Bookended by Cats: 2025

Friday, June 20, 2025

Friday 80s Flashback for June 20, 2025

[Jazz in a Half Shell] -- In early 1984, The Police called it quits. Breaking up a popular rock band at the height of their commercial success, and shortly after a colossal tour, probably didn't seem all that logical. I'm guessing that trading rock'n'roll stardom for a jazzier sound was even less logical. However, forty years ago this week – June 17, 1985 – Police bassist and vocalist, Sting, did just that when he released his debut solo studio album, The Dream of the Blue Turtles. Perhaps those surprised fans did not realize, or recall, that all three members of The Police had jazz backgrounds. In fact, Stewart Copeland has explained that he first saw Sting when the latter was performing with a jazz fusion outfit in Newcastle.

But Sting didn't want to necessarily make a jazz record as his first big solo outing. No, his "intention was to use musicians who had the finesse of playing jazz, but to make music without that label" (UCR, June 2015). And so, he recruited a brilliant set of musicians -- Branford Marsalis (saxophone), Kenny Kirkland (keyboards), Omar Hakim (drums) and Darryl Jones (bass) -- to create an album that was not stifled by what he viewed as the restrictive format of pop or rock. If the multiple singles, handful of Grammy nominations (Album of the Year, Best Male Pop Vocal Performance, Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, and Best Engineered Recording), and being a top 10 album around the world (including peaking at #3 in the UK and #2 on the US Billboard 200) are any indication, Sting succeeded. So, let's revisit this record and celebrated its 40th anniversary.

Track order in the embedded playlist (* indicates a single):

Side one
1. "If You Love Somebody Set Them Free" *
2. "Love Is the Seventh Wave" *
3. "Russians" *
4. "Children's Crusade"
5. "Shadows in the Rain"

Side two
6. "We Work the Black Seam" *
7. "Consider Me Gone"
8. "The Dream of the Blue Turtles"
9. "Moon over Bourbon Street" *
10. "Fortress Around Your Heart" *

Flashback: The Dream of the Blue Turtles (June 1985)

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!

Tuesday, June 17, 2025

The Meta in Metamorpho

There's a one-two punch of meta goodness in Metamorpho: The Element Man:

Simon Stagg's "Metamorpho file" is the Metamorpho entry (page 14) from Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe Volume XV.
Stagg's dialog makes a jab at the "genius" of using verbal prompts to make something in AI.

It's all on page 7 of Metamorpho: The Element Man #4:

Friday, June 13, 2025

Friday 80s Flashback for June 13, 2025

[Fabled Underground] -- There are a whole bunch of great albums that came out in June 1985. Well, maybe some of them are not so much great as fondly remembered, at least by me. So, as you might expect, I'm pulling another twofer this week, and the next few weeks will likely feature multiple releases as well. And while I did find a record that was released on June 13, 1985, I decided to focus on two releases from earlier in the week. One jazz and the other college rock. And what stellar records they are!

Black Codes – 40 years ago this week (June 9, 1985), Wynton Marsalis released Black Codes (From the Underground). This was Marsalis' fourth studio album as a band leader, and it might be his best recording from this period of his catalog. Black Codes won two Grammy Awards: Best Instrumental Jazz Performance and Individual or Group and Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Soloist. Wynton Marsalis wrote all but one of the tracks, with many of them influenced by his engagement in injustice and American race relations. And the record is something of a family affair with Wynton's brother, Branford, pulling double duty by contributing both tenor and soprano saxophone. Whatever verb you like to use for classic jazz applies to Wynton's band on this outing: they cook, they swing, and they grab you by your lapels and shake you thoroughly before letting you down somewhat gently. "Black Codes marks the time in young Wynton’s career when he moved from being a Blakey/Hancock prodigy and started to stake out his own ground" (Jazzwise, 100 Albums That Shook the World).

