Eurythmics "Sweet Dreams Are Made of This" (1983). Key tracks: "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)," "Love Is a Stranger," "Jennifer," "This Is the House," "I Could Give You (a Mirror)." Dave Stewart and Annie Lennox shook things up when this album arrived. Their sound and look were different from anything else at the time. Annie's bright orange hair, the synthetic sounds, and the cool videos captured my attention. They need to be inducted to the RnR HoF!
U2 "The Unforgettable Fire" (1984). Key tracks: "Pride (in the Name of Love)," "Bad," "A Sort of Homecoming," "The Unforgettable Fire." There was a brief period of time (about a month) when I purchased cassette tapes instead of vinyl records, and this album was one of those cassette purchases. This was a wonderful album to hear with headphones. Very ethereal and moody until the chorus of "Pride (in the Name of Love)" cuts loose. That IS an anthem, and it still gives me goosebumps sometimes. I also remember Mr. Paulson, our English teacher, purchased this album and brought it to class saying it would be a future classic. Guess he was right.
New Order "Substance" (1987). Key tracks: "True Faith," "Bizarre Love Triangle," "Blue Monday," "1963." I was a latecomer to the genius of New Order, really only discovering them while in college in 1987 (thank you, college radio station KUMM) with this release and the standout track (and surreal video on MTV) "True Faith." This compilation also included "hits" and new wave classics "Bizarre Love Triangle," and "Blue Monday." Those three tracks together are a triad of awesomeness.
The Cars "Shake It Up" (1981). Key tracks: "Since You're Gone," "Shake It Up," "Victim of Love," "Maybe Baby." The Cars always had a nifty new-wave rock sound. I'd heard songs from them before that I really liked ("Moving in Stereo" and "Let's Go"), but those were before I became a record-buying consumer of music. The relatively new format of music videos helped capture my imagination for "Shake It Up," and it was added to my burgeoning record collection. "Since You're Gone" is my actual favorite track.
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD) - "Crush" (1985) and "Dazzle Ships" (1983). Key tracks: "So in Love," "88 Seconds in Greenboro," "Crush," "La Femme Accident," "Concrete Hands" (B-side); "Genetic Engineering," "ABC Auto Industry," "The Romance of the Telescope." I discovered OMD, offering more synthy new wave, with "Crush" in 1985 and immediately needed more, which led me to 1983's "Dazzle Ships." Both records captured my attention as they played with innovative sounds and sampling along with lots of bloops and bleeps. I know they cite Kraftwerk as a major influence. I wasn't really exposed to Kraftwerk until later.
Thomas Dolby's "The Golden Age of Wireless" (released 1982, multiple release versions, U.S. hit in 1983). Key tracks: "She Blinded Me with Science," "Europa and the Pirate Twins," "Radio Silence," "Wind Power," "One of Our Submarines," "Flying North." Synthy new wave always appealed to me, but this album captured my imagination with its wide array of science and sci-fi themes. "She Blinded Me with Science" was like nothing ever before or since and had a wacky cool video. "Europa and the Pirate Twins" should have been a bigger hit. I still love this album a lot, and it reaffirmed my interest in and love for electronic music.
Electric Light Orchestra (ELO): "Out of the Blue" (1977); "Time" (1981). "Out of the Blue" brings me back to my friend Karl Terhaar and his brother Dale Terhaar, who could drive and who would sometimes take us to movies, like Star Wars in 1977. I recall "Mr. Blue Sky" playing on that trip. Fast forward to 1981 and one of the very first albums I ever purchased: "Time." I think "Time" is quite underrated, but the standout track is "Hold on Tight." (some of you might remember a TV commercial at the time promoting the "coffee achievers" that also used that particular song.)
R.E.M.'s "Life's Rich Pageant" (1986) - This album defined my sophomore year of college. I had heard a few R.E.M. songs prior, but this album hit at a time when I was looking for something different than the top 40 stuff I mostly followed before it. It was an awakening to alternative music and was heavily played both on KUMM, my college radio station, and in my room on my first CD player. Key Tracks: "Begin the Begin," "Fall on Me," "Cuyahoga," "Superman," really the whole track list...
Lindsey Buckingham's "Go Insane" (1984) - This album came out in the heyday of the Sony Walkman, and it's a feast for headphones as it features unusual sounds and strangely mixed vocals. As a lead in Fleetwood Mac, Lindsey was a creative powerhouse given increasingly to experimentation. The seeds of this album can be found on FM's "Tusk." I recommend listening to this with headphones for sure. Key Tracks: "I Want You," "Go Insane," "I Must Go."
70s foundations: Fleetwood Mac "Rumors" (1977), Blondie "Parallel Lines" (1978), ELO "Discovery" (1979), and Billy Joel "Glass Houses" (1980). Four albums from the 1970s that stick with me today and laid another level of foundation for my musical tastes today. (okay Billy Joel's "Glass Houses" was technically early 1980, but it was recorded in 1979, so I'm counting it). Key tracks: "The Chain," "Heart of Glass," "Don't Bring Me Down," and "It's Still Rock'n'Roll to Me."
Music Foundations - the Monkees, Johnny Cash, the Beatles, Dean Martin. This may be cheating a bit (because it's actually four albums), but as i think back to my earliest memories of records and music, i recall my sisters' record collections and songs by the Monkees and the Beatles. I also recall my parents liking the Dean-o and Mr. Cash. I specifically and most vividly remember "Last Train to Clarksville," "Ring of Fire," "Norwegian Wood," and "Everybody Loves Somebody." I remember these particular album covers...
