643. fROMOHIO

fROMOHIO
fIREHOSE
1989

Tracks
1. Riddle of the Eighties
2. In My Mind
3. Whisperin' While Hollerin'
4. Vastopol
5. Mas Cojones
6. What Gets Heard
7. Let the Drummer Have Some
8. Liberty for Our Friend
9. Time with You
10. If'n
11. Some Things
12. Understanding
13. 'Nuf That Shit, George
14. Softest Hammer

fIREHOSE is not the first band/artist to insist on audacious grammar, and unfortunately, probably won't be the last. It feels unnecessary to me; like you are trying to distract from your own talent. I might just be trying to justify my own grammar-mania though.

In any upper case (HA!), this was very good. I liked the folk influences, and it didn't overstay its welcome. I was actually disappointed when it ended so quickly, it is just a little over 30 minutes. But I think the length is part of the reason for its punchiness, so I won't complain too much.

Tomorrow I am going to start my Monday morning off with a Beastie Boys album and it will be delicious. 

RATING: 3/5

642. Playing With Fire

Playing With Fire
Spacemen 3
1989

Tracks
1. Honey
2. Comedown Softly To My Soul
3. How Does It Feel
4. I Believe It
5. Revolution
6. Let Me Down Gently
7. So Hot
8. Suicide
9. Lord Can You Hear Me

I love my weekend mornings, when I put an album on and read in bed until lunch. I call that the "not having kids special." This album was very suitable for background noise, but not very suitable for jamming out.

I would rather have artists err on the side of minimalism, rather than have them try to do too much. There's certainly not much here; just ripples of sound that never seemed to go anywhere. I am sure to other people, this is a masterpiece, but it just reminded me of Brian Eno's solo work, which has never entertained me that much.

Also, is it ever necessary to have an eleven minute long track?

RATING: 2/5

641. All Hail The Queen

All Hail The Queen
Queen Latifah
1989

Tracks
1. Dance for Me
2. Mama Gave Birth to the Soul Children
3. Come into My House
4. Latifah's Law
5. Wrath of My Madness
6. Pros
7. Ladies First
8. King and Queen Creation
9. Queen of Royal Badness
10. Evil That Men Do
11. Princess of the Posse
12. Inside Out
13. Dance for Me [Ultimatum Remix]
14. Wrath of My Madness [Soulshock Remix]
15. Princess of the Posse [DJ Mark the 45 King Remix]

Okay, can we all agree to put a moratorium on baby voices/chipmunk voices? I guess the Butthole Surfers used that voice because they were trying to be as unpleasant as possible, but I get the feeling Queen Latifah actually cares about making good music, so what gives?

Setting that aside, this album wasn't too bad. Most of the album consists of boasting and self-aggrandizing, which is standard hip hop fare I suppose, but she had some good hooks in there. 

I can't believe we had two female artists in a row, and they are both Queens. Thank you, ladies, for turning 1989 around for us.

RATING: 3/5

640. Like a Prayer

Like a Prayer
Madonna
1989

Tracks
1. Like a Prayer
2. Express Yourself
3. Love Song
4. Till Death Do Us Part
5. Promise to Try
6. Cherish
7. Dear Jessie
8. Oh Father
9. Keep It Together
10. Spanish Eyes
11. Act of Contrition

I didn't expect to enjoy this one as much as I did. Like most people, I was familiar with a couple of the songs, but I thought those were the stand out tracks, and that the rest would be rather generic 80s pop.

The line between spirituality and love was blurred here, and I enjoyed every minute of it (well, except "Act of Contrition," that was just weird). I loved how cohesive it was, how intimate it was, and how she pulled gospel influences into many of the songs. Also, her music video for "Like a Prayer" pissed off the Vatican, and that's always fun.

See, it's possible to find a good pop album in the 80s. Not probable, of course, but possible.

RATING: 5/5

639. Technique

Technique
The New Order
1989

Tracks
1. Fine Time
2. All the Way
3. Love Less
4. Round & Round
5. Guilty Partner
6. Run
7. Mr. Disco
8. Vanishing Point
9. Dream Attack

I have begged the List gods for something to break up the monotony of so-so albums and they have answered my prayers. It's tempting to compare this to Joy Division, and even though it has been awhile since I listened to Unknown Pleasures, I think I prefer this one. I know I am probably in the minority on that one.

Maybe the music does feel a bit dated now, but I actually liked that aspect of the album. I know when something typically sounds like something from the 80s it means tackiness/synths. But this felt like something that would play at a 80s rave and I enjoyed having a more immersive experience with music today.