Fables of the Reconstruction – Also 40 years ago this week (June 10, 1985), Athens, GA, darlings R.E.M. dropped their third studio album, Fables of the Reconstruction. Packaging, particularly as far as the LP is concerned, is unclear as to whether the album is actually titled Fables of the Reconstruction or Reconstruction of the Fables. Perhaps, side A is Fables of the Reconstruction and side two, which is labeled "another side," is Reconstruction of the Fables (per the display on each side). Anyway, both contemporary and retrospective reviews of Fables are largely favorable. And while there is an impression that the band members dislike the record, that does not necessarily appear to be the case. There were three singles – "Can't Get There from Here", "Driver 8", and "Wendell Gee" – to varying, but not stunning, chart success. Fables peaked at #28 on the Billboard 200, and #35 on the UK Albums Chart, the band's first time breaking the top 40 in the UK.

Which album will you be spinning on this NO KINGS weekend?

Flashback #1: Black Codes (From the Underground) (June 9, 1985)

Flashback #2: Fables of the Reconstruction (June 10, 1985)

See you in seven!

Friday, June 6, 2025

Friday 80s Flashback for June 6, 2025

[Summer Shop] -- This week's Flashback album is Our Favorite Shop. According to Wikipedia, it was released June 8, 1985. However, there are other sources citing either May 9 or May 13 of 1985 as the release date. Also of note, the US version of this record was released under the title, Internationalists, with a different track listing. Whatever the date, album title, or song order, this album hits the 40 year mark as of this weekend, so it's fair game for my theme.

Our Favorite Shop was the second album by the English sophisti-pop band called The Style Council. This band was a joint project from Mick Talbot (keyboards) and Paul Weller (vocals), the latter of whom had been the lead vocalist, principal songwriter and guitarist of the Jam. Both Talbot and Weller were interested in exploring artier, jazzier directions, and The Style Council was their vehicle for that exploration. Our Favorite Shop was their most commercially successful album with three of its singles peaking in UK's top 40 charts. It also reached the #1 position on UK's album charts, but only squeaked into the US Billboard 200 at #123.

"Walls Come Tumbling Down!", "Come to Milton Keynes", and "The Lodgers" were all top 40 singles in the UK, with "Walls Come Tumbling Down!" actually peaking at #6. None of them charted in the US, but they did have some success in other countries, notably Ireland and New Zealand. One of my favorite songs on this album is "Homebreakers", probably because of memories associated with singing along to it with friends in North Halls at PSU. "All Gone Away", "A Stones Throw Away", and "The Stand Up Comic's Instructions" are also non-single standouts in my opinion.

Flashback: Our Favorite Shop (June 1985)

See you in seven!

Friday, May 30, 2025

Friday 80s Flashback for May 30, 2025

[Nervous Brothers] -- I'm ending the last week of May with another two-fer flashback. Both of these albums were released, as best I can tell, earlier in the month.

Nervous Night – Released on May 6, 1985, this was the sophomore record by Philadelphia's own 80s rock band, The Hooters. It was a highly successful album featuring three hit singles: "And We Danced", "Day by Day", and "All You Zombies". Those three tracks are among The Hooters' biggest and best-known hits, with "And We Danced" nearly cracking the top 20 of the US Billboard Hot 100. "Hanging on a Heartbeat" (a non single and one of my favorites on this record) and "Where Do The Children Go" also got significant airplay, especially on college radio; at least that was my experience while attending Penn State.

Brothers in Arms – On May 16, 1985, Dire Straits released their fifth studio LP, Brothers in Arms. It was the first CD album to break one million sales, and audiophiles still use its tracks for testing speakers and other hi-fi equipment [Source: whathifi.com]. I would, of course, be remiss if I did not mention "Money For Nothing," a #1 hit in the US, as well as top 40 around the world, plus a bonafide music video sensation. You're probably hearing Sting's cameo performance of "I want my, I want my, I want my MTV" in your head right now, aren't you? Oh, and two other singles – "So Far Away" and "Walk of Life" – also performed well on the charts. Brothers in Arms peaked at #1 on the US Billboard 200, and it topped the charts in a few other countries, too. While the album initially received not-so-favorable reviews, it went on to be one of Dire Straits' most successful records, and it has even appeared on several best albums lists, including Rolling Stones' 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

What are your favorite tracks from either of these records?

Flashback #1: Nervous Night (May 6, 1985)

Flashback #2: Brothers in Arms (May 16, 1985)

See you in seven!

Tuesday, May 27, 2025

The New Gods #6 (2024): And Then There Is The Darkness

There may be some who dislike the change in art throughout THE NEW GODS #6, but I felt that the Racer's story in this issue was quite beautiful.

