TheThorne
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Post by TheThorne on Aug 5, 2023 8:33:57 GMT 1
rateyourmusic.com/list/BNEVideo/my-favourite-albums-of-1989/Ahh 1989 things are much better here and the list is totally stacked, I cannot believe the albums that don't make my top 100, I will get destroyed for some of them but that's the way it falls. Even my #132 has a top 10 hit in my chart on it. So first up some of the artists that came close but not quite Shakespear's Sister, Bad Religion, The Triffids, Cud, Great White, Roy Orbison, New Model Army, Cutting Crew, Eurythmics, Mötley Crüe, Pop Will Eat Itself, Beastie Boys, Kirsty MacColl, Starship, Queen, Swing Out Sister and The Jesus and Mary Chain. Wow that is all I can say. 110 Hipsway - Scratch the Surface (I even bought this) 109 Fuzzbox - Big Bang! 108 Gloria Estefan - Cuts Both Ways
107 Phil Collins - ...But Seriously (I know!!!) 106 The Call - Let the Day Begin
105 Buffalo Tom - Buffalo Tom 104 Love and Rockets - Love and Rockets
103 Billy Joel - Storm Front (oof!) 102 Jane Child - Jane Child 101 The Mighty Lemon Drops - Laughter
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TheThorne
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Post by TheThorne on Aug 5, 2023 20:42:41 GMT 1
1989 a massive year for me, working in Skye and then starting as a student in Edinburgh. Much of this music will be things I heard then, I was still buying albums and singles, but nothing like I will be later, and I still hadn't found my place. I wasn't even going to indie clubs in 1989. There is also a lot of music that I heard, but either I never knew who it was or I didn't dig any deeper. We will start with an act that I first heard in the early weeks of Uni. 100 The Beautiful South - Welcome to the Beautiful South
Their debut album after dissolving The Housemating and reforming as a new project. Debut single 'Song for Whoever' was quite a departure musically but lyrically it still had that same sense of humour. I am more of a Paul Heaton fan so I prefer tracks like 'You Keep It All In', although I was not very keen on their first female vocalist Briana Corrigan, who reminded me too much of Eddie Reader for my liking. So a good album but not one I would ever listen to again, I am happy with just the singles. The record would reach #2 in the UK. 3.5/5
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TheThorne
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Post by TheThorne on Aug 5, 2023 20:48:28 GMT 1
99 Lenny Kravitz - Let Love Rule
Another debut and Lenny Kravitz was an artist at this point, I had some respect for his music but I was not really into it. That has chnaged over the 90s and it was interesting going back to the older songs. The title track still crops up on the radio but you never hear the other singles like "I Build This Garden for Us" and "Mr. Cab Driver". I think I was still thinking he might just be a construct of Jimi Hendrix meets Prince, I dunno why that was an issue for me as on paper that is a very good thing. It was a very enjoyable listen which I suspect his next few albums all will be. Moderate success reaching #56 in the UK and #61 in the US. 3.5/5
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TheThorne
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Post by TheThorne on Aug 5, 2023 20:53:13 GMT 1
Speaking of which 98 Prince - Batman
This album or soundtrack is just mental, the movie is pretty mad as well so not that surprising. It has some great moments like the two singles "Batdance" and "Partyman" and the album opener "The Future" is just insane. less said about the Sheena Easton collab on this one though, not great and a lot of filler and samples, but it's fun. This was his 11th album and topped the charts in many countries including the UK and US, selling over 3 million copies. 3.5/5
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TheThorne
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Post by TheThorne on Aug 5, 2023 21:05:05 GMT 1
97 His Latest Flame - In the Neighbourhood
I had totally forgotten this band existed before I made this list and I own one of the singles as well 'America Blue'. Not even on Wikipedia either. This was the one and only album from the all-girl band from Glasgow. Not sure what genre, you would call it jangle pop/pop rock. If you want to look for comparisons The Cranberries is an obvious one but I actually think The Big Moon are doing a similar sound today. Sadly they didn't break through even with a 'Wogan' appearance and some Radio 1 airplay. It doesn't help that the album version of 'America Blue' is far superior to the single mix. The album is good and still stands up well today with highlights "Love's In The Neighbourhood" and" Londonderry Road". Very recent addition to Spotify they are showing no plays for anything apart from 'America Blue' with 1904 plays. A real shame. 3.5/5
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Post by TheThorne on Aug 5, 2023 21:11:00 GMT 1
96 The Smithereens - 11
Showing how ridiculous this year is can't believe this only got to 96. But I have to admit this is not in the same league as their previous record. This was their third album and yes it has a very strong start with 'A Girl Like You' and then the next two tracks are great as well but then it all gets a bit dull. They can thank their biggest hit for helping them to stay in the top 100. The record did ok reaching #41 in the US. 3.5/5
