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Post by Tweet on Sept 12, 2022 16:14:49 GMT -6
Look this has not been a fun couple of days. COVID got me pretty good. Something called the NFL kicked off all of yesterday. There's still an argument that I'm the worst person to be in charge of such a thing on this forum. .........and yet........ The votes have been tallied. The ballots have been locked. The insulting lack of Soul Asylum has been documented and ignored. Basically how this is gonna work is each post 50-1 will have its own little writeup, a few 80s things worth looking back on, and maybe some other stuff depending on how creative I get (spoiler: I still have COVID so hang with me here). Unlike last time I tried to do this, I don't expect to be jagged around by my work and will have to shortchange everything. Also unlike last time I tried to do this, it is more than likely that this will take 2, maybe even 3 days to get out everything. I hope that will be worth everyone's time, but also, it was my idea to do this anyway so I don't particularly give a shit what y'all think. Maybe if Monastary knew how to schedule a zoom call things would be different (note: I am the only one who can make fun of Monastary). Ties were broken by number of lists an album appeared on, with less lists getting the higher spot. I almost tossed 2 lists entirely but decided against it (more on that later). Ill Communication came out in 1994, you morons. Anyway, here's the list of 100-51. 100. Devo- Freedom of Choice
99. The Pogues- Rum, Sodomy, and the Lash
T-97. Erik B & Rakim- Paid in Full
Tracy Chapman- s/t
96. The Replacements- Don't Tell a Soul
T-94. The Pretenders- Learning to Crawl
The Blue Nile- Hats
93. Butthole Surfers- Locust Abortion Technician
92. Mekons- Fear and Whiskey
91. Fugazi- 13 Songs
90. The Go-Gos- Beauty and the Beat
89. Laurie Anderson- Big Science
88. Bauhaus- In the Flat Field
87. George Michael- Faith
86. Pretenders- s/t
85. Cocteau Twins- Treasure
T-83: Madonna- s/t
John Mellencamp- Scarecrow
82. Lou Reed- New York
81. Peter Gabriel- Peter Gabriel 3 (the 3rd self titled)
80. Misfits- Walk Among Us
79. Black Flag- Damanged
78. Echo & The Bunnymen- Ocean Rain
T-76. Def Leppard- Pyromania
Rush- Moving Pictures
75. Metallica- ....And Justice For All
74. Richard & Linda Thompson- Shoot Out The Lights
73. Kraftwerk- Computer World
72. Steve Earle- Guitar Town
71. Bruce Springsteen- The River
70. Mission of Burma- Signals, Calls, and Marches
69. De La Soul- 3 Feet High and Rising
68. The Feelies- Crazy Rhythms
67. Janet Jackson- Control
66. Duran Duran- Rio
65. The Police- Synchronicity
64. X- Los Angeles
63. David Bowie- Let's Dance
62. Van Halen- 1984
61. Run DMC- Raising Hell
60. Prince- Dirty Mind
59. Tears for Fears- Songs From the Big Chair
58. XTC- Skylarking
57. The English Beat- I Just Can't Stop It
56. My Bloody Valentine- Isn't Anything
55. Iron Maiden- The Number of the Beast
54. Janet Jackson- Rhythm Nation 1814
53. The Soft Boys- Underwater Moonlight
52. Tom Waits- Rain Dogs
51. U2- The Unforgettable Fire Ah, ok now. I'll see y'all when I see y'all in here. |
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Post by monasterymonochrome on Sept 12, 2022 19:54:04 GMT -6
Look this has not been a fun couple of days. COVID got me pretty good. Something called the NFL kicked off all of yesterday. There's still an argument that I'm the worst person to be in charge of such a thing on this forum. .........and yet........ The votes have been tallied. The ballots have been locked. The insulting lack of Soul Asylum has been documented and ignored. Basically how this is gonna work is each post 50-1 will have its own little writeup, a few 80s things worth looking back on, and maybe some other stuff depending on how creative I get (spoiler: I still have COVID so hang with me here). Unlike last time I tried to do this, I don't expect to be jagged around by my work and will have to shortchange everything. Also unlike last time I tried to do this, it is more than likely that this will take 2, maybe even 3 days to get out everything. I hope that will be worth everyone's time, but also, it was my idea to do this anyway so I don't particularly give a shit what y'all think. Maybe if Monastary knew how to schedule a zoom call things would be different (note: I am the only one who can make fun of Monastary). Ties were broken by number of lists an album appeared on, with less lists getting the higher spot. I almost tossed 2 lists entirely but decided against it (more on that later). Ill Communication came out in 1994, you morons. Anyway, here's the list of 100-51. 100. Devo- Freedom of Choice
99. The Pogues- Rum, Sodomy, and the Lash
T-97. Erik B & Rakim- Paid in Full
Tracy Chapman- s/t
96. The Replacements- Don't Tell a Soul
T-94. The Pretenders- Learning to Crawl
The Blue Nile- Hats
93. Butthole Surfers- Locust Abortion Technician
92. Mekons- Fear and Whiskey
91. Fugazi- 13 Songs
90. The Go-Gos- Beauty and the Beat
