Recommend some fresh sounding 80's synth Albums?

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― jackie, Friday, 6 September 2002 12:47 (twenty-three years ago)

hah.

― jess (dubplatestyle), Friday, 6 September 2002 12:48 (twenty-three years ago)

I know there is stuff out there. Who has dug deep? Or albums with synth parts on them. Post-punk included.

― jackie, Friday, 6 September 2002 13:12 (twenty-three years ago)

I suposse "fresh sounding" could be construed as a bit of a relative term, but for my money, I'd point you in the direction of any of Pete Shelley (of Buzzcocks notoriety) solo albums, The COUNTERFEIT e.p. by Martin "DM" Gore, anything by Fad Gadget (but I'd go for INCONTINENT), ummmmmm.....shit, there are loads more, but those are the ones off the top of my head.

― Alex in NYC, Friday, 6 September 2002 13:18 (twenty-three years ago)

Plone: 'For Beginner Piano'

― Owen, Friday, 6 September 2002 13:22 (twenty-three years ago)

Trans by Neil Young.

Probably sounds fresher now then it did then. Though only half of it is synthy.

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Friday, 6 September 2002 13:31 (twenty-three years ago)

I'm Your Man by Leonard Cohen.

― Enid Roach (Enid Roach), Friday, 6 September 2002 13:45 (twenty-three years ago)

'counterfeit' ? god no don't get that.
if you don't know much depeche mode, then
check 'black celebration' 'some great reward' +
'music for the masses'. if you haven't already.

― piscesboy, Friday, 6 September 2002 13:56 (twenty-three years ago)

Alex beat me to the punch with Fad Gadget. I just got The Fad Gadget Singles and it makes a rather nice retrospective.

― paul cox, Friday, 6 September 2002 14:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Daft Punk - Discovery...... sorry, but from where I'm standing nothing from the 80s sounds fresh anymore. But I second Mr Noodles recommendation of TRANS

― nick.K (nick.K), Friday, 6 September 2002 14:01 (twenty-three years ago)

A bit of an upopular choice, possibly, but howabout THE GOLDEN AGE OF WIRELESS by Thomas Dolby. It ain't all "Blinded By Science,"....he had some other moments ("One of Our Submarines," springs immediately to mind.)

You also might want to check out Lene Lovich (an old collegue of Dolby's, actually). Her's wasn't strictly synth stuff, but there was certainly a bit of synth-tweaking going on. "New Toy," "Lucky Number" and "It's You, Only You (Mein Schmerze)" are great goddamn singles!

― Alex in NYC, Friday, 6 September 2002 14:18 (twenty-three years ago)

Simple Minds:Sons & Fascinations/Sister Feelings Call

Colourbox:Colourbox

Heaven 17:Penthouse & Pavement

Both of Alex in NYC's picks (Dolby/Lovich) are great too.

― dek1, Friday, 6 September 2002 14:55 (twenty-three years ago)

Thomas Leer - Contradictions (or Letter From America) owns this thread

― Paul (scifisoul), Friday, 6 September 2002 15:01 (twenty-three years ago)

Yakuhiro Takahashi-Neuromantic
John Foxx-Metamatic
Ultravox-hahaha
Soundtrack-Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence
Conrad Shnitzler-Con
Throbbing Gristle-(whats the one with 'Cornets' on it?)
Cabaret Voltaire-Mix Up
New Order-movemnt

― geeg, Friday, 6 September 2002 17:13 (twenty-three years ago)

Robert Palmer:Clues

Yellow Magic Orchestra:X?Multiplies

Bill Nelson:The Love That Whirls(Diary Of A Thinking Heart)

― dek1, Friday, 6 September 2002 18:09 (twenty-three years ago)

Ah, the benefits of having lived through the FIRST synthpop era...

* New Musik: Sanctuary. Includes "Straight Lines" and "They All Run After The Carving Knife," two of the greatest 80s-synth-hits-that-never-were.

