Quote:
Originally Posted by GuineaMcPig
While your list has some good ones, Bong, some of them are probably not pop (Joy Division and Talking Heads certainly aren't). JAMC is great though (on the rock side of pop). But it sounds like you listen to a lot of 80's music, so can you recommend me some stuff in the same vein as the 3 I mentioned?
So, to ammend my first post, what are some artistic "pop" albums in the 80's that got ignored by the mainstream?
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ahh... if we're talking about reputable bands and/or albums with a pop bent; okay, i'll play along.
most if not all of these albums were not ignored by the mainstream. rather, these albums were made by non-mainstream artists who manages to dent the pop charts.
The Cure - The Head on the Door
easily one of the most varied albums in their catalog, but that doesn't stop it from also being the most accessible. styles range from guitar pop with melodic keyboards ("Inbetween Days," "Push"), synth-pop ("Close to Me"), Oriental fusion ("Kyoto Song"), catchy dance ("The Baby Screams"), Waltzes ("Six Different Ways"), Spanish Flamenco ("The Blood"), moody introspection ("A Night Like This," "Sinking"), etc... despite the dazzling array of styles, most if not all of the songs are Top 40 Radio worthy. i guarantee you'll love this album.
New Order - Low-Life
this is probably the best album that mixes both worlds of rock and synth-pop by any band. it's like the rock album for synth-poppers and the sythy album rockers won't be afraid to admit liking. it's full of guitar riffing in various songs, the infectious rhythm drive of sequencers, prominent bass guitar playing, with eccentric and unpredictable lyrics, a lot of it with wit or tongue-in-cheek humour. perfect from start to end.
The Human League - Dare!
this is the quintessential eighties album to have, and it's a must own. it captures the early eighties perfectly, blending excellent songwriting with lots of hooks and melodies, state of the art (at the time) synths, drum machines, and production, image consciousness with a focus on graphic arts and fashion. it is a perfect thesis of pop culture at the time. it also helps that most of the songs are brilliant, all four singles from the album made the UK Top 20, and of course includes the classic "Don't You Want Me," featuring one of the best pop melodies of all time.
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark - Junk Culture
like Echo and the Bunnymen's Ocean Rain, Junk Culture is when OMD perfectly blends arty experimentation and accessible pop. it includes melodic synths, a bright and energetic horn section, very eighties vocal effects and "scratch production." it's perhaps OMD last truly great album.
Yaz(oo) - Upstairs at Eric's
at a time when many would refer synth-pop as cold and kinetic (and they did have a point), Depeche Mode founder Vince Clarke teamed up with a local blues singer Alison Moyet. the result was a odd but dazzling album, where Moyet's emotional and engaging vocals mixes with the calculated icyness of Clarke's synth work. the songs range from dance floor staples (both classic "Don't Go" and "Situation," "Goodbye Seventies"), naive melodic love songs ("Only You," "Bad Connection," "Midnight"), hauntingly beautiful ("Winter Kills") and zany experimentation ("I Before E Except After C," "In My Room").
Siouxsie and the Banshees - Tinderbox
one of the Banshees most consistant and accessible albums. Siouxsie had never sung so well prior to this album, she has really ditched her Ice Princess punk vocals and instead replaced it with a delivery that ranges from subtle ("Cannons," "The Sweetest Chill"), powerful (the classic "Cities in Dust") and dramatic ("This Unrest"). the drums are sharp and aggressive, and the guitars are beautifully textured.
Pet Shop Boys - Actually
where The Human League's Dare! was the thesis of the early eighties, Actually brilliantly describes the cynical, isolation, and uncertainties of the mid to late eighties. songs like "Shopping," "Rent," and "Hit Music" are perfectly detached and yuppie-like, while an emotionally powerful song like "It Couldn't Happen Here" tells the impending uncertainties of the widespread of AIDS. most notable song on the album is of course the classic "It's a Sin," where the song features one of the most over-the-top songwriting and production.
Soft Cell - Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret
like Yaz's Upstairs at Eric's, Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret proves that synth-based music need not be emotionless and detached. instead, Soft Cell has one thing in mind, SEX! the whole album is slick, with Marc Almond's melodramatic vocal delivery (at times he sounds even more ridiculous than Morrissey); he sounds like he actually belongs in a Cabaret act. from the opening repetitive shouts of "Frustration," to the sparse cover of "Tainted Love," where Almond manages to sound like a strip tease, to the closer "Say Hello Wave Goodbye" one can tell this is not your average synth-pop album. nothing can be compared to the utterly sleazy classic "Sex Dwarf."
Duran Duran - Rio
from a band that relied heavily on image, this was their best. Where the Dare! era Human League used image on a basis of art, Duran Duran made it blatantly obvious to a selling point. the album has slick eighties production, with lots of dancy rhythm, groovy guitars, and cheesy synths. amongst the obvious hits, the album also had some engaging songs, most notably the haunting closer "The Chauffer."
The Stone Roses - The Stone Roses
as much to do with influencing the nineties as well as taking several cues from a few years before it, The Stone Roses' debut album was released in 1989 as one of the most important guitar albums since The Smiths' The Queen is Dead. The Stone Roses mixed rock elements with bits of rave, dance, and funk. it featured guitar pyrotechnics from John Squire, who is often written as one of the best guitarists at the time since Johnny Marr, groovy basslines by Mani, and the rhythmic drumming from Reni, as well as a subtle, sneering arrogance from vocalist Ian Brown. utterly amazing album!
i love writing up stuff like this (i know, sometimes i go overboard)... i live for this music!
