

I had the same Meat Pups trajectory, was disappointed in Monsters and sold it back, didn't really pay attention to later releases. I should relisten, my tastes have changed in 30 years.

I think Monsters was when they started going for the crunchy guitar tone instead of the clean psych tone, hence disappointing

the first side is really metal-y. but the second side is different. maybe they were recorded at different times.

doesn't look like it?

Copyright © – Meat Puppets Music
Mixed At – For the Record
Phonographic Copyright ℗ – SST Records – SST CD 253
Recorded At – For the Record

Bass, Vocals – Cris Kirkwood
Drums – Derrick Bostrom
Guitar, Vocals, Written-By – Curt Kirkwood
Photography By – Christopher Gardener, Ian Harper (2), Janet McCracken, Linda Earley, Raenie Kane
Producer – The Meat Puppets*
Recorded By, Mixed By – E*

Maybe Curt demanded the album be front-loaded with his metal guitar workouts?

maybe! the sound is a little jarring at first.

man, i just can't make myself listen to thomas dolby's aliens ate my buick.

digging this. tree hugger new wave from 1988. the sticker on the front says "the first rock 'n roll New Age record". (only new age is capitalized. rock doesn't do capital letters.)

https://i.discogs.com/YG7uphu-hQTuXYlOR18lh13Qx0xWL3qtE0w0NRTgVFk/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:496/w:496/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTE2MTQy/MDAtMTI4MzI0MTg0/NC5qcGVn.jpeg

xxxp is "attacked by monsters" just the kirkwood boros getting so baked they forgot the song is actually bowie's "scary monster & super creeps"?

Was amazed to see that Condition post - saw them live back sometime in the late 80's, total kitsch even for the times but they pulled it off somehow, singer had great stage presence.

Yeah, they seem like an act much better experienced live than listened to on vinyl.

i have never ever ever heard of Diesel Park West and they have, like, 12 albums! where do these people hide themselves? says they are from leicester. maybe they hide there. i have a ten-inch from 1989 but i played a snippet from it and yeah i don't need that right now. that bombastic thing. the alarm thing again. or the u2 thing. i almost never need anything that sounds like U2. unless its simple minds. but they are contemporaries.

when i think of all things the u.k. tried to foist on me way back when. why did they want me to listen to cathy dennis SO much back then? a lotta lame ladies. even lamer the 60s and 70s ladies making synth-pop singles. not ALL of them of course but a lot of them. i'm sure there is a bad Lulu italo single out there. hazell dean? really? are you sure? why again? that yazz woman. nobody knew that was someone's name here. someone should have told us. we just thought the british were supremely lazy for naming yet another group yaz. and in case you didn't know this brits we had to call yazoo yaz. it was in our contract. more power to all those women for making a name for themselves. it ain't easy. especially here where people in the 80s were routinely making the greatest dance singles on earth revered to this day all around the world.

cathy dennis more 90s...sorry, cathy. you shouldn't even be here!

lotsa fellas i have ignored too. one of these days i will listen to a paul haig solo album i promise.

there are zarkons in my future.

https://i.discogs.com/bJaDe0SSXTN3-0cHg4eqnSVmugB251jPJziy6MTyirY/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:387/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9BLTgzNzQ2/NS0xMzUwODA1MDg5/LTkyMjkuanBlZw.jpeg

shit, they were the alley cats! i love that alley cats record. another one i wish i had kept. anyway, after one and a half songs of the 2nd Zarkons albums i say: brilliant! high camp goth by people who can sing is cool.

https://i.discogs.com/EjS2hAr2Nnb0Gn_Gk9Qr816iC9OSQXDjdSdY6z-NcRQ/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:565/w:565/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTM5NjYz/OTItMTM1MDgwNTg4/MS0yOTI3LmpwZWc.jpeg

the title track from the alley cats nightmare city album has the same vibe as that snapper single. love them both. i might have to break down and buy a copy if i ever see one. i've only had one copy ever! and i don't think i've ever seen the 2nd album despite its major label status. seems weird. but i am still alive and there is still time.

listening to this CD comp on my laptop now. i have never "burned" a CD but last month i "ripped" a CD for the first time ever! i just happened to notice that my computer's player had a button that said "rip" so i pushed it! and it totally worked. so, i have a one album digital archive. (most of the stuff on this cd are from 1989 but there are obviously reissues that Line was pushing like Deviants and UFO. i will skip them in honor of this thread.)

