Happy Mondays "Bummed" (1988)

Bummed

release date: Nov. 1988

format: cd (2000 reissue)

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,66]

producer: Martin Hannett

label: Factory / London Records - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Country Song" - 2. "Moving in With" - 3. "Mad Cyril" - 5. "Performance" (studio session) - 6. "Brain Dead" - 7. "Wrote for Luck" - 9. "Do It Better"

2nd full-length studio album by Happy Mondays follows 1½ years after Squirrel and G-Man Twenty Four Hour Party People... (Apr. 1987) and is made with Factory-label's acclaimed producer, Martin Hannett. The band consists of the usual five: vocalist Shaun Ryder, his younger brother Paul on bass, Mark Day on guitar, Paul Davis on keyboards, (Gary) 'Gaz' Whelan on drums, and with Mark 'Bez' Berry on percussion. All ten songs are credited the band but it's commonly known that Shaun wrote the lyrics 'cause "the rest of 'em can't be arsed". Btw. the song "Lazyitis" (track #10) is basically "Ticket to Ride" by The Beatles with new lyrics and nearly unrecognisable arrangement.

Musically, it's a huge move from the debut and the band has progressed from being an indie rock band to one founded on a mix of styles, including alt. dance, indie pop, soul, funk, and neo-psychedelia making Happy Mondays one of the original bands behind the baggy / madchester style it should later be known as. The band also went by the alias The Mondays or 'The 24 Hour Party People' and they were one of many artists and bands playing at the famous The Haçienda music club founded by Factory and New Order in unison. Together with The Stone Roses and 808 State - all originating from Greater Manchester - they all produced dance-oriented music with various stylistic elements. The Stone Roses played alt. dance founded on jangle pop and indie rock, and 808 State built their sound on electronica, and then a number of other artists soon emerged on the scene. Producer Martin Hannett to some extent proves his worth here after having been recognised for his minimalist, dark and strict sound when engineering the soundscape for Joy Division less than a decade ago. Shaun Ryder recounts in his autobiography "Twisting My Melon" (2011) how he had been excited to have Hannett produce the album, as Ryder had been a big fan of the Joy Division productions and were thrilled to see what Hannett would come up with. Perhaps John Cale produced the debut album one year earlier with the intend to approach something with a more distinct art rock sound, and as a contrast to that, the sound here weaves in and out of focus making room for a multi-coloured palette, and on top of that, Shaun Ryder bounces freely in his original mumbling narrating style. Ryder describes it as the first really good album of theirs despite memories of recording sessions with drugs all over the place. And Hannett perhaps being the most experimental when Ryder and Bez introduced everyone to E.

The album doesn't contain noteworthy obvious hits, although "Wrote for Luck" had been chosen for single release in late October and is highly characteristic for the band, but it really launched its own life and positioned the band up the charts a bit later when it was released in a re-mixed version as "W.F.L." (official video) by Paul Oakenfold and Vince Clarke. Bummed was met by positive reviews, although, its status as a stylistic cornerstone has only added to its value. The album is included in "1001 Albums You Must hear Before You Die" and is quite an enjoyable ride. Nonetheless, it's mighty fine but given its position, I have never really fancied it all that much, and frankly, I find The Stone Roses debut a greater musical achievement. With Bummed, Happy Mondays may have landed their sound (not the same as found their feet!) but to me, their successor, Pills 'n' Thrills and Bellyaches (Apr. 1990) clearly betters this one.

The front cover is an edited photo of lead vocalist Shaun Ryder when "off his tits", as he probably would describe it.

Recommended.

[ allmusic.com, NME 4,5 / 5, Mojo, The Guardian 5 / 5 stars ]

The Stone Roses "Elephant Stone" (1988) (single)

Elephant Stone, cd single
release date: Oct. 1988
format: cd (1990 reissue)
[single rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,52]
producer: Peter Hook
label: Silvertone - nationality: England, UK

Tracklist: 1. "Elephant Stone" - 2. "Full Fathom Five" - 3. "The Hardest Thing in the World" - 4. "Elephant Stone" (7'' Version)

Single release by The Stone Roses produced by New Order bassist Peter Hook. It was originally released in 7'' and 12'' vinyl versions with the cd being a re-issue with an altered track listing of the 12''.
None of these tracks would feature on the forthcoming debut album released in March '89.
The front cover is - like most releases by the band - artwork by John Squire, who is also the band's musical composer.

