TheThorne
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Post by TheThorne on Aug 21, 2023 7:44:22 GMT 1
13 The River Detectives - Saturday Night, Sunday Morning
Another debut album from an act that maybe forgotten certainly outside Scotland, and also not available to download or stream. This time I owned it so I have it on mp3. A similar band in gnere to The Proclaimers genre wise but from the west of Scotland rather than Fife, which means they sound more like the Byrds than guys you would meet down your local pub although their accents to come threw a little but like many Scottish bands, they sound transatlantic.. So I guess with no unique selling point, it was hard fo them to stand out. Just writing brillaint pop rock/folk songs that are summery and emotional is not enough to make you a big band in 1989. They did manage to get a minor hit with 'Chains' but it is not the best song oin the album at all. That is the title track. 4.5/5
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TheThorne
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Post by TheThorne on Aug 21, 2023 8:18:05 GMT 1
12 Madonna - Like a Prayer
I had expected Madonna's fourth album to be in my top 10, I had it provincially at #8 but we had a couple of records that flew up the list to pass it by. Anyway I still love this record and these songs were very much my soundtrack of 1989. Atlantic 252 as you can imagine played the singles from this record to death. My favourite and probably in my top 5 Madonna songs is 'Cherish', it will always remind me of that Summer 1989. It is also as one of my girlfriends had hair just like her in the video yes it was quite a summer hehe. I really thought she looked like Madonna and made up at the disco, yeh she did. Outside that, she was more Drew Barrymore but still!!! She was half Danish! Omg anyway 1989. I knew it was going to be like this. I really don't need to talk about this record, you all know it, you know it is arguably her best album. "Like a Prayer", "Express Yourself", "Cherish", "Dear Jessie". "Oh Father", "Keep It Together" and "Spanish Eyes" all perfection. Their are just a couple of weaker tracks that stop me giving this a full score and I really heard these songs way too much, easily 7 times a day in the case of the first three. A number one album all over the world where it has sold 15 million. 4.5/5
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TheThorne
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Post by TheThorne on Aug 21, 2023 8:25:40 GMT 1
11 Faith No More - The Real Thing
I liked Faith No More but when I heard 'Epic' for the first time, it was a game changer. We have had rap funk metal before but this was a next league track. An instant classic but this time unlike 'We Care a Lot' this was not a one-off, the rest of the album was fantastic as well. Second single 'From Out Of Nowhere' the heaviest thing they had done and it totally worked, it was another classic, the riffs, the drums, the hooks, it was the complete package. My flat mate had the album so I heard it a lot and was very quickly one of my favourites of the year and I still love it today. Is it their best overall album, maybe not but the highs on this are so high that it is a classic for me. The record reached #11 in the US and #30 in the UK. It only sold a million in the US but this was just the start. 4.5/5
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TheThorne
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Post by TheThorne on Aug 21, 2023 8:56:20 GMT 1
Now my favourite part the top 10 preview
4 Scottish 3 US 3 English
Yes 4 Scottish acts in the top 10
There are three debut albums, four acts making the top 10 for the first time and three returnees.
I owned all but three physically but five were just on cassette so no longer have them., Never owned my #3 so I may need to fix that. Done for £6.81 on CD nice.
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TheThorne
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Post by TheThorne on Aug 21, 2023 13:02:36 GMT 1
10 Richard Marx - Repeat Offender
His second album, there is not alot between them but I probably prefer the debut overall, even if it missed my top 10 of the year but then this one is better produced and has just about as many highs and of course his most famous song and biggest hit "Right Here Waiting". Not one of my favourites but I was just really happy that he finally had a decent hit in the UK. My favourite track is "Satisfied" by a mile, just wish you did more songs like that on this album. It was a US number one and reached #8 in the UK. It sold over 4 million in the US.
4.5/5
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TheThorne
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Post by TheThorne on Aug 21, 2023 13:11:27 GMT 1
9 Jesus Jones - Liquidizer
This was the big climber. I had no idea what I was going to think of their debut in 2023. I have listened to 'Doubt' not that long ago but must be 30 years since I had heard this album in full. I absolutely loved it from start to finish. It is rawer, angrier and rougher than the follow-up, but it is also way more varied and musically interesting. It is like they were listening to Pop Will Eat Itself, an obvious influence, and thought, how can we do what they do but make it better in every way and they totally nailed it. I had this provincially at #42, thought it would be 'Info Freako' towering above everything and being a solid 4/5 but no it is one of the best albums I have listened to this year. Their debut album was a reasonable success reaching #32 in the UK.
