Toyah "Desire" (1987)

Desire

release date: Jun. 1, 1987

format: digital (11 x File, FLAC)

[album rate: 3 / 5] [2,88]

producer: Mike Hedges

label: E.G. Records - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Echo Beach" - 2. "Moonlight Dancing" - 3. "Revive the World" - 8. "Deadly as a Woman" - 11. "Desire"

2nd solo album by Toyah following two years after Minx (Jul. 1985) and now with new wave and post-punk producer Mike Hedges. The album consists of songs by Wilcox and former members of the band Toyah - two songs co-composed by Simon Darlow, one with Adrian Lee and one with long-time associate Joel Bogen. Apart from these, Toyah wrote two songs with Nick Graham, one with Bruce Wooley, and the title track with husband Robert Fripp. The album also features two covers: track #1 originally a 1980 song by Martha and the Muffins, and track #6 originally a '77 single by Donna Summer.

Desire appears as an attempt to regain some of the aura but also the sound from the heydays with the band Toyah instead of being a natural follow-up to the poppier Minx. In that way the new album sounds more as something stemming from the early 80s with a stronger new wave appeal. "Echo Beach" preceded the album as a minor single hit reaching number #54 on the singles chart. The second single was "Moonlight Dancing", which doesn't reflect any chart entries, and despite I find it the best song here, it might have fitted better on the band's 1982 album The Changeling - and fact is, the song was co-written by two other band members and also contains the lyrics from the song "Dawn Chorus" from that very album.

The album didn't perform too well and basically didn't enter the albums chart, and it mostly sounds as a bit of a dated release when thinking 1987, and Toyah issues this album that sounds more like 1983-ish. Some of the songs are filled with keyboards and a drum sound that makes me think 'early Nena' or 'Toyah 1980s', and I wonder if some of the tracks are outtakes or alternative versions of older songs, because that's mostly what the sound yells. A few songs take up a tone from Love Is the Law (1983) or Minx but the overall sensation goes back to another time - also underlined in the lyrics. It's the pale imitation of a well-documented period and therefore not recommended.

Dead Can Dance "Within the Realm of a Dying Sun" (1987)

Within the Realm of a Dying Sun
release date: Jul. 27, 1987
format: cd (2008 remaster)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,72]
producer: Dead Can Dance, John A. Rivers
label: 4AD Records - nationality: Australia

Track highlights: 1. "Anywhere Out of the World" - 3. "In the Wake of Adversity" - 5. "Dawn of the Iconoclast" - 6. "Cantara" - 7. "Summoning of the Muse"

3rd studio album by the duo-project Dead Can Dance following 1½ years after the fine Spleen and Ideal and much like that, this is also produced by the duo in collaboration with John A. Rivers.

The album marks the continued journey within the duo's own stylistic soundscape of neo-classical darkwave and with a subtle addition of electronica. It's pompous and it's ethereal without the dreampop-sound that shaped the debut from '84. This is lighter and more simple without audible electric guitars - instead, it employs keyboards, synths, dulcimer, and classical orchestra representation by organ, strings, oboe, and brass.

Compared to the predecessor, there's a stronger emphasis on classical instrumentation on this as well as more simple compositions with a progressive ambient touch.

Another recommended release from the duo.

[ allmusic.com 4 / 5 stars ]

Latin Quarter "Mick and Caroline" (1987)

Mick and Caroline

release date: Jan. 1987

format: vinyl / digital (2009 reissue)

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,56]

producer: Jason Coraro

label: Rockin' Horse / Arista - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 2. "Remember" - 4. "Nomzamo (One People One Cause)" (4,5 / 5) - 5. "Negotiating with a Loaded Gun" - 6. "Burn Again" - 7. "Love Has Gone" (4 / 5) - 8. "The Night" - 10. "The Men Below"

2nd studio album by Latin Quarter, who now appears to have been 'promoted' from the sublabel Rockin' Horse to its mother company of Arista. Since the predecessor keyboardist Steve Jeffries and drummer Richard Stevens respectively, have been replaced by Martin Lascalles and Darren Abraham.

This one follows closely in the established sound and style found on the debut Modern Times (1985), although, it does turn out as a more coherent whole. Several strong compositions make it a better release including the band's greatest track ever: "Nomazamo (One People One Cause)". Nevertheless, it also contain some fillers, and on an overall level, the lyrics tend to reflect the same one-dimensional trait you'll find on the debut: a political correctness mixed with songs about social, racial, and global injustice - all effectuated with a raised finger in a sort of naive approach, as some know-it-all, at least in the long run, but "Nomazamo" nearly raises this album to utter greatness.

Mick and Caroline is imho the band's best studio album.

