Absolute Torch & Twang- k.d. lang & the Reclines. Singer of Special Merit. I got a copy of this from the library. For real. I remember putting this tape on to clean the tiny kitchen in that inner-city apartment and when "Three Steps" then "Trail of Broken Hearts" erupted; I actually gasped and got chills. All the lesbians who lurked around me when I was single must've had an influence. Tremendous vocal punch to somewhat hokey cowboy music. 1992's Ingenue is the k.d. album most folks own.
Beleza Tropical - Various Artists. David Byrne compiled a nice selection of Brazilian Contemporary music. A lot of this is from the 70s, but first introduced into "mass" US culture at the end of the 80s. There was a commercial for local cable radio featuring a song here, by Jorge Ben. Byrne "borrowed" a section of it on the final T-Heads album, I noticed. He also went on to do a Brazilian small-Big Band thing I saw live that was decent.
Black & White Night - Roy Orbison & Friends. Probably the best musical experience of my life came when an ex-bandmate stood in 1987 with my group. We were jamming in the basement of a haunted whorehouse that had been made into apartments. A blizzard of 26 inches fell that night and my pal just wanted to see how his new little Marshall amp sounded live. Afterwards, we trekked over to watch this on pay-per-view with Mark, ex-Good Guy. The end of the night, we'd killed all the hooch and were mixing vodka, grape jelly and snow in the blender.
Cosmic Thing - B-52's. The line is "Tin Roof...Rusted!" from "Love Shack." Great dancefloor stuff, less Friday Night Monster Movie stuff going on here. "Roam" is included. Fond memories of the multicolored dancefloor in the Stonewall Cafe and having a fiancee without social diseases.
Doolittle - Pixies. Hardcore? Heavy guitars, but a great sense of dynamics. Francis Black wrote some really drugged-out stuff in the Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr., My Bloody Valentine genre. Kim Deal signed "Come Die With Us" on the poster my buddy ripped off the club wall and shoved in her chest that summer. She went on to form the Breeders. Must admit I felt blood surge in my lap when she kissed the mirror in the "Cannonball" video.
Full Moon Fever - Tom Petty. This dude gets some serious mileage out of the D, G and A chords. "Feel A Whole Lot Better" must've been recorded to laugh at the people saying he sounds like the Byrds. "Face in the Crowd" was different in a good way for TP. "Free Falling" grew on me. So did ringworm. The Wilburys stuff is hokier.
Fun & Games - Connells. They played a lot locally in the 80s. People raved over Boylan Heights, but this is the only one I can remember owning for any period of time. Lyrical acoustic stuff and also some roots-rock. Introspective bordering wussy, but if you're in the mood, run with it. Okay, a few tunes kick. Clever parody of the Bay City Rollers at the end of "Sat. Nite."
In Step - Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble. "Crossfire" was great. The most mainstream hardrock the bluesman ever did; the R&B record he did with his brother stepped away from old school blues, too. Hard to realize the guy would be dead the next year.
Indigo Girls - Indigo Girls. Major label debut. Couldn't believe our rock radio stations were playing "Closer to Fine." Acoustic folk with raw, high tension voices. Their 1992 release was my favorite, but I remember playing this one a bunch that summer when I drove a U-haul full of my sister's stuff from Virginia Beach to Brown University, Rhode Island. I'd just turned 25 and was still actually jogging regularly.
Like a Prayer - Madonna. My personal favorite long-player of hers. Seemed like she punted some of The Image and got down to business in making music. Loved the title song and "Cherish." The Immaculate Collection contains them plus most the singles and is probably the best to have, if you like her stuff.
Loced After Dark - Tone Loc. The gruff, bassy brother with the serious samples. Partied hard to "Funky Cold Medina," "Wild Thing" and "On Fire" at the wedding reception of the head of an insurance agency. Tightasses laughed at my ridiculous attempts at "snapping and popping,"so I just went and got more prime rib. I think the only ones dancing besides me were my sweetie, the receptionist and this dude from Haiti (the only people of color in the joint) who later embezzled $18,000.
March - Michael Penn. All the stuff on the radio was very good. "No Myth" had interesting rhythms. This set reminded me of a less smarty, more urgent Aztec Camera first album (see 1983).
Mothers Milk - Red Hot Chili Peppers. Probably their most consistent of the decade. Man, for years I said "Higher Ground" by Stevie Wonder should be updated...Popping bass guitar, funky rhythms and distorted guitar. Always nice to see some boobs on an album cover (Blind Faith, Insane Jane...).
New York - Lou Reed. Humour abounds in this heavy session, similar to his early-70s live stuff.
Nick of Time - Bonnie Raitt. Eight trillion spins picked up using "SEEK" button in the car. Commercial success came without her R&B/rock sound changing dramatically. "Thing Called Love" features John Hiatt (he wrote it). Title cut is just plain sweet (and mature) in an Al Green kind of way. "Have a Heart" adds some reggae feel. Some of CSNY are on here, too. Didn't this win a Grammy? Bonnie said she keeps her awards in her underwear drawer; wants to remember what inspired her to write in the first place. That is Americana.
Psychedelic Jungle - the Cramps. I had to put some Cramps on here. The CD of this also features greatest hits. They are Sci-Fi weird, campier and less gruesome than say, the Misfits. I liked everything of theirs I heard in the 80s (87's release is also pretty listenable). One of their albums was playing when a bandmate walked in on his roommate and got some suspicions confirmed.
Stone Roses - Stone Roses. Album of Special Merit. Extremely good guitaring. There is a dreamy quality to the songs, especially vocals. Youth shoots energy into semi-psychedelia. Sort of a plainer, more straightforward XTC meets the Stones in 1967. "She Bangs the Drums" got US airplay. "Elephant Stone" was my favorite and "This is the One" was really put together well.
The Mekons Rock and Roll - The Mekons. American roots dug up by Britpunks, part of the 1977 fringe. I had their demo on vinyl. It was drunken slobrock. The spirit of that recording remains, though this is professional. "Club Mekons" worked for me.
Watermark - Enya. Ethereal cascades of music and voice. New Age, but with enough flair to elevate it above elevator music. "Orinoco Flow" was a dance hit for young mommies on valium.
Wicked Game - Chris Isaak. No one sounded like this at the time. Roy Orbison revisited. I remember hearing the title song in the film"Wild Orhcid" and feeling my eyebrows raise. Then I saw the spectacular babe in the video catting around on the beach in just panties and something else raised.
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