Image: The New Gods #6, bottom panel of digital page 9.

Text in the Racer's three word balloons:

The concerns of the living are for you no more. There are many perils between here and the end of our journey.
Unborn and unliving concepts roam the Waiturnum current. Ready to devour the real, the existing, to imbibe some of their essence -- to break through into the world outside.
And then there is the darkness.

This issue is, apparently, the first appearance of the Waiturnum, some kind of continuum or channel beyond the dimensions that living beings know.

Friday, May 23, 2025

Friday 80s Flashback for May 23, 2025

[Low Wishes] -- I apologize for not posting a flashback last week. To make up for that omission, I'm sharing a two-fer flashback this week. In both cases, the album was the third studio release from its respective band. And, aside from the month/year combo, that's the end of any similarities between the two.

Low-Life – Released 40 years ago last week week (May 13, 1985), this record was the third studio album from New Order. Bernard Sumner (vocals and guitar), Peter Hook (bass), and Stephen Morris (drums) had formed New Order in the ashes of Joy Division. And Low-Life marked probably the highpoint of the band's blending of post-punk, synth, and dance pop. While the album peaked at only #94 on the Billboard 200, it was top 40 or better in several other countries, including hitting #7 on the UK Albums and #1 on the UK Independent Albums charts respectively. There were only two official singles from this album – "The Perfect Kiss" (the single was over 10min long while an edited version appears on the album) and "Sub-culture" – both of which charted well here in the US and across the pond. Low-Life received positive reviews in 1985, and it continues to receive critical praise, which you can read here.

7 Wishes – Dropping just before the summer of 1985 – 40 years ago this week on May 20, 1985 – 7 Wishes continued Night Ranger's hard-rocking path in the vein of 1982's Dawn Patrol and 1983's Midnight Madness. 7 Wishes peaked at #10 on the Billboard 200, and it went platinum. In addition to the three hit singles, this album included "Interstate Love Affair," a tune that appeared on the soundtrack for the 1984 film, Teachers. Speaking of Billboard Hot 100 hits, 7 Wishes included: "Sentimental Street" (#8), "Four in the Morning" (#19), and "Goodbye" (#17). Of course, with the latest Flashback date occurring one day after my late father's birthday, I had to find a way to include "Goodbye," the song that concluded my Flashback post for May 3, 2013, the day of his death.

Which album do you recall, or still listen to: Low-Life or 7 Wishes? Maybe both?

Flashback #1: Low-Life (May 13, 1985)

Flashback #2: 7 Wishes (May 20, 1985)

See you in seven!

Tuesday, May 20, 2025

Tara Normal

"What an excellent day for an exorcism." So says this unnamed priest in a panel from TARA NORMAL #1 by Howie Noel (July 2013).

I've been going through my backlog of Comixology books on Kindle, and I just thought this panel was hilarious.

Image: A comic panel in which a priest is driving a car. We can see his face in profile, as well as his collar and his left arm. The driver's side window is also visible. The priest's word balloon says, "What an excellent day for an exorcism." Through his driver's side window, one can see it is raining, and read a welcome sign that he must be driving past-- "Welcome to St. Catherine of Siena Hospital for the Insane."

Friday, May 9, 2025

Friday 80s Flashback for May 9, 2025

[I Want My DTV] -- I wanted to maintain my weekly exploration of releases that turn 40 years old this year, while also having it intersect with the fact that I'm currently in Disney World for my own anniversary. So, this week's Flashback celebrates the 1985 VHS release of DTV: Love Songs. DTV was kind of Disney's MTV. It premiered on May 5, 1984, and it featured music videos created by Walt Disney Productions. These videos took hit songs and set them to Disney animation. In April 1985, 40 years ago, Disney released a compilation of those videos in VHS format – DTV: Love Songs (1985) VHS.