[ allmusic.com 4 / 5 stars ]

<  show lyrics >

~ ~ ~
"Nomzamo"

"Nine children in one family
Nine Xhosa Wars
Nomzamo in 1960
Already victim of her country's law
I say 'laws', why dignify
The Sjamboks and the slammed cell doors?
In twenty years they gave her nineteen sentences - still
One People! One Cause!
One People! One Cause!
Nomzamo! Nomzamo...

Named 'Trial' but how often can
You take the stand?
Nomzamo left glued in Brandfort
Twenty years for a touch of his hand
But in touch and in the face of
The Robben Islands and the bleak Pollsmoors
I see 'separate' - I see 'development' - still
One People! One Cause!
One People! One Cause!
Nomzamo! Nomzamo...
Nomzamo - you say it's part of your soul
Nomzamo - one day you'll paint it
Red, black, green and gold...

Told today that they release you
That you had paid your debt
Nomzamo in her own damn country
How much more boorish can these people get?
But you refuse to get the message
Of waving whips, in bloody semaphore
Where only gunfire's indiscriminate - as always
One People! One Cause!
One People! One Cause!
Nomzamo! Nomzamo..."

~ ~ ~

The Gun Club "Mother Juno" (1987)

Mother Juno
release date: Oct. 19, 1987
format: cd (2006 remaster)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,64]
producer: Robin Guthrie
label: Flow Records (Remaster) - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 1. "Bill Bailey" - 3. "Lupita Screams" - 4. "Yellow Eyes" - 5. "The Breaking Hands" (5 / 5) - 6. "Araby" - 7. "Hearts" - 8. "My Cousin Kim"

4th studio album by The Gun Club originally released on Red Rhino is the band's first release after its reformation and it follows more than three years after The Las Vegas Story (Jun. 1984). Between these two, Jeffrey Lee Pierce released his solo album debut Wildweed in the Spring of '85, but for this he has reformed the band in a line-up featuring guitarist Kid Congo Powers, bassist Romi Mori (lead guitar on track #4), and with drummer Nick Sanderson. Pierce has written and composed all tracks and the band still sounds like no one else. Blixa Bargeld of The Bad Seeds plays guitar on "Yellow Eyes".
It's quite amazing how the band seems to just continue where the 1984 album ended considering that one half of the band wasn't taking part in the making of that particular album. I never got hold of any of their original albums at the time of their release, but Mother Juno was an album I found at the local library but didn't quite appreciate in '87. The only album that I really liked was The Las Vegas Story from 1984. The version, I have purchased of Mother Juno is a remastered edition including the bonus disc titled "The Berlin Tapes", which seems like a nice find. "The Breaking Hands" is a marvelous track - fans of the band would probably call it over-produced, and it IS a strange cocktail to have Robin Guthrie as album producer but Pierce apparently had his own ideas about The Gun Club, also when keeping in mind that the band's second album Miami was produced by guitarist Chris Stein of Blondie. And Pierce had been entrigued by Guthrie. Alledgedly, Romi and Pierce had met Guthrie and Liz Frazer of the Cocteau Twins at a music festival and from that positive meeting, Pierce had found a gateway to get in touch with Guthrie and ask him to produce an upcoming new album. Pierce and Mori were at this point a couple, and Pierce had relocated to Berlin as the band found it more attractive to play and perform in Europe as the band simply had more fans here. Also, Cave and the Bad Seeds, with whom Powers had played with, were mostly hanging out in Berlin.
Stylewise, The Gun Club and Cocteau Twins are nowhere near one another, nor with regards to genre for that matter but I really like this album as it has a fine delicate feel of garage rock, the ever-present hesitating energy of Pierce, and a productional side that tries to catch up and embrace it all and yet still leaves room for all the quirkiness.
The front cover is a painting by Danish-born artists Claus Castenskiold, who also fronts several releases by British punk rock band The Fall.
Recommended.
[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5 stars ]

Happy Mondays "Squirrel and G-Man Twenty Four Hour Party People..." (1987)

Squirrel and G-Man Twenty Four Hour Party People... [debut]

release date: Apr. 1987

format: digital (1990 reissue)

[album rate: 3 / 5] [3,22]

producer: John Cale

label: Factory Records - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Kuff Dam" - 2. "Tart Tart" - 4. "Russell" - 5. "Olive Oil" - 8. "Oasis" - 9. "24 Hr Party People"

Studio album debut by Happy Mondays with the full title: Squirrel and G-Man Twenty Four Hour Party People Plastic Face Carnt Smile (White Out) is recorded by John Cale for Factory Records. The band is the same stable sextet who released the 1985 Forty Five EP. The track "Oasis" also appears on the ep but here it's in a re-arranged version with much more focus on bass, and apart from that it's an album with nine new compositions.