89. Laurie Anderson- Big Science
88. Bauhaus- In the Flat Field
87. George Michael- Faith
86. Pretenders- s/t
85. Cocteau Twins- Treasure
T-83: Madonna- s/t
John Mellencamp- Scarecrow
82. Lou Reed- New York
81. Peter Gabriel- Peter Gabriel 3 (the 3rd self titled)
80. Misfits- Walk Among Us
79. Black Flag- Damanged
78. Echo & The Bunnymen- Ocean Rain
T-76. Def Leppard- Pyromania
Rush- Moving Pictures
75. Metallica- ....And Justice For All
74. Richard & Linda Thompson- Shoot Out The Lights
73. Kraftwerk- Computer World
72. Steve Earle- Guitar Town
71. Bruce Springsteen- The River
70. Mission of Burma- Signals, Calls, and Marches
69. De La Soul- 3 Feet High and Rising
68. The Feelies- Crazy Rhythms
67. Janet Jackson- Control
66. Duran Duran- Rio
65. The Police- Synchronicity
64. X- Los Angeles
63. David Bowie- Let's Dance
62. Van Halen- 1984
61. Run DMC- Raising Hell
60. Prince- Dirty Mind
59. Tears for Fears- Songs From the Big Chair
58. XTC- Skylarking
57. The English Beat- I Just Can't Stop It
56. My Bloody Valentine- Isn't Anything
55. Iron Maiden- The Number of the Beast
54. Janet Jackson- Rhythm Nation 1814
53. The Soft Boys- Underwater Moonlight
52. Tom Waits- Rain Dogs
51. U2- The Unforgettable Fire Ah, ok now. I'll see y'all when I see y'all in here. Sorta proud of myself for being the only person to ever waste so much time doing daily write-ups whilst also neglecting to take enough responsibility to hop on Zoom for 20 minutes. Priorities! Roll-out sounds awesome tho - very interested to see how this all plays out. |
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Post by Tweet on Sept 13, 2022 9:05:39 GMT -6
The press core has informed me that this is all coming in bunches. So the first bunch will be landing shortly.
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Post by Tweet on Sept 13, 2022 9:15:36 GMT -6
50. N.W.A- Straight Outta Compton  This has to be the 80s hip hop record with the most staying power, right? In terms of cultural relevancy, it might be the most important and historic album of the 80s, period. Took a new sound to the mainstream in a major way, launched the careers of three massive stars, and turned out a collection of anthems that led off with two of the hardest hitting, most frequently cited songs of all time (Straight Outta Compton and Fuck Tha Police). Sonically, it's not as forward-thinking as Public Enemy or even Beastie Boys' late 80s opuses, but lyrically? There was nothing else like it. Some of those have aged better than others (see: "I Ain't Tha 1"), but the album still shocks and electrifies its listeners more than 30 years later. "Gangsta, Gangsta" is my favorite track here, their best combination of stripped back funk, hard-ass lyrics, and wildly catchy hooks. Albums that cause mass hysteria or other variety of cultural phenomena are fascinating to revisit. Sometimes they're more interesting than good (*cough cough* Sex Pistols *cough cough*). This one? It's obviously apparent why it launched NWA into stardom. Why? Well, it's just fuckin' good. all these f uckin covers, man. Short stories by Stephen Cosgrove and illustrated by Robin James, majority written in 1980s, tho available as early as 1974 and new editions were published as late as the mid 1990s. Some of these, ah “morals” that are taught in these books widely bother me: Adults can learn from the magic children have in their hearts, Sometimes love forces us to make us in choices, Kindness is always appreciated more than sarcasm. I suppose these are largely better than anything anyone learned in the catholic church ever. A Shitty Thing Ronald Reagan Did in the 80s Yup, all list long will be checking in with Ronnie here on all the shitty things he did throughout being in charge of the USA throughout the 1980s. You can also use this section as a cheat sheet when engaging in talking points with your families over Thanksgiving dinner. This photo almost made me renounce my fandom. Boarder Who'd Like This AlbumNo one in particular, although I can imagine some 15 year old white kid learning about the N-word for the first time and possibly using it on XBox Live or something. Which I guess describes Anime. |
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Post by Tweet on Sept 13, 2022 9:22:22 GMT -6
