20000 WATT R.S.L. - MIDNIGHT OIL
a highly politically-conscious australian quintet, the band rocked their way thru the mid 80s right upto the the early 90s...playing songs of shocking cohesiveness and distinct togetherness with the issues of the day...this album is a terrific overview of their material...songs which are so full of passion that they are positively scorching...one for the years...listen to the words of
BEDS ARE BURNING...oooooh momma!!! :)
THE BEST OF - COLD CHISELfew people outside of australia would have heard of them and their charismatic, hard-drinking lead singer jimmy barnes...i lived in australia from 90-93, and had never heard of them till i moved there....and what a pleasant shock it was when I found myself hearing their brand of rock and singing/stomping like a mad man along with the songs...this band is the essence of Oz - raw power and emotion with simply great tunes to back them...at the time of these recordings, jimmy barnes was singlehandedly drinking enough vodka to keep the Soviet Union's alcohol industry afloat...listen to
KHE SANH, GOODBYE ASTRID GOODBYE, CHOIR GIRL, FLAME TREES and
WHEN THE WAR IS OVER for a representation of what they do...simply divine!
THE GREATEST HITS - INXSAUSSIE AUSSIE OI OI OI!!! when michael hutchence died tragically, i was distraught to say the least...i spent my formative high school and university years listening to this tightly-wrought band which fast became my absolute favourite...i still remember watching them play in a small cosy pub where i studied and it was an experience only second to seeing U2 live during the joshua tree tour...this album is quite a fitting eulogy to the man...he gave the band his charisma, energy, sensuality and funk...hell, he even gave good ole fishlips Jagger a run for his money in sheer rockability and raw sex appeal...every song in this album rox...but the one standout for me would be
SUICIDE BLONDE (ironically)...RIP MICK :(
footnote - they have recently reformed with J.D. Fortune as the lead singer...he was picked from a diverse group of musicians in a american-idol-style reality show called ROCKSTAR:INXS...only time will tell if he can hold a candle to the flame that was mick hutchence...
THE BEST OF - HOWARD JONESanother synth-pop legend...woefully under-rated and largely forgotten due to shifting trends on the music industry...terrifically lyrical and heartfelt...recommended listens are LIKE TO GET TO KNOW YOU WELL, EVERLASTING LOVE, THINGS CAN ONLY GET BETTER, WHAT IS LOVE and the wistful
NO ONE EVER IS TO BLAME (my personal favourite)...
THE HITS / THE B-SIDES - PRINCEthe mission impossible - to write 100 words on 56 songs by the greatest artist the '80s produced
no way jose...can't do it sir...die die oso cannot!!! this collection of 3 CDs showcases the purple one's musical journey from 1978 to 1992...a potent melting pot of different musical influences (however much he could be influenced and not the one doing the influencing)...the man is pretty much undefinable...funky, soulful, infectiously danceable and dark hedonistic eroticism are descriptions only scratching the surface...
"You can be the side effect," he mutters within. "I'd rather be the dope." Witness some of the funkiest pharmaceuticals products around in this 3 disc collectable :D
BABY I DON'T CARE (A BEST OF) - TRANSVISION VAMP
ah, wendy james....one of my biggest infatuations back then...loud, sassy and made some of the trashiest pop rock i've ever heard...this music is so vacuous it almost breaks your heart, but it sounds so effin' amazing :))...
BABY I DON'T CARE is one of the most nihilistic bubble gum songs of the 1980's...instantly catchy, anthemic and totally smashing! other standouts are VELVETEEN, TELL THAT GIRL TO SHUT UP, REVOLUTION BABY, and SISTER MOON...but strangely, one of my personal favourites
PSYCHOSONIC CINDY isn't included...
p.s. i went for their concert in perth 3 days in a row with front row seats...could see her knickers...mwahahahaha... :P
GLITTERING PRIZE 81/92 - SIMPLE MINDS
anyone who was around in the `80s has heard this scottish band at one time or another whether they know it or not, probably from the BREAKFAST CLUB theme,
DON'T YOU FORGET ABOUT ME...jim kerr fronts the band with a smooth, hypnotic voice that helps give simple minds its unique sound...other standouts include ALIVE AND KICKING, SOMEONE SOMEWHERE IN SUMMERTIME, ALL THE THINGS SHE SAID and WATERFRONT...
THE BEST OF - ORCHESTRAL MANOEUVRES IN THE DARK
classic early '80s synth-pop...brilliant orchestration and low-key tempos and sugary melodies keep the songs rich but not totally fluffy...glassy silky smooth vocals from paul humphrey and andy mccluskey...consistently clever pop music...big in the UK where they hailed from but never made it mega in the US until their song IF YOU LEAVE was featured in the seminal movie PRETTY IN PINK....pretty unheralded mostly i still think...but if you miss them out, you'll be poorer for it...
THE SINGLES - THE SMITHS
the smiths were one of the bands that defined the 80s for me (at least for brit pop)...morrissey's deft vocals, johnny marr's guitar - the whole effect is so much more emotional than the self-conscious stuff that passes as pop now...every song here is unlike all the cookie-cutter tunelessness we get today...alternative rock at its best, jingly-jangly guitar riffs, brooding and very English vocals, fastpaced and morose in just the right doses...have a listen...you'll enjoy it :)
THE BEST OF - NEW ORDER
more intelligent britpop...the former joy division after ian curtis passed on...New Order came to prominance in the British scene with their blend of punk, dance, and pop music...the forefathers of synth-pop...personal favourites are RUINED IN A DAY and 1963...and of course TRUE FAITH and BIZARRE LOVE TRIANGLE deserve a mention...