Where the band started out as a jangle pop-oriented and alt dance-band, they now mix more styles and the jangle pop element has been subdued. Instead, they now blend funk, surf rock ("Russell"), indie pop and neo-psychedelia, which ultimately makes it a rather complex mix of styles. It's not really an example of a coherent collection of songs, and it's somewhat difficult to find a common denominator but it's also clear that the songs appear quite originally crafted despite obvious loans from other artists. Several songs, however, contain elements from various styles that are sort of mashed together, which in many ways forecast what was to come. "Russell" may be surf rock-inspired but it also contains funk, skilfully crafted by Paul Ryder's repetitious bass-line, and then on top Shaun Ryder now contribute with his speak-singing style, and we have a true Happy Mondays tune. Ryder no longer sounds like a clone of Ian Curtis and Feargal Sharkey but quite clearly has found his own foundation. Both album title and the song titles already here reflect how Ryder comes up with his lyrics. The album title appears to be Ryder's invention from three different associations that he just put after another - 'Squirrel and G-man' being the nicknames for the parents to one of the members, 'Twenty Hour Party People' is someone's reference to Ryder and his mates, and 'Plastic Face Carnt Smile (White Out)' should be another one's exclamation upon finding Ryder, Bez et al completely tripping on acid. And then the songs: "Kuff Dam" is Ryder's rephrasing of a porn title misspelled backwards, "Tart Tart" refers to a particult girl, although, as in nearly all cases, the song itself isn't about anyone or anything in particular. This also goes for "Olive Oil", which was the nickname for someone's girlfriend, who had asked Ryder if he would write a song about her - to which he alledgedly answered that he didn't write like that but he could name a song after her.

I have absolutely no idea whatsoever about what Cale thought of it - the band and song potential - but luckily he didn't spoil too much, although, it probably could have been a much better end result with a producer in touch with the current dance scene - say New Order's Bernard Sumner, who was mentioned but weren't available - instead of someone with a reputation. You can only ask yourself if it would have been another "Blue Monday"-moment had Sumner been hired...

The album was met by positive reviews but generally lacked to attract music buyers as it sold quite poorly.

In a music historical perspective, it's quite fascinating as a new step towards their more defining sound but as a stand-alone experience, this album is simply just not strong enough.

[ Shaun Ryder interview about the origines of the band, The Haçienda, the production of the album etc.]

Elvis Costello "Out of Our Idiot" (1987)

vinyl cover

Out of Our Idiot (compilation)
release date: Dec. 4, 1987
format: vinyl (X Fiend 67) / digital
[album rate: 3,5 / 5]
producer: various
label: Demon Records - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: A) 1. "Seven Day Weekend" (Guest Star Jimmy Cliff) - 2. "Turning the Town Red" - 3. "Heathen Town" - 5. "So Young" (previously un-issued) - 6. "American Without Tears No. 2" (Twilight Version) - 7. "Get Yourself Another Fool (Out of Our Idiot Mix)" (5 / 5) - - B) 1. "Blue Chair" (Single Version) - 2. "Baby It's You" (Guest Star Nick Lowe) - 3. "From Head to Toe" - 8. "Imperial Bedroom" (demo)

Compilation album by Elvis Costello advertised as 'Rare and Unreleased Cuts'. The vinyl version is a 17 tracks single album - the cd issue contains 21 tracks.

The album is credited to "Various Artists" (on record spine) rather than to Elvis Costello because the tracks were recorded and credited under a variety of names, including The Costello Show, Elvis Costello and the Attractions, Elvis Costello and the Confederates, The Coward Brothers, Napoleon Dynamite & the Royal Guard, The Emotional Toothpaste, The Imposter, and recorded with a variety of collaborators. Most tracks are featuring The Attractions and several of the strange band names are credited single songs only.

It reflects anything but self-sufficiency and comes out as that extra dimension to his songwriting - if you want it. Yes, it's a bit of a wide and strange compilation without head or tail but it shows us nicely how wide the man grasps in terms of styles, and I have always found it quite enjoyable - perhaps because of its lightness and funny takes, and then you can always hear that Costello puts a whole lot of sincerity into his songs, also the most corny ones, which then makes them meaningful.