49. Galaxie 500- On Fire Spent this afternoon listening to some albums I wrote about already (JaMC, Rain Parade, ESG) and am now revisiting this miracle of a record. Man, I listened to this so much in college that it feels weird to hear it now, outside of my dorm room or walking to class in the dead of winter. I wore this album the fuck out. It's the ultimate late night walk record. The ultimate lay in bed and stare at your ceiling record. The ultimate "I think I have depression" record. Probably the best collision of slowcore and dream pop. Dean's falsetto drifts with surprising abandon over seriously underrated bass work by Naomi Yang (see: Snowstorm, especially). The album creates small universe of its own, envelopes you. And when it peaks - usually with a triumphant Dean Wareham guitar solo - it's some of the most beautiful music ever put on record. Obviously, this will be very high on my list.  In the 1980s it was still up for debate whether smoking was bad, so this was the norm for a long time until the 1990s when it was phased out. Apparently the 1959 Cadillac Eldorado had the most on a quick google. We need to figure out how to bring these back for the weed smokers. A Shitty Thing Ronald Reagan did in the 1980s: Whatever the fuck he did to the EPADidn’t renew the clean air act. Refused to continue research into acid rain unless it involved giving Republican local officials money, which led to Sweregate. Sewergate was a pretty blatant pay to play scheme that let to Rita Laville going to jail and Anne Gorsuch Bruford citing executive privilage as to why she couldn't testify on the matter before resigning. Classy stuff. Everything that sucks about the EPA can pretty much be traced back here. Boarder who’d like this album:Claypoolfan since it was made by the kind of east coast dweebs he probably went to college with. |
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Post by Tweet on Sept 13, 2022 9:27:25 GMT -6
48. The Replacements- Tim This is a genuine contender for my #1 spot. It has "Bastards of Young" on it for christ sakes! I can't believe the same dude who wrote "Gary's Got A Boner" also casually drops "The one's who love us least / Are the ones we'll die to please" in the midst of the most anthemic song of the entire decade. And on top of that you've got "Left of the Dial," the College Radio National Anthem. Then you've got some powerful "Bob Stinson hammering home the power chords while Paul strains his voice to its absolute limit" rippers like Hold My Life, Little Mascara, and Lay It Down Clown. Plus you get a kiss-off ditty (Waitress in the Sky), aching vulnerability (Swinging Party), and a rousing ode to alcoholism (Here Comes A Regular) to close out the album. What more could you ask for? There's not a bad song on here, and the highs are All Time Great. Idk what was in the water in Minnesota circa 1980, but goddamn did it produce some powerful music. Jack Nichleson pulled his weight here like a real G, and not just cause he’s the only thing I, a millennial, remember about this movie. It made $750 million in merch sales! Michael Keaton said it was more corporate behemoth than movie, and I also assume directly led to the Marvel-Verse I now have to be aware of at all times of my life. At least I like She-Hulk. A Shitty Thing Ronald Reagan did in the 1980s: William Casey A career republican buttmunch, he was Reagan’s campaign manager who eventually got Reagan and George HW Bush to kiss and be nice. What a guy! He ran the CIA on the condition that he would be allowed to shape policy and not just gather data on people, exactly the kinda guy you want running a major operation like this. He had a role in Iran-Contra but we’ll save that for a little latter down the line. Boarder who’d like this album:If you’re a white dude over 25 who hasn’t listened to the Replacements yet, I don’t think I care about your opinion on anything presented here until you correct that.
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Post by Tweet on Sept 13, 2022 9:33:39 GMT -6
The Cure- The Head on the Door (378, 6) The first of three Cure albums that are likely to appear on my list - probably the one that will be in third position amongst them? I've always loved the big singles from this one, but it has some killer album tracks too. "Push" is a big favorite of mine, and "A Night Like This" and "Screw" are great too. In fact, the whole back-half of this record is pretty untouchable. Love how they're reaching for such a big sound here. It paid off well. Man, fuck Clint Eastwood. I also can't with this Nancy lady, so I'm getting this outta the way next too. A Shitty Thing Ronald Reagan did in the 1980s: Being a CuckI can’t believe “Nancy Reagan oral sex stories” is now in my google search history. I also can’t believe Ben Shapiro’s sister is the one who started this shit. I wonder if she also thinks wet ass pussy is a medical condition. Seriously, get a load of Nancy's game here: “As spotted in June by the Washington Babylon, an unauthorized biography of Nancy published in 1992 noted that Nancy “was renowned in Hollywood for performing oral sex...not only in the evening but in offices. That was one of the reasons that she was very popular on the MGM lot.” Another source is quoted in that book as saying Nancy tagged along with friends on trips to Arizona; her guy friends would pick up girls at Arizona State University, and Nancy “entertained them orally” on those road trips. A Village Voice article from 1998 also referenced the biography, and noted that Nancy “was known to give the best blowjob in town.”Boarder who’d like this album:Bosma’s dad would probably like it if he had an opinion on every Cure album.
