#NowPlaying: #OrchestralManoeuvresintheDark - Architecture & Morality
1981 UK pressing. Cover seems to be German.
I seem to be going through #OMD's albums chronologically, not my initial intention but I'll get on with it. This album perfects the synth work compared to Organisation and puts even more emotion and nuance in the synths, coupled with choir sounds and waltzy beats. Probably their musical peak, but not their experimental one!
#NowPlaying: #VanderGraafGenerator - World Record
1976 NL pressing.
I venture into prog rock every now and then and I am particularly fond of #vdgg. This record has got some funkyness which I quite like. Unfortunate that the brilliant Meurglys III ends in a fade-out though... I got this for very cheap, normally a VdGG #vinyl would cost you €25, but this only cost me €9. I did have to make a Discogs page for it, though. Bonus: me posing with the record and making scans.
#NowPlaying: Ph.D. (Hashtag won't work here, I reckon... 😆)
1982 Dutch pressing.
#Progrock meets #synthpop! Some very heavy sounding music with a matching raspy voice. Little Suzi's on the Up is a brilliant track, and I Won't Let You down was a massive hit. Rest of the album is hit and miss, I personally also like Oh Maria and Up Down. There's only one CD pressing of it and it's quite rare, but I got my hands on it! 🥳 (Cost me a fair bit...)
#NowPlaying: #TheCure - The Head on the Door
1985 Dutch pressing.
This one's not mine but I bought it for my brother. Until I hand it over, I might give it a little spin. I never really listened to The Cure, but I know some songs. The first song sounds a lot like #TheSmiths, I know that these bands' fans feud with each other. I like the sound of this record and definitely will look into more of them.
#NowPlaying: #RoughTrade - For Those Who Think Young
1982 US pressing? It's not on Discogs so I'll have to make a release.
I knew of Rough Trade (actually only Pope) before through her collab with #ThePayolas, from a reggae compilation vinyl from my mother. They make funky synth pop/new wave with some edgy lyrics. I am a fan already, this is my first listen to this album! (I already have Shaking the Foundations.) (And ~ Live! but that's way different!)
#NowPlaying: M (#RobinScott) - New York, London, Paris, Munich
1980 Dutch pressing.
Only ever heard Pop Muzik, learnt of that song through U2's Pop tour when they made a (great) cover of that song. I have it as a double grooved single, which is interesting. This album seems to have a fair bit of brass and orchestral arrangements and they sound great!
#NowPlaying: #RoughTrade - Shaking the Foundations
1982 Canadian pressing.
Lovely synth pop with smutty lyrics. I saw this in the record shop once, back when I didn't know about them. I liked the cover and found it coincidental that there also was a Rough Trade Records. Turns out the record company was named after this band! I used to listen to this record a lot a while ago but decided to whip it out again since I found other RT #vinyl in the store yesterday.
#NowPlaying: #PearlHarborAndTheExplosions
1980 Dutch pressing.
Apparently the only album released by this #SanFrancisco band with an incredible name. Sounds solid and has a driving rhythm, with some funk to it, especially the third track.
#NowPlaying: #Yes - Close to the Edge
1973 Dutch pressing.
To commemorate the fact that I'll see #JonAnderson live this weekend. Not my favourite album by Yes, overshadowed by Tales and Relayer for me personally. The cover is horrid, the bad kind of minimalism, but the inside of the gatefold is quite nice. The music is iconic though and the title track is brilliant, I really like the bass!
#NowPlaying: #Videosex - Lacrimae Christi
2023 Slovene pressing on gold #vinyl.
I was in Ljubljana for one day and took that opportunity to find something local. I was introduced to this record by a kind shopkeeper. It's some very clean and upbeat #synthpop & #newwave from #80s #yugoslavia, unfortunately not picked up anywhere else it seems. This is only my first listen but I'm already very impressed! (I wonder if this hashtag is actually about the band though... EDIT: no.)