C.V. Jørgensen "Indian Summer" (1988)

Indian Summer

release date: Aug. 11, 1988

format: cd (462483 2)

[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,98]

producer: C.V. Jørgensen

label: CBS Records - nationality: Denmark

Track highlights: 1. "Livet er lykken" - 3. "Alle mine bagmænd" (4 / 5) - 4. "Natmænd i modlys" - 5. "Det regner i mit hjerte" (5 / 5) (live) - 6. "Lokomotivation" - 7. "Babylon" - 9. "Indian Summer"

9th studio album by C.V. Jørgensen was released more than three years following Vennerne & vejen (May 1985) and for the first time it's with C.V. himself in the producer seat. Of course he also released the live album Lige lovlig live in '86, but this is the first time this long time pass in between his studio releases. The album feature the usual lineup with Lars Hybel on guitar and bass, Nils Henriksen also on guitar, bass and keyboards, Pete Repete on keyboards, and with Gert Smedegård on drums. In addition, Jacob Andersen is recurring percussionist on three tracks, and Nanna Lüders also participates on backing vocals. More interestingly, Lars Hybel is credited as a co-composer on four of the album's nine tracks (tracks #1, #7, #8, and #9).

Musically, it's once again a new expression without exactly speaking of a definite change of style, because it's more or less tried and tested territory for C.V. Jørgensen. The music has become more subdued and in places it may sound a bit like a return to the more jazzy style you'll find on the breakthrough Storbyens små oaser (1977). However, there are still room for songs cut more as on Vennerne & vejen without touching on repetition 'cause something darker has crept in on all compositions. In general, the songs are more simple in expression - as cut to the bone. The biggest change is probably found in the lyrics, which predominantly reflect a positive outlook on life, but which have acquired a clearer lyrical quality, where C.V. focuses on moods and often avoids linear pieces in his narration. At the same time he makes use of a language heavily loaded with symbols. And speaking of 'positive', that doesn't necessarily mean happy as a clam mood because, although he expresses a positiv stand, his lyrics are also about spirituality, and about life and death.

The title track is with reference to the rhythm of life, and if you to that consider that the artist's mother died during the making of the album, the title song takes on a very special meaning. The band Sort Sol made a strong cover of this song, which was issued as a single Dec. '89 (also featured on the band's 1992 compilation album Fog Things), and for which C.V. thanks on the successor I det muntre hjørne (1990) on the song "Tak for sangen".

Indian Summer is another strong outing from a standout in Danish music, and it points quite nicely onwards to C.V.'s following album, which otherwise may be experienced as a completely different outing. The front cover is, much to the usual, credited Annemarie Albrectsen.

Strong recommendation.

Huey Lewis and the News "Small World" (1988)

Small World
release date: Jun. 1988
format: vinyl / digital
[album rate: 3 / 5] [3,04]
producer: Huey Lewis and the News
label: Chrysalis Records - nationality: USA

5th studio album by Huey Lewis and the News.

The House of Love "The House of Love" (1988)

The House of Love [debut]
release date: Jun. 1988
format: vinyl (CRELP34) / digital
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,88]
producer: The House of Love
label: Creation Records - nationality: England, UK

Studio album debut by London-founded band The House of Love consisting of songwriter, vocalist and guitarist Guy Chadwick lead guitarist and backing vocalist Terry Bickers, bassist Chris Groothuizen and drummer Pete Evans.

[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5, The Guardian 5 / 5, Uncut, Record Collector 4 / 5 stars ]

a-ha "Stay on These Roads" (1988)

Stay on These Roads
release date: May 3, 1988
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,28]
producer: Alan Tarney
label: Warner Bros. - nationality: Norway

Track highlights: 1. "Stay on These Roads" - 2. "The Blood That Moves the Body" - 6. "The Living Daylights"

3rd studio album release by a-ha released nearly two years after Scoundrel Days is exclusively produced by Alan Tarney.
Stylistically, the trio sticks to the soft side of pop / rock, and with this the production side has improved considerably.
The result is imho an album that's better than I thought back then. Here you'll find some fine songwriting and well-played instrumentation. a-ha always represented nicely composed music and they are instrumentally skilled musicians. The music is not really my style and taste but this is not bad, I just can't listen to it for that long but both the title track for the 007-film, "The Living Daylights" and the first track are truly fine songs. Without rising high in my ratings, I think, this album is easily their so far best.