So thank you, New Order for breaking us out of our rut of meh albums. Madonna, you better not blow this tomorrow.

RATING: 4/5

638. The Healer

The Healer
John Lee Hooker
1989

Tracks
1. Healer
2. I'm in the Mood
3. Baby Lee
4. Cuttin' Out
5. Think Twice Before You Go
6. Sally Mae
7. That's Alright
8. Rockin' Choir
9. My Dream
10. No Substitute

Okay, we seriously have to break this rut of so-so albums soon. I will even take a bad album, if it invokes a reaction other than "meh." The List will probably make me eat these words (or, in this case, force-feed me these words).

So like I said, this was a pretty meh album. It's surprisingly inoffensive, given that the album cover looks like a horror movie poster. There were some so-so collaborations that never really stood out. 

Not terrible, not great, just okay. Can we just get to the 90s already?

RATING: 2/5

637. Let Love Rule

Let Love Rule
Lenny Kravitz
1989

Tracks
1. Sittin' On Top Of The World
2. Let Love Rule
3. Freedom Train
4. My Precious Love
5. I Build This Garden For Us
6. Fear
7. Does Anybody Out There Even Care
8. Mr Cab Driver
9. Rosemary
10. Be
11. Blues For Sister Someone
12. Empty Hands
13. Flower Child

This is another album/artist that I had never heard of. Unfortunately, it wasn't one of those times where I'm delighted the List introduced us. Instead, this will probably be one of the entries I have trouble recalling in a week. 

The two stars are for the lyrical quality, and I particularly enjoyed Mr. Cab Driver for its commentary. But the other songs were literally preachy, and overall I didn't feel like he was doing anything too interesting here.

So far 1989 is a pretty meh year. I hope something comes along soon to shake things up.

RATING: 2/5

636. The Real Thing

The Real Thing
Faith No More
1989

Tracks
1. From Out Of Nowhere
2. Epic
3. Falling To Pieces
4. Surprise You're Dead
5. Zombie Eaters
6. Real Thing
7. Underwater Love
8. Morning After
9. Woodpecker From Mars
10. War Pigs
11. Edge Of The World

Welcome to 1989! This should be a wonderful year, because it's the year my brother and Taylor Swift were born (two equally important personages). Unfortunately, I have a feeling Queen Latifah might have other plans. But let's not worry about that quite yet.

So this album really came out of nowhere, pun always intended. I had never heard of this band, but I was immediately struck by the lead vocalist's voice. Mike Patton's voice had a unique sound; he could be very one sexy moment and then threatening the next. Because of this, I liked their version of War Pigs better than the original. 

I would have never come across this if it wasn't for the List. Thank you, Powers That Be. 

RATING: 4/5

635. It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back

It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back
Public Enemy
1988

Tracks
1. Countdown To Armageddon
2. Bring The Noise
3. Don't Believe The Hype
4. Cold Lampin' With Flavor
5. Terminator X To The Edge Of Panic
6. Mind Terrorist
7. Louder Than A Bomb
8. Caught, Can We Get A Witness?
9. Show 'Em Whatcha Got
10. She Watch Channel Zero?!
11. Night Of The Living Baseheads
12. Black Steel In The Hour Of Chaos
13. Security Of The First World
14. Rebel Without A Pause
15. Prophets Of Rage
16. Party For Your Right To Fight


This is the last album of 1988, and we are one step closer to putting this somewhat questionable decade behind us. All I have to say is, I have been looking at the albums for 1989 and...brace yourselves.

I have to imagine that I am not the ideal audience for this album, but I still really enjoyed It. I wonder how much that would bother Flavor Flav if he knew. There was a lot of anger, and a lot of talent behind this album. They seemed to be influenced by a wide range of genres, and I feel like the sampling worked really well. 

Another minor milestone tomorrow: there will be 365 albums left! That means if I stick to my schedule of one a day, I could actually finish this project within a year. Of course, I might get sidetracked for personal reasons, or I might sprint towards the finish, so it probably won't actually be a year from now that I am typing my last entry. Still, you know how much I love my milestones.

RATING: 4/5

634. Nothing's Shocking

Nothing's Shocking
Jane's Addiction
1988

Tracks
1. Up the Beach
2. Ocean Size
3. Had a Dad
4. Ted, Just Admit It...
5. Standing in the Shower...Thinking
6. Summertime Rolls
7. Mountain Song
8. Idiots Rule
9. Jane Says
10. Thank You Boys
11. Pigs in Zen

Jane's Addiction isn't the first band on this List to equate shock value with quality music. Actually, it's a pretty minor offender compared to some of the more egregious examples on the List, but take a look at that album cover. Cue well-practiced eye roll sequence.

