548. Water From an Ancient Well

Water From an Ancient Well
Abdullah Ibrahim
1985

Tracks
1. Mandela 
2. Song For Sathima 
3. Manenberg Revisited 
4. Tuang Guru 
5. Water From An Ancient Well 
6. Wedding 
7. Mountain 
8. Sameeda

Well that was a bit of a mixed bag, with some of these tracks being quite good while others sounded like they would be played at a rather dreary dinner party. It's been awhile since we have had a jazz album, but hey, I guess the 80s are all about being retro.

I listened to this while reading Strindberg; the only thing missing was a pipe. I am not sure which author to pair with our next album, Hunting High and Low. Maybe I'll do James Joyce, just to annoy him.

RATING: 3/5

547. This Nation's Saving Grace

This Nation's Saving Grace
The Fall
1985

Tracks
1. Mansion
2. Bombast
3. Barmy
4. What You Need
5. Spoilt Victorian Child
6. LA
7. Gut Of The Quantifier
8. My New House
9. Paintwork
10. I Am Damo Suzuki
11. To Nkroachment/Yarbles

We have finally arrived at the famed 1985, which is the best year of music according to Bowling for Soup. I know it might be considered blasphemous to reference that band in these hallowed pages, but I think we waved goodbye to any form of musical dignity after I couldn't appreciate the Rolling Stones.

Anyway, this was pretty good, with some interesting guitar work that I didn't expect to hear in 1985. The times they sure are a'changin'. I waited a few days between listening to this and writing down my thoughts, so this isn't as fresh in my mind as the albums usually are. Still, an enjoyable experience and a nice kick off to a new year.


RATING: 3/5

546. Born in the USA

Born in the USA
Bruce Springsteen
1984

Tracks
1. Born In The USA
2. Cover Me
3. Darlington County
4. Working On The Highway
5. Downbound Train
6. I'm On Fire
7. No Surrender
8. Bobby Jean
9. I'm Goin' Down
10. Glory Days
11. Dancing In The Dark
12. My Hometown

I like albums like this, ones that seem light and fun on the surface but conceal something darker underneath. "I'm Goin' Down" has the joyous cadence of a love song, but actually expresses the opposite sentiment. The entire album contains this curious element of paradox, with "Born In The USA" sounding like an anthem and being anything but.

Every song on this album is catchy and worth listening to, with my favorites being "I'm On Fire" and "Dancing in the Dark." I feel like we needed this album to inject a bit of life into the proceedings. Now I feel refreshed and ready to take on 1985.

RATING: 4/5

545. Immigres

Immigres
Youssou N'Dour
1984

Tracks
1. Immigrés/Bitim Rew 
2. Pitche Mi 
3. Taaw
4. Badou

In a list that it is notoriously skewed for Western tastes (you should see the 1001 book list; it's like white guy palooza), it was refreshing to hear an album from Senegal.

I think we can all admit at this point in 1984, synths are getting annoying. But they actually didn't bother me very much with this one. Maybe it's because Youssou N'Dour has such an interesting voice that I was properly distracted. 

Despite all that, my frequent readers know I connect to music best through lyrics (which has ultimately been to my detriment on this List), which is significantly harder to do when I don't speak the language. I am not faulting the album for this in the slightest, but since this blog measures my individual enjoyment of each entry on the List, this is a three-star album.

RATING: 3/5

544. Rattlesnakes

Rattlesnakes
Lloyd Cole and the Commotions
1984

Tracks
1. Perfect Skin 
2. Speedboat 
3. Rattlesnakes 
4. Down On Mission Street 
5. Forest Fire 
6. Charlotte Street 
7. 2cv 
8. Four Flights Up 
9. Patience 
10. Are You Ready To Be Heartbroken? 

We continue our streak of decent to superb albums with "Rattlesnakes." I will once again demonstrate my musical ignorance by admitting that I had never heard of Lloyd Cole before. I really liked my first foray into his music and I hope he is represented on the List again.