The 1985 VHS collection had a playlist of 14 songs:

Juice Newton: Love's Been a Little Bit Hard on Me
The Temptations: Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)
Elvis Presley: All Shook Up
The Marvellettes: Don't Mess with Bill
Stevie Wonder: My Cherie Amour
Gene Chandler: Duke of Earl
The Drifters: Some Kind of Wonderful
Mary Wells: Two Lovers
The Marvellettes: Too Many Fish in the Sea
Dee Clark: Raindrops
The Temptations: Ain't Too Proud to Beg
Odis Redding: Try a Little Tenderness
Yes: Owner of a Lonely Heart
Sister Sledge: We Are Family

As you can see, some of the songs were 1980s hits, while others were older. The embedded YouTube playlist is missing only "All Shook Up" by Elvis Presley due to a copyright claim (it's noted in the video description). If you're a completist, the entry for DTV Love Songs on Internet Archive has the full playlist.

Flashback: DTV: Love Songs (April 1985)

See you in seven!

Saturday, May 3, 2025

A Transformed Impression

I'm really not a Transformers fan. But I somehow had a digital copy of Transformers: Autocracy - Collected Edition in my Kindle library. I'm guessing I had a special deal or a discount code back in the days of Comixology. So, I read it. And I enjoyed it. The art is fantastic, and it is a well plotted origin story of the Autobot/Decepticon conflict. But more than fleshing out the background of the conflict, this 12-chapter run provides an origin story of Autobot leader Optimus Prime (from humble origins as Autobot officer Orion Pax).

It's also kind of inspiring in how Optimus Prime learns about oneness and freedom.

Here are pages 85 and 86 from the collected edition.

Transformers: Autocracy – Collected, p85
(Prime in the Undergrid, finding the Matrix)

Transformers: Autocracy – Collected, p86
("I am Optimus Prime, and I have a world to set free.")

Friday, May 2, 2025

Friday 80s Flashback for May 2, 2025

[Be Your Bad Guy] -- I have not featured a two-fer flashback since the end of February, so I think I'm due. And even though we've just entered the month of May, I'm still not finished featuring April releases. So, both of this week's albums are from the end of April. We have a duo and a solo act this week. And both records were successful, though you might be more familiar with one than the other. I'm just guessing.

Be Yourself Tonight – Released 40 years ago this week (April 29, 1985), Be Yourself Tonight is Eurythmics' fourth studio album. It was their most commercially successful album. So, of the two albums featured this week, this is the one that most 80sphiles recall, at least when compared against this week's other album. That's my guess and I'm sticking with it. And I'm sticking with that guess because, in addition to that commercial success, Be Yourself Tonight is "one of the best rock/pop albums from the 1980s and one of the grandest, most creative albums delivered by the ever-appealing and innovative" duo known as Eurythmics [per Jose F. Promis on AllMusic]. This album was nominated for two Billboard Music Awards and the Brit Award for British Album of the Year. And two singles were nominated for Grammy Awards in 1986. Speaking of singles, there were a total of four released singles – "Would I Lie to You?", "There Must Be an Angel (Playing with My Heart)", "Sisters Are Doin' It for Themselves" (a duet with Aretha Franklin) and "It's Alright (Baby's Coming Back)" – and three of the four did really well on the charts. In fact, I'll bet you're singing one of them, probably "Would I Lie to You?", in your head as you read this, right? Oh, and as I recall, "I Love You Like a Ball and Chain" was not a single, but it did get some airplay, and rightfully so.

Mr. Bad Guy – During a proposed break from band activities starting in 1983, Queen's frontman Freddie Mercury started dabbling in recording sessions. Or, perhaps, he did more than merely dabble, depending on how much free time there was as other Queen activities did pop up (The Works and The Works Tour in 1984, for example). Anyway, Mercury's recording sessions stretched from early 1983 through January 1985. After Mercury completed 11 tracks, all of which written solely by himself, he was ready to release his first solo studio album. So, after 15 years of fronting Queen, Freddie Mercury released Mr. Bad Guy. The UK release occurred 40 years ago this week – on April 29, 1985 – while the US release occurred about a week later, on May 7, 1985. As Mercury's voice is instantly recognizable, and he had been working with Queen for 15 years, some aspects of Queen's sound do slip through. Mercury also worked with synth-pop, dance music, and disco influences, making this a decidedly post-disco record (in my estimation, YMMV). And a good one at that. Mr. Bad Guy barely made it into the Billboard 200, peaking at #159. But it peaked at #6 on the UK Albums chart, and it also made it into the top 40 of several other countries. Mr. Bad Guy was by no means a chart-topper, and even the four singles had middling chart success. Still, I think it's always a pleasure to listen to a singular vocal talent like the late Freddy Mercury. Fave tracks of mine include "Let's Turn It On", "I Was Born to Love You", "Made In Heaven", "Living On My Own", and "Love Me Like There’s No Tomorrow".

