Essential Studio Albums

[wease]

Drop Dead Legs is my pick. Girl Gone Bad is pretty close tho.

I’ll Wait- the incomparable Michael McDonald with a co-write on that one

[LoathedVermin72]

I’m not sure how to handle metal album suggestions as this thread progresses. I don’t want to irritate you with stuff that’s too abrasive but there’s so much good heavy/loud music out there

[liebzz]

Drop Dead Legs is my pick. Girl Gone Bad is pretty close tho.

I’ll Wait- the incomparable Michael McDonald with a co-write on that one

Crazy.

[liebzz]

With about 8 albums left of ‘84, we start to preview ‘85. This is what we got so far:

The Cure - Head on the Door
Elvis Costello & the Attractions - Blood & Chocolate
Heart
Kate Bush - Hounds of Love
Phil Collins - No Jacket Required
Dokken - Under Lock and Key
Motley Crue - Theatre of Pain
David Lee Roth - Crazy From the Heat
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Freaky Styley
The Firm
Dire Straits - Brothers in Arms
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - Southern Accents
R.E.M. - Fables of the Reconstruction
Talking Heads - Little Creatures
Husker Du - Flip Your Wig
Husker Du - New Day Rising
The Jesus and Mary Chain - Psychocandy
The Smiths - Meat Is Murder
The Replacements - Kim
Sonic Youth - Bad Moon Rising
Green River - Come On Down
Tom Waits - Rain Dogs

[wease]

Run DMC- King of Rock
John Cougar Mellencamp- Scarecrow
John Fogerty- Centerfield
Tears For Fears- Songs From the Big Chair
Prince- Around the World in a Day
The Power Station
Robert Plant- Shaken 'n' Stirred
Promise- Sade
Sheila E- Romance 1600
The Family
Stevie Ray Vaughan- Soul to Soul

[LoathedVermin72]

Killing Joke - Night Time

[Jorge]

Blood & Chocolate is 86

For 85 try The Pogues - Rum Sodomy & the Lash

[Birds in Hell]

Dinosaur (Jr) - Dinosaur
Peter Gabriel - Birdy
Michael Brook, Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno - Hybrid
The Dukes of Stratosphear - 25 O'Clock

[coptheriotact]

The cult - love
Sisters of mercy - first and last and always
Simply red - picture book
The Waterboys - this is the sea

[Higgs]

Hoodoo Gurus - Mars Needs Guitars
Midnight Oil - Species Deceases (an EP but, imo, the greatest EP of all time)
Big Audio Dynamite - This is Big Audio Dynamite
Sting - Dream of the Blue Turtles

[liebzz]

Sammy Hagar - Voa

Lurking in the shadows of Van Halen’s success, and the subsequent fall is Sammy Hagar, whose own hit, I Can’t Drive 55, is also making some noise. Much like Van Halen, there is some real sophomoric stuff on here, but it’s not there that I take exception as much as the songs that are sort of just there - basically everything other than I Can’t Drive 55 and Dick In the Dirt, a very obvious play on the nickname for Richard. He really is capable of a lot better.

The Essential Track: I Can’t Drive 55

Up Next: Stevie Ray Vaughan - Couldn’t Stand the Weather

[Higgs]

...

Up Next: Stevie Ray Vaughan - Couldn’t Stand the Weather

Title track, 22 seconds in. My favourite individual drum crack of any song.

[liebzz]

All suggestions added

[oasisfan35]

Bob Dylan Empire Burlesque
Chris Isaak Silvertone
Skinny Puppy Bites
The Highwaymen Highwayman

[liebzz]

Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble - Couldn’t Stand the Weather

Texas Flood was an all-timer of a debut: bringing back the blues in blistering style. To follow, SRV and co. look to conquer the blues, rock, and jazz, and do a pretty stellar job of it. Voodoo Child (Slight Return) largely resembles Hendrix’s version, which is a complement all its own, as does Come On, Pt. III. The Scuttle Buttin’ intro into the title track is a great opening set of tracks displaying the fireworks while Tin Pan Alley slows the blues down to primary elements. Cold Shot is also a great highlight. The jazzy Stang’s Swang is excellent and probably doesn’t get as much attention as the big songs here, but it deserves it. This is evidence of SRV having no limits and being able to jam over any music and make it burst with energy.

The Essential Performance: Couldn’t Stand the Weather

Up Next: Rush - Grace Under Pressure

[liebzz]

Rush - Grace Under Pressure

We haven’t covered everything by Rush here, and I have certainly found my spots with them, particularly on Moving Pictures, and this one doesn’t reach that level but is indeed among my favorites from them thus far. While there’s plenty to draw from to know it’s certainly them, it does seem a little more digestible than usual. I found nearly all of this good, but a special place goes out to Between the Wheels, which has to be among the top Rush songs for me on this thread. Encapsulates everything they can do well, musically hitting the choruses and verses on a dime as a band in a way that only they would approach it.

The Essential Track: Between the Wheels

Up Next: Julian Lennon - Valotte

[LoathedVermin72]

Probably my favorite Rush record. Terrific from front to back, but I especially love “Red Sector A”

[liebzz]

Julian Lennon - Valotte

This the debut album from the son of the famous Beatle. It’s imperative for this to be introduced in that manner since in both physical appearance and in the sound of his voice, he sounds and looks like John Lennon. Eerily so such that this album skies you ponder the wonders of genetics. That’s the most important takeaway here because the substance of the album isn’t all that essential. Decent enough sounding adult pop songs that neither impress or offend. The edge that was the foundation for John’s songs is simply not there. The title track is a decent enough single though.

The Essential Track: Valotte

Up Next: Chicago - 17

[liebzz]

Chicago - 17

You have to admire Chicago for keeping up the number motif far longer than any other artist. And hey, Stay the Night in all its chaotic glory is proof that Chicago doesn’t have to suck. The rest of the album, however…I mean this is some painfully lame power balladeering. Absolutely, 100%, 80s film montage love story reel corny stuff.

The Essential Track: Stay the Night

Up Next: Don Henley - Building the Perfect Beast (and seeing Deadhead stickers on Cadillacs)

[liebzz]

Don Henley - Building the Perfect Beast

This is the next stop on our brief tour of mid-80s adult soft rock. This one eclipses the others, with a handful of very solid tracks: the classic The Boys of Summer, All She Wants to Do Is Dance, the title track, and You’re Not Drinking Enough. The remainder of the tracks are not terrible but not really much memorable or something I’d go back to. Considering my general disdain for The Eagles, this is an accomplishment.

The Essential Track: The Boys of Summer

Up Next: Steve Roach - Structures From Silence