Essential Studio Albums

[Higgs]

Sting - The Dream of the Blue Turtles

And then this is life post-Police. There’s a lot of nice melding of pop and jazz here - though there’s a sort of opposing effect here of socially charged lyrics in the height of Cold War concern juxtaposed with a sort of harmless musical palette. There were a lot of opportunities for these songs to open up, especially considering the quality of the musicians here, and what’s here is good enough in that regard, but it still feels like an opportunity lost for a great album if Sting free free set them free.

The Essential Track: If You Love Somebody Set Them Free

Up Next: Tears For Fears - Songs From the Big Chair

[liebzz]

Do we not feel like we’re right down the rabbit hole of 1985 yet!? If not, then the next one is the storm’s center.

I have to say this far, and we’re well into the second half of this (I think I have about 10-12 albums left), 1985 is a weird year for me - albums I didn’t see coming that blew me away (Kate Bush, The Waterboys), and albums I could barely get through (Robert Plant, Dokken). And it was rare to get anything in between despite the list being a whopping 49 albums. Just felt like a wild hit or miss.

[Higgs]

Howard Jones - Dream into Action

Somehow I have this on vinyl...

[liebzz]

Tears For Fears - Songs From the Big Chair

This is the innermost vortex of 1985. If you figure Broken as an intro to Head Over Heels, half this album is decade-defining pop in Shout, Everybody Wants to Rule the World, and Head Over Heels. The remainder is a good The Working Hour, an insufferable ballad in I Believe, and an atmospheric closer that’s not as good as that description. I think the excess gloss of this album might just grate on me in moments, or even if decade defining, not the pop I would immediately reach for. Granted I couldn’t get Everybody Wants to Rule the World out of my head today (the recent NBA all star ad has a fun play on this that even makes my son chuckle).

The Essential Track: Everybody Wants to Rule the World

Up Next: Howard Jones - Dream Into Action

[VinylGuy]

I love Tears For Fears but they are a greatest hits band for me. I tried to get into other stuff but its not that powerful.

[Ello Sailor]

Veggie actually tried to say that EWTRTW was their best song and I had to give him the business. "Shout" shits all over it and you won't convince me otherwise.

[VinylGuy]

I did?

i now feel Head Over Heels is their best.

[Ello Sailor]

Fuck, my bad. Still wrong.

[oasisfan35]

'Best' is a fairly redacted argument to pursue regardless.

[LoathedVermin72]

Dissing "I Believe", unbelievable

[liebzz]

Dissing "I Believe", unbelievable

To each their own. I found it nearly unlistenable.

[liebzz]

Howard Jones - Dream Into Action

I have to admit my patience for synth pop is not the best. Probably about paper thin, but it won’t stop me from trying. I felt pretty good too after Things Can Only Get Better, but that was about all I had left in me and the rest of this album just lost me. No One Is To Blame is another classic on this, but I must have been overexposed to it in the 80s sitting in the back seat of the car. I really needed what comes next…

The Essential Track: Things Can Only Get Better

Up Next: Husker Du - New Day Rising

[Ello Sailor]

'Best' is a fairly redacted argument to pursue regardless.

We post on RM and we rank things. Of course it's regarded.

But it's all we have.

[liebzz]

'Best' is a fairly redacted argument to pursue regardless.

We post on RM and we rank things. Of course it's regarded.

But it's all we have.

Yeah, I have basically been keeping a running ranking of every one of these albums. I am sure if I started over I would have some semblance of a different order, but probably mostly in the middle sections and less at the front and back.

Also, Head Over Heels almost took it in part due to the end and the intro, but Everybody Wants to Rule the World refuses to leave my brain.

[LoathedVermin72]

Basically impossible to choose a favorite Tears for Fears song, but I’d probably go with “Pale Shelter” if pressed

[liebzz]

Time to start thinking about 1986 folks. The list so far:

Bob Dylan - Knocked Out Loud
Elvis Costello & the Attractions - Blood & Chocolate
Elvis Costello - King of America
R.E.M. - Life’s Rich Pageant
Talking Heads - True Stories
Peter Gabriel - So
Genesis - Invisible Touch
Bruce Hornsby and the Range - The Way It Is
Paul Simon - Graceland
Steve Earle - Guitar Town
The Smiths - The Queen Is Dead
Tom Waits - Asylum Years
Rolling Stones - Dirty Work
Aerosmith - Permanent Vacation
Poison - Look What the Cat Dragged In
Van Halen - 5150
Run DMC - Raising Hell
Sonic Youth - EVOL
Husker Du - Candy Apple Gray
The Pogues - Rum, Sodomy, and the Lash
The Feelies - The Good Earth
The Smithereens - Especially For You
XTC - Skylarking
David Lee Roth - Eat ‘Em and Smile
Cinderella - Night Songs
Megadeth - Peace Sells But Who’s Buying
Metallica - Master of Puppets
Beastie Boys - License to Ill
Tom Waits - Frank’s Wild Years

[Birds in Hell]

The Triffids - Born Sandy Devotional
Siouxsie and the Banshees - Tinderbox
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Your Funeral... My Trial
Big Black - Atomizer
Depeche Mode - Black Celebration

[LoathedVermin72]

Bonnie Tyler - Secret Dreams and Forbidden Fire
Chris Rea - On the Beach
Pet Shop Boys - Please
New Order - Brotherhood
Slayer - Reign in Blood

[Birds in Hell]

Talk Talk - The Colour of Spring
Iron Maiden - Somewhere in Time

[Higgs]

Hunters and Collectors - Human Frailty
Crowded House - Crowded House
Billy Bragg - Talking With the Taxman About Poetry
The Housrmartins - London 0, Hull 4
Robert Cray - Strong Persuader
Stan Ridgeway - The Big Heat