Did you have either Be Yourself Tonight or Mr. Bad Guy? Or both?

Flashback #1: Be Yourself Tonight (April 29, 1985)

Flashback #2: Mr. Bad Guy (April 29, 1985)

See you in seven!

Friday, April 25, 2025

Friday 80s Flashback for April 25, 2025

[Around the World in 40 years] -- Nine years ago this week, we lost the creative force known as Prince (June 7, 1958 – April 21, 2016). Also this week, but forty years ago, Prince had released his seventh studio album, Around the World in a Day. This LP, the third with the backing band known as The Revolution, was quite the departure from 1984's Purple Rain, the album (and movie) that had pretty much made Prince a worldwide sensation. Prince and the Revolution took their collective musical vehicle, cranked hard on the steering wheel, and careened directly into a world of psychedelic and textured pop.

That seemingly abrupt style change might have bewildered the vast array of newer fans, but those who stuck around were rewarded. Yeah, Prince was experimenting here, but he did so with flair and purpose.

Commercially, the album succeeded, reaching the #1 spot on the Billboard 200. This made it the second outing by Prince and the Revolution to do so. And two of the album's four singles topped the charts, too, with both "Raspberry Beret" and "Pop Life" reaching the Billboard Hot 100's top ten.

Other standout gems on this record include the title track, the serene "Condition of the Heart," and the perfectly and politically charged "America."

Flashback: Around the World in a Day (April 22, 1985)

See you in seven!

Friday, April 18, 2025

Friday 80s Flashback for April 19, 2025

[Love Not Money] -- Fifteen years ago this week, British band Everything but the Girl released their second studio album, Love Not Money. This album represented a stylistic change as the band – primarily the duo of Tracey Thorn and Ben Watt – embraced serious themes and politicized lyrics driven by the polish of sophisticated pop. It is perhaps a more dour listen than their jazzy debut, but it is rewarding, at least in my opinion.

Love Not Money peaked at #10 on the UK album charts. The album's two singles, "When All's Well" and "Angel," peaked at #77 and #93 respectively on the UK Singles Chart. In addition to the two singles, "Trouble and Strife" is also a standout.

Flashback: Love Not Money (April 15, 1985)

See you in seven!

Monday, April 14, 2025

Prez Was Prescient

"With the election in chaos and a Congress mired in corruption, Twitter sensation @corndoggirl becomes the first teenaged President of the United States!"

Damn if that just doesn't mirror politics-as-reality-TV that we've suffered through since 2016. Interestingly, the above quote is a description of the second Prez comics series (Prez, Vol. 2), which ran from August 2015 through February 2016. The 2015-2016 series was an update of the 1973-1974 comic series (Prez, Vol. 1). Both series were published by DC Comics. Probably the most direct connection between those comics and modern day politics, whether the 1970s or post-2016, is the shady businessman Boss Smiley, a political boss with a smiley face for a head who appears in both series.

Sure, the second series is a more direct satire on modern politics, what with it intertwining social media, particularly the former bird app, with elections. Considering the past few months, that take kinda makes the second series feel prescient, no?

Image description (for collage at top of post): Starting in the top left and moving clockwise, we have the cover for Prez, Vol. 1 #1 (1973); a panel from that issue featuring Boss Smiley; cover of Prez, Vol. 2 #2; and the vol 2 version of Boss Smiley.

Friday, April 11, 2025

Friday 80s Flashback for April 11, 2025

[Fin(ished) 40 Years Ago] -- Crispy Ambulance is a post-punk band out of Manchester, England. And, aside from a few gaps, they have been active since 1977. Their 1980s catalog includes one studio LP and two live albums. And one of those live albums was released 40 years ago this week!

Fin was released in 1985, three years after Crispy Ambulance first disbanded. It is a live album of the songs from their later period (that is, the late period of their first incarnation, 1977 - 1982). These songs were all recorded as live performances around Europe and the UK between 1981 and 1982. The album's title comes from the fact that the band had already called it a day by the time this record came out – that is, they were fin(ished), get it?

