Spinning Vinyl

So this session had a theme of 80s vinyl. Sometime between 1988 and 1991, new releases stopped being issued on vinyl except for mega-hits, and CDs took over. But the early and mid 80s, while crammed with terrible synthesizer pop, also saw some of my favorite artists making great records. All of these are very special to me. 

Things started with XTC's English Settlement 1982, side two with No Thugs In Our House, Yacht Dance, and All Of A Sudden (It's Too Late). I've always loved the chorus of No Thugs, "No thugs in our house, are there dear, We made that clear, We made little Graham promise us he'd be a good boy". Sure, as long as an adolescent male tells you they'll be good, it's all set. Both Yacht Dance and All Of A Sudden are also great. "Life's like a jigsaw, you get the straight bits but there's something missing in the middle". English Settlement has always been my favorite XTC, and for an unknown reason I bought the expensive two LP import version when it came out, which was vastly superior to the single disc US version that had five less songs.

Next up, The Clash London Calling 1980, also side two. Side two isn't the hit-packed side one or side four, but it's very good. Spanish Bombs, Clampdown and the call to arms of The Guns of Brixton, "When they kick at your front door, How you gonna come?, With your hands on your head, or on the trigger of your gun". Even the weak side kicks ass.

Then it was side two of Elvis Costello's Trust 1981. I typically think of Imperial Bedroom as my Costello highlight, but I may need to reconsider. With songs like New Lace Sleeves, From A Whisper To A Scream, Different Finger, and White Knuckles, the side just slaps you in the face. The Attractions were such a great band.

Next I pulled out one I hadn't listened to in I don't know how long. Talking Heads Remain In Light 1980, side one with Born Under Punches, Crosseyed and Painless, and The Great Curve. It was listed as a best of the year along side London Calling on every such list. At the time of release, Ken Tucker wrote in Rolling Stone, "Remain in Light yields scary, funny music to which you can dance and think, think and dance, dance and think, ad infinitum." It was a thrill to hear after so long a time.

Side one of Robert Palmer's Pride 1983 followed. This was Palmer's last record before the one-two punch of Power Station's 33 1/3  and Palmer's Riptide, both with Tony Thompson, Andy Taylor and Bernard Edwards and featuring Some Like It Hot and Addicted to Love. But Pride is no slouch, and side one features the title track, Want You More, Dance For Me and You Are In My System.

Finally we get to 1986 and Joe Jackson's three-sided vinyl version of Big World. Side three with Soul Kiss, Tango Atlantico, Home Town, and the snark of The Jet Set, all demonstrating Jackson's gift for skilled and varied composition. Recorded live without any overdubs or sonic trickery, Big World is an outstanding example of a super tight band firing on all cylinders. 

It was a fine, if brief, romp through the stacks, sticking to favorite records by favorite artists with the speakers singing loud and clear.