The Robert Cray Band, Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark, 1988 on Mercury

Fifth full length from Robert Cray and co – sometimes referred to as The Robert Cray Band, other places just Robert Cray from the 1980s. This was their second major label record (on Mercury following Hightone and Tomato). It was not as successful as Strong Persuader which preceded it but there are some great songs here, including the title cut.

Produced by Bruce Bromberg and Dennis Walker, with The Memphis Horns and David Sanborn on one track.

My copy—via Vinyl Destination in Lowell, MA—is a 1988 specialty pressing with promotional labels, though mine does not include the press kit.

#1980s #1988 #Blues #LowellMA #Mercury #RobertCray #RobertCrayBand #vinyl #VinylDestination #vinylcollection #vinylfinds

Paul Simon, Hearts and Bones, 1983 on Warner Brothers

I’d be hard pressed to make any call on what my favorite Paul Simon album is (maybe Graceland) given how great they all are – including this one, with “René and Georgette Magritte With Their Dog After The War” and “The Late Great Johnny Ace” and the title track). I feel like this one gets overlooked more than it should.

Nile Rodgers guests on “Think Too Much (a)” and “Cars are Cars” and Al Di Meola on “Allergies.” Great musicianship and writing throughout.

My copy, via Vinyl Destination in Lowell MA, is an Specialty pressing (you can see the embossed T around the spindle) from 1983.

#1980s #1983 #AlDiMeola #LowellMA #NileRodgers #PaulSimon #vinyl #VinylDestination #vinylcollection #vinylfinds #WarnerBrothers

Kraftwerk, Tour De France, 1983 on Warner Brothers

This isn’t the full album released in 2003 but the 1983 single (recorded durig the Electric Café sessions) which charted in the UK. I guess this makes it “late” period Kraftwerk but it sounds super fresh.

My copy is a 45 rpm 12″ (there are 7″ single versions as well), with the custom “cog” labels pressed for the US market – via Vinyl Destination in Lowell MA.

#1980s #1983 #Electronic #Kraftwerk #LowellMA #SynthPop #Techno #vinyl #VinylDestination #vinylcollection #vinylfinds #WarnerBrothers

Bill Monroe, Bill Monroe & Friends, 1983 on MCA Records

Bill Monroe sometimes gets called the “Father of Bluegrass” – no doubt he’s a pretty foundational figure and his Blue Grass Boys may be the source of the genre’s name.

This is a great collection of later Bill Monroe (he passed in 1996) doing duets with performers who admire him and his legacy. The guesting “friends” here include:

• Oak Ridge Boys
• Willie Nelson
• Ricky Scaggs
• Johnny Cash
• Emmylou Harris
• Barbara Mandrell
• Larry, Rudy, and Steve Gatlin
• Waylon Jennings
• John Hartford
• Mel Tillis

Each song is preceded by a little spoken word intro.

My copy is a Gloversville US pressing with Masterfonics mastering from 1983 – via Vinyl Destination in Lowell MA.

#1980s #1983 #BarbaraMandrell #BillMonroe #Bluegrass #GatlinBrothers #JohnHartford #johnnyCash #MCARecords #OakRidgeBoys #vinyl #VinylDestination #vinylcollection #vinylfinds #WaylonJennings #WillieNelson

The Waterboys, Fisherman’s Blues, 1988 on Chrysalis / Ensign

The fourth studio LP from Mike Scott, Steve Wickham, Anthony Thistlehwaite, Trevor Hutchinson, Peter McKinney et al. Marked a bit of a shift toward Irish and Scottish music, but including covers of Van Morrison’s “Sweet Thing” and (briefly) “This Land is Your Land.”

My copy – a Carrollton Georgia US pressing from 1988 – via Vinyl Destination in Lowell. I’m pretty certain I had a copy of this in the 80s but who knows where it ended up – and maybe it was on cassette?