The Go-Betweens "16 Lovers Lane" (1988)

16 Lovers Lane
release date: Aug. 1988
format: cd (1996 reissue)
[album rate: 4 / 5] [4,03]
producer: Mark Wallis
label: Beggars Banquet - nationality: Australia

Track highlights: 1. "Love Goes On!" - 2. "Quiet Heart" - 3. "Love Is a Sign" - 4. "You Can't Say No Forever" (4 / 5) - 5. "The Devil's Eye" - 6. "Streets of Your Town" - 8. "Was There Anything I Could Do?" - 10. "Dive for Your Memory"

6th studio album by The Go-Betweens originally released by Mushroom Records in Australia and Beggars Banquet in Europe. Before recording the album, bassist Robert Vickers left the band and was replaced by John Willsteed - his only album with the band. The members credited here are: Grant McLennan on vocals & lead guitar, Robert Forster on vocals, rhythm guitar & harmonica, Amanda Brown on violin, oboe, guitar, vocals, tambourine (listed as "Oliver Tambo" on the sleeve notes, an in-joke of the band), John Willsteed on bass, guitar, Hammond organ & piano and with Lindy Morrison on drums. All compositions are credited McLennan / Forster.

The covers by The Go-Betweens have all been fronted by the band members, and the interesting thing about this particular cover is that three members have been put on the front and two on the back, and I always kind of thought the natural: here's the three original members of course and then the two new ones, put aside. But no! Actually you have Willsteed, McLennan and Morrison on the front and then Forster and Brown put (away) on the back.

Musically, the band continue its jangle pop style and pretty much takes off where they left with the promising Tallulah (1987) only with this being the band's so far boldest pop-shaped album with focus on harmony chorus-lines. In contrast to the '87 album there's a strong synergy between the individual songs by the two songwriters, and with this The Go-Betweens made its so far best album, hailed by music critics. After the release they supported R.E.M. on their Australian tour, and they did a complete world-tour. And when that came to an end, they were back at a new starting point - prepared to initiate the recordings for a follow-up album. Willsteed was fired from the band - apparently for heavy substance abuse, and the four remaining members were in the midst of rehearsing new songs, when the two founding songwriters both felt the lack of energy. McLennan and Forster met in a bar and Grant told Forster that he wanted out to which Forster immediately suggested that the two of them continued as a duo - the way they had started, and Grant agreed. So, only a little more than a year after the album release, Dec. 27, 1989, The Go-Betweens officially disbanded. Forster and Morrison were already in the process of ending their relationship when Amanda Brown had joined the band in '87, at a time when she and McLennan was a couple, and now upon learning about the McLennan / Forster decision to end the band, Amanda simply put an end to the McLennan - Brown affair. Amanda Brown and Lindy Morrison sought new musical bonds and together founded the (short-lived) band Cleopatra Wong in '91. However, the idea of starting a duo by the two main songwriters proved not to succeed at this point. McLennan had basically hit rock bottom after Amanda's leave, and when Forster left for Germany to be with his new-found love, Karin Bäumler in Berlin, the two friends simply continued writing new songs on their own, which eventually resultated in the beginning of two solo careers instead. For the next decade they made solo albums and were involved in various collaborative projects, and it wasn't until the year 2000 that they reunited to reform the band.

16 Lovers Lane is the only album by the band to be included in "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die" and it's a must in any collection of modern pop / rock. For the first six months after the release, I actually mistook it for being a best of album - it's that solid and filled with great songs, but despite being praised by the press and other musicians the album sales didn't equal the artistic effort, which can only point to the people of the record company.

Although, it's not the very final of the band it is the band's last studio album with the original line-up, and it's also the last to feature drummer [Belinda] Lindy Morrison, who has been the stable drummer on all of the band's six studio albums and been a member since 1981. After artistically successful solo careers, McLennan and Forster revived the band in 2000, and by doing so they also introduced a new line-up with their seventh studio album The Friends of Rachel Worth.

Imho, 16 Lovers Lane is the absolute best by The Go-Betweens and highly recommended.

