Some great music from the 80s, no.31
David Bowie. Lets Dance
David Bowie's hard edged Let's Dance is a statement of where he was in the early 80s. Its a robustious bit of pop, driven forward by a receptive riff on keyboards & guitar, and showcases Bowie's distinctive vocals. As always, it also shows Bowie both moving forward but also keeping certain elements of prior phases of his creative career. While I might prefer earlier phases, this remains a great record!
Some great music from the 80s, no.30
The Jam. A Town Called Malice
This classic social commentary from Paul Weller & the Jam is a driving post-punk bit of rock-pop that both skewed the Thatcherite attrition on working class communities & related Weller's own journey away from his roots. The Jam's normal sound is wonderfully complemented by the Hammond organ at the centre of the mix (played by producer Pete Wilson) & hinted at where Weller was going with the Style Council.
Some great music from the 80s, no.29
Human League. Don't You Want Me
This stone cold classic of electro-pop brings together a driving electro-beat & arrangement with fabulous lyrical content delivered by Phil Oakey & Susan Ann Sulley; a tale of rejection & stardom. The band were surprised it was a hit but it has now become their signature song & remains a 80s night sign-along fave. On this song all the elements of the Human League came together better than ever!
Some great music from the 80s, no.28
Paul Hardcastle. 19
Yesterday's choice, reminded me of this other classic of cut-up, Paul Hardcastle's more political stomper focussing on the age of US soldiers in Vietnam (using a documentary narration as its source). Now we might question its political thrust, but the stuttering (n..n...n...nineteen) ended up being pretty influential. Maybe not a timeless record, but an interesting production time-capsule, evocative of a moment.
Some great music from the 80s, no.27
S'Express. Theme From Express
Anchored with a sample from Rose Royce, this cut-up masterpiece from British DJ Mark Moore was part of a mid-80s trend for dance records made up of a mosaic of samples (carried on by Norman Cook/FatBoy Slim, of course) & a pounding rhythm track. There's been many similar records since but Moore's record remains unbeaten with its nod to blaxpoltation & 70s disco; it sounds as fresh as it did 40 years ago.
Some great music from the 80s, no.26
Chrerrelle & Alexander O'Neal. Saturday Love
This stone cold classic bit of mid-80s soul brings together the hard-edged rhythm arrangement typical of a Jam & Lewis prediction with the wonderfully soulful duet of Cherrelle & O'Neal. The tension between the contrasting vocals & the rhythm arrangement makes this something really special, alongside the great backing vocal refrain repeating the days of the week. I just love this!
Some great music from the 80s, no.25
Donald Fagen. New Frontier
After the first time Steely Dan split up, Donald Fagen released an excellent solo LP from which this fabulous track comes. A recollection of his childhood in the mid-50s, its full of cold war pop cultural references & showcases his evocative lyrical skills. Backed with a jaunty shuffle, with some lovely guitar work this remains a classic of intelligent adult oriented rock (in the best sense). great stuff!
Some great music from the 80s, no.24
Wham. Last Christmas
Wham's perennial seasonal classic is a great example of George Michael's lyrical craft. The backing is functional (to be fair) and jangly as you'd expect from a Christmas record, but the lyrics are just brilliant; summing up love & betrayal alongside hope. Its a story of young love whose power is its familiarity. Sometimes lyrics transcend the backing & this is the case here. A classic for more than Christmas.
Some great music from the 80s, no.23
Was Not Was. Tell Me That I'm Dreaming
Was Not Was' classic of cut-up/sampling is driven by a distinctive hard-sounding 80's rhythm track, over which is laid a protest about US politics. Its use of found sounds/speech while not completely original, brought avant-garde techniques into the mainstream (again). It a raucous noise (but strangely danceable), and certainly not for the faint-hearted, but still sounds pretty fresh & original.
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Emeritus Prof Christopher May
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