[ allmusic.com 3,5 / 5 stars ]

The Poets "Four Days in Florence" (1987)

Four Days in Florence [debut]
release date: Sep. 1987
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,38]
producer: Adam Peters
label: Replay Records - nationality: Denmark

Track highlights: 1. "Subversive" - 2. "Surface" - 3. "Four Days in Florence" - 4. "The Trapper Song" - 9. "Mingos Down Memory Valley"

Studio album debut by Danish art rockers, The Poets released on the independent Danish label, Replay Records. The band is formed by the two band members from the remains of the Danish post-punk art punk band Poets of the Signature (1981-86; included on the compilation album Somewhere Outside), vocalist and guitarist Troels Bech (also credited for accordion, piano & keyboards) and vocalists Lars K. Andersen. Here they play as a sextet together with vocalist Birgitte Bang, bassist Mads Frederik, organ-player Torben Engberg, and drummer Colin Wilkinson. Andersen has written all lyrics and Bech is credited as musical composer.
Stylistically, it involves a huge blend of styles, ranging from alt. rock, indie rock, and art rock with elements from jazz and fusion rock as well as progressive rock. It's music built using both traditional instrumentation as well as more electronic devices like drum machine, sequencer, and various keyboards.
My then verdict was an interesting release that just lacked coherency and enough original material to pay much attention, but I also concede that my later impression hands much more recognition to a band that didn't succeed as they rightfully deserved. Fact is, the music is truly ahead of its time. The conglomerate of styles and genres were anything but comme il faut. The closest you get to the style is art rock by The The, David Sylvian, and psychedelic rock by Julian Cope and the like, but nearly all of these artists also had their share of trouble in gathering acclaim from other than contemporary critics. Anyhow, the musical complexity is there - perhaps all that is absent are strong melodic compositions, and the lasting impression is an album of artistic originality without an overall lasting picture.

Chris Isaak "Chris Isaak" (1987)

Chris Isaak
release date: Feb. 16, 1987
format: cd (1990 reissue)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,62]
producer: Erik Jacobsen
label: Warner Bros. - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 1. "You Owe Me Some Kind of Love" - 2. "Heart Full of Soul" - 3. "Blue Hotel" (4 / 5) (live) - 4. "Lie to Me" (4 / 5) - 7. "This Love Will Last"

2nd studio album by Chris Isaak is like the debut produced by Eric Jacobsen and released by Warner. The title signals an early new - but still second - start. Perhaps because the debut was rather unnoticed by critics and music buyers, which also explains a more mainstream approach with more jangle pop instead of the more laid-back americana sound on the debut.
I don't think it betters the debut much, but it certainly has more mainstream potential. The songs are still pretty good, and it's basically a more homogeneous album, although, I find that the first half is clearly the best.
[ allmusic.com 3 / 5 stars ]

The Durutti Column "The Guitar and Other Machines" (1987)

The Guitar and Other Machines
release date: Dec. 1987
format: vinyl (fact204) / digital
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,72]
producer: Stephen Street
label: Factory Records - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: A) 1. "Arpeggiator" (4 / 5) - 2. "What Is It to Me (Woman)" - 4. "Jongleur Grey" - 5. "When the World" - 6. "U.S.P." (4 / 5) - - B) 1. "Bordeaux Sequence" - 2. "Pol In B" (4 / 5) - 3. "English Landscape Tradition" (4 / 5) - 5. "Don't Think You're Funny" (4 / 5)

6th studio album by The Durutti Column following 1 year after Circuses and Bread.

This is one of my favourite albums by The DC. The sound and style is very different with the introduction of drum machines and a heavier use of synthesizers. Somehow the album felt right when it came out and I recall how I used to listen to this at full volume on my walk-man while travelling to work by train. It's not his best but I like his experiments and will to expand his repertoire. My main critique of the album is that it points in too many directions to be a really great album.
[ allmusic.com hands it 3 in 5 stars ]

[ collectors' item ]

Zucchero Sugar Fornaciari "Blue's" (1987)

Blue's
release date: Jun. 15, 1987
formats: cd (2004 remaster)
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,82]
produced by: Corrado Rustici
label: Polydor / Universal - nationality: Italy

Track highlights: 2. "Con le mani" (4 / 5) - 3. "Pippo" - 4. "Dune mosse" - 5. "Bambino io, bambino tu" - 6. "Non ti sopporto più" (4 / 5) - 7. "Senza una donna" (5 / 5) - 9. "Hey Man" - 10. "Solo una sana e consapevole libidine salva il giovane dallo stress e dall'Azione Cattolica" (org. video) - 11. "Hai scelto me"