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Post by Tweet on Sept 13, 2022 9:41:01 GMT -6
46. New Order- Power, Corruption, and Lies (380, 6) New Order is one of *the* quintessential 80s bands, but honestly they work better as a singles band. And I don't think that's a particularly controversial opinion, considering the massive success of "Blue Monday" and their singles compilation Substance (which I debated considering for my list, but decided to keep it to traditional albums). That said, Power, Corruption, and Lies is a classic nonetheless. It features probably their best song, Age of Consent, and a panoply of other synth-forward bangers (Your Silent Face, Leave Me Alone, The Village). The synth sounds on Your Silent Face so lovely - truly like a majestic, soft carpet. Honestly, it sounds more new age than new wave. Now an anecdote: One of my college bands was practicing on stage at the uni's arts center (they'd moved the only drumset there for a performance that night). We were messing around with "Age of Consent" and my guitarist kept insisting it was a Joy Division song. I was like, nah man, it's New Order - but he was kind of a tool and didn't believe me. Then some dude setting up sound in the dark auditorium just yelled out of the dark: "He's right! It's New Order!" Sweet vindication.  Apparently these things peaked around 1987. Tupperware is of course the godfather of MLM’s, though you can currently get these bad boys at Target, WalMart, and Dollar Tree. Your aunt who seems to be around too many children all the time has now moved on to selling essential oils, waxes, and something that could plausibly pass as a smoothie. A Shitty Thing Ronald Reagan did in the 1980s: DebategateRemember that William Casey guy? Reagan got the debate notes and Jimmy Carter didn’t, and it really makes you think doesn’t it. James Baker said under oath Casey got them and gave them to Ronnie! This didn’t come out until June 1983 to the public so there’s a lot to unpack here, but investigation finds following: there was 2,400 page report that nobody read all the way thru. They did it so Jimmy Carter didn’t get political cloud in the 1980 election for freeing the hostages from Iran (ok?). Carter formally accused George Will of handing it to the Reagan campaign in 2005. George Will, of course, will also go to hell. Boarder who’d like this albumI think Ultravisitor had opinions on New Order that were never fully explored. C- for work in this endeavor tho.
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Post by Tweet on Sept 13, 2022 9:47:10 GMT -6
45. Minutemen- Double Nickels on the Dime (386, 5) Well, I had a whole thing written for Double Nickels on the Dime and then I accidentally deleted the tab. Sigh. I'll do my best to replicate it. First off, TIL that the title is a play on Sammy Hagar's "I Can't Drive 55," a playfully abstract jab from a band who made such statements an art form. I've been procrastinating on talking about this album, but it's the best bet to end up at the top of my list when all's said and done. It's got everything I want - it's my platonic ideal of a perfect indie rock record. It's freewheeling, fiery, funny. It paints the margins with the flexibility of a jazz record, riffs like a meat-and-potatoes punk rock band, and solos with all the ferocity of the Meat Puppets and - on occasion - the grace of the Dead. As a trio, the Minutemen played here at the height of their powers. The group is making total music, completely locked-in with each other at all times. They're often seen as a Boon/Watt vehicle - and while that's true on a writing front - George Hurley deserves to be lauded as a genius in their company. Dude's drumming is bonkers. He can find perfect pockets ("#1 Hit Song,"), drive the group forward ("The Glory of Man,") or nail tension/release fills with the best of them ("Two Beads at the End"). Meanwhile, Watt and Boon are truly two sides of the same brain. Look at a track like "Do You Want New Wave..." - they're playing lines that intersect so effortlessly I swear I'm listening to Lesh/Garcia sometimes. Lyrically, the album is unparalleled. They write about being pissed off ("Vietnam"), satirical ("Political Song for Michael Jackson"), and earnestly heartfelt ("History Lesson Part 2," or, the purest song ever written about friendship). They were philosophical. They were zany. They made no sense. They made perfect sense. You can listen all the way through. You can pick a random point and go from there. You can shuffle it - who cares, it's all gold. Even the turds, even the chaff. For a decade when our prophet was off making Come to Jesus records, this, Mr. Narrator, was Bob Dylan to me. No song here. I’ve never listened to this album. 2 people had it at #1 and there’s like 30 fuckin songs on here. Dumbly, I’ve had it saved to Spotify this entire time thinking I’d get to it eventually. It’s good to have dreams. 80s Thing: Fireball Island Didn’t UA post about a remake of this at some point in the history of this forum? I’m not gonna lie, I think this game would slap. People wanna shit on board games but trust me after living with a straight-edge for a long time, it’s a real good icebreaker. I won’t pay what it’s worth though. Here's a good review of the reboot, and here's a r eview I stopped reading when the guy started wanking about the type of cardboard the box is made of. A Shitty Thing Ronald Reagan did in the 1980s: This map I’m pretty sure we’re legally never allowed to have an electoral map so singularly colored. Boarder who’d like this albumProbably me, honestly.
