Bookended by Cats

Friday, May 15, 2026

Friday 80s Flashback for May 15, 2026

[40 Years of Raising Hell] -- 40 years ago this week, Run-D.M.C. released their third studio album, Raising Hell. Produced by Russell Simmons and Rick Rubin, Raising Hell was the first hip-hop record to achieve Platinum and multi-Platinum sales. And one of its singles is widely considered to be the first collaboration between rap and rock: a recording of Aerosmith's "Walk This Way" that includes performances from Steven Tyler and Joe Perry (Aerosmith's vocalist and guitarist), both on the record and in the music video.

That Run-DMC and Aerosmith collab definitely had a hand in bringing hip-hop into the mainstream. "Walk This Way" roared up the Billboard Hot 100, becoming the first song by a hip-hop act to reach the top 5 of that chart. The album had three other hit singles, each one doing well on multiple charts: "My Adidas", "You Be Illin'", and "It's Tricky". And Raising Hell not only sold well (remember the multi-Platinum sales I previously mentioned?), it topped the Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums chart at #1, peaked at #3 on the Billboard 200, and even charted globally, going top 10 in New Zealand and top 50 in the UK.

Music journalist and critic Bill Adler likened Raising Hell to The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. By that, Adler was saying the album represents "the pinnacle of their recorded achievements" [Adler, Library of Congress, 2017]. Among its many accolades, Raising Hell earned a Grammy nomination, won a Soul Train Music Award (Best Rap Album), and was inducted into the National Recording Registry for its "cultural, historic and aesthetic importance to the American soundscape."

Raising Hell made Run-D.M.C. into icons, and it still stands as one hell of a record from the golden age of hip hop.

Flashback: Raising Hell (May 15, 1986)

And that's all till next week. Dedicated 80s-philes can find more flashbacks in the Prophet or Madman archives or via Bookended's 80s Flashback tag. As always, your comments are welcome on today's, or any other, flashback post. And if you like what I'm doing here, please share the link with your friends. If, however, you don't like the flashback, feel free to share it with your enemies.

See you in seven!

Friday, May 8, 2026

Friday 80s Flashback for May 8, 2026

[Four Decades in the Zone] -- Forty years ago this week, Billy Ocean released his sixth studio album, Love Zone. Ocean had already topped the charts with previous releases, but this album cemented his global dominance as well as his pop and R&B crossover appeal. Love Zone reached into the top 25 of charts around the world, even peaking at #2 in the UK, #6 on the US Billboard 200, and #1 on Billboard's US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts.

The album's three singles – "When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going", "There'll Be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry)", and "Love Zone" – were all top ten hits. "When the Going Gets Tough..." reached the #1 spot in the UK and #2 in the US in addition to being a single from the soundtrack to The Jewel of the Nile, the 1985 sequel to the popular Romancing the Stone.

All told, Love Zone was a critical and commercial success, receiving largely favorable reviews, a Grammy Award nomination (Best Male R&B Vocal Performance), and two 1987 American Music Award wins, one for "There'll Be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry)", as Favorite Pop/Rock Song, and the other naming him Favorite Pop/Rock Male Video Artist.

Flashback: Love Zone (May 6, 1986)

See you in seven!

Friday, May 1, 2026

Friday 80s Flashback for May 1, 2026

[Not That Final Frontier] -- In the spring of 1986, I was not yet in college and I had not yet finished high school. And, hitting the stores on April 30, 1986, Keel's third studio album, The Final Frontier, pretty much kickstarted my summer.

Back in the day, Keel's main claim to fame was two-fold: first, vocalist Ron Keel had previously performed with one-album-wonder Steeler (with guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen); second, Gene Simmons of KISS produced Keel's first two albums. Keel, both the band and the singer, were pretty standard in terms of hair metal. But, as cliched as some of these tracks might seem in retrospect, this album marked a band really coming into its own and crafting their own songs; at least half of the tunes on their debut album were written outside the band, with Simmons contributing three songs that probably weren't good enough for his own band.