In addition to playing their own songs, most of which were previously unrecorded, they also perform a great cover of Throbbing Gristle's "United." One of the standouts here is their own "The Plateau Phase," which oddly does not appear on the album of the same name. "Deaf" is also great, and I love that vocalist Hempsall introduces it by saying, "Here's a song you might just know...It's Howdy Doody time!"

Last year, Crispy Ambulance re-released 12 of Fin's tracks on the combo live album, Fin + Frozen Blood, on Bandcamp.

Flashback: Fin (April 9, 1985)

See you in seven!

Thursday, April 10, 2025

That's So 90s: Yakety Yak (Take It Back)

That's So 90s: Yakety Yak (Take It Back)

When Earth Day rolls around this year, it will be celebrating its 55th anniversary. Less auspicious, perhaps, is that 2025 is also the 34th anniversary of "Yakety Yak (Take It Back)." MTV premiered the music video on National Recycling Day, April 10, 1991 (34 years ago today!). For this music video, the Take It Back Foundation retooled the classic Coasters song, "Yakety Yak," and created a public service announcement with a message about recycling.

Video Links:

Music video (3:38)
Clip (0:55)
Full promo video (46:20):

More info about "Yakety Yak (Take It Back)"...

Image description (for image at top of post): Screen capture from the music video showing the animated Yakety Yak character.

Friday, April 4, 2025

Friday 80s Flashback for April 4, 2025

[Strawberry Switchblade] -- We are kicking off the first weekend of April 2025 with an all but forgotten relic of 1980s synth-pop. 40 years ago this week, the new wave duo Strawberry Switchblade released their eponymous debut album. It is also their only studio album. While it did peak at #25 in the UK, and it featured a top ten single in "Since Yesterday," this record plummeted rather quickly and remained in the basement for much of its shelf life.

In addition to Strawberry Switchblade's spotty commercial success, it also received mixed reviews. Some critics disdained it as too lightweight and overly sweet. Others praised the duo's talent and compared them favorably to, though not in the same league as, Cocteau Twins. Maybe it just got lost in the rush of other records released in the same year. I mean, there are catchy tunes to be found here, and I think this debut shows promise. Buried beneath the synth riffs and bubbly keyboard notes are hints of darkness, heavy longing, and sadness. So, I feel that it's too easy to just dismiss Strawberry Switchblade. Other bands with weaker debuts went on to release really great art. This duo just didn't get a similar chance to develop and evolve as musicians and lyricists.

The single is the standout, of course. But I also recommend "Who Knows What Love Is," "Let Her Go," "Another Day," and "Deep Water." (Maybe even in that order).

Flashback: Strawberry Switchblade (April 5, 1985)

See you in seven!

Saturday, March 29, 2025

Absolutely Martian

I don't know if it's my favorite (yet) of the Absolute universe, but the opening volley of Absolute Martian Manhunter definitely made a case for it.

Strong concept.

Excellent script.

Fantastic art.

Oh, and this issue absolutely (heh) makes a case for owning and reading the comic in paper rather than digital format. I won't spoil why I say that.

Absolute Martian Manhunter #1 is currently on the stands.

Creative team:

Deniz Camp (writer)
Javier Rodríguez (artist, colorist)
Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou (letterer)
Katie Kubert (editor)

Description of images used in this post:

Top of post: Absolute Martian Manhunter logo in gren.
Bottom of post: A page from Absolute Martian Manhunter #1. Agent Jones is experiencing strange, colorful smoke that no one else seems to notice.

Friday, March 28, 2025

Friday 80s Flashback for March 28, 2025

[Still Feeling the Heat] -- Forty years ago this week, The Power Station released their eponymous debut album. Well, technically, the release formats were also part of the release name: So, there was The Power Station 331⁄3 for the vinyl album and The Power Station CD for the compact disc. But we'll simply use The Power Station for the duration of this post.