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Post by Tweet on Sept 13, 2022 9:48:38 GMT -6
The formatting on this forum sucks but as you can see there's a lot of, uh, tender loving care going on here. Hang with me. Let me know if you chortle.
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Post by Tweet on Sept 13, 2022 10:03:44 GMT -6
44. Nirvana- Bleach (397, 6) I didn’t have Bleach on my list and Monastary didn’t write a review of it. I chunked a bunch of pop albums that have weird places in my heart at the end of my list, but if I had a do-over I would’ve put Bleach on there. I’ve always thought about it as the album where they’re still figuring shit out save for “About a Girl”, up to and including the lineup. Remember when Kurt allegedly made a big deal about ripping this guy off? $600 was probably like 2 months rent in Seattle back then. The whole Sub Pop/Seattle scene is a pretty interesting story that I am in no way qualified to tell. But it’s pretty clear from reading Our Band Could Change Your Life that something big would be hitting the horizon soon from way out west. There were other bands like Soundgarden and big time indie weirdos Beat Happening making a living and building a moment. We kinda voted about it on the 90s. I’ve never been there but I think the tech bros ruined Seattle. A Thing from the 80s: McDonald's Characters Fun fact: McDonalds was sued for stealing all these characters, and they were only allowed to come back following a lawsuit in 1988. That lineup: Ronald McDonald, Grimace, Hamburgler, French Fry Goblins. Interestingly, the Rugrats creators ran the franchise from 1998-2003. No comment on the impacts of childhood obesity, etc. from this. My preferred question is bbq or sweet and sour with your Mcnuggets? A Shitty Thing Ronald Reagan did in the 1980s: WedTechWedTech was a company in the Bronx which was involved in the awards of government contracts. In principle, this is a pretty serious fuckin business. But also, go through that wiki article and look at all the mob-ass, Bronx-ass motherfuckers involved in this company. Way better than Wolf of Wall Street, and more importantly, a shorter story. WedTech was praised by Ronnie for giving jobs that keep people off welfare- You can probably guess where this is going. They pretended to be a minority owned business to get special treatment and not have to bid on projects from the government. Edwin Meese, the attorney general at the time, signed off on this, and tho never convicted, resigned. Class acts all around. Boarder who’d like this album:Moving on!
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Post by monasterymonochrome on Sept 13, 2022 10:05:47 GMT -6
That game looks fun as hell
Also, I made a little playlist of the big cuts from Double Nickels to make it a little more approachable (and mostly for me to play on roadtrips with Emma w/o completely getting the aux taken from me):
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Post by Tweet on Sept 13, 2022 10:09:17 GMT -6
43. Kate Bush- Hounds of Love (397, 5) I want to give this board some credit- I’m pretty sure this album was gonna make the list before the Stranger Things whatever-thing happened. None of us had “Running Up That Hill” as the song of the summer. Metallica got that bump too, but they’ve kinda always been around. Kate Bush was a hermit in the time when that word actually meant something. She still is- I think she and Travis Barker would make for fascinating conversations about planes and other topics of celebrity musicians- but this album and her work at large is so much more than whatever personality traits society has assigned to her. Hounds of Love is one of those albums where somebody says they listened to it today and, instinctively, music dorks everywhere say “Yup, that’s a good one” under their breath. A Thing from the 80s: Stereos in glass cabinets If you have one of these still, I promise you there's better audio equipment out there. A Shitty Thing Ronald Reagan did in the 1980s: Operation Ill WindStarting in 1986, One single dude, Chuck Duff, basically got 60 people in trouble including but not limited to the assistant Secretary of the Navy, who took “hundreds of thousands” in bribes, as well as the next 2 guys appointed to the job after that guy. Execs at Boeing and GE also took the fall. This caused folks to pass a congressional act that is definitely being followed today, yes-sir-ee! Boarder who’d like this album:Everyone should like this album aren’t you paying attention to anything I’m saying up there?