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TheThorne
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Post by TheThorne on Aug 6, 2023 8:06:13 GMT 1
95 Bob Mould - Workbook
The ex Husker Du and future Sugar frontman's first solo album and musically it is quite a departure leaning much more heavily into folk-rock and singer-songwriter style. It is a welcome change, if slightly jarring, I feel he gets the balance more correct on the next album. So not a typical sound for him even compared to his more recent music but still good and way more consistent than many Husker Du albums. The record reached #127 in the UK. 3.5/5
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Post by TheThorne on Aug 6, 2023 8:12:06 GMT 1
94 Cyndi Lauper - A Night to Remember
May not be popular with having this so low. This was her third album and it just didn't work for me, I still really liked a lot of it but I dunno a different day, maybe. "I Drove All Night" was kind of spoiiled for me by the Roy Orbison version which I found very unconvincing but I do still like it also "My First Night Without You" is great as well, it just lacks the magic of her first two albums. The record still did ok especially here where it reached #9 but jsut #37 in the US. 3.5/5
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Post by TheThorne on Aug 6, 2023 8:15:31 GMT 1
93 Wet Wet Wet - Holding Back the River
Their second album and I was already starting to tire of them but they are still a very good singles band love both "Sweet Surrender" and "Broke Away". The other two singles are fine as well but the album tracks are all pretty meh and a very misguided cover of "Maggie May" needs to be skipped. Still a big success though reaching #2 in the UK. 3.5/5
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Post by TheThorne on Aug 6, 2023 8:20:41 GMT 1
92 Cry Before Dawn - Witness for the World
The second album from the Irish band and another I thought would do better but maybe as I never bought this one, it struggles in that respect as I love the singles again "Witness for the World" and "No Living Without You" which was not released here sadly as it is probably their second-best song in their career. The rest of the album is solid enough if quite unremarkable, maybe the UK public did get this one right, unfortunately. I did see them live supporting Big Country though, that was very good. 3.5/5
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Post by TheThorne on Aug 6, 2023 8:26:24 GMT 1
91 Rush - Presto
Feels weird still talking about Rush in 1989, they were totally off my radar by this point. Which is a shame as they are still making great music even though there is no bangers on this one, leaning much more into power pop with their sound and sounding heavier than they have in some time as well to fit the 1989 rock landscape and they succeed pretty well. Sadly though I still think this is their weakest album of the 80s narrowly behind the overly prog for my taste 'Moving Pictures'. Their thirteenth album reached #16 in the US and #27 in the UK selling just over half a million, not great for their standards. 3.5/5
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Post by TheThorne on Aug 7, 2023 7:39:40 GMT 1
90 Maria McKee - Maria McKee
A bittersweet entry this one, sad that Lone Justice are no more but so happy that she has success and big time, with 'Show Me Heaven' topping the charts in the UK and many other countries, although no single release in US which was mad. Really don't get that at all. The record covers so many genres from country, blues, soul and rock so something for everyone but not everything really suits her. She is one of the best vocalists around at this time and really did deserve to be more well known. Her debut album peaked at #48 in the UK and #120 in the US. 3.5/5
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Post by TheThorne on Aug 7, 2023 7:52:58 GMT 1
89 Then Jerico - The Big Area
With their second album it really looked like they had arrived and were going to stick around and be one of the biggest bands of the 90s." Big Area" was a big hit and the other singles went top 40 as well. Although I still prefer their debut overall, this record is very try hard to the point of it being a bit annoying. A great song, some good songs and some rubbish in the middle. Even though this album reached #4 in the charts in the UK, the band split soon after. 3.5/5
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Post by TheThorne on Aug 8, 2023 8:53:33 GMT 1
88 Band of Susans - Love Agenda
The second album from the indie/shoegaze band. I did not enjoy this one quite as much as the album either side, previous is more C86 then follow-up more shoegaze, this is bit noiser closer to Sonic Youth. Still really enjoyed most of it but I feel if this had been the first of their albums I heard, I would not have been so keen to hear more as this sound has been down better by many other bands. But having heard their 1991 album a few days ago, they really get excellent. This record reached #6 in the UK indie charts. 3.5/5
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Post by TheThorne on Aug 8, 2023 9:01:29 GMT 1