* Our Daughter's Wedding: Digital Cowboy EP. Wish I still had the copy I sold years ago. "Lawnchairs are everywhere..."

* The Cure: Happily Ever After double-LP comp. Oh wait, there's not much synth at all on either album. Still, I think of it part of the same family.

* Soft Cell: Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret. Alternately sleazy, funny and sad.

* Silicon Teens: Music For Parties. Daniel Miller of Mute Records presents a selection of (mostly) cover tunes. The two instrumental originals are my favorites.

Favorite Thomas Dolby song: "Airwaves."

― mike a, Friday, 6 September 2002 19:32 (twenty-three years ago)

also: Devo's New Traditionalists and Oh No, It's Devo.

― mike a, Friday, 6 September 2002 19:33 (twenty-three years ago)

Excellent call, Mike a, on those two specific DEVO albums. I never think of Devo as strictly as "synth band," but synths do indeed dominate those two rigorously underrated albums (particularly the latter).

― Alex in NYC, Friday, 6 September 2002 19:39 (twenty-three years ago)

2 Australian bands - The Reels and Ya Ya Choral : both are slightly avant pop/rock with heaps of synths and lovely melodies.

― phil turnbull (philT), Friday, 6 September 2002 19:49 (twenty-three years ago)

I could go on for a while, but I'll make it short leaving out some: OMD - all albums
Wall of Voodoo - first 4
Mecano - first 2 and Ana Jose Nacho
Orange Juice - Rip It Up
Dalek I Love You
British Electric Foundation
Twins
Passage
Vicious Pink
Sheila Walsh - all 80s esp Shadowlands
Fad Gadget - Fireside Favorites, Under the Flag
Simple Minds - pretty much all the early 80s ones
Eyeless in Gaza - Photographs, Rust Red Sept,
Japan- Quiet Life, Tin Drum
Section 25 - From the Hip

― A Nairn (moretap), Friday, 6 September 2002 20:53 (twenty-three years ago)

Maybe they're not as obscure as choice as you were hoping for, but any of the following by Kraftwerk ought to sate your synth needs and then some: AUTOBAHN, TRANS-EUROPE EXPRESS, THE MAN MACHINE, COMPUTERWORLD

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Saturday, 7 September 2002 05:01 (twenty-three years ago)

Martin Rev's solo stuff is beautiful synth music in the style I think you're thinking of. I'm kind of ashamed to say it though seeing as how Suicide have been included in the 'critcallly acclaimed but actually sucked category.' Not that I agree. But M.Rev's albums don't sound that much like Suicide anyway. More like - Daphne and Celeste.

― maryann, Saturday, 7 September 2002 06:42 (twenty-three years ago)

section 25 - from the hip
the wake - harmony

― Jens (brighter), Saturday, 7 September 2002 07:55 (twenty-three years ago)

Depeche Mode's Speak & Spell...I remember hearing New Life for the first time & being knocked out. I reckon their first two albums are two of the freshest things produced in the '80s.

― Jez, Saturday, 7 September 2002 08:28 (twenty-three years ago)

'Primitive Man' by Icehouse has some wicked cool tracks on it

― dave q, Saturday, 7 September 2002 08:31 (twenty-three years ago)

Walter Carlos, Beauty and The Beast.

one of the strangest synth albums I have ever heard. Not the least bit pop, but if you are looking for a truly idiosyncratic record, you do not need to look much farther.

― mt, Sunday, 8 September 2002 00:34 (twenty-three years ago)

add to The Reels, The Primitive Calculators and Tch Tch Tch.

― threemetalinsects (threemetalinsects), Sunday, 8 September 2002 06:56 (twenty-three years ago)

Die Doraus - Tulpen und Narzissen LP wonderful record from Germany.

― Jens (brighter), Sunday, 8 September 2002 07:40 (twenty-three years ago)

Not strictly a synth album, but Scritti Politti's Songs to Remember is astonishingly fresh-sounding given its vintage. As for strictly synth, Yazoo still sound ace (OK, they were popular, but they sound fantastically fresh).