All of the songs were fairly catchy and Lloyd Cole has a pretty unique voice that manages to be soft and powerful at the same time. I particularly enjoyed "Patience" and "Are You Ready to Be Heartbroken?" Damn, we haven't had good love songs like that in awhile. They warm my shriveled heart.

RATING: 4/5

543. Double Nickels on the Dime

Double Nickels on the Dime
The Minutemen
1984

Tracks
1. D.'s Car Jam/Anxious Mo-Fo 
2. Theatre Is The Life Of You 
3. Viet Nam 
4. Cohesion 
5. It's Expected I'm Gone 
6. #1 Hit Song 
7. Two Beads At The End 
8. Do You Want New Wave Or Do You Want The Truth 
9. Don't Look Now 
10. Shit From An Old Notebook 
11. Nature Without Man 
12. One Reporter's Opinion 
13. Political Song For Michael Jackson To Sing 
14. Maybe Partying Will Help 
15. Toadies 
16. Retreat 
17. Big Foist 
18. God Bows To Math 
19. Corona 
20. Glory Of Man 
21. Take 5 D. 
22. My Heart And The Real World 
23. History Lesson 
24. You Need The Glory 
25. Roar Of The Masses Could Be Farts 
26. West Germany 
27. Politics Of Time 
28. Themselves 
29. Please Don't Be Gentle With Me 
30. Nothing Indeed 
31. No Exchange 
32. There Ain't Shit On T.V. Tonight 
33. This Ain't No Picnic 
34. Spillage 
35. Untitled Song For Latin America 
36. Jesus And Tequila 
37. June 16th 
38. Storm In My House 
39. Martin's Story 
40. Dr. Wu 
41. World According To Nouns 
42. Love Dance 
43. Three Car Jam

Thankfully, this album is not as long as it seems, as some of the songs don't even reach the two minute mark. Perhaps this is the reason for the band's name. As far as nicknames go, it seems rather cruel.

This band has a really great sense of humor, but that didn't exactly translate into music I enjoyed listening to. Sometimes it's hard to articulate why you don't like a certain album and if I knew how, I probably wouldn't have so many haters. I would be a beach somewhere, drinking mai tais and dissing Queen.

Anyway, a perfectly acceptable album, and maybe good for a few laughs. Otherwise, can easily be skipped.

RATING: 3/5

542. Ocean Rain

Ocean Rain
Echo and the Bunnymen
1984

Tracks
1. Silver 
2. Nocturnal Me 
3. Crystal Days 
4. Yo Yo Man 
5. Thorn of Crowns 
6. Killing Moon 
7. Seven Seas 
8. My Kingdom 
9. Ocean Rain

I wasn't able to find this album in its entirety on YouTube, but I did watch live versions of all the tracks, which I think still counts. I am going to assume that Ian McCulloch's voice didn't crack quite as much on the studio version, but who knows. Perhaps "Nocturnal Me" was meant to be a painful experience.

That being said, I did enjoy this album. Sure, it's a bit pretentious, but "Killing Moon" and "Crystal Days" made it worth it. While it was a bit gothic for my tastes, I am still ultimately pleased with this entry.

RATING: 3/5

541. Private Dancer

Private Dancer
Tina Turner
1984

Tracks
1. I Might Have Been Queen 
2. What's Love Got To Do With It 
3. Show Some Respect 
4. I Can't Stand The Rain 
5. Private Dancer 
6. Let's Stay Together 
7. Better Be Good To Me 
8. Steel Claw 
9. Help

I was sort of dreading listening to this album, not because I hate Tina Turner, but because if I hear a few chords of "What's Love Got To Do With It," it is guaranteed to be stuck in my bed for the next week and a half. Oh well, my cat will just have to get over it.

Anyway, there is no denying that Turner has an amazing voice. Other than that, I was not too impressed by this album. I found the "Help" cover to be rather unnecessary, with the other tracks being fairly unremarkable. Even my untrained musical ear could tell that she relied way too heavily on synth. 