As I have said many times before, I am not a metal fan. You would think the late 80s would then be my safe space, but I guess not. Thankfully, this was more "alternative metal" so I was able to enjoy it more. Many of the songs had an unexpected softness to them that I appreciated. I particularly liked "Jane Says."

Predictably, this band fell to drugs and in-fighting, which is a shame. Only one more album for 1988!

RATING: 3/5

633. Buenas Noches from a Lonely Room

Buenas Noches from a Lonely Room
Dwight Yoakam
1988

Tracks
1. I Got You
2. One More Name
3. What I Don't Know
4. Home Of The Blues
5. Buenas Noches From A Lonely Room (She Wore Red Dresses)
6. I Hear You Knocking
7. I Sang Dixie
8. Streets Of Bakersfield
9. Floyd County
10. Send Me The Pillow That You Dream On
11. Hold Onto God

I have been able to find redeeming qualities in recent country albums on the List, mostly because they are heavily diluted with some other influence, like jazz or blues. Well, this is what I picture when I think of "pure country." It's honky tonk music but in 1988, this is a genre that is well past its prime. 

Actually, this is a decent album, just not my cup of tea. The vocals are great, and the songs aren't any worse than your standard country fare. It feels fairly out of place for the time, but maybe in 1988 that isn't the worst thing.

So if you are a country fan, you will probably love this. If you're not, it's still tolerable.

RATING: 2/5

632. Life's Too Good

Life's Too Good
Sugarcubes
1988

Tracks
1. Traitor
2. Motorcrash
3. Birthday
4. Delicious Demon
5. Mama
6. Coldsweat
7. Blue Eyed Pop
8. Deus
9. Sick for Toys
10. Fucking in Rhythm & Sorrow
11. Take Some Petrol Darling

I have loved Bjork for a long time, but I was much more familiar with her solo work than this. I think her weirdness always steals the show, but this was enjoyable for more reasons than Bjork. 

This entire band is quirky and funny, just like Bjork is. Her voice is really one a kind; she Is constantly taking unexpected pivots with the vocals, making them entirely unique to herself. It's also a very short album, so it's punchy and never overstays its welcome. I didn't enjoy the Bjork lite tracks quite as much, but that's to be expected.

So if you are craving something a little frantic, a little weird, this might be the album for you. We won't be treated to Bjork again for another 100 albums or so, so I am savoring this moment. Particularly in light of the next two entries.

RATING: 4/5

631. Daydream Nation

Daydream Nation
Sonic Youth
1988

Tracks
1. Teen Age Riot
2. Silver Rocket
3. The Sprawl
4. 'Cross The Breeze
5. Eric's Trip
6. Total Trash
7. Hey Joni
8. Providence
9. Candle
10. Rain King
11. Kissability
12. Trilogy: a) The Wonder
13. Trilogy: b) Hyperstation
14. Trilogy: z) Eliminator Jr.

This is a difficult album to write about. Actually, all of the albums are pretty difficult to write about, because writing about music is hard, yo. But this felt like one continuous track that lasted for over an hour.

I guess this doesn't technically qualify as a concept album, but each track seemed to melt into the next one, to the point where I couldn't tell when one song ended or when one song started. I have a feeling this is one of those albums that benefits from repeated listenings. 

Tomorrow, Bjork! I can't wait. 

RATING: 4/5

630. Viva Hate

Viva Hate
Morrissey
1988

Tracks
1. Alsatian Cousin
2. Little Man, What Now?
3. Everyday Is Like Sunday
4. Bengali In Platforms
5. Angel, Angel, Down We Go Together
6. Late Night, Maudlin Street
7. Suedehead
8. Break Up The Family
9. Hairdresser on Fire
10. Ordinary Boys
11. I Don't Mind If You Forget Me
12. Dial-A-Cliché
13. Margaret on the Guillotine

Well, Morrissey has officially gone solo, and now can fully indulge his desire to be a moody grumpster. I might have a higher whine tolerance than some though; I actually found something to like here.

I do have some qualms. Was it really necessary to make "Late Night, Maudlin Street" eight minutes long? That was probably the biggest "woe is me" track of the bunch. I felt like "Margaret on the Guillotine" was an attempt to be really edgy and daring, but sort of fell flat.

That being said, there a few good tracks in here and they are probably the best songs Morrissey has given us yet ("Everyday is Like Sunday" and "Suedehead"). Other than that, the album is mostly skippable.