[ allmusic.com, Mojo, Uncut 5 / 5, Blender, Select 4 / 5, Rolling Stone, NME 3,5 / 5 stars ]

[ story behind the album ]

[ Amanda Brown's version of the disbandment ]

back cover featuring
Forster & Brown

American Music Club "California" (1988)

California
release date: Oct. 1988
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,32]
producer: Tom Mallon
label: Frontier Records - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 1. "Firefly" - 3. "Laughingstock" - 8. "Now You're Defeated" - 9. "Jenny" - 10. "Western Sky" - 11. "Highway 5" - 12. "Last Harbor"

3rd studio album by American Music Club is produced and engineered by drummer Tom Mallon and Mark Eitzel wrote all songs. The style is folk rock with a mix of jangle pop and pop / rock in a singer / songwriter shape.
The album is the only AMC album to be enlisted in "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die".
The style has certainly changed much since the debut in '85, and although, it's not my favourite by the band, it's quite good without containing evident great tracks, imho.
[ allmusic.com 4 / 5 stars ]

Marty Willson-Piper "Art Attack" (1988)

Art Attack

release date: 1988

format: cd

[album rate: 3 / 5] [3,06]

producer: Marty Willson-Piper & Andy Mason

label: Rykodisc - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "O' Stockholm" - 2. "Water" - 3. "She's King" - 5. "You Whisper" - 8. "On the Tip of My Tongue"

2nd solo album by Marty Willson-Piper (guitarist in The Church) released on Rykodisc in Australia / New Zealand, in North America, and on the sub-label Ryko Analogue for cassette and vinyl editions. The original CD edition contains six bonus tracks, which are selected songs from Willson-Piper's 1987 debut album, In Reflection, and thus the CD has a running time of more than 73 minutes and comes with 19 tracks. By the way, Andy Mason participated on the '87 album as technician, bassist, and arranger. All tracks here are credited Willson-Piper - however "Water" was co-written with Swedish Ann Carlberger of the band Pink Champagne with whom he paired up and married. Incidentally, The Church's lead vocalist Steve Kilbey formed a pair during this period with Swedish Karin Jansson, also from Pink Champagne. Carlberger and Jansson traveled to Australia together after their band broke up in the mid-80s, and they there met the two members of The Church. Jansson got twins with Kilbey, and Carlberger had a daughter with Willson-Piper. Like Kilbey, Willson-Piper originates from England but around 1980 moved to Australia.

The music isn't far from the jangle-pop style from the releases with The Church, but is mostly only acoustic here, and Willson-Piper plays most of the instruments himself with vocal assistance from Carlberger on two songs and various instruments played by producer Andy Mason.

It's generally fine music - it just doesn't appear particularly strong as an independent work when considering the back catalogue of The Church. The music here mainly focuses on harmonies and the compositions appear a little simpler with small variations reminding us of Bob Dylan and George Harrison.

[ allmusic.com 4 / 5 stars ]

The Who "Who's Better, Who's Best" (1988)

Who's Better, Who's Best (compilation)
release date: Mar. 1988
format: vinyl (gatefold - DNLP 1169)
[album rate: 4 / 5]
producer: various
label: Dino Music - nationality: England, UK

Best of compilation by The Who released in the UK by Polydor with the subtitle: "This Is the Very Best of The Who".

North American
cover

TV-2 "Nærmest lykkelig" (1988)

Nærmest lykkelig

release date: Oct. 1, 1988

format: digital (12 x File, MP3)

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,62]

producer: various*

label: CBS - nationality: Denmark

Track highlights: 1. "Det mørke Jylland" - 2. "Nærmest lykkelig" (4 / 5) - 4. "Læn dem ud" - 5. "Kys det nu (Det satans liv)" - 7. "Alt hvad hun ville var at danse" - 8. "De finder det helt naturligt" - 9. "Der er kun dig (Og mig)" - 10. "En sommerdag for alt for længe siden" - 11. "Kalundborgbåden"

7th studio album by TV-2 following 1½ years after En dejlig torsdag (Mar. 1987) marks a change in producer credits. Two consequtive albums with Greg Walsh as sole producer has been exchanged with a long list of producers. Michael Bruun, who stood behind Nutidens unge (1984) is back as producer of five tracks, Per Leth Nissen & TV-2 are credited as producers of three songs, Billy Cross and Mats Ronander are sole producers of two songs each, and Hilmer Hassig and Søren Wolff are both credited as producers of one track each.