5/5 (a low one maybe 4.7/5)
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TheThorne
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Post by TheThorne on Aug 21, 2023 13:21:13 GMT 1
8 Tom Petty - Full Moon Fever
The other big climber, and crazy to think that he has not made the top 10 with The Heartbreakers but does it with his first solo album. I have made no secret that I am not a big fan of ELO and all the Travellin Wilbury and Jeff Lynne productions around this time got a bit much but saying all that, this was the finest moment in that 3 year period. So yes we have that familiar production but what separates this from The Wilburys, is the songs, these are especially on side one, perfect masterpieces in songwriting. Of course the band and playing is fantastic, these are veterans and gods of 60s and 70s rock but you need the songs. So the songs well look "Free Fallin'", "I Won't Back Down", probably my 2nd favourite Petty song, "A Face in the Crowd" and "Runnin' Down a Dream". Those are the well known ones but the less familiar tracks on side two are very close to the standard of those classics. An unexpected triumph. It reached #3 in the US where it sold over 5 million and #8 in the UK.
5/5 (4.8/5?)
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TheThorne
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Post by TheThorne on Aug 22, 2023 6:35:17 GMT 1
These next three are very close, a different day a different order, all officially 5/5 records for this list but really maybe 4.9s 7 The Blue Nile - Hats
After a 5 year gap, the Scottish sophisti-pop group follow their groundbreaking debut album. Was it worth the wait, too right it was. It take take me a couple of listens as this record is a bit more downbeat than the debut and while 'The Downtown Lights' is incredible as an album track not sure it should have been the single maybe 'Headlights on the Parade' would have been a better choice but that is just nit picking. This is one of the most beautiful records ever not just of the 80s. The amount of times I have listened to this album at 3am walking through Edinburgh in the rain, the way to hear this album btw was multiple. This record just captured that feeling of a Scottish city. It also delivers one of the best final tracks on an album ever. 'Saturday Night' I just don't have words to describe it. If your body can get overloaded with chills and goosebumps this album will break your nervous system hehe I am thinking now this should have been #5, that is how close these all are. A desperate public had been waiting for this album with bated breath and they were rewarded with a #12 in the UK charts. If we had a Mercury Prize in 1990 I feel this album may have got it, although a certain band from Manchester might have had something to say about that as well.
5/5
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TheThorne
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Post by TheThorne on Aug 22, 2023 6:45:30 GMT 1
6 Deacon Blue - When the World Knows Your Name
This record their second album maybe is not groundbreaking or influential like some of these albums in the top 10 but what it has in spades is tunes. 'Raintown' is of course a better record, it has a concept, a magic to it, a more made for themselves feel about it. This though is a band who want to be huge, they are making songs now that can be sung along to and fill Hampden with fans. And nothing is more set on that goal than 'Real Gone Kid'. It was almost a Scottish national anthem for a few years until a certain other song released not that long ago, took over the mantle. But so many feel good anthems "Queen of the New Year", "Wages Day", the brilliant "Fergus Sings the Blues". There is still room for the slow ones and "Love and Regret" is one of their best in that regard. The album tracks are all great as well especially for me "The World Is Lit By Lightning" and "One Hundred Things". They were my favourite band at this point but things were going to get shaken up. The record was a UK #1 and hit in many countries.
5/5
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TheThorne
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Post by TheThorne on Aug 22, 2023 6:57:52 GMT 1
So top 5 time and what is left well I think the 3 non Scottish acts are all pretty obvious and then you can probably get the two Scottish ones if you know the time period well. So lets do an obvious one. 5 Pixies - Doolittle
Their second studio album and I think most agree their best record. I didn't get this at the time and like many indie bands all I heard were the few seconds on The Chart Show Indie rundowns but I knew I had to hear more but I don't know why I never bought it. I did get 'Bossanova' on release. Well idiot me as this album has "Debaser", "Tame", "Wave of Mutilation", "Gouge Away" and my two absolute favourites "Here Comes Your Man" and "Monkey Gone to Heaven". Just a brilliant alternative album which has such an influence on several genres for the next ten years and even beyond. These songs were my soundtrack to my regular indie night and are partly responsible for turning me into a predominantly indie fan for the next 30 years. The record reached #8 in the UK and #98 in the US.
5/5
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TheThorne
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Post by TheThorne on Aug 22, 2023 7:09:58 GMT 1
4 Goodbye Mr. Mackenzie - Good Deeds and Dirty Rags
The debut album from the band from Edinburgh. This is another album that has been out of print forever and not available for downloads or streams. You can get versions of these songs but they are not even close to the quality of the originals. Fronted by Martin Metcalde and featuring ex-punk "Big" John Duncan, they are now much more famous for being the band that introduced Shirley Manson to us all. At the time of course she was just a backing singer but in hindsight, you can hear the impact she had on their sound. It is really sad that generations of music fans, cannot get to hear this album expect for on dodgy YouTube streams. Anyway the music, it is quite hard to describe really, they don't sound like anyone else. The closest band I can think of is maybe Psychedelic Furs vocally and genre. It is alt rock with a new wave influence. The record was everywhere in Scotland these guys were actually huge here but more than their sales or legacy indicate. Thanks to four brilliant singles "Open Your Arms", "Goodbye Mr Mackenzie", "Goodwill City" and the track that should have broke them if they had placed a little higher and got a TOTP slot "The Rattler". The whole album is brilliant and I wish whatever red tape is keeping this album hidden away gets cleared up one day, more and more lost albums and finding releases these days. Fingers crossed for a 4oth birthday release in 2029!! Oh and the album reached #26 in the UK, although I bet most of those sales were in Scotland.