RATING: 3/5

629. California

California
American Music Club
1988

Tracks
1. Firefly
2. Somewhere
3. Laughing Stock
4. Lonely
5. Pale Skinny Girl
6. Blue And Grey Shirt
7. Bad Liquor
8. Now You're Defeated
9. Jenny
10. Western Sky
11. Highway 5
12. Last Harbor

Well, if this is supposed to the music of my country, I'm a little embarrassed. But just a little. Although my country can be pretty embarrassing as well, so maybe it's fitting. Okay, the whole thing wasn't embarrassing, I am specifically speaking about certain tracks like "Bad Liquor." 

Other than that, there were some really good tracks on here. "Jenny" and "Last Harbor" were both excellent songs. I wish the album had been more consistent in quality, but that's America for you.

Only one more week of 1988, and it looks like we have some great albums coming up. Hopefully, I didn't jinx us.

RATING: 3/5

628. Shadowland

Shadowland
k.d. lang
1988

Tracks
1. Western Stars
2. Lock Stock And Teardrops
3. Sugar Moon
4. I Wish I Didn't Love You So
5. Once Again Around The Dance Floor
6. Black Coffee
7. Shadowland
8. Don't Let The Stars Get In Your Eyes
9. Tears Don't Care Who Cry Them
10. I'm Down To My Last Cigarette
11. Busy Being Blue
12. In The Evening (When The Sun Goes Down)/You Nearly Lose Your Mind/Blues Stay Away From Me

I don't share the hatred of country music that men in the dating pool seem to pride themselves on. But it certainly isn't my favorite genre, so I wasn't really looking forward to this album. 

Thankfully, this was country music with a twist. There is a strong dose of jazz in here as well. k.d. lang has an excellent voice, which is showcased particularly well in "Once Again Around The Dance Floor." It's a testament to how much I respect her that I honored her capitalization wishes, as horrible as they are.

So maybe not an album I'll be returning to again and again, but an overall enjoyable entry on the List.

RATING: 3/5

627. Tank Battles: The Songs of Hanns Eisler

Tank Battles: The Songs of Hanns Eisler
Dagmar Krause
1988

Tracks
1. Song Of The Whitewash
2. You Have To Pay
3. Ballad Of The Sack Slingers
4. Perhaps Song
5. Mankind
6. Song Of A German Mother
7. Bankenlied
8. Und Endlich Stirbt
9. Mother's Hands
10. Genvieve/Ostern Ist Ball Sur Seine
11. I Read About Tank Battles
12. Chanson Allemande
13. Mother Beimlein
14. Bettellied
15. Change The World It Needs It
16. Failure In Loving
17. Ballad Of (Bourgeois) Welfare
18. Berlin 1919
19. Rat Men The Nightmare
20. Homecoming
21. To A Little Radio
22. Lied Von Der Belebeden Wirkung Des Geldes
23. Legende Von Der Entstehung Des Buches Taoteking
24. And I Shall Never See Again
25. Wise Woman And The Soldier

I have been praising many female vocalists lately so I suppose the List felt obliged to prove to me how insufferable they can be. Point taken.

It's difficult to get a definitive track listing on this one; I think there are a few versions floating around out there. The version I listened to was on YouTube and was well over an hour long, so maybe I could have spared myself some suffering by choosing a shorter release. Is "Mother Beimlein" the creepiest song that ever was?

Well, that was just awful and weird. It sounded like German Propaganda: The Musical. There's nothing to distract you from Krause's harsh vocals, although I did enjoy the songs that were actually in German more. 

Long and grating. A solid yikes.

RATING: 1/5

626. Bug

Bug
Dinosaur Jr.
1988

Tracks
1. Freak Scene
2. No Bones
3. They Always Come
4. Yeah We Know
5. Let It Ride
6. Pond Song
7. Budge
8. Post
9. Don't

After enduring Metallica yesterday, I deserved a little treat, and the treat came in the form of this album (and three banana muffins, but let's not digress). Dinosaur Jr. once again delivers with fun and catchy songs that don't require Excedrin to enjoy.

It wasn't that long ago that I was listening to You're Living All Over Me. I would say that entry was slightly better than this one. That one felt a bit more fresh, whereas I am not sure they are doing anything particularly new in Bug. But that's fine by me, because I like their sound.

Listening to this album was a refreshing experience and has given me the strength to listen to all the "who?"'s coming up on this List. 

But I have no idea what the hell was happening in that last track. I am going to choose to forget about it.