https://i.discogs.com/9TS2qYUj3QfdHUgMubUl4VhSL92fCMF49B4d1pcRBak/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:466/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTEzOTk1/NzYtMTY0MTA2ODA0/Mi0yNDI4LmpwZWc.jpeg

what a completely bizarre tracklist

that comp was too blues-heavy. i skipped a lot. this one is more my speed. playing now. from 1988.

https://i.discogs.com/i9WrOruMzQ1MJsGgiD3jV-Fl2IajFz7IpHpEAIem3r8/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTI3MTk4/OTY2LTE2ODUxMjYx/NjQtMjgzNy5qcGVn.jpeg

1 Casanova - You're Not The Only One
2 Human Drama - Heaven On Earth
3 etc - Delta I'll
4 Nikita - It Don't Hurt
5 Vice - Holdin' On
6 Runner-Up - On the Other Side
7 The Passengers - Back To Neverland
8 Britton - Rock Hard
9 One Thousand Steps - Manzanera
10 One-Four-Five - Girl In The Window
11 Lava And The Hot Rocks - I Saw You With Another Girl
12 Blackbird - Howl
13 17 - Feel Your Love
14 The Pressures Of Time - Left And Right
15 Axis Power - Give Me All Your Love
16 Bekka And The Blue - Theodore
17 The Tapp - How 'Bout You

words I learned today: bullshitiaco

this is a very entertaining CD to work to! would play again. maybe i should "rip" it.

i want this 12-inch now! it sells for a dollar on discogs. so cool. i'm gonna be 1988's a&r man.

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

https://i.discogs.com/p2WNkkMLR0Vd8oDTROjjxkZRb15Tn1uJdNNIr6jLh_o/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:595/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTQ2ODM3/NTctMTQyNjU5NTE5/Ny03NzUyLmpwZWc.jpeg

none of you are ever going to listen to that "howl" song. i understand. i guess it could be likened to a more distorted timbuk 3. i listened to the other songs connected to that song on youtube and i dig them. would definitely keep a CD around.

you don't have to listen to tommy shaw's remo williams theme. it doesn't really get at the essence of remo.

i'm rockin' another one of these comps. so addictive.

https://i.discogs.com/TtQp6K_eVlAF-AVRNBBbx4XUO9eF_Ufx61-dsDpEAV0/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:526/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTI3Njc2/MjQ1LTE2OTI4MTc5/OTctNzYwMC5qcGVn.jpeg

okay i'm listening to a paul haig album what do i win? who listened to his records originally? josef k. fans? they made no dent here. i don't even know if any of them came out in the u.s. we were too busy listening to paul kelly and the messengers and juluka and spear of destiny. this song i'm listening to is okay but i keep feeling that he's ripping off echo & the bunnymen's "read it in books". especially the part when he sings the line "read it in books".

so far so okay. this album is called Chain.

tempting....

maybe tomorrow. 2xlp set. snickers DOES satisfy after all.

https://i.discogs.com/2KlcmBJQLf1eX1HqYwaqb4jo71P83PD0Ao0ZRsHcozU/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:595/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTE1OTkx/NzQtMTY1NTAxODU2/MS04MzI4LmpwZWc.jpeg

i've actually been listening to A Witness. the album. john peel was a fan. those vocals are rough for me in my old age. the music is cool though. that herky jerky thing. they must have shared bills with pre-C86 titans Membranes and Three Johns. except they were ON the C86 tape! so they are officially pre-C86 and C86. i was never a big stump fan. i think you either were or weren't back then.

for the record, the only C86 bands that i love: Pastels (worshipped them in the 80s and luckily homestead picked some of their stuff up and i could get it easy), shop assistants (another why oh why did i sell my album...actually sold it at my first store in philly in the 90s), half man half biscuit (because genius), fuzzbox (cuz i'll always love that first album a ton). i should love the wedding present but i mostly like and admire them. as for the rest, eh. (there are some i haven't heard much of though.)

I'll take the opportunity to propone Thirteen Moons, who fall somewhere between late-era Talk Talk, This Mortal Coil, and Shelleyan Orphan. The best English 4AD band that were neither.

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_n0GkpMub54vy5paTv98R-yz0nqefTtxZw&playnext=1&index=1

Lots of good Paul Haig stuff, including collaborations with New Order folk and Alan Rankine. Little impact here but The Only Truth might’ve had some new wave dance floor success in the uk. I like that, Blue for You, Running Away, Never Give Up and more. Ur I’m a Josef K fan who also likes new wave dance music so I’m the demographic.