#NowPlaying: #ACertainRatio - acr:mcr
2018 European reissue on 2×45" clear #vinyl.
2 discs because better sound quality? It definitely did sound good though, this is what I expected to hear from late #80s a✓:, namely #acidhouse with thumping bass and driving rhythms. It's got the a✓:-ness though, there's some squeaky brass sections here and there and the funk's all over. Guest vocals of Sumner of #neworder (I don't hear those really) and Denise Johnson (later on #electronic).
#NowPlaying: #Electronic
2020 European reissue.
This was my favourite album for a while back in late 2021/early 2022 and for a good reason: it's a brilliant crossover event between #NewOrder, #TheSmiths, and #PetShopBoys. With so much musical experience, the jangly guitar sound of Marr and the danceable synths of Sumner it's no wonder that they wrote one of the most brilliant #90s albums. I was looking for it on #vinyl for a long time and finally found a copy!
#NowPlaying: #SimpleMinds - New Gold Dream (81-82-83-84)
1985 European pressing.
One of my all-time favourite albums. This record sounds like sitting in front of the fireplace in an old house on a cold winter evening, despite the first track talking about summertime. The bass playing is excellent on this record as well. I found this yesterday on an unexpected outdoor #vinyl market and it was a pleasant surprise.
#NowPlaying: #Ultravox - Vienna
1980 Dutch pressing.
The cover promised me a more pensive, calm album than what I'm hearing now. I do quite like it: it seems clean, powerful, and dark. The cover is a thing of beauty, that font looks brilliant as well! I heard a lot about this album so it's great to finally give it a go.
#NowPlaying: #VanderGraafGenerator - Pawn Hearts
1971(?) Dutch pressing.
You rarely find #vdGG #vinyl releases priced lower than 20 (maybe even 25) here so it was incredible luck that I found one in absolute pristine condition for 15 quid! As for the album, I don't really quite understand side 2 (A Plague etc.) yet, but Man-Erg is really good, especially when the song breaks down with saxes sounding like seagulls coming in. Proper chilling!
#NowPlaying: #U2 - The Unforgettable Fire (Single)
1985 UK pressing.
Well, is it a single really? It clocks in at 22 minutes and holds 5 tracks. It may be an EP or mini album in my eyes. It doesn't even start with the titular track. That song is brilliant, but I also love A Sort Of Homecoming and The Three Sunrises. I used Bass Trap as my alarm clock for the longest time! This period is probably my favourite in U2's timeline, the music is very atmospheric and vast.
#NowPlaying: #Genesis - ...And Then There Were Three...
1978 Dutch pressing.
I listened extensively to this album a couple of years ago and I don't think I fully understood Genesis back then, but it did something with me that made me come back. The album has a vast sound that I can't properly describe, it makes me nostalgic. This album has its highs and its lows, but it certainly ended at its highest with Follow You Follow Me, which is a beautiful song.
#NowPlaying: #ThePolice - Zenyatta Mondatta
1980 Dutch pressing.
This album is amazingly consistent with Stewart Copeland's immaculate drumming on the foreground. That's all there is to say really, nothing ground-breaking here, just some insanely catchy music.
#NowPlaying: #CabaretVoltaire - The Crackdown
1983 German pressing.
Very repetitive rhythms that require you to listen. (Although it gets way better a couple of albums later.) The album feels dark and grainy but does have some pop sensibilities. This was only my first time really listening to this album though and I really enjoyed the two after this so I expect also this to get a whole lot better soon!
#NowPlaying: #Ultravox - ha!-ha!-ha!
1979 Italian pressing.
I really liked ROckwrok and the Three Into One compilation so I knew that I wanted to find some of those early albums, and I was lucky this week that I found it at a #vinyl market. (I did get ripped off at this stall where I bought the Police album too. Expensive but bad quality media and sleeve.) I really like this upbeat punky music, drums are in your face, guitars are soaring. The songs are really catchy too!
#NowPlaying: #NewOrder - Movement
2019 reissue from the box set.
