Talking Heads - Remain in Light All I'll say is that deez white boyz be funky. Crosseyed & Painless(live) [youtube]6g8lFmsCXhg[/youtube] Born Under Punches(live) [youtube]SVIKF03KkVM[/youtube] Once in a Lifetime [youtube]EYbUCvz1LYE[/youtube]
I think there should be just one post in that thread, with the moderator of the forum editing it as people choose. Otherwise it will be impossible to follow.
It's a shame David Byrne is such an asshole. He does make up for it though with what he's done for Brazilian and other "world" music in the decades since he disbanded Talking Heads.
Pick 1 - N.W.A. - Straight Outta Compton You are now about to witness the strength of street knowledge Straight Outta Compton [youtube]nkPb4s0-QcI[/youtube] ******** Tha Police [youtube]WiX7GTelTPM[/youtube] Express Yourself [youtube]Df2vkOd2j7Y[/youtube]
The Clash - Sandinista. An ambitious triple-album, released almost immediately after London Calling. I think it shows the band at the peak of its songwriting abilities.
Simply the best album of the 1980s. One of the best albums ever made by any band. A masterpiece. Joy Division - Closer
Nice Pick. I was thinking it would be a little controversial if I took it as the first Rap album at 20 or 21 and I was seriously considering it. Obviously it didn't fall to me. Oh well.
There will hopefully be just one selection list most of the time. I'll try to delete (actually move to the recycle bin) the previous posts as soon as possible to keep only the most current post in that thread. I've managed Big Boards in a few other drafts, and it actually takes a bit of time. Especially if I've missed a few picks and have to go back and piece together who picked what. This disperses the burden a bit also makes sure I or other Mods don't make any mistakes.
Damn! This thing has been grinding for two days and suddenly it was kicked into high gear. Let me give you my top three picks so far and then I'll select the best album of the 1980's. 1) Talking Heads, Remains in light: Arguably the best album of the 80's. And 'Once in a Lifetime' was the coolest video ever to play on MTV. (********in' nerds were cool ) If I had the first pick, I would have chosed either this one or the one I'm about to pick. Dr. Know made the choice easy for me. 2) The Clash, Sandinista: A bit uneven but it has some of the best Clash work. I thought of making this album my top pick, because I cannot conceive having an 80's colection without this album. It is true, as they say, that in Argentina we were all listening to this album as we were fighting (so to speak) the British. At least I was. 3) Dead Kennedys: I wasn't much into hard core punk back then, but these guys are so much a symbol of the 80's. I wish they had bands like this today, with all that's going on in the world. I remember once we were listening to a song by the Dead Kennedys, and the lyrics said 'Blow it out your ass Ronald Reagan!' My friend said, 'this is what we're fighting for here', (in Argentina). We should be able to tell our president to stick it up his ass!' Nice picks. So, I'll be right back with mine.
With my apologies to Forever Red, (and to the Madres de Plaza de Mayo), Joshua Tree is a great album, but in my humble view this one is superior: 1. Sunday Bloody Sunday 2. Seconds 3. New Year's Day 4. Like A Song... 5. Drowning Man 6. The Refugee 7. Two Hearts Beat As One 8. Red Light 9. Surrender 10. '40' Some say U2 is overrated, or overhyped, and perhaps they are. But when a friend lent me this album back in the early 80's, I had never heard of them. Just looking at the cover, with the haunting picture of the kid with the big eyes and the word 'WAR' written in large red letters, I knew it would be something special. And it was. From the opening drum sequence, I couldn't stop listening to it. It was so relevant to our situation back then. And I loved this song in particular, I didn't know at the time that it was a hit in the UK and the US, but I loved it then, and I still think it is one of the most beautiful songs ever written: [youtube]CQaFue_KvoQ[/youtube] In the context of the military junta going down, and freedom and democracy returning to our country, this song meant so much to us. At the time, it was trully a new season for us, and we trully believed we could break through and we could begin again. Then there's this song, of course: [youtube]JFM7Ty1EEvs[/youtube] But the whole album is brilliant. It would have been my top pick if I had been the first to choose.
I've labored over this, and picking near the end is pretty interesting, since you never know whether your first choice will stand up. I decided to pick an album from one of the least "popular" groups that might be in the running. Shoot Out The Lights There are three tunes on this that completely slay me: A Man In Need. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhOSiaD8x2A Wall of Death http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_FJImYHkZk ( the R.E.M. cover is pretty fine, from Beat The Retreat ) Did She Jump Or Was She Pushed? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MvZ39Ddlfc The thing about R & L Thompson that gets me is their willingness to make music that has almost no real commercial appeal but strikes such a deep chord. It's not Dylanesque, and even though RT is a Fairport Convention alumnus, his songs with Linda drift gently away from that creative base, at least in my view. I don't think my second choice will last, but ya never know...
This thing really picked up. I was very close to picking Daydream Nation as my first choice. Brilliant album.
Their first great song... and the cover art! In '79 a kid at record store who took it as his duty to educate me on Punk/New Wave played me the original EP with breathless anticipation at my reaction. After a while I said very very carefully " Ummmmm--- these guys suck; but they're going to be great." The whole thing had no real roots or concept that I could hear, but the attention to timing and intonation and dynamics was so great that I couldn't doubt that their work ethic would bring them to something good eventually and that they had the honesty to settle for nothing less... Fast forward to Much Later, and as soon as I saw the cover of "War" I decided to buy the album figuring that if they could make the outside so evocative they must be getting close on the inside... It would never make my top fifty for the decade, but I still own it and listen to it...
I am one pick away from going....let me ask this... 1. Do I get 8 hours for my pick or 16 hours for my two picks before I am passed? (not that I intend to use this...just curious). 2. Nancy...I saw that you wanted to pick and I filled the lost spot....want to co-own? I have no idea your taste in music though as you probably have no clue about mine...but I am all for doubling up ownership if it allows those that want to participate the opportunity. You said you don't have time obviously to ownership by yourself, but if you're interested....let me know.
Sorry I'm moving house at the moment but I'll try to make my picks in time Pick #1 Run DMC - Raising Hell (1986) [youtube]C2b8XWJnfE[/youtube]
From the opening accordian of The Boy in the Bubble to the Tex-Mex of Los Lobos on All Around the World... From the sublime beauty of Under African Skies to the zydeco of That Was Your Mother... From the Everly Brothers to Linda Ronstadt to Chevy Chase to Ladysmith Black Mambazo... From Memphis to Johannesburg to New Orleans to New York and back again... I give you the masterpiece from America's poet laureate. 1. The Boy in the Bubble 2. Graceland 3. I Know What I Know 4. Gumboots 5. Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes 6. You Can Call Me Al 7. Under African Skies 8. Homeless 9. Crazy Love Vol II 10. That Was Your Mother 11. All Around the World or The Myth of Fingerprints Released 1986. This is one of only a small handful of '80s albums on the U.S National Recording Registry.
I could never get that album to be honest. I can appreciate "Boy in the bubble" but other than that nothing so far on this list, other than my pick and the two U2 albums have excited me.