5/5
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Post by TheThorne on Aug 22, 2023 16:03:10 GMT 1
3 The Cure - Disintegration
Like I said earlier just bought it and was delivered today. Also the radio even played 'Love Song' when I was out just half an hour ago so we have to do this now. Their eighth album and for many this is viewed as their best, think that is the view in the US anyway. Now why didnt I buy it sooner, I blame 'Lullaby', I so kinda love it now but it was a bit of a novelty almost a parody of The Cure. It was the obvious single but anyway of these "Pictures of You", "Lovesong" or "Fascination Street" would have got me to buy it. I didn't need it anyway as two of my flatmates had it so had access to it up until the download era anyway. This record was also boosted by my winning run on HF with the band, without all that time I spend with the catalogue this woudl not be in my top three. As for the record, it is moody, it is dark but it is also positive and uplifting while at teh same time bordering on goth. A very delicate balance which past albums fail to do, they normally go one way or the other. The record reached #3 in the UK and #12 in the US and has sold 4 million worldwide.
5/5
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TheThorne
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Post by TheThorne on Aug 22, 2023 16:19:42 GMT 1
This top 2 is basically a draw, they are both two of my most played albums which I both bought first on cassette and repurchased on CD later. I love every track on both records and they are both so much part of my life. One was a companion, the other a protagonist. I think I will stay with my last decision. 2 Del Amitri - Waking Hours
The second album from the band from Glasgow after their false start in 1985. I will start of by saying, I am not being contrary or awkward but "Nothing Ever Happens" is my 2nd least favourite on the album but when I consider them all to be 4.9 and 5.0s that is still not much of an issue. My favourite track is and will always be "Kiss This Thing Goodbye" and I understand why it wasn't a top 40 hit, as bad break-up songs don't do as well as love songs. I really didn't care about that, I just loved the energy and hooks and all the rest, lyrics were not in it for me on that. Also although I did have my first break-up in the Summer of 1989, it was hardly a relationship, basically 3 dates, but I didn't want it to end quite so soon. Not sure if I have ever had a proper break-up in my life and I don't want to start now. So I didn't 'Kiss That Thing Goodbye' we were still friends, although I didn't see her again for another 2 years, now mates with my sister great!
Anyway the best songs are "Move Away Jimmy Blue", "This Side of the Morning", "Hatful of Rain" and my two other absolute faves "When I Want You" and "Stone Cold Sober". Must admit I did relate to that last one for a month or two. The soundtrack to my time in Skye and first year at University, basically life affirming. The record reached #6 in the UK and #95 in the US.
5/5
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TheThorne
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Post by TheThorne on Aug 22, 2023 16:41:08 GMT 1
So what on earth could be my favourite album of 1989? Well it can't be Vanilla Ice as he is not English? And sadly I missed Milli Vanilli thought they were a 1989 act but the album came out in 1988, it might have made my long list...also missed Kylie 3 stars for her and we are not even going to talk about Jive Bunny oh but they are English?? My Number One Album of 1989The Stone Roses - The Stone Roses
Really what else but it was a close one. Like other acts on this list introduced to me by The Chart Show Indie rundown snippets but I never heard it properly until the third week I was in Skye. I was with some new 'friends' and we were hanging out, drinking, playing music, mostly talking (that was the issue). I noticed 'She Bangs The Drums' and I asked right away, is that the album? and it was. I really should have been concentrating more on the conversation than the music. Anyway it was also a sham as one of them was just wanting to get info out off me about Jenny and I just spilled and spilled and spilled. Having never been in this situation I didn't know I should have said 'I am not talking about her, I know you like her as well but you missed your chance' or something suitably manly hehe I dunno.
Anyway never mind all that, so the day after things went all wrong, I bought 'The Stone Roses' and that is where it started. It was not an instant love, really didn't get 'Don't Stop' and 'Elizabeth My Dear' was a bit unnecessary I thought but I loved all the rest.
My favourite track has changed over the years but if I had to pick one it would be 'Made of Stone' but 'She Banfs The Drums' will alway have that magic of being the song where I first fell in love with them, goose bumps and all.
Anyway you all know the album, that's why I throw in these little 5 minute dramas that we all have had in our lives but most of mine, have songs attached. Maybe a thread idea for 'Getting To Know You'
So as we get to the end of the 80s, we have an album which only reached #19 in the UK but went on to sell over 1.2 million in the UK alone and reached #86 in the US.
5/5
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TheThorne
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Post by TheThorne on Aug 22, 2023 16:43:58 GMT 1
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Post by greendemon on Aug 23, 2023 9:08:26 GMT 1
Some great choices in your top 5.
I think 'Doolittle' would pip 'The Stone Roses' for me, but in the case of the latter it was slightly ruined for me by being more familiar with their Best Of which replicates the same killer 1-2 punch of the opening two songs, 'Ten Storey Love Song' and 'Waterfall' but then doesn't have 'Don't Stop'.
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