So it's time that I played again, I tooted about this album and how seminal it is earlier today. I got the box set and I think I never really touched it since I explored it when I received it. A shame really. The cover is brilliant as well: the lines aren't just there for fun, they also represent the catalogue number! Another brilliant Peter Saville design.
#NowPlaying: #NewOrder - 1981-1982
1982 US pressing on "translucent" #vinyl.
It's only translucent if you hold it against the light. This apparently is the first pressing, so it's quite cool that I found it today. While I love Movement, I think the singles from this time period really show the development from #PostPunk to #SynthPop: whereas Movement is more post-punk, this record is clearly synth-pop. Incredible find!
#NowPlaying: #ToontjeLager - Stiekem Dansen
1983 Dutch pressing.
I am always looking for Dutch language #NewWave or #SynthPop and hope it's something that sticks, and I don't think I found something yet. This is no real difference. It's not bad at all, it's got #ska vibes and feels a lot like #DoeMaar (from what I remember). #TheMo was absolutely perfect, but not Dutch language unfortunately. This record is still a pleasant listen though!
#NowPlaying: #CabaretVoltaire - The Covenant, The Sword, and the Arm of the Lord
1985 German pressing.
Also the name of a far right organisation... 😬 This album is my absolute favourite of the moment, but when I first listened to it it freaked me out completely. (I also was completely knackered after a night shift.) The transition from L21ST to I Want You is heavenly, and the latter song is an absolute banger. 5/5, what a brilliant album!
#NowPlaying: #vanderGraafGenerator - The Quiet Zone / The Pleasure Dome
1977 German pressing.
My favourite #vdGG album, the addition of the violin and its ethereal feel combined with its relatively accessible songwriting make this an excellent listen. I especially love the violin solo on The Siren Song, that might be my favourite track. The album came with a booklet of lyrics made with a typewriter by a previous owner, how cool is that!
#NowPlaying: #ChinaCrisis - What Price Paradise
1986 Canadian pressing.
The last album I needed to complete my China Crisis collection, except their 2015 effort. This makes me think: what band can I summarise 2023 with for me? 2022 was #OMD, 2021 #NewOrder, and 2020 #U2. Will it be China Crisis or #ACertainRatio? Not the right post to ponder this in, but perhaps these hashtags will help you find something new in this thread to listen to!
#NowPlaying: #TheVapors - New Clear Days
1980 German pressing.
One of my absolute favourite albums of all time. Such upbeat #PowerPop blended with #NewWave and #PostPunk with some really good and deep lyrics. Every song on this album is a hit in my eyes.
#NowPlaying: #PeterHammill - A Black Box
1980 UK pressing.
I found this back in May but I never bothered to listen to it (again) until now, when I'm realising the talent of Peter Hammill. He played most of the instruments on this album himself, including the drums. I always think that is very cool. As for the music, it's very dense and dark at times and sporadically very jittery (A3). I don't think I understand it yet, but it was a more pleasant listen than my first.
#NowPlaying: #ACertainRatio - To Each...
2017 European reissue on 2x red #vinyl at 45 RPM.
When I walked past my frequented record store today I saw there was a massive sale going on and the record I saw lying in the shelf for months was 12 euros cheaper than normal. So I had to buy it. This is my favourite a✓: album, it blends #PostPunk and #funk so perfectly, with chilling brass sections and funky rhythms. The Fox for one starts off with an amazing drum riff!
#NowPlaying: #ACertainRatio - ACR Loco
2020 UK issue on turquoise #vinyl.
I also bought this in the record store sale yesterday. It's cool how this was randomly packed in varying colours with differing rarity. I was unlucky and got the least rare colour, but I don't mind as I think this is the coolest one. This album hearkens back to the time around acr:mcr, whereas their later 1982 more to Sextet. I'm quite pleased after this first listen already! And Denise Johnson's on it!