Stylewise, the band doesn't make big stylistic leaps, and it's more of a subtle change of what had become a well-known formula. The album is the band's second-best selling album and it contains several national hits. At this point, I sort of had lots interest in the band, and in my mind they were now much more popular among older generations; however, in retrospect, I do find this easily bettering their '87 album.

The Church "Starfish" (1988)

Starfish
release date: Feb. 16, 1988
format: vinyl / 2 cd (2005 remaster)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,54]
producer: Greg Ladanyi, Waddy Wachtel & The Church
label: Arista Records - nationality: Australia

Track highlights: 1. "Destination" - 2. "Under the Milky Way" - 4. "Lost" - 6. "Spark" - 8. "Reptile"

5th studio album by The Church following a little more than two years after Heyday (Nov. '85) and released on Mushroom in Australia and Arista Records for international releases. Apparently, "Starfish" was Kilbey's nickname for Donette Thayer [guitarist in the band Game Theory, 1986-89], with whom he partly formed the music project Hex in '88 and also paired with - while at the same time still pairing with Karin Jansson.

According to Steve Kilbey the recordings for the album were a rather negative experience, where the band had wanted to make an album that sounded more like live recordings - approaching something immediate and present, but Kilbey, who was the only granted access to the producer's room, was informed that they only did what they were hired to do, and instead, the group was left with an album sounding very different from what they had wanted. At yes, the sound is far from live atmosphere and instead it's been created with grandiose and a voluminous sound. Still, the reception of the album was positive among critics and it sold quite well. Starfish landed at number #11 on the Australian charts and entered top 50 at number #41 in the US where it's still seen as the band's commercial breakthrough.

"Under the Milky Way", written by Kilbey and girlfriend Karin Jansson, was released as the first single and quickly became an international hit peaking at No. #2 on the US mainstream singles chart, the Billboard Hot 100. The track earned the band the "Single of the Year" award with the Australian ARIA Music Awards in 1989, and in 2008 the song was voted Best Australian Song of the past twenty years by readers of The Weekend Australian Magazine. "Reptile" followed as the second single and did less well, and the final single from the album "Destination" simply failed to chart, but the album is the only from The Church to achieve Gold status (selling more than 500,000 copies) in USA. Despite the success which followed the album release, Kilbey has criticized it for being lifeless and sterile.

In 2005, the album was released in a remastered version as a 2-disc Deluxe Edition on EMI Music Australia with a bonus CD containing twelve tracks, seven of which are bonus material (released in 1991 on the compilation A Quick Smoke at Spot's: Archives 1986-1990), three are acoustic versions of tracks from the original album, and the last two tracks were previously released as B-side material on the Australian 12'' single Under the Milky Way.

The front cover shows the four band members, top left: Richard Ploog, Steve Kilbey, Marty Wilson-Piper, and Peter Koppes.

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

Big Country "Peace in Our Time" (1988)

Peace in Our Time

release date: Sep. 9, 1988

format: vinyl (gatefold - MERH 130)

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,58]

producer: Peter Wolf

label: Mercury - nationality: Scotland, UK

Track highlights: 1. "King of Emotion" - 2. "Broken Heart (Thirteen Valleys)" - 3. "Thousand Yard Stare" - 4. "From Here to Eternity" - 6. "Peace in Our Time" - 8. "River of Hope" - 10. "I Could Be Happy Here"

4th studio album by Big Country following more than two years after The Seer (Jul. 1986). The softer style from the predecessor is more accentuated on this. Stuart Adamson is writer of all ten songs with Bruce Watson contributing as co-composer on three, including track #7, which is credited the band in unison, and the whole album is produced in Los Angeles with Austrian-American producer Peter Wolf, who had made a name producing and arranging for various pop-artists, e.g. Starship, Kenny Loggins, (synth-pop band) Wang Chung, (synth-pop artist) El DeBarge, (Brazilian pop and disco artist) Sérgio Mendes. Wolf is furthermore credited on keyboards.

Stylewise, the album doesn't fall far from '86 album but still appears as a softer and more polished album. I do recall when it came out, and I had turned my back on the band, which I experienced as too mainstream and without substantial edge. In retrospect, I like it a great deal more, although, I still find it the band's so far least favourable album with an aim to please an American audience, something which failed somewhat, but you have to hand it to the late Stuart Adamson: he was a musical wizard, both as a songwriter as well as an iconic guitarist. It's still celtic rock but with bolder inspiration from a broad world of pop / rock where Elton John, Bryan Adams, Eric Clapton, and Bruce Springsteen reign.