4th studio album by Zucchero follows one year after Rispetto and is released under the name of 'Zucchero Sugar Fornaciari'. Most songs are written and composed solely by Zucchero - only tracks #2, #5 & #9 are co-written by Gino Paoli, track#4 is written with Marco Figliè, and track #5 is co-composed with Albino Mammoliti and Raymond Jones. The album was already in late '87 issued in a Christmas version ['versione natalizia'] with a different front cover but with the same original tracklist. However, the optical issues featured two bonus tracks (tracks #8 & #12).
Blue's continues very much in the style of his '86 album with an even stronger presence of a blues rock ingredient. I just think this has several songs of higher quality, and it basically sounds like a "best of" compilation, which I initially mistook it for. The album is Zucchero's first of ten [10!] consecutive studio albums to top the Italian album charts, and it's his first to have en entry outside of Italy. The album peaked at number #43 in the Netherlands and as number #18 in Switzerland where it sold Platinum.
Two singles where released from the album: track #2 and #7 peaking at number #27 and #17 respectively; however, "Senza una donna" would become his first number #1 single-hit and best-selling single ever, when it was re-recorded with Paul Young and released as single in '91. It's also included on Zucchero's first compilation album Zucchero from '90 as well as Paul Young's compilation From Time to Time (1991) and that version of the song is one of of the top-3 best-selling Italian songs ever released.
Note: The front cover is the photography "7th Day Adventists" (aka 'Male Voice Choir Seventh Day Adventists Church Holoway, London') by Neal Slavin taken from his book "Britons" (1986).
This is really Zucchero on top of his career with brilliant songwriting and tight pop soul and blues, and it comes close to the style of Joe Cocker and Paul Young, "only" difference is that Zucchero is an artist, who writes his own material.
I think, this is his clearly best album so far.
Highly recommended.

Love and Rockets "Earth · Sun · Moon" (1987)

Earth · Sun · Moon

release date: Sep. 9, 1987
format: vinyl (BEGA 84) / digital
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,46]
producer: Derek 'Guru' Tompkins, Love and Rockets
label: Beggars Banquet - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Mirror People" (4 / 5) - 2. "The Light" - 3. "Welcome Tomorrow" - 4. "No New Tale to Tell" - 12. "Youth"

3rd studio album by Love and Rockets this time with a new producer and a bold alt. rock album in neo-psychedelia style. In the early and mid-1980s the label alt. rock wasn't really a style or genre yet, and really, this band has been one of the pioneering efforts in directing music onto new pastures. This album and the two previous by Love and Rockets has helped define a new playground for popular music if it doesn't fall within 'mainstream' genres. The album has been lauded by many critics, and I guess, because of its clear psychedelic qualities. I just don't really enjoy it as much as its predecessors.
[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5 stars ]

Eva Dahlgren "Ung och stolt" (1987)

Ung och stolt
release date: Jan. 1987
format: vinyl (STAT 1) / cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,54]
producer: Anders Glenmark
label: The Record Station - nationality: Sweden

Track highlights: 1. "Jag klär av mej naken" - 2. "Ung och stolt" - 3. "Skeppet" - 5. "Little Darling" - 8. "Fromme mannen" - 9. "Allt för dej" - 10. "Mitt liv"

6th studio album by Eva Dahlgren released 2½ years after Ett fönster mot gatan (Aug. 1984) establishing her as one of the most critically-acclaimed Swedish singer / songwriters within a predominantly rock sphere in the late 1980's. The album was the first album that I listened to and also aquired with Dahlgren somewhere around 1988. She was handed the Swedish Grammis for the first time for this album in the category Best Female Pop / Rock Artist in 1987. Danish artist Sanne Salomonsen features as backing vocalist on several tracks.
The album now feels somewhat dated - the bold use of flanger and waow-guitar effect pedals, and the heavy 80's drums doesn't add to the qualities - but it nevertheless shows Dahlgren as a prominent Swedish energetic rock artist with an ear for both quiet ballads, epic and theatrical elements with hints of glam rock, and electrifying and more traditional rock compositions. This still remains one of her best albums.

Steve Kilbey "The Slow Crack" (1987)

The Slow Crack
release date: 1987 (December?)
format: digital (1989 reissue)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,42]
producer: Steve Kilbey
label: Rough Trade Records - nationality: Australia

Track highlights: 1. "Transaction" - 3. "Woman With Reason" - 4. "A Favourite Pack of Lies" - 5. "Something That Means Something" - 8. "Ariel Sings"

3rd solo album by Steve Kilbey is like his two previous albums produced by Kilbey himself. The album saw its first national release limited to a vinyl edition on Red Eye Records in late '87, but that album comes without four tracks recorded in '89 (tracks #1, #3, #7, and #11). The song "A Favorite Pack of Lies" clearly features parts of the music from the instrumental track "The Dawn Poems" which is found on the precursor, Earthed (1987), and which perhaps may be seen as a kind of draft for this track with added lyrics. Like the predecessor, this one was recorded, mixed, produced, written, and composed by Kilbey with minor assistance, and again (girlfriend) Karin Jansson is credited as a co-writer on some tracks. Incidentally, the '89 reissue (this one) starts with the track "Transaction", which features Donette Thayer - with whom Kilbey formed the band Hex in '88 - on guitar, and this extended release consists of twelve tracks with a total length of 46 minutes.