Her vocals are the only thing that saves this album from complete 80s drudgery. 

RATING: 3/5

540. Cafe Bleu

Cafe Bleu
The Style Council
1984

Tracks
1. Mick's Blessings 
2. Whole Point Of No Return 
3. Me Ship Came In 
4. Blue Cafe 
5. Paris Match 
6. My Ever Changing Moods 
7. Dropping Bombs On The White House 
8. Gospel 
9. Strength Of Your Nature 
10. You're The Best Thing 
11. Here's One That Got Away 
12. Headstart For Happiness 
13. Council Meetin'

Perhaps it's my advancing age, but I did not dislike this jazz album as much as I usually do. It was upbeat and cheery, and I only wish that Studio Council had stuck to its strengths. A few of their tracks really grated; I kept checking to see how much more of "Strength of Your Nature" I had to endure. Would it have killed them to write a few more lines in that song?

Still, it was an experiment and I appreciate what they were trying to do with blending so many genres. But maybe stay away from hip hop...or whatever that song was.

RATING: 3/5

539. Let It Be

Let It Be
The Replacements
1984

Tracks
1. I Will Dare 
2. Favorite Thing
3. We're Comin' Out 
4. Tommy Gets His Tonsils Out 
5. Androgynous 
6. Black Diamond 
7. Unsatisfied 
8. Seen Your Video
9. Gary's Got a Boner 
10. Sixteen Blue 
11. Answering Machine

Well, that was a mixed bag. Predictably, I did not find the song "Gary's Got a Boner" to be particularly enjoyable. But other tracks, such as "I Will Dare" really blew me away, and I was surprised that I hadn't heard it before.

Still, the unevenness of this album prevents it from ever being a favorite. I would only recommend "Androgynous," "I Will Dare," and "Black Diamond." Everything else is skippable.

Apologies for the short review, but I am trying to catch up on quite a few writing assignments today. Next up, The Style Council! Uh oh.


RATING: 4/5

538. Purple Rain

Purple Rain
Prince
1984

Tracks
1. Let's Go Crazy 
2. Take Me With U 
3. Beautiful Ones 
4. Computer Blue 
5. Darling Nikki 
6. When Doves Cry 
7. I Would Die 4 U 
8. Baby I'm A Star 
9. Purple Rain

I have never seen Purple Rain and after listening to "Darling Nikki" I'm not sure I want to. But this album on its own is quite good, even if I still don't fully grasp the allure of Prince.

It's a bit amusing that Justin Timberlake performed "I Would Die 4 U" as a tribute to Prince during the Super Bowl when Prince had pretty much said the notion of forcing yourself on dead musicians disgusted him.  Poor misunderstood Prince.

Anyway, a smart, catchy album, but I will happily avoid seeing this man's acting chops. 

RATING: 4/5

537. 1984

1984
Van Halen
1984

Tracks
1. 1984
2. Jump
3. Panama
4. Top Jimmy
5. Drop Dead Legs
6. Hot For Teacher 
7. I'll Wait
8. Girl Gone Bad 
9. House Of Pain

Once again, I am in a period of convalescence and once again I find myself turning to the albums for comfort. Sometimes this has disastrous results, because some of these albums have the power to transform budding headaches into full blown migraines (see Minor Threat). Fortunately, this album was a complete delight.

Like most people, I was familiar with many of the songs on this album. Still, listening to the full album at once allows you to appreciate how brilliant and cohesive it really is. Now obviously this album heavily reflects the male experience, but I found it enlightening rather than alienating.

Next up: Prince!

RATING: 4/5

536. Out of Step

Out of Step
Minor Threat
1984

Tracks
1. Betray
2. It Follows
3. Think Again
4. Look Back and Laugh
5. Sob Story
6. No Reason
7. Little Friend
8. Out of Step
9. Cashing In

Note to self: do not listen to hardcore punk when you are battling a headache. This album is only 20 minutes, which is perhaps the only nice thing I can say about it. It offers the very worst of punk: unintelligible lyrics that are screeched at maximum volume.