― Daniel (dancity), Sunday, 8 September 2002 08:18 (twenty-three years ago)

Try Zymox, Synergy, and or Tangerine Dream

― Den, Sunday, 8 September 2002 15:47 (twenty-three years ago)

... though Section 25 From The Hip does fit the bill nicely, too

― Paul (scifisoul), Sunday, 8 September 2002 16:35 (twenty-three years ago)

OMD-"Architecture and morality"

― Michael Bourke, Sunday, 8 September 2002 16:39 (twenty-three years ago)

Cowboys International-The Original Sin ('79, actually)

Poly Styrene's first solo single "Talk In Toytown" is very pretty and snyth-y. Not sure if the solo album Translucence carries on with this sound. Anyone heard it?

― Arthur (Arthur), Monday, 9 September 2002 00:24 (twenty-three years ago)

Skinny Puppy - "Mind: The Perpetual Intercourse"

― static (Kim), Monday, 9 September 2002 01:35 (twenty-three years ago)

Human League - Travelogue

― Keith McD (Keith McD), Monday, 9 September 2002 08:30 (twenty-three years ago)

Ha! You missed Liaisons Dangereuses? Chrislo Haas from DAF and Beate Bartel (??). Kind of a disco version of kleien und bösen...very nice. But hard to find...

― Tobias, Monday, 9 September 2002 11:56 (twenty-three years ago)

Strawberry Switchblade - "Since Yesterday" is still a genius popsong.

― mike a, Monday, 9 September 2002 13:13 (twenty-three years ago)

i kind of like Xex - Group: Xex

it's sort of like miss kittin and the hacker... except it's kids from southern new jersey circa 1980

― coelcanth, Monday, 9 September 2002 16:45 (twenty-three years ago)

none of you have mentioned 'dazzle ships' by omd - for shame!

― maura (maura), Monday, 9 September 2002 16:51 (twenty-three years ago)

the pulsars, it isn't from the 80s but it sounds like it was recorded then and they have a song about the silicon teens who were already mentioned, godzuki could fit in here too at least on their second album.

― keith, Monday, 9 September 2002 23:46 (twenty-three years ago)

I see your OMD - Architecture & Morality and Strawberry Switchblade tips, and raise you Yazoo - Upstairs At Eric's and Lori & The Chameleons' amazing "Touch" single...Bill flippin' Drummond again, I believe.

― Charlie, Tuesday, 10 September 2002 02:28 (twenty-three years ago)

I guess Dirty Mind by Prince was popular, but I'd only heard a few tracks when I bought it last year. I was amazed by how good it is and how fresh it sounded, and it's close to being synth pop.

― Mark (MarkR), Tuesday, 10 September 2002 03:07 (twenty-three years ago)

<>
wasn't this supposed to be re-released on cd? was it ever? i actually saw xex a couple of times in the mid-80s, but i blew every chance i had to buy the lp. now i see it on ebay for $50 and up. strange how it's developed a cult following.
i remember very little about the xex shows i saw. they set up in single file across the stage and acted almost motionless. i remember that a couple of songs were really good; my favorites were called, i think, "it's you" and "vietnam vet."
there were actually a few decent central-nj synth bands in the 1980s. two off the top of my head: the communicators (one totally great and mysterious ep from 1984-ish; no label) and screaming for emily (cure wannabes from middlesex county; they could play with interpol today ;))
― mike a, Wednesday, 11 September 2002 03:53 (twenty-three years ago)

the above refers to the group xex lp
― mike a, Wednesday, 11 September 2002 03:54 (twenty-three years ago)

yeah, prince all fucking day. ditto for new musik. idunno how fresh this sounds but, i just discovered a.c. marias' 'one of our girls has gone missing' and think it's pretty tops. nine minute cover of lou reed's 'vicious' that never gets dull. and i normally have a two and a half to three minute attention span.
― brian badword (badwords), Wednesday, 11 September 2002 06:04 (twenty-three years ago)

