In the spirit of 80s week, here is a list of my favourite 80s albums.
1. The Cure- Pornography:
Knowing which Cure album to pick was difficult. I could of put almost all of them in there. The Cure have always been a rather schizophrenic band, alternating between mopey goth-rock and sublime pop music every other album. In the end I went for mopey goth-rock. What better album to demonstrate the Cure and their most mopey and gothic than Pornography.
2. Violent Femmes- Violent Femmes
What I love about this album is the fact that it doesn't sound remotely eighties at all. In fact this album could have been recorded any time in the last 40 years.
3. REM- Lifes Rich Pageant
My favourite REM album of all time, almost every song is a classic (in my humble opinion).
4. Brian Eno and David Byrne- My Life In the Bush of Ghosts
Made at the same time as Talking Head's Eno produced "Remain in Light" album, this still blows me away every time I hear it. Interestingly, the CD version I have has one less track than the original vinyl copy my dad owns. The track was called Qu'ran, and was removed from all re-releases by Eno in a bizarre act of self censorship to avoid offending muslims.
5. Beastie Boys- Pauls Boutique
Just sneaking into the 80's at the tail end, the second album from the Beastie Boys, though considered a flop initially, marked a decisive turning point in their career. It also features my all time favourite Beastie Boys song. This one:
6. Husker Du- Zen Arcade
A hardcore punk concept album? Isn't that an oxymoron? Some say thisalbum is responsible for emo. I don't care. It's still good.
7. Pixies- Surfer Rosa
There's not much to say, except how awesome this album is. People tend not to think of this as an 80's album. It's not. It's the first album of the 90's, even though it came out in 1988.
Dead Kennedys- Plastic Surgery Disasters
This album, like "Raw Power" by the Stooges, somehow manages to sound as the equipment recording it was breaking apart as they played. A ferocious record indeed.
Pat Benetar- Live From Earth
Actually I've never heard this album. I just wanted an excuse to play this...
Enjoy.