Now, I know I am not being particularly objective here, considering my crankiness. But I can't think of a worst criticism of an album than it makes sick people feel worse. Next up: Van Halen!

RATING: 2/5

535. Treasure

Treasure
Cocteau Twins
1984

Tracks
1. Ivo
2. Lorelei
3. Beatrix
4. Persephone
5. Pandora For Cindy
6. Amelia
7. Aloysius
8. Cicely
9. Otterley
10. Donimo

If I was ever captured by fairies and taken into an enchanted forest, I imagine this is the music they would play for me. It was just plain weird. On this List, weird usually translates to Yoko Ono screeching or some sort of bongo/rock hybrid. Fortunately, this time weird translates to otherworldly and ethereal. 

I usually don't pay much attention to album cover art, but I was actually quite pleased with this, as it perfectly captures the strangeness and the mood of the music. Definitely not something you can really jam out to, but worth a listen in any case.

RATING: 4/5

534. Diamond Life

Diamond Life
Sade
1984

Tracks
1. Smooth Operator
2. Your Love Is King
3. Hang On To Your Love
4. When Am I Gonna Make A Living
5. Frankie's First Affair
6. Cherry Pie
7. Sally
8. I Will Be Your Friend
9. Why Can't We Live Together

Once again, we deal with the eternal conundrum of doing this List. I am sure at the time this album seemed really fresh, but today it just didn't seem very interesting. So should I judge it purely on its current enjoyability or should I try to retroactively imagine how I would have felt listening to this in 1984?

Let's try to imagine it, shall we? Hair teased, shoulder pads firmly in place...I can see enjoying this. Soul music has never exactly been my thing, but I can appreciate the smooth listening of Sade. And I suppose that the reason this album was a snore for me is because it has been endlessly copied.

So totally dated but we can't blame Sade for that.

RATING: 3/5

533. Run-D.M.C.

Run-D.M.C.
Run-D.M.C.
1984

Tracks
1. Hard Times
2. Rock Box 
3. Jam Master Jay
4. Hollis Crew (Krush Groove 2) 
5. Sucker MC's 
6. It's Like That 
7. Wake Up
8. Thirty Days 
9. Jay's Game

You only have to listen to the first ten seconds of this album to realize how influential it is in the development of hip hop. Now, you might not be able to tell this from reading my blog, but I actually don't know that much about rap rock or hip hop. Still, that didn't stop me from enjoying this album.

This is somewhat hard to communicate without sounding like the squarest of squares, but I find hip hop to consistently be packed with misogynistic and harmful messages (same with country music, but that's a different conversation). There are obvious exceptions, of course, this being one of them. I was struck with how positive this music was. Okay, I'll end this line of thought before I appointed PTA president.

Just give this album a listen; you won't be sorry.

RATING: 4/5

532. Welcome to the Pleasuredome

Welcome to the Pleasuredome
Frankie Goes to Hollywood
1984

Tracks
1. World is My Oyster
2. Welcome to the Pleasuredome
3. Relax
4. War
5. Two Tribes
6. (Tag)
7. Snatch of Fury
8. Born to Run
9. San Jose
10. Wish the Lads Were Here
11. Ballad of '32
12. Krisco Kisses
13. Black Night White Light
14. Only Star in Heaven
15. Power of Love
16. Bang...

I am currently in bed with a nasty case of tonsillitis that doesn't seem to respond to our earthly antibiotics. Oh well, it's giving me a chance to catch up on my blogs and albums! Here we have another amazing album and I do believe we are on a roll.

Frankie Goes to Hollywood performs quite a few covers on this album, including "San Jose," "War," and "Born to Run." Those were certainly my favorite tracks, though that's not to say that the original songs weren't good. I probably could have done without "Ballad of '32," which was pretty creepy, but I ended up loving "Power of Love."

There's something really fun about this band and if I didn't sound like Kathleen Turner right now, I probably would have sang along. 

RATING: 5/5