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Post by krentist on Sept 13, 2022 10:10:52 GMT -6
Excited to see if tweet succeeds in doing the same thing 50 times. We know Sufjan couldn't
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Post by clouddead on Sept 13, 2022 10:10:54 GMT -6
I got into Kate Bush because Kate Bush is Big Boi’s favorite artist.
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Post by thebosma on Sept 13, 2022 10:11:40 GMT -6
I got into Kate Bush because Kate Bush is Big Boi’s favorite artist. Impatiently awaiting their collab that is supposedly recorded |
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Post by monasterymonochrome on Sept 13, 2022 10:12:05 GMT -6
Hounds of Love is a huge example of one of my favorite micro-genre: Albums with one side of absolute bangers and one side of the artist on their own shit (see: David Bowie - Low).
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Post by monasterymonochrome on Sept 13, 2022 10:13:30 GMT -6
I got into Kate Bush because Kate Bush is Big Boi’s favorite artist. Same actually. I had never given her a real listen but saw a video of him talking about Running Up That Hill or something and was intrigued. |
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Post by Tweet on Sept 13, 2022 10:15:18 GMT -6
42. U2- War (407, 7) Sometimes I think of this as U2's last album as a "normal" band. It's certainly their most hard-edged, muscular rock record. Listen to Edge's stabbing rhythm in "Two Hearts..." to get a feel for that. Not to mention the knife-sharp textures of "Sunday Bloody Sunday," a song that I've heard a million times and really need to take a step back to appreciate its boldness. After this, U2 moved beyond the sonic palettes of their post-punk contemporaries, into something larger, grander. And the inklings of that are all over this record too. Bono's choruses are fucking huge. Two Hearts again being the best example of how big he can go. Surrender is another one where Edge is moving the sound into the beyond. But they also sneak incredible hooks into the more driving post-punk tracks that set them faaaar apart from anyone else on the scene. Tracks like Refugee, Red Light (w/ that horn solo!), and Seconds are fucking immediate. War is def overshadowed by the three LPs that followed it, but fuck, it is good. Would've cemented them as legends in its own right.  A VHS Competitor that introduced Hi-Fi audio technology in `1983. At this point in the game, it's most important in that in helped determine that videotaping things is legal under US Law- Betamax Case of 1984 Supreme Court. If I see these things at Bric-A-Brac records I am never going into that shop again. A Shitty Thing Ronald Reagan did in the 1980s: The Savings and Loan CrisisStarting around ~1983 and continuing throughout the decade, 747 Lenders went bankrupt because of his own Tax law he signed. Basically they were acting as banks when they shouldn’t have been acting as banks! I can't count past 20 and I can tell you that is bad numbers work! The FDIC did its job and took on 160 billion to insure people. Boarder who’d like this album:Wanny probably likes U2.
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Post by Tweet on Sept 13, 2022 10:21:52 GMT -6
41. Dinosaur Jr.- You’re Living All Over Me (411, 5) This is the best guitar album of the 80s. Not exactly a hot take, but not exactly a cool one either. Idk how many times I've heard this over the years, but certain solos and fills here feel ingrained in my music psyche. "The Lung" in particular. My old roommate and I used to jam as a duo in our school's music center, just riffing on The Lung for like 10-20 minutes straight. One times I ended up bursting a blister in my right hand and bleeding all over the school's drumset lmaooo Still need to see Dino Jr in concert tho! Probably one of my biggest live music faux pas. Thinking I'll rectify that buy grabbing a ticket today to their tour w/ GBV.  There are so many books and thought pieces about the history of MTV. It’s been on the air for 40 years. That’s longer than I’ve been alive! Eras I tend to classify it by: 80s- good music 90s- good music and also good TV shows Early 2000s- TV quality is going downhill and there’s definitely more pop music on here I remember but it’s ok Late 2000s- I believe JErsey Store is a bemusing side quest in the early days of “everything’s online and society is collapsing as a result” A Shitty Thing Ronald Reagan did in the 1980s: Lyn NofzeigerHere’s a fucking nobody of history that lobbyed for WedTech for 2 years illegally and nobody gave a shit until the scandal came out. Even when you’re a nobody, they let you do it! Boarder who’d like this albumEveryone appreciates this album and that is why it’s #41 all time on our list. Stoked to see them again in a couple weeks. Let’s move on.