This studio supergroup was one half Duran Duran (guitarist Andy Taylor and bassist John Taylor), one quarter Chic (drummer Tony Thompson), and one quarter ... well ... Robert Palmer (vocalist). Oh, and Bernard Edwards, who was also part of Chic with Tony Thompson, came on board as the recording producer. Initially, the project was a bit of a lark, something for the Taylors to do while Duran Duran went on a planned, extended hiatus. But it became something more once Robert Palmer joined the proceedings.

More bombastic than the standard, polished synth fare of Duran Duran, The Power Station was a commercial success, peaking at #12 on the UK Albums Chart and #6 on the US Billboard 200. This success was due in part to two monster hits, both of which soared into the top 40 globally: "Some Like It Hot" and a cover of T. Rex's "Get It On (Bang a Gong)." "Communication," a third single that was not nearly as successful, and "Go To Zero," a non-single track, are two of my personal faves from this record.

Unfortunately, we never got to see this quartet perform live (with the exception of an appearance as musical guests for the February 16, 1985, episode of Saturday Night Live). By the time someone got the idea of a Power Station tour, Robert Palmer was in the studio recording his eighth solo album, and therefore unavailable due to join the other three on the road. Instead, Michael Des Barres handled vocal duties for the 1985 Summer Tour. (Of course, I always remember Des Barres as MacGyver's enemy, Murdoc, rather than as a rock star, but he's got the chops.)

Flashback #1: "The Power Station (March 25, 1985)

See you in seven!

Friday, March 21, 2025

Friday 80s Flashback for March 21, 2025

[Waves of Sunshine] -- Katrina and the Waves released their third, and self-titled, studio album 40 years ago this weekend, on March 22, 1985. Interestingly, their very first album was titled Walking on Sunshine while their second was simply Katrina and the Waves 2. This seemingly reverse chronological naming scheme makes some sense once you realize the third album, the band's first with a major label, consisted entirely of re-mixed (or at least recycled) tracks from the first two LPs. Four of the tracks on this 1985 release were from their 1983 debut album, including this album's big hit, "Walking on Sunshine," while the rest were from their 1984 album.

And the gambit worked, probably with some help from marketing and MTV.

While the prior albums were largely ignored, Katrina and the Waves (1985) peaked in the top 30 of both the US and the UK. And it was successful in several other countries. The aforementioned "Walking on Sunshine" was a top 40 hit worldwide, peaking at #8 and #9 on the UK Singles and US Billboard Hot 100 charts respectively. The remaining tracks are serviceable 1980s fare, with "Do You Want Crying," "Machine Gun Smith," and "The Sun Won't Shine Without You" being the unreleased standouts, in my opinion. Oh, and a previously released single, "Going Down To Liverpool," is probably best known for the 1984 cover by The Bangles.

For giggles, I'll list the tracks on Katrina and the Waves and indicate which ones originally appeared on either Katrina and the Waves 2 (1984) or Walking on Sunshine (1983):

Red Wine And Whisky *
Do You Want Crying *
Que Te Quiero ‡
Machine Gun Smith ‡
Cry For Me *
Walking On Sunshine ‡
Going Down To Liverpool ‡
Mexico *
The Sun Won't Shine *
Game Of Love *

* from Katrina and the Waves 2, 1984

‡ from Walking on Sunshine, 1983

Flashback: Katrina and the Waves (March 22, 1985)

See you in seven!

Friday, March 14, 2025

Friday 80s Flashback for March 14, 2025

[Still Dreaming of Action] -- Forty years ago this week, Howard Jones dropped his second studio album, Dream Into Action (March 11, 1985). It peaked at #2 on the UK Albums chart, reached the top ten of the Billboard 200, and did well in several other countries. In addition to climbing album charts, this album had four singles. And two of them – "Things Can Only Get Better" and "Life in One Day" – did very well commercially. The former hit #5 and #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and UK singles charts respectively, while the latter peaked at #14 in the UK and #19 in the US.

And before you as, yes, "No One Is to Blame" was originally part of this 1985 album, and it's my favorite track here. However, Jones didn't release it as a single until 1986, and it was a re-recorded version that later appeared on on his 1986 EP, Action Replay. So, now I'm left wondering whether I was primed to love the track when it reached the single charts, or I loved it from my first listen through of Dream Into Action. There are greater mysteries, to be sure, but might be pondering that question over the weekend.