At this particular stage of his career, Kilbey is in a fairly productive phase. Together with the other members of The Church, he has thus been behind the studio album Heyday (Nov. '85), his solo debut Unearthed (Jan. 1986), the instrumental successor Earthed (May '87) issued alongside a book of the same name consisting of poetry and essays, and then this album from late '87, after which he was once again ready with a bunch of new songs for The Church with whom he recorded the critically acclaimed Starfish - recorded in '87 and released Feb. '88.

Stylistically, this is more in the same realm as his solo debut and it ties in nicely with releases with The Church. It's alt. rock, indie pop and it both contains jangle pop and elements of neo-psychedelia. Most of the compositions are uptempo tracks with a normal song structure, and the way I hear this album, it sounds more like a kind of 'forgotten' release by The Church - or, it's the kind of material that could easily have been intended for compositions with the band.

Terence Trent D'Arby "Introducing the Hardline According to Terence Trent D'Arby" (1987)

Introducing the Hardline According to Terence Trent D'Arby [debut]
release date: Jul. 13, 1987
format: cd
[album rate: 4 / 5] [4,05]
producer: Martyn Ware, Terence Trent D'Arby, Howard Grey
label: Columbia Records - nationality: USA

Tracklist: 1. "If You All Get to Heaven" (4 / 5) - 2. "If You Let Me Stay" (4,5 / 5) - 3. "Wishing Well" (4 / 5) - 4. "I'll Never Turn My Back on You (Father's Words)" (3,5 / 5) - 5. "Dance Little Sister" (4 / 5) - 6. "Seven More Days" (4 / 5) (live) - 7. "Let's Go Forward" (3,5 / 5) - 8. "Rain" (3,5 / 5) - 9. "Sign Your Name" (4 / 5) - 10. "As Yet Untitled" (3 / 5) - 11. "Who's Lovin' You" (4 / 5) (live)

Studio debut album by Terence Trent D'Arby (born Terence Trent Howard). This is a fabulous debut album. D'Arby wrote, sang, played, arranged, and co-produced most tracks single-handedly. He is a multi-instrumentalist and has a singing voice that pars the best soul artists, and feels stronger, tighter and more intense than any contemporary r&b, soul, and pop / rock singer around. Stylistically, it's a huge blend of styles with rhythm & blues at the center of everything, and around that, D'Arby drags from especially soul, but also from pop / rock, blues, and vocal jazz with noticeable sources like Otis Redding, James Brown, Michael Jackson, Ray Charles, and Stevie Wonder. The album went straight to #1 in the UK and many other European countries, whereas it had a harder time in D'Arby's home country, the USA. To me, this is much better than Michael Jackson or Prince, perhaps because it contains more rock and soul influence - it's more hard hitting than most r&b releases, which may explain its difficulty in his home country. After this first great album, D'Arby strangely almost vanished from the public eye. Initially, I bought the album on cassette in '87, and only first in the 90s bought it on cd. The album is rightfully enlisted in "10001 Albums You Must Here Before You Die".
[ allmusic.com 4 / 5, Q Magazine 3 / 5 stars ]

TV-2 "En dejlig torsdag" (1987)

En dejlig torsdag
release date: Mar. 5, 1987
format: vinyl (450508 1) / digital
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,54]
producer: Greg Walsh
label: CBS Records - nationality: Denmark

6th studio album by Danish band TV-2 following the band's so far biggest success Rigtige mænd gider ikke høre mere vrøvl (Nov. 1985) is like that produced by Greg Walsh.
This time it's more obvious that band and producer attempts to reproduce what worked so well on their previous work; however, En dejlig torsdag doesn't quite deliver on the same level. Also, for the first time since the band's second album, the new album doesn't sell more albums than its predecessor, and this time only half of albums sold.

Sting "... Nothing Like the Sun" (1987)

... Nothing Like the Sun
release date: Oct. 5, 1987
format: 2 lp vinyl (393912-1) / cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,58]
producer: Sting, Hugh Padgham, Bryan Loren, Neil Dorfsman
label: A&M Records - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "The Lazarus Heart" - 2. "Be Still My Beating Heart" - 3. "Englishman in New York" (4 / 5) - 4. "History Will Teach Us Nothing" - 6. "Fragile" - 8. "Straight to My Heart" - 10. "Sister Moon" - 11. "Little Wing"

2nd solo studio album by Sting is like his first two album releases a double vinyl album, although, the playing time at approx. 55 mins. really doesn't opt for the necessity of two discs. The album is a slight move away from the jazz tone on the debut towards a more traditional pop / rock styled album.
At first, I found it a lesser album with the lack of great compositions, but in a way I think it's a more successful release than his solo debut as it's more of a whole, and the lyrical side is clearly bettering his first. After a few years I then considered this his best solo release. Some tracks, however, tend to linger in the same mood and seem like built on more or less the same matrix, which makes it appear as having a long playing time. Still, this is a solid good album, and imho, it's his last really good album as a solo artist.
[ allmusic.com, Rolling Stone 4,5 / 5 stars ]