Not the band's best but still worth a spin or two on behalf of Stuart Adamson.

[ allmusic.com 2,5 / 5, Rolling Stone 3 / 5, Record Mirror 2 / 5 stars ]

The Church "Under the Milky Way" (1988) (single)

Under the Milky Way, 12'' single
release date: Jan. 1988
format: vinyl (609 778)
[single rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,56]
producer: Greg Ladanyi, Waddy Wachtel, The Church; Steve Kilbey, The Church
label: Arista - nationality: Australia

Content: A) "Under the Milky Way" (live '88 - live 2013) - - B) "Musk"

Single release from forthcoming studio release Starfish (Feb. '88). The Australian issue is released by the end of '87 on Mushroom (sublabel of Warner Music Australia). The title track is probably the band's most wellknown hit, and it's written and composed by lead vocalist Steve Kilbey together with his girlfriend Karin Jansson.

Talk Talk "Spirit of Eden" (1988)

1988 cd

Spirit of Eden
release date: Sep. 16, 1988
format: cd (2003 remaster) / vinyl + dvd (2012 reissue)
[album rate: 4,5 / 5] [4,28]
producer: Tim Friese-Greene
label: Parlophone (EMI) - nationality: England, UK

Tracklist: 1. "The Rainbow / Eden / Desire" (4 / 5) - 2. "Inheritance" - 3. "I Believe in You" (4 / 5) - 4. "Wealth" (4 / 5)
[ in memoriam: rehearsal tape ]

4th studio album by Talk Talk following 2½ years after The Colour of Spring (Feb. 1986) is the band's final studio release of new material on EMI, and it's literally 'something else'. In the aftermath of the '86 album Talk Talk had experienced a stronger popularity but at the same time frontman Mark Hollis had no desire of the implications of stardom - actually he found out that he didn't want to tour anymore - a decision which ultimately had deep consequences for the band that basically ended up being a Hollis and Friese-Greene project with the latter only taking part as co-composer and never officially entering the projct. All tracks are co-written by Mark Hollis and Tim Friese-Greene as was the case on the predecessor, but the style has evolved to something completely new. The first track is divided into three parts, which have been merged into one composition on the 2003 remastered version where it has a running time of more than 23 min - originally the entire A-side on the vinyl issue. Comparing the debut to this, is like listening to two completely different bands, but by following the band's stylistic progression through its second and third albums it makes much more sense. The style is like a natural development of what they were looking at on The Colour of Spring, and what they have produced here is music in a style that wasn't given a term until a decade later: post-rock, although, that specific term and style may lead to another discussion. There are slow progressive art rock and jazz rock elements, but that's far from telling the whole story. It's a play with composition from a new perspective, and both Hollis and Friese-Greene took inspiration from jazz and classical music. And that was not what fans and music lovers expected from a band, who had recently released an album of international interest.
By music critics, the album was met by lukewarm reviews and an almost total rejection from record buyers. The label, EMI, felt that the band neglected its contractual obligations by recording something 'so anti-commercial' and even tried a law-suit against the band at court but [thankfully] the label lost the case. However, as a consequence, the band's contract with EMI was terminated. By the end of the year, bassist Paul Webb left the band.
I recall, I also felt 'betrayed' by a band that I had other hopes for. I actually purchased the vinyl album shortly after its release, but never really listened to it - or: I tried, but I never came even close to thinking anything positive about it - that is, back then. About another three years later, I actually resold the album in a pile with other gems, in trade for quick cash, so I could afford one or two new albums [gosh, what stupidity!]. I guess, the sound and style of this was way ahead of its time - not many were prepared for it, and neither was I.
From a modern perspective, the band, and Mark Hollis in particular, are now praised for the ground-breaking musical content, which has inspired post-rock artists like Sigur Rós, Mogwai, and Godspeed You! Black Emperor a whole decade later, but surely without Talk Talk and without Spirit of Eden and the successor, the music by these later artists seems rather unlikely. As much as I hate to admit it, I would perhaps have rated this 2 / 5 stars back in '88. Today, I find it a 4,5 album, and yes! I eventually got myself a new 2012 reissue on vinyl. And I have to add, the 2012 pressing is better than the original 'cause EMI made some poor vinyl pressings in the late 80s, which also is the case with the band's final album.
A highly recommended album!
[ allmusic.com 5 / 5, Sound 4,5 / 5, Q Magazine 4 / 5 stars ]