Flashback: Dream Into Action (March 11, 1985)

See you in seven!

Friday, March 7, 2025

Friday 80s Flashback for March 7, 2025

[All the Fegging Time] -- I have no idea what Fegmania might be or mean outside of Robyn Hitchcock's discography, nor am I really all that curious about it. So, in this post, I'll be focused on Hitchcock's fourth studio album, Fegmania!, which was also his first with his backing band, The Egyptians. But you might have expected that from an 80s Flashback, right?

Released in March 1985 – quite possibly on March 1 per several sources – Fegmania! either has turned, or will turn, 40 years old as of this month. It is considered one of Hitchcock's best releases, and I'm inclined to agree. Not that you have to take my word for it. AllMusic retroactively gives Fegmania! 4 ½ out of five stars, saying the songs are "twitchy and off-kilter, with melodies that usually went in willfully unpredictable directions" and that the record was Hitchcock's "most consistent work to date." The Chicago Tribune rated it a solid 4 out of 4 stars, calling it "Hard pop with a twist." While Spin said the album had "unpredictably brilliant songs, synapse-bending lyrics, and vigorously inventive guitar" (Spin issue 3, p. 32, July 1985).

Despite garnering such critical acclaim, Fegmania! doesn't seem to have charted all that well; as far as I can tell, it didn't launch any singles either. That's weird to me. Even now, I feel that this album, with its post-punk pop and smattering of psychedelia, was perfect for the mid-1980s. I'm particularly fond of "Goodnight I Say," "The Man with the Lightbulb Head," "Egyptian Cream," and "Glass."

Flashback: "Fegmania! (March 7, 1985)

See you in seven!

Friday, February 28, 2025

Friday 80s Flashback for February 28, 2025

[This is Not the Big Chair] -- Well, it is the big chair. But it's not just the Big Chair this week. For the final week of February 2025, we have two albums that are celebrating the 40th anniversary of their respective release dates. One was released 40 years ago this week while the other hit that milestone last week. And, as with my prior twofers, these albums are quite different from each other.

The Falcon and the Snowman – First up is Pat Metheny Group's soundtrack album for the 1985 film The Falcon and the Snowman. This album was released on February 22, 1985, and as with much of Pat Metheny's catalog in the 1980s, it is jazz fusion with a bit of an atmospheric bent. This record also features some interesting collabs. Metheny and company worked with two classical outfits for much of the album. The National Philharmonic Orchestra appears on "Flight of the Falcon", "Extent of the Lie", "The Level of Deception", and "Capture" while the Ambrosian Choir appears on the opening and closing tracks, "Psalm 121" and "Epilogue (Psalm 121)." Ambrosian's contributions not only bookend the soundtrack, but also lent a very different vibe for Metheny. However, Ambrosian's contribution to the vibe was not nearly as different as this one other collaborator that impacts just one song on the album: David Bowie on "This is Not America." Bowie wrote lyrics and recorded vocals for a different version of the song to play over the film's credits. Bowie's participation was director John Schlesinger's suggestion, as Metheny himself reveals in his tribute to David Bowie on his site. In that post, Metheny tells the story of how Bowie worked on the song, and he shares his awe at Bowie's studio work. The embedded YouTube playlist below does not include the music video for the Metheny/Bowie collab, so I'll link that here for you.

Songs from the Big Chair – Next, we have the second studio LP from Tears for Fears. Released forty years ago this week, on February 25, 1985, this record was even more successful than their very successful 1983 debut. Between the US, UK, and international markets, six of Big Chair's eight tracks were released as singles. The album peaked at #2 in the UK and at #1 in the U.S., ultimately going multi-platinum. That success was driven by two huge singles, "Shout" and "Everybody Wants to Rule the World," both of which topped the US Billboard Hot 100. Oh, and a third single, "Head Over Heels," my personal favorite, also performed rather well internationally. Overall, Songs from the Big Chair garnered glowing reviews, was named one of the 1980s' best albums (by Slate and Pitchfork), and rocketed up charts around the world. The album even earned a nod in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.

So, did you have either, or both, of these records back in 1985?

Flashback #1: The Falcon and the Snowman (February 22, 1985)

Flashback #2: Songs from the Big Chair (February 25, 1985)

See you in seven!