Keel released two singles from this album – a cover of Springsteen's "Because the Night" and the power ballad "Tears of Fire" – but neither charted despite their music videos receiving pretty regular rotation on MTV. It's a shame because, whatever you might think of a metal band covering a Springsteen tune, they did a pretty good job. And their power ballad had real substance, a rarity in this genre.

The Final Frontier managed to reach #53 on the Billboard 200. And the band's Wikipedia page notes that Keel won the Best Band of the Year award in the second annual Metal Edge magazine readers poll in 1986. I cannot find an actual citation for that win, but I'd like to think Keel did win that award, and maybe some other magazine polls. At least it makes them not completely forgotten. 🤘

Flashback: The Final Frontier (April 30, 1986)

See you in seven!

Friday, April 24, 2026

Friday 80s Flashback for April 24, 2026

[Memories Lie in Dust] -- For this week's Flashback, I'm revisiting an album released 40 years ago this week. I last featured this album five years ago, on its 35th anniversary, and I'm re-using much of that post here. Now, five years ago, I featured this album mainly because it was released in the month and year I turned 18. Five years ago, I could not honestly recall the last time I listened to this particular album in its entirety. Sure, I had some of its highlights in my musical rotation, but not a complete, track by track listening session. If the same is true for you – that is, if you have not listened to this album in its entirety in quite a while – you will, perhaps, ask yourself the same question after listening this week: "Why have I left this out of my personal rotation for so long??"

I am talking about Tinderbox by Siouxsie and the Banshees. This album is an absolute time capsule for me, evoking memories and whole moods from my first year of college. Let's dive in.

On 4/21/1986, Siouxsie and the Banshees released their seventh studio album, Tinderbox. This album included two singles: The very excellent "Cities in Dust", which had been previously released in October 1985, and "Candyman", which hit the charts in February 1986. Ah, the days when singles were teasers for upcoming LPs or EPs; does that happen anymore in the age of streaming? Anyway, I didn't hear either single, let alone the rest of the album, until September of 1986, but better late than never, right?

Tinderbox was a critical success, hitting #13 and #88 on the UK Albums Chart and the US Billboard 200 respectively. Also notable on this record is the non single track, 92° because it kicks off with a sample of dialog from the 1953 film It Came from Outer Space: "Did you know, Putnam, that more murders are committed at 92 Fahrenheit than any other temperature? I read an article once. Lower temperatures, people are easygoing. Over 92, it's too hot to move. But just 92, people get irritable!" Check out the clip here.

"Cities in Dust," the lead single, was the band's first significant success in the States, climbing to #17 on the US Hot Dance/Disco chart. There are several delicious remixes of this track, including the Extended Eruption Mix and the rather danceable Herb's Banshee Tribute Remix. No cool remixes for "Candyman", but how about this mesmerizing live performance from 1987?

For your full album enjoyment, we have two playlists. The first embedded YouTube playlist has the eight tracks of the original vinyl and cassette release. The second one includes the bonus tracks from the 1986 CD release. If you remember Tinderbox, it's time to blow the dust off your memories like I did. If you're new to Siouxsie, prepare yourself to experience a post-punk band at their absolute peak.

Flashback 1: Tinderbox (original 8-song vinyl and cassette release)

Flashback 2: Tinderbox (1986 CD with bonus tracks)

That's all till next week. Dedicated 80s-philes can find more flashbacks in the Prophet or Madman archives or via Bookended's 80s Flashback tag. As always, your comments are welcome on today's, or any other, flashback post. And if you like what I'm doing here, please share the link with your friends. If, however, you don't like the flashback, feel free to share it with your enemies.

I'll see you in seven!

Friday, April 17, 2026

Friday 80s Flashback for April 17, 2026

[Turbo Land] -- Forty years ago, in April 1986, two bands that could not be more different from each other released new albums into their respective catalogs. One was a dreamy, ethereal experience. The other was a harsher, yet glammed up, experiment with a then new instrument. I'm talking about Victorialand by Cocteau Twins and Turbo by Judas Priest.