1988 Favourite releases: 1. Chet Baker Memories: Chet Baker in Tokyo - 2. R.E.M. Green - 3. Talk Talk Spirit of Eden

     

org. vinyl cover
(same as 2012 reissue)

2003 remaster

Michael Falch "De vildeste fugle" (1988)

De vildeste fugle

release date: 1988

format: cd (1994 reissue)

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,42]

producer: Michael Falch

label: Medley Records - nationality: Denmark

Track highlights: 1. "Nu brænder sommeren af" - 2. "Piger - piger" - 3. "Venter på vind" - 4. "De vildeste fugle" - 10. "Det bedste jeg har"

3rd studio album by Michael Falch following Det andet land (1986) sees a return to the familiar sound and style of Malurt. The debut album had been something entirely different, an attempt with contemporary synthesizer pop, which had been harshly rejected by music critics, and with his '86-follow-up, he tried a different approach on which he commented on his own status as a songwriter and with subdued folk rock and singer / songwriter attitude - an album I have always found even of lesser value than his mediocre solo debut.

De vildeste fugle sees Falch back with what had previously worked best for him: his safe-place with songs built on a Danish-versioned Springsteen-formula, and to ensure that, he has engaged some of his former band mates, including guitarist Christian Arendt, keyboardist Pete Repete, and guitarist Peter Viskinde. On "Kinddans (Altid parat til en)" you also find ex-Malurt bassist Dia Nielsen and drummer Peter Mors. To help finding the genuine Springsteen sound, the album is cut in New York and Little Steven is thanked for his assistance. The end result is mostly American pop / rock songs transformed with Danish lyrics, which only works because of the large language gap since it would have been too close to his biggest source of inspiration, had the song been in English.

I had completely neglected his sophomore solo after having heard some its songs on national radio, but I purchased this one when it was released mostly because the promotion single "Venter på vind" signaled a musical U-turn that I found much more in sync with what I had previously enjoyed about Malurt. In retrospect, it's far from original but on the other hand, no other Danish artists made attempts with this type of music and it felt more like a better version than the final studio album by his former band.

Despite coming really close to the style of his American idol, De vildeste fugle is imo one of Falch's best solo albums.

Fine Young Cannibals "The Raw & the Cooked" (1988)

The Raw & the Cooked
release date: 1988
format: vinyl (828 069.1) / cd
[album rate: 4 / 5] [4,14]
producer: *Fine Young Cannibals
label: London Records - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "She Drives Me Crazy" (5 / 5) - 2. "Good Thing" (4 / 5) - 3. "I'm Not the Man I Used to Be" - 4. "I'm Not Satisfied" (4 / 5) - 5. "Tell Me What" (5 / 5) - 6. "Don't Look Back" - 7. "It's OK (It's Alright)" - 8. "Don't Let It Get You Down" - 9. "As Hard as It Is" (4 / 5) - 10. "Ever Fallen in Love?"