Sinéad O'Connor "The Lion and the Cobra" (1987)

The Lion and the Cobra [debut]

release date: Oct. 5, 1987

format: cd

[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,85]

producer: Sinéad O'Connor, Kevin Mooney (co-pro.)

label: Ensign - nationality: Ireland

Track highlights: 2. "Mandinka" - 3."Jerusalem" - 4. "Just Like U Said It Would Be" (4 / 5) - 6. "Troy" - 7. "I Want Your (Hands on Me)" - 8. "Drink Before the War" - 9. "Just Call Me Joe"

Studio album debut by 20 year-old Sinéad (Marie Bernadette) O'Connor from Dublin, Ireland.

The album was a bit of a surprising success, and "Mandinka" and "I Want Your (Hands on Me)" became minor hits on both sides of the Atlantic. O'Connor's rebellious looks and confronting attitude was a dividing factor as she both attracted an audience from th e former punk rock scene as well as a more obvious conservative posh crowd - and by that, she already embraced a huge audience. Chrysalis Records distributed the album for the North American market with an alternative cover as they feared the original cover would be too aggressive. A cover btw., which made sure to hide O'Connor's pregnancy. She gave birth to Jake in Jun. '87, which meant she was still on maternal leave as the album broke. John Reynolds, the father to her son, is credited as drummer and programmer on the album.

I didn't purchase the album until years later but I do recall watching her on MTV with "Mandinka" and finding the album interesting, although, not entirely pursuasive enough to actually buy it. Initially, I found the music style a bit too polished at the time. In retrospect, I have come to see it as a very strong debut where she already showed a confronting side to her personality that would always be a heavily discussed matter as well as a distracting aspect to her obvious musical strengths.

Highly recommended.

[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5, Pitchfork 9,1 / 10, Rolling Stone, Slant, Spin 4 / 5 stars ]

The Go-Betweens "Tallulah" (1987)

Tallulah
release date: Jun. 1987
format: vinyl / 2 cd (2004 remaster)
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,78]
producer: Richard Preston
label: Big Time Records - nationality: Australia

Track highlights: 1. "Right Here" - 2. "You Tell Me" - 3. "Someone Else's Wife" - 4. "I Just Get Caught Out" - 5. "Cut It Out" - 7. "Bye Bye Pride" - 8. "Spirit of a Vampyre" - 9. "The Clarke Sisters"

5th studio album by Australian band The Go-Betweens follows a little more than a year after Liberty Belle and the Black Diamond Express. The album is originally released on Beggars Banquet - the Big Time vinyl issue is an American import, and the 2004 (2 cd) enhanced remaster contains a bonus disc containing 10 extra tracks - mostly alternate ('early') versions [to me sounding like demo takes] and a few previously unreleased compositions.

Before this, the band was officially expanded to a quintet as Amanda Brown was included in the line-up shortly after releasing their '86 album, and the band now consists of the two founding members Grant McLennan on vocals, lead guitar and piano, Robert Forster on vocals and rhythm guitar, stable drummer Lindy Morrison (who has played on all five studio albums), bassist Robert Vickers, who joined the band in '84, and then newest member, multi-instrumentalist Amanda Brown credited on violin, oboe, guitar, keyboards and vocals.

As usual, the cover depicts the band members - here with the three original members: Forster (with his newly-dyed haircut), McLennan and Morrison in the middle flanked by the two newest members: Robert Vickers and Amanda Brown.

The album would prove be the last to feature Vickers, who left the band after this after having played bass on three studio albums. Perhaps he felt uncomfortable at times as not only had Forster and Morrison been a couple since '81, and now as they were in the midst of breaking up their relationship, McLennan and Brown initiated their romantic affair as the new couple in the band.

The album may not be their absolute best - it mostly suffers the incoherence between material written by McLennan and Forster, who here seems more out of sync than on any other of the albums, but it's also one of the band's most defining albums with great ideas and songs and as such highly recommended.