Turbo – Judas Priest released the US version of their 10th studio album 40 years ago this week on April 14, 1986; it had already been released in the UK as of April 7, 1986. Much more glam than their previous releases, this record also found Judas Priest's guitarists experimenting with guitar synthesizers, specifically the Roland G-707 Guitar Synthesizer. That experimentation, which did result in a more pop-friendly sound served with some cheesy lyrics, did not seem to adversely impact commercial viability. Turbo sold well enough for Gold certification, and it reached #33 in the UK while also peaking at #17 on Billboard 200, their highest charting to date (an achievement they would not exceed until 2005). It might be one of the most, if not the most, divisive album in Priest's catalog. Back in 2008, vocalist Rob Halford said:

The only agenda we've ever had in Priest was to really give every album its own life and I think we've achieved that on everything from Rocka Rolla up to the new one, Nostradamus. That said, if ever there was a controversial record in terms of what people might have expected from us, it's Turbo. It was the fact that we moved into a different atmosphere, but that's where we were at that particular time. Some of the technological advances like the pedal boards that Glenn and KK used were giving us options for different sounds and experimentation. Personally I think there are still some great tracks on that album ... It's one of the recordings that divide opinion. [Kerrang!. No. 1211. p. 52.]

The singles – "Turbo Lover", "Locked In", and "Parental Guidance" – all have hints (to my ears) of guitar synth, more as supportive layers than the primary focus. The more, shall we say aggressive, experiment with the Roland instrument is definitely "Out in the Cold", a ballad with not only heavy guitar-synth bordering on keyboards, but also a multi-tracking of Halford's vocals to a point I don't recall in prior songs. And, I have to admit, I quite like it. However, the use of guitar-synth in some of the other songs (such as "Hot for Love" and "Wild Nights, Hot & Crazy Days") feel like last-minute add-ons; in my opinion, those riffs could be removed from the mix and the song would not miss it.

Victorialand – Released in the UK on April 14, 1986, Victorialand was the fourth studio LP from the Scottish band, Cocteau Twins. The album peaked at #10 in the UK, but didn't chart anywhere else as best I can determine. As I mentioned in this post's intro, Victorialand is dreamy and ethereal. With song titles like "Lazy Calm", "Fluffy Tufts", and "Little Spacey", how could it be otherwise? The lyrics are largely indecipherable. But with these lush, acoustic arrangements, the vocals feel more like an additional instrument rather than poetry or even storytelling. This outing is pretty much the duo of Elizabeth Fraser (vocals) and Robin Guthrie (instruments/production) as bassist Simon Raymonde was no longer in the fold.

Victorialand received mixed reviews, but most critics were at least somewhat kind. Retrospectively, the Spin Alternative Record Guide (1995) judged the album as Cocteau Twins' "simplest" and "most beautiful". And it is, indeed, a beautiful listen. And while it might not demand much of your attention, you will come away with a richly rewarding experience.

Now, on to the music. 🎶

Flashback: Turbo (April 14, 1986)

Flashback #2: Earth Run (April 1986)

See you in seven!

Friday, April 10, 2026

Friday 80s Flashback for April 10, 2026

[The Other Side of Forty] -- In April of 1986, forty years ago this week, the Moody Blues released their 12th studio album, The Other Side of Life. Long time fans of the Moody Blues, those who had followed the band since the 1960s, might have been a bit disappointed, or even confused, by this release. The Other Side of Life found the band embracing synthesizers, sequencers, and drum machines over their usual more symphonic sound. But new fans flocked to the record. The Other Side of Life peaked at #9 on the US Billboard 200 albums chart and it went platinum, selling well over 1,000,000 units in the US alone. Of course, the Moody Blues later proved they still had those symphonic chops with a live performance at Red Rocks, Colorado (1992).

But, back to 1986 and The Other Side of Life.