2nd and final studio album by Fine Young Cannibals. *All three band members are credited as producers on all except track #7, which is produced by David Z (aka David B. Rivkin) - he is also co-producer on tracks #1 and #4; and track #10 is co-produced by Jerry Harrison.
This album was the first that I purchased with the band and it still remains my favourite of their only two studio albums. The majority of the songs here are credited vocalist Roland Gift and bassist and keyboardist David Steele. The debut album contained a few standouts and they may have paved the way for this but the tracks here are just that little bit better or they're simply better arranged. I really enjoy the combo of different styles and genres blended into one original style. Overall this is pop soul but it's styled as synthpop, new wave, and / or sophisti-pop and the production side is truly elegant. Sometimes the guitar or bass play a leading part, at other times it's the drums or the keyboard that take a dominating stance, and then Gift's voice is ever-present in that unique smooth and velvet honey-like tone of his. And although, many styles are present and mixed together, the overall impression is a tight and narrow sound. The new wave and pop / rock single hit "She Drives Me Crazy" is a great track (and the marvellous video by Philippe Decouflé is another classic work), but today, I think, the more soul and r&b-styled modern classics "Tell Me What" and "Don't Let It Get You Down" (both by Gift & Steele) are my two absolute favourite from this album.
Like the debut, also this comes with a cover song. The debut had the splendid version of "Suspicious Minds" and this comes with the Buzzcocks song "Ever Fallen in Love?", and once again, FYC do much more than just replicate a great song as they transform it to something of their very own.
The album was an international bestselling album making it to number #1 on the albums chart lists in several countries, e.g. the UK, USA, Australia, and Canada as well as many other countries world-wide. Apparently, the enormous success was more than the three members had dreamed of and the overwhelming exposure basically put an end to the band. Despite huge success - others would hope for exactly just that! - but FYC had to come to terms with the consequences and went on a hiatus. They relocated to the US and subsequently contributed on the Red Hot + Blue Cole Porter tribute album (1990) but they never released another studio album and Steele, Cox, and Gift parted ways without dissolving the band in the early 90's. A short get-together saw the three record and release the '96 single "Flame", which remains the so far last breath by the trio.
Roland Gift spent many years focussing on a career as an actor before releasing the one and only solo album Roland Gift in 2002. David Steele pursued a successful career as studio musician and producer, and Andy Cox sought various new musical partners in the following years to come - e.g. forming the duo-project Cribabi in 2001 with Japanese vocalist Yukari Fujiu.
This album is still highly recommended - and the above track highlights are basically all tracks on an album without misses. This is no less than an essential album of the late 80s.
[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5, Rolling Stone 4 / 5 stars ]

Julian Cope "My Nation Underground" (1988)

My Nation Underground
release date: Oct. 1988
format: vinyl / digital
[album rate: 3 / 5] [3,02]
producer: Ron Fair
label: Island Records - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "5 O'Clock World" - 3. "Charlotte Anne" - 5. "China Doll"

4th studio album by Julian Cope continues where Saint Julian (Mar. 1987) ended only introducing a bit more neo-psychedelia to stronger orchestrated arrangements of mainstream pop / rock closely related to David Bowie, Suzanne Vega, and Tom Verlaine.

To me, My Nation Underground is without much originality or interest, and in imho it's simply his least interesting album. Although, his very first solo album with Island Records, Saint Julian and this one are his so far commercially best-selling albums, Cope himself apparently has disowned this as no less than an artistic mistake. It's also clear that the successive albums showed a very different side to his talent, and thankfully so.

[ allmusic.com 2 / 5 stars ]

Bobby McFerrin "Simple Pleasures" (1988)

Simple Pleasures
release date: Aug. 5, 1988
format: vinyl / digital
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,36]
producer: Linda Goldstein
label: EMI Manhattan Records - nationality: USA

4th studio album by vocal artist Bobby McFerrin and his commercial breakthrough thanks to the hit single "Don't Worry, Be Happy", also included in the American comedy film "Cocktail" by Roger Donaldson featuring Tom Cruise and Bryan Brown.
The album was my first experience with a studio release by McFerrin, and as I admit to have purchased it after listening to the aforementioned hit, I didn't find it as good as I had hoped for, but upon listening to his second album The Voice, I immediately became a fan.
[ allmusic.com 4 / 5 stars ]

Cocteau Twins "Blue Bell Knoll" (1988)

Blue Bell Knoll
release date: Sep. 19, 1988
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,48]
producer: Cocteau Twins
label: 4AD Records - nationality: Scotland, UK

Track highlights: 2. "Athol-brose" - 3. "Carolyn’s Fingers" (4 / 5) (live on Later) - 5. "The Itchy Glowbo Blow" - 6. "Cico Buff" - 7. "Suckling the Mender" - 9. "A Kissed Out Red Floatboat" - 10. "Ella Megalast Burls Forever"

5th studio album by Cocteau Twins, who is back again as a trio with Simon Raymonde on bass. It's their first really clear dream pop album since their so far best effort, Treasure (1984), and after having released the more introvert and ambient, instrumental album Victorialand (1986) at a time when Raymonde wasn't able to record with the band. Cocteau Twins is already famous for Guthrie's guitar sound, the shoegazing dream pop and Fraser's beautiful echoing vocal, and here they pick up the style from the '84 album.
Without being great the album is a clear improvement to the darker '86 album Victorialand.