87 China Crisis - Diary of a Hollow Horse
Up to their fifth album and they manage to make the top 100 with all their albums in the 80s, I never expected that to happen. The frontman of China Crisis is insufferable, I saw him a 80s revival show about 15 years ago, and he was so annoying but the music, they just have so many great and brilliant songs. This is their weakest album and if this had been a debut from a new band, I doubt it would have made the top 100 but its China Crisis's and there are still enough good songs like "St. Saviour Square" and the title track. So yes they still have the charm, but their best days are behind them. This was their last charting album and even then probably only bought by their hardcore fans, it reached #58 in the UK. 3.5/5
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Post by TheThorne on Aug 8, 2023 9:18:26 GMT 1
86 The Field Mice - Snowball
In a corner of the indie scene, something was going on with bands signed to the Sarah records label. They were making delicate and twee indie pop of varying quality, the best bands The Field Mice, Heavenly and The Orchids and a lot of forgettable stuff as well. You would probably have no Belle & Sebastian without Sarah records. The best band for me were The Field Mice who took a bit of New Order influence into their sound than just C86 indie. This was their debut album and they will get much better with their next two albums and singles. But what you do have here is 'Let's Kiss And Make Up' which will be covered by St Etienne and the gorgeous 'The Love Is Not Wrong'. We will hear them again in 1990 and 1991 where they release one of the singles of the year 'Missing The Moon' not on their next two albums though. Which sounds like the best of New Order meets Slowdive, yes it is that good. If it had been on a major, it could have been a hit for sure. 3.5/5
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Post by TheThorne on Aug 8, 2023 9:26:58 GMT 1
85 Rolling Stones - Steel Wheels
From a tiny band on a tiny label, we go to one of the biggest and most famous bands in rock history. I have a bit of a soft spot for this album, as these were more Atlantic 252 staples especially 'Rock and a Hard Place' but to be honest I really like all the singles from this 'Mixed Emotions' is very modern sounding and retro at the same time and 'Almost Hear You Sigh' is very classy. Yes this is probably my favourite 80s Stones album. Thinking it should be a little higher going by some of the albums in the next batch. This was their 19th album and it reached #2 in the UK and #3 in the US. 3.5/5 (although thinking it should have been a 4)
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Post by TheThorne on Aug 9, 2023 6:41:07 GMT 1
84 London Boys - The Twelve Commandments of Dance
I had to leave a gap as I knew this was coming next. The debut album from Euro pop duo. This is a weird one, in the Summer of 1989 I was obsessed with 'London Nights' and 'Requiem' especially. They were two of the biggest songs on the dancefloor at the village discos I went to and they were both huge hits in my chart. I even bought the album but does it stand up in 2023, sadly no, those two dance pop anthems are still brilliant but the rest goes from ok to cringe to dreadful. So this was album I had in my provincial top 30 so there is no way I was going to exclude it especially as it reminds me of my first official girlfriend but let say it was off its time. The album was a huge hit as well reaching #2 in the UK. Think we all shared a collective madness but c'mon it is better than most of the stuff coming off the SAW conveyor belt. 3.5/5
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Post by TheThorne on Aug 9, 2023 6:55:01 GMT 1
83 The Vaselines - Dum-DumThe debut album from the influential Scottish indie band comes after some great singles and EPs but as was the trend, none of those really well known songs 'Molly's Lips or 'Son Of A Gun' especially feature on it. So I thought I would no none of these but I recognised a lot. This album is very hard to find now but it has been absorbed in its entirety on the 1992 compilation 'Enter The Vaselines' . The Vaselines were so much part of my first two years at Uni, their songs would be played every friday at our eventual regular club 'Roadrunner'. One of the best indie bands to come out of Scotland. Not sure why I never got that compilation. 3.5/5
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Post by TheThorne on Aug 9, 2023 7:02:11 GMT 1
82 The B-52s - Cosmic Thing
Another album I bought at the time, this was their fifth album and when I was on Skye I had no choice but to buy cassettes from one shop in Portree, the main village. They actually had a great selection of new releases but no singles. This is very much a band who I would have bought the two singles buy. Still though this is still my favourite B52s album of the 80s. 'Roam' is the best song and then of course 'Loveshack' and I really like 'Deadbeat Club' as well, then there are some ok songs but as you would expect some really irritating ones as well. I can only take so much of Fred Schneider. It was a huge comeback for the band reaching #4 in the US and #8 in the UK and sold over 4 million in the US alone. 3.5/5
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