What a glorious year in music. I’ve heard it said that the music we listen to in high school is the music we listen to the rest of our lives. At the very least, the music that shapes our lives in our formative years isn’t easily shaken. How lucky to have been introduced to many of these gems then that are now part of my DNA.
Songs
Laurie Anderson–“Born, Never Asked”
The Police–“Invisible Sun”
REM–“Radio Free Europe”
The Specials–“Friday Night and Saturday Morning”
Rickie Lee Jones–“We Belong Together” (I’ll say it. Maybe my favorite song of all-time.)
Penguin Cafe Orchestra–“Air a Danser”
Meredith Monk–“Dolmen Music” (Cheating…)
This Heat–“A New Kind of Water” (Deceit probably makes my album list as I become more familiar with it.)
X–“White Girl”
Brian Eno and David Byrne–“Regiment”
Albums
Rickie Lee Jones–Pirates (“Skeletons“, “Living It Up“)
Penguin Cafe Orchestra–Penguin Cafe Orchestra (“Cutting Branches for a Temporary Shelter“, “Telephone and Rubber Band“)
King Crimson–Discipline. It’s one thing to develop a truly unique sound for your individual instrument, and rare. Each member of this band accomplished that. Combined they devised an entirely new music that might be as shocking in its originality today as it was in 1981. (“Sheltering Sky“, “Elephant Talk“)
Siouxsie and the Banshees–Juju. (“Monitor“, “Night Shift“)
David Thomas and the Pedestrians—The Sound of the Sand. Richard Thompson doesn’t dominate the proceedings here as much as he would on the followup. Completely zany, and, like the King Crimson, completely original. As experimental as the contemporary Pere Ubu albums (Art of Walking, Song of the Bailing Man), but infinitely more listenable and pleasurable. (“The Birds Are a Good Idea“–the only song on youtube)
Bill Evans–You Must Believe in Spring. Feel a little guilty about listing this as it was recorded in ’77, released in ’81. I always liked this a lot, but it has grown on me over the years. I now think it is as lovely as anything he ever did. (“The Peacocks“, “We Will Meet Again“)
Martha and the Muffins–This Is the Ice Age. This group seems to be pretty obscure in spite of their having a couple minor hits. Those aren’t on this album which mixes early Roxy Music Eno atmospherics with Fripp-influenced lead guitar work, but sounds very much of its era. There are enough progressive undercurrents and dynamics throughout to keep this from sounding too much like other typical early 80s electronic stuff….but that is too negative a take. This is consistently amazing! (“Swimming“, “Three Hundred Years/Chemistry“, “Jets Seem Slower in London’s Skies”)
Material–Memory Serves. A lot of people were interested in extending the range of what consituted dance music in the early 80s. I wish I could have been on a dance floor when this came on. (“Upriver“, “Memory Serves“)
Genesis–Abacab. I don’t know what to say about this. I just think it’s great! Every song!
Music Corner w/ Archive 