#1980s #1988 #AnthonyThistlewaite #Chrysalis #Ensign #LowellMA #MikeScott #PeterMcKinney #SteveWickham #TheWaterboys #TrevorHutchinson #vinyl #VinylDestination #vinylcollection #vinylfinds

Adam Ant, Friend or Foe, 1982 on Epic

This was the debut solo album from Stuart Leslie Goddard, better known as Adam Ant, following on three albums as Adam and the Ants. The single “Goody Two Shoes” reached number 1 in the UK and number 12 in the US.

Lately I’ve been hearing “Desparate But Not Serious” all the time on Sirius XM First Wave channel – it’s on this album as well. Marco Pirroni, who was in the Ants, joins on this album,.

My copy—via Vinyl Destination in Lowell MA—is a 1982 pressing from Columbia’s plan in Terre Haute.

#1980s #1982 #AdamAndTheAnts #AdamAnt #Epic #LowellMA #MarcoPirroni #vinyl #VinylDestination #vinylcollection #vinylfinds

The Del Fuegos, Smoking In The Fields, 1989 on R.C.A.

Fourth and final studio album from Boston Massachusetts’ own The Del Fuegos, recorded after Warren Zanes and Woody Giessmann left the band. Recorded in Woodstock NY and produced by David Thoener.

The first three Del Fuegos albums were on Slash Records – this was their only one on R.C.A. The Del Fuegos reunited in 2011 for a benefit show at The Paradise in Allston, then again in 2023 – and are now scheduled to play Sept 15th in Medfield at the Bellforge Arts Center.

My copy—via Vinyl Destination in Lowell MA—is an original pressing complete with inner sleeve.

#1980s #1989 #Alternative #DanZanes #DavidThoener #DelFuegos #LowellMA #RCA #VinylDestination #WarrenZanes #WoodyGiessmann

Timbuk 3, Greetings From Timbuk 3, 1986 on I.R.S. Records

Debut album from Pat MacDonald and Barbara Koyman MacDonald, the husband and wife duo better known as Timbuk 3 (sometimes written Timbuk3), featuring their most well known single “The Future’s So Bright I Gotta Wear Shades.”

Such great songwriting on this and all their albums – people sometimes think of them as a one-hit wonder but really there are a ton of great songs on all their albums – well worth picking up if you come across them.

My copy—again via Vinyl Destination in Lowell MA—is an early pressing from MCA Gloversville, with the lyrics sheet but without the custom I.R.S. Records inner sleeve.

#1980s #1986 #Alternative #BarbaraMacDonald #IRSRecords #LowellMA #PatMacDonald #Timbuk3 #vinyl #VinylDestination #vinylcollection #vinylfinds

Haircut One Hundred, Pelican West, 1982 on Arista

The debut album for UK New Wave band Haircut One Hundred, founded by Nick Heyward, Les Nemes, and Graham Jones, joined here by Blair Cunningham on drums. Lead single “Love Plus One” was a top 10 hit in the UK and a top 40 hit in the US.

The LP was produced by Bob Sargeant and recorded at Roundhouse Studios in London.

My copy—via Vinyl Destination in Lowell MA—is an early US repressing with the track title of A5 corrected on the label.

#1980s #1982 #Arista #HaircutOneHundred #London #LowellMA #NewWave #RoundhouseStudios #vinyl #VinylDestination #vinylcollection #vinylfinds

The Brains, The Brains, 1980 on Mercury

Self-titled debut album from Atlanta’s The Brains, including a song later made famous by Cyndi Lauper, “Money Changes Everything.” The Brains would only go on to one more full length LP, Electronic Eden. Both were produced by Steve Lillywhite.

Various members went on to play in other Atlanta bands, including the Georgia Satellites. Tom Gray (primary singer and songwriter) later founded a band called Delta Moon Sadly, Gray died in 2021.

My copy—via Vinyl Destination in Lowell MA—is a 1980 pressing via PRC Richmond.

#1980 #1980s #AtlantaGA #CyndiLauper #DeltaMoon #LowellMA #Mercury #TheBrains #TomGray #vinyl #VinylDestination #vinylcollection #vinylfinds