RATING: 4/5

625. ...And Justice For All

...And Justice for All
Metallica
1988

Tracks
1. Blackened
2. ...And Justice For All
3. Eye Of The Beholder
4. One
5. The Shortest Straw
6. Harvester Of Sorrow
7. The Frayed Ends Of Sanity
8. To Live Is To Die
9. Dyers Eve

I can be tolerant of heavy metal music in small doses. Okay, maybe I would still bitch about it, but can we all agree that an hour and five minute long thrash metal album is a bit excessive? Part of the appeal (I think?) of metal music is its punchiness. This is not punchy.

It's no secret that I can't stand metal, but it feels like this would even disappoint fans of the genre. I am sure the denizens of that fan base would be happy to elect me their spokesperson, so I'll proceed. Apparently, they turned the bass completely down as a way of hazing the bassist, which is some serious white boy nonsense. 

Low quality and headache-inducing. In other words, a great way to start my day.

RATING: 2/5

624. Surfer Rosa

Surfer Rosa
The Pixies
1988

 

Tracks
1. Bone Machine
2. Break My Body
3. Something Against You
4. Broken Face
5. Gigantic
6. River Euphrates
7. Where Is My Mind?
8. Cactus
9. Tony's Theme
10. Oh My Golly!
11. Vamos
12. I'm Amazed
13. Brick Is Red

Once again, we get a fairly decent album to add to our roster of recent triumphs. And once again, our streak of good albums is going to be ruined by an upcoming Metallica album. But that's tomorrow, so let's not worry about it for now. 

This album has a strange sound to it. On the one hand, it is very unique, certainly for the late 80s. On the other hand, it sounds like it belongs to an earlier era. Some of these tracks were familiar to me; I recognized many of them from movies and tv shows. I guess adding a Pixies track to your content makes it edgier without much effort.

Female vocalists are owning the end of this decade, hard. 

RATING: 3/5

623. Isn't Anything

Isn't Anything
My Bloody Valentine
1988

Tracks
1. Soft As Snow (But Warm Inside)
2. Lose My Breath
3. Cupid Come
4. When You Wake You're Still In A Dream
5. No More Sorry
6. All I Need
7. Feed Me With Your Kiss
8. Sueisfine
9. Several Girls Galore
10. You Never Should
11. Nothing Much To Lose
12. I Can See It (But I Can't Feel It)

I had never heard of the shoegazing genre before, and after I looked it up I performed my traditional album blog eye roll. Apparently, the term was coined by the British press to describe the stage presence of the artists in these groups. I guess they would perform in a detached way and stare at their shoes the whole time. This really gets creepier the more I think about it, but I do watch more than my share of horror movies.

Anyway, I was prepared to not like this but strangely enough, I was kind of into it. It felt youthful in a charming way, and there was enough variety between the tracks to keep it from getting stale. 

Not my favorite by any means, but not as bad as I was expecting. The key to this List is low expectations!

RATING: 3/5

622. Tracy Chapman

Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
1988

Tracks
1. Talkin' 'bout A Revolution
2. Fast Car
3. Across The Lines
4. Behind The Wall
5. Baby Can I Hold You
6. Mountain O' Things
7. She's Got Her Ticket
8. Why
9. For My Lover
10. If Not Now...
11. For You

I read that Alice Walker and Tracy Chapman were partners, which is a coupling I ship hard (how about Walkman for pairing name? Tralice? I'll work on it). The List is treating me to some excellent female vocalists lately, and I hope the trend continues. 

I liked the songs that were more stripped down in terms of production, like "Fast Car" and "Behind the Wall" but I guess that is a lot to ask of an 80s album. I guess her karmic reward for that was being included in a Nicki Minaj song. 

I was also impressed by the lyrical quality. Walkman for the win!

RATING: 4/5

621. Trinity Session

Trinity Session
Cowboy Junkies
1988

Tracks
1. Mining for Gold
2. Misguided Angel
3. Blue Moon Revisited (Song for Elvis)
4. I Don't Get It
5. I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry
6. To Love Is to Bury
7. 200 More Miles
8. Dreaming My Dreams With You
9. Working on a Building
10. Sweet Jane
11. Postcard Blues
12. Walkin' After Midnight

I wasn't exactly looking forward to this album, because psychedelic country music is about the worst thing I can think of, and this blog post is circa 2020. But this was actually lovely, and a very welcome surprise. 

It's country music but it has been slowed down, probably with the aid of narcotics. The result is a beautiful album that is gloomy in the best way. It felt very raw, and the low production value was a definite plus.

So another album that proves country music can be pretty good, if it is heavily diluted by something else.

RATING: 4/5