[ allmusic.com 3,5 / 5, Rolling Stone 4 / 5 stars ]

Steve Kilbey "Earthed" (1987)

Earthed
release date: May 25, 1987
format: vinyl (clear vinyl) / digital (1988)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,62]
producer: Steve Kilbey [recorded by]
label: Ryko Analogue - nationality: Australia

Track highlights: 1. "The Dawn Poems" - 5. "A Loveletter From Sydney" - 6. "Carthage" - 7. "City of Women" - 9. "...The Empire Mourns Her Sun Without Tears" - 10. "Cornucopia" - 11. "Memory (c)" - 12. "Aphrodite" - 16. "Atlantis"

2nd solo album by Steve Kilbey released on Ryko Analogue, a Rykodisc-sublabel used for cassette- and vinylreleases. The vinyl issue is an American import on clear vinyl. As on his solo-debut Unearthed from '86, Kilbey is in charge of most things on this one, thus being credited: played by, recorded by, mixed by, as well as composer and as responsibe for (printed) material. Only a few other people are mentioned as contributors to this album: some who have assisted in creating artwork, some who have helped with mixing and mastering, and also his Swedish girlfriend at the time, Karin Jansson, who is co-writer on track #9. The album is published as a 'musical companion' to his homonymous lyric and essay publication on the modern life of mysticism. The back of the book cover contains the following description of the music: "An album of music which could be seen instrumental to the reading of the book..."

This was the first album I purchased of Kilbey's solo releases, which is probably quite fortunate, because if it had been the other way around and I had heard his actual solo debut first, I might not have considered buying this one, which consists entirely of instrumental tracks. It's quite a different collection of tracks by being far more experimental and more complex. The music is predominantly electronic in the sense that Kilbey makes use of synthesizers, drum programming, loops and tapes, and it's a release that is quite far from what he has released with the band The Church.

Some tracks (#7, #9, #10, #13, and #20) sound much like music inspired by Ryuichi Sakamoto and / or David Sylvian with a constant underlying presence of ambience. Another striking feature of the album is that it consists of twenty tracks and yet 'only' has a total running time of under 48 minutes. Three compositions are shorter than one minute, ten tracks have a duration of one to three minutes, five are between three and four minutes and two tracks are longer than four minutes.

Although, I do believe I acquired his solo debut a few weeks after this, I've always found this one that bit more entriguing. Yes, it's quite experimental, but at the same time it's also rich in ideas, and so it still holds up as quite a timeless work.

Andy Summers "XYZ" (1987)

XYZ [debut]
release date: Dec. 1987
format: vinyl (254 783-1) / digital
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,38]
producer: Andy Summers, David Hentschel
label: MCA Records - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Love Is the Strangest Way" - 2. "How Many Days?" - 3. "Almost There" - 4. "Eyes of a Stranger" - 6. "Scary Voices" - 7. "Nowhere" - 10. "Hold Me"

Solo studio album debut by former The Police guitarist, Andy Summers (aka Andrew James Somers) who had previously released two collaboration albums with Robert Fripp: I Advance Masked (1982) and Bewitched (1984), and contributed on soundtracks for films: The Wild Life (1984), 2010 (1984) and for the TV-series "Down and Out in Beverly Hills" (1986). Aside from being primary songwriter and composer - four tracks (tracks #2, #7, #8, and #10) are co-composed with producer Hentschel, who also provides keyboards and drum programming - Summers is credited as vocalist, which actually works more than just Okay, however, it's nevertheless his first and only album on which he provides lead vocals.

Musically, this isn't closely linked to the music by The Police. In fact, it has more in common with music by John Cale and Peter Gabriel with its bolder fusion rock and jazz fusion elements and a more obvious art rock approach. Yes, you can easily detect the guitar-sound of Summers, which has always made me wonder why he was never credited the music by The Police, 'cause how could Sting have written and arranged the songs telling Andy how to play the guitar?!

"Love Is the Strangest Thing" is the only single taken from an album, which wasn't exactly met by positive reviews, and it was basically seen as a commercial failure, which didn't have MCA invest further in Summers' career.

Personally, I purchased the album only to hear what the great guitarist of The Police could do on his own. Had I listened to it first, I may not have used money on it but I'm glad I did. No, it didn't sell and it wasn't met by acclaim, but in retrospect, I do think it's much better than rumour has it. Summers may have givin up singing after this, and because of this - the following tour and the sales numbers from the album didn't exactly encourage him to persue a career as vocalist, which I think is a shame. On this, he actually comes close to the sonic of Peter Gabriel. The music is close to that - perhaps too close - which may have had critics reject it as an original work.

XYZ is Summers' first solo album. It didn't turn out as intended - the music industry leeds its own unpredictable life. Overall, I think it's worth much more than a listen or two. It's flaw isn't because of the production sound, the mixing, nor in the song material but may likely be a result of missing personnel. A featuring artist (say Peter Gabriel, Kate Bush, John Cale) here and there could likely have lifted this album from obscurity and brought it into the starlight. I do believe this very album is an example of how there's only a thin line between failure and success. "How Many Days" and "Nowhere" are both strong enough to make it to popular radio choices, but they weren't chosen as singles. The album is more than a decent first one out. It could arguably have been better arranged but the song material is there.

[ 👎allmusic.com 2 / 5 stars ]