David Bowie, 'Low'
― Lukas Bergstrom (lukas), Wednesday, 11 September 2002 06:42 (twenty-three years ago)

Oops, forgot about the 80s requirement.
― Lukas Bergstrom (lukas), Wednesday, 11 September 2002 06:43 (twenty-three years ago)

Duh. Why has no-one mentioned Vangelis? Is it too obvious? I just scooped a brace of Jon and Vangelis (Jon Anderson of, uhm Yes) albums (promo vinyl - hello) as it happens and while I am still getting over them, at this point they certainly seem to be actually quite good. The title track of Friends of Mr Cairo is tickling my toes right now. If you need convincing, Blade Runner is a good place to start.
Can I just say; Mr Noodles; Trans by Neil Young - "Probably sounds fresher now then it did then" - are you having an absolute bubble?
― Roger Fascist, Wednesday, 11 September 2002 08:06 (twenty-three years ago)

Yellow Magic Orchestra "Technodelic"
I bought this one a couple of years ago out of a cheap used CD bin for $3 bucks out of curiousity, knowing Ryuchi Sakamoto was a member and reading some electro people mention their records.
It is quite a good listen with interesting vocals and a synth pop sound that holds up quite well.
― earlnash, Wednesday, 11 September 2002 13:03 (twenty-three years ago)

Has anyone mentioned early Gary Numan/Tubeway Army yet? I could go for hearing "Are 'Friends' Electric?" right about now...
― mike a, Wednesday, 11 September 2002 14:18 (twenty-three years ago)

four years pass...
Most 80s synth album sound fresher now than they have done in a lot of time.
― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Friday, 10 November 2006 23:41 (eighteen years ago)

test

― a name means a lot just by itself (lfam), Friday, 10 November 2006 23:44 (eighteen years ago)

* Soft Cell: Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret. Alternately sleazy, funny and sad.

Seconded... Of all the synth-pop/new wave my friends and I listened to in the 80s, this was one of the few to get complete album play.

― shorty (shorty), Saturday, 11 November 2006 12:35 (eighteen years ago)

ten months pass...

yeah go on.

― pisces, Monday, 8 October 2007 02:21 (eighteen years ago)

"like to get to know you well" by Howard Jones, of course.

― Spinspin Sugah, Monday, 8 October 2007 02:58 (eighteen years ago)

For god's sake the Buggles, both of their records.

― Doctor Casino, Monday, 8 October 2007 05:07 (eighteen years ago)

seconding "penthouse and pavement" by heaven 17. great stuff that i just was clued into this summer. i always dismissed and/or ignored them in the past - even back in the 80s.

― chr1sb0y, Monday, 8 October 2007 16:18 (eighteen years ago)

feeling cavalier by ebn-ozn has some good stuff - but it's really a mixed bag... ("aeiou sometiems y" and "bag lady" were the mtv hits.)

― chr1sb0y, Monday, 8 October 2007 16:22 (eighteen years ago)

Not obscure, but Dare by The Human League is really good.

― Eazy, Monday, 8 October 2007 17:23 (eighteen years ago)

Thomas Leer - Contradictions (or Letter From America) owns this thread

Wrong, his Scale of Ten does.

― Naive Teen Idol, Monday, 8 October 2007 19:03 (eighteen years ago)

For god's sake the Buggles, both of their records.

The first one is ace. Never been able to actually hear the second one. Has it ever been released on CD?

― Geir Hongro, Monday, 8 October 2007 21:08 (eighteen years ago)

The Dramatis Project, by Gary Numan's backing band:

http://www.emusic.com/album/Tubeway-Army-The-Dramatis-Project-MP3-Download/11062615.html

― moley, Monday, 8 October 2007 22:33 (eighteen years ago)

It's surprisingly good! Or maybe that isn't surprising. And very much a thing of its time.

― moley, Tuesday, 9 October 2007 04:02 (eighteen years ago)

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