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Post by Tweet on Sept 13, 2022 10:27:59 GMT -6
40. R.E.M.- Life’s Rich Pageant (417, 6) When my parents gifted me a bunch of vinyl records years ago, this was the only REM album in there. At the time REM was in my mind a pretty 90s band, but it was one of the first records I played back in college when I had the stoners who knew stuff about music over. This was recorded in Mellencamp’s studio in 1986 and just kinda put out later. I love the story behind the album’s name. A Thing from the 80s: Memorizing phone numbersCan you do that if you end up in jail? Hell, do you even delete numbers from your phone anymore? I think I have a small card in my wallet for that sort of stuff but I should probably update it, as I’m sure some of those people are either dead or no longer worthy of remembering that number. A Shitty Thing Ronald Reagan did in the 1980s: Michael DreaverReagan’s chief of staff that, after leaving the office in May 1985, was convicted of perjury. He was also lobbying when he wasn’t supposed to. He naturally blamed alcoholism for it. I stopped blaming my alcoholism when I turned 24, buddy. Boarder who’d like this albumProbably Scoots. How much? Dunno, never made a list!
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Post by venom on Sept 13, 2022 10:33:00 GMT -6
46. New Order- Power, Corruption, and Lies (380, 6)New Order is one of *the* quintessential 80s bands, but honestly they work better as a singles band. And I don't think that's a particularly controversial opinion, considering the massive success of "Blue Monday" and their singles compilation Substance (which I debated considering for my list, but decided to keep it to traditional albums). That said, Power, Corruption, and Lies is a classic nonetheless. It features probably their best song, Age of Consent, and a panoply of other synth-forward bangers (Your Silent Face, Leave Me Alone, The Village). The synth sounds on Your Silent Face so lovely - truly like a majestic, soft carpet. Honestly, it sounds more new age than new wave. Now an anecdote: One of my college bands was practicing on stage at the uni's arts center (they'd moved the only drumset there for a performance that night). We were messing around with "Age of Consent" and my guitarist kept insisting it was a Joy Division song. I was like, nah man, it's New Order - but he was kind of a tool and didn't believe me. Then some dude setting up sound in the dark auditorium just yelled out of the dark: "He's right! It's New Order!" Sweet vindication. a few years ago i was walking through the national gallery in london specifically looking for The Fighting Temeraire, but caught A Basket of Roses on my stroll and admired it for a few minutes. then later that night i read that peter saville's girlfriend joked with him at the museum about making it the cover for new order's album after he hit a roadblock on his original idea. iconic cover. |
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Post by Tweet on Sept 13, 2022 10:35:53 GMT -6
This seems like a natural place to stop for the moment. More coming like ~3:30pm this afternoon
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Post by venom on Sept 13, 2022 10:38:16 GMT -6
The whole Sub Pop/Seattle scene is a pretty interesting story that I am in no way qualified to tell. But it’s pretty clear from reading Our Band Could Change Your Life that something big would be hitting the horizon soon from way out west. There were other bands like Soundgarden and big time indie weirdos Beat Happening making a living and building a moment. We kinda voted about it on the 90s. Everybody Loves Our Town is a fascinating read focused entirely on seattle/sub pop/punk/grunge in the 80s and 90s. very recommended. |
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Post by zircona1 on Sept 13, 2022 11:06:33 GMT -6
40. R.E.M.- Life’s Rich Pageant (417, 6) I love the story behind the album’s name. Is it where the R.E.M. guys agreed that there's never been a great album whose title has an apostrophe in it? |
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Post by ten15 on Sept 13, 2022 13:41:55 GMT -6
43. Kate Bush- Hounds of Love (397, 5)I want to give this board some credit- I’m pretty sure this album was gonna make the list before the Stranger Things whatever-thing happened. None of us had “Running Up That Hill” as the song of the summer. Metallica got that bump too, but they’ve kinda always been around. Kate Bush was a hermit in the time when that word actually meant something. She still is- I think she and Travis Barker would make for fascinating conversations about planes and other topics of celebrity musicians- but this album and her work at large is so much more than whatever personality traits society has assigned to her. Hounds of Love is one of those albums where somebody says they listened to it today and, instinctively, music dorks everywhere say “Yup, that’s a good one” under their breath. A Thing from the 80s: Stereos in glass cabinetsIf you have one of these still, I promise you there's better audio equipment out there. A Shitty Thing Ronald Reagan did in the 1980s: Operation Ill WindStarting in 1986, One single dude, Chuck Duff, basically got 60 people in trouble including but not limited to the assistant Secretary of the Navy, who took “hundreds of thousands” in bribes, as well as the next 2 guys appointed to the job after that guy. Execs at Boeing and GE also took the fall. This caused folks to pass a congressional act that is definitely being followed today, yes-sir-ee! Boarder who’d like this album:Everyone should like this album aren’t you paying attention to anything I’m saying up there? I do not like this album. At all. I bought the CD back in the day and probably only listened to it twice before giving it away. |