#NowPlaying: #NewOrder - Low-Life
1985 Italian pressing.
Found this today by chance in my frequented record store. I always read that the front cover could be changed at will with a band member of choice, but this doesn't seem to have that. Maybe I misremember. I never was that fond of this album compared to their other #80s output, but now that I'm listening to it again I start to realise how good it is again. Face Up is a brilliant closer, voice strained as ever.
#NowPlaying: #Fashion - Fabrique
1982 European pressing.
I bought this together while a whole lot of other stuff from an unsorted shelf in a record store, in search of some lesser known music. I played this once and was impressed, but I put it away soon after. I now rediscovered the album and have been listening to it non-stop for a few days. (Not on Spotify, so I have to go by a YT video.) Really good, cool, #NewRomantic. Good bass, great synths!
#NowPlaying: #Mo
1980 Dutch pressing.
My favourite Dutch band from the period, too bad the lyrics aren't in Dutch, though. The great thing about #TheMo is that a Bassoon was part of their main instruments and it's audible on many tracks. Unfortunately this got ditched when the line-up changed after this album. This band seems to be mostly forgotten today, safe for their single "Fred Astaire", which is a big shame. I can really recommend this!
#NowPlaying: #JoyDivision - Still
2022 reissue on 2x clear #vinyl.
For some reason I listened more to this album than JD's greats. I feel like this album shows a bit more range and diversity with songs from different times in their period. I really like the live show as well, although it's disappointing that the start of Ceremony is cut off. These Days would have been a great addition as that's my favourite JD track. Is this even a comp actually?
#NowPlaying: #SpandauBallet - Diamond
1982 Spanish pressing.
Subtitled "Diamante" for if you didn't understand the title. Sophomore albums are often a disappointment after a great debut (ABC, A✓:, U2, etc.), and this is no exception. There's some interesting music on here though: Paint Me Down is amazingly catchy, and Coffee Club has got a quirky rhythm. I don't think this album is half bad, but not exceptionally good.
#NowPlaying: #NewOrder - The John Peel Sessions 1982
2020 #vinyl reissue for RSD.
I have been gawking at this in the store for a couple years now but yesterday it suddenly was 50% off so I finally got it. This is not just a Peel session: two tracks on here weren't recorded or released on anything else it seems. Turn the Heater On, a cover of Keith Hudson, and Too Late, which is just a rare NO track. I also love the version of 586 on here, my fave!
#NowPlaying: #ThomasDolby - The Flat Earth
1984 German pressing.
I actually went to the record store yesterday to pick this one #vinyl up that I kept seeing in the shelf as I got it in my recommended on last.fm. This is some really sophisticated #synthpop. I have read that Dolby usually writes humorous music, but this seems way calmer than that. I really quite like this album and will certainly listen to it more!
#NowPlaying: #ClassixNouveaux - La Verité
1982 Japanese pressing.
I was at a record store in Dordrecht and they had an entire shelf of Japanese imports, which was very cool. There they always have this luxurious OBI strip which makes the cover more special in my opinion. The album is some really good and grandiose #newromantic and especially the first (real) track Is It a Dream is a banger. I also love how the tracks seem to often segue.
#NowPlaying: #ABC - Beauty Stab
1983 Dutch pressing.
Although I previously mentioned that ABC had a disappointing sophomore album, this actually is my favourite by them and my 7th most listened to album the past 365 days. ABC's sleek and #NewRomantic style perfectly fits the rocky direction this album took. The title track is sleek and tight and Love's a Dangerous Language has got some very good guitar work. Not a bad track on here. The font is terrible though.
@DanielDeur While I'm certain I bought Beauty Stab back in the day, I can't find my LP for the life of me. It's got to be around *somewhere*...
I remember being quite surprised (but not in a bad way; like you, I did play it a lot) at the very "trendy" and harder-edged sound Langan brought to it after Lexicon (without Trevor Horn, as I recall)...and Andy Newmark's drums.
Daniël Deur
Dave Nanian