"Your Wildest Dreams" was a massive hit for the band peaking at #9 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart. And the title track, "The Other Side of Life", reached #11 on the Mainstream Rock chart after being released as a single in August 1986. "The Other Side of Life" was decidedly more plodding and introspective than "Your Wildest Dreams", so you might not recall that one. But I bet you can hear the chorus of "Your Wildest Dreams" playing in your head now that you've read the title just a few times. Well, it's the very first track of this 40-year-old album, so if you join me in revisiting The Other Side of Life, you might purge that earworm by the time you finish the other songs. Among the rest of those songs, the non-single tracks I like are "Talkin', Talkin'" and "I Just Don't Care". How about you?

Flashback: The Other Side of Life (April 9, 1986)

See you in seven!

Friday, April 3, 2026

Friday 80s Flashback for April 3, 2026

[Digital Earth] -- Earlier this week, NASA’s Artemis II mission took to the skies for "the first crewed lunar flyby in more than 50 years" [nasa.gov]. And 40 years ago this week, Jean-Michel Jarre and Lee Ritenour each released albums that were filled with synths and digital instrumentation, but one aimed for the cosmos while the other was a bit more rooted (though no less futuristic in aim). Jarre's album, his eighth, was a floaty and spacey entry in his catalog. Ritenour's album, his fifteenth, is a solid but more earthborn piece of smooth jazz-fusion, noted for featuring a SynthAxe, an audio controller, first available in 1985, that had two sets of strings, one of which fretted like a standard guitar.

Rendez-Vous – First up, we have the second of two records that facilitated my introduction to Jean-Michel Jarre's catalog. The first was his 1984 release, Zoolook, which I previously featured on this very blog. Just like with Zoolook, I did not know about Rendez-Vous upon its April 1, 1986, release. I learned of Jarre's music through a resident assistant at PSU. He was a huge Jarre fan, and he was happy to share his record collection with anyone who might likewise take a shining to this pioneer of electronic and ambient music. The compositions are multi-layered, and run the gamut from happy, to sad, and then grief-stricken.

The grief comes from the fact that astronaut Ron McNair was supposed to play his saxophone for the album's final track, "Dernier Rendez-Vous (Ron's Piece)" (or "Last Rendez-Vous"), while he was aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger. This would have been the first piece of music recorded in space [connollyco.com]. However, on January 28, 1986, McNair and the entire Challenger crew were lost in the Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster. Jarre ultimately recorded the track with French jazz reedist Pierre Gossez and dedicated it to McNair and his crewmates.

Rendez-Vous reached #9 in the UK charts and #52 on the US Billboard 200. It also earned a Grammy nomination for Best New Age Album in 1987. Should have won, too.

Earth Run – Lee Ritenour's fifteenth studio album, Earth Run, came out quite possibly on the same day as Jean-Michel Jarre's Rendez-Vous, but most citations for its release date indicate only the month and year: April 1986. According to AllMusic, Ritenour dedicated this album to the First Earth Run, in which runners carried the torch of peace around the globe for 86 days. But the album is best known for Ritenour's use of a SynthAxe, and for featuring it so prominently on the album cover. The SynthAxe looks like a cross between a guitar and a video game console. It makes no sound on its own; it is solely used as a MIDI controller for various synthesizers.

Music critic Richard S. Ginell wrote that Ritenour's use of the SynthAxe lent a "peculiarly fuzzy, futuristic sound" to the album. Of course, Ritenour also played acoustic guitar, electric guitars, and electric classical guitar throughout the recording sessions. Earth Run is an overall smooth and accessible production, a pleasant background listening experience that presents little to no challenge for your attention, but can perhaps reward you with a lightened mood. I suppose that is why this album peaked at #10 on the Billboard Jazz Albums chart. Earth Run was nominated for, but did not win, a Grammy Award for Best Jazz Fusion Performance, Vocal or Instrumental. And the album's title track got nominated for Best Instrumental Composition.

Now, on to the music. 🎶

Flashback: Rendez-Vous (April 1, 1986)

Flashback #2: Earth Run (April 1986)

See you in seven!