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Post by monasterymonochrome on Sept 13, 2022 13:44:22 GMT -6
40. R.E.M.- Life’s Rich Pageant (417, 6) I love the story behind the album’s name. Is it where the R.E.M. guys agreed that there's never been a great album whose title has an apostrophe in it? Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart Club Band in shambles smh |
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Post by Tweet on Sept 13, 2022 14:41:34 GMT -6
39. Talking Heads- Speaking in Tongues (420. 6) For a time I used to consider this the last Talking Heads album. My reasoning behind that was after Stop Making Sense they didn’t tour or play live anymore. There wasn’t a point I suppose of being a band if you didn’t play live. Still might not be! But hey, the tracklist of this album is pretty crazy. “Burning Down the House”, “Girlfriend is Better”, “Slippery People'', '' Swamp”, “This Must be the Place”. Even just typing that out, I know I put this far too far down on my own list. A Thing from the 80s: Fax Machines I went to paste the scene from Office Space but that was actually a printer they beat up. Also when you google “Fax Machine” you can get one for $219 at staples and Amazon. A Shitty Thing Ronald Reagan did in the 1980s: Catalina Vazquez VillapandeoOne of the rare folks who went to jail AFTER having a government position. She was a mole in the MBDA investigation and rewarded by the Secretary Tresaury. She then became the head of the treasury in the 1st Bush administration, and then she did bribe taking with her old agency that she worked for before the job. Ronnie sure knew who to associate with! Boarder who’d like this album:Almost all of you should (have heard this already)!
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Post by Tweet on Sept 13, 2022 14:46:27 GMT -6
Talk Talk, Spirit of Eden (423, 7) Haven't revisited this one since college (it was a favorite late-night listen for me back then), and maaaan it hit wickedly hard today. I think my listening has become a lot more favorite to Talk Talk's influences during this period (namely, jazz and other improv-based musics). The biggest difference, to me, is how listening to a ton of jazz and jam music in the last 2-3 years has encouraged me to actively listen to largely instrumental music. Putting something like Spirit of Eden on as 'background music' should be a crime, but - for years - I mainly remembered this as an album I'd throw on at 2:00am playing poker in college. This thing contains multitudes. The warm organ soaking over the hushed guitar chords of "Wealth" while Mark Hollis heightens the drama with his indistinguishable vocals. The beautiful choir and organ driving home "I Believe In You." The improvisational guitar stabs anchoring "Eden" - which, before resolving on their own accord are plunged back into the bass melody. This album is a self-contained treasure. Available at Chicagoland locations including Norwood Park, Villa Park, and Chicago Mercy Hospital! A Shitty Thing Ronald Reagan did in the 1980s: Samuel Pierce1st HUD (more on that later) secretary under Ronnie's administration, he cut public housing and basically ended all new construction with it. Ronnie thought he was a Mayor on a conference call in 1981 and nobody ever let him forget it. Him being Samuel, that is. Basically everyone around him was convicted for political favoritism, etc. Almost run of the mill at this point, tbh. Boarder who’d like this albumI think anyone who claims to like largely instrumental music and hasn’t checked this one out should definitely do so.
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Post by Tweet on Sept 13, 2022 14:51:42 GMT -6
37. Metallica- Ride the Lighting (424, 6) I’m late to the Metallica party (not “stranger things' ' late) but this one definitely made my list. I think it’s their best, or at least the one I play the most which is as good a benchmark as anything. It’s still hilarious that this is when they figured out music theory basics, which we all know is very important when taking over the world and eventually wanking about file sharing. Someone else can make this argument but this album basically redefined the metal genre according to wikipedia and I see no reason to argue with that. A Thing from the 80s: New Coke One of the many failings of capitalism is that if you are not making “more money” you are “a loser”. Coke brought this "new formula" (read: sweeter) Coketo compete with Pepsi in 1985. It was more or less a complete failure. “Classic” coca-cola was back less than 3 months later. Just making things sweeter definitely has not led to any problems in health throughout American history. A Shitty Thing Ronald Reagan did in the 1980s: The Department of Housing and Urban Development Grant Rigging ScandalHoo boy, what a mess. Basically the only reason Charles Pierce didn’t go to jail because he basically admitted to everything. How noble! By everything, I mean that low income housing bids were rigged to favor Republican contractors. Couple this with halting all the money for new development and support for existing low level housing, I've always assumed the official policy was “fuck poor people” Eventually 16 people got convicted and I assume many more got away with it. What a fuckin joke Ronnie is running here! Boarder who’d like this albumAnyone who attended Lollapalooza last year and hasn’t listened to this oughta correct that.
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