Bookended by Cats: 2025

Friday, October 24, 2025

Friday 80s Flashback for October 24, 2025

[Simple Time] -- Forty years ago this week, Simple Minds released their seventh studio album, Once Upon a Time. The band was riding a high due to the huge success of "Don't You (Forget about Me)", featured in the closing credits of The Breakfast Club (February 1985). That song does not appear on Once Upon a Time, but its impact on the band's popularity cannot be ignored, and later rereleases do include it.

"Alive and Kicking" was the first single off this album, and it was another monster success for the band. It peaked at #3 and #2 in the US, on the US Billboard Hot 100 and US Mainstream Rock charts respectively; it also peaked at #7 in the UK and was a top 40 hit in multiple other countries. The next two singles – "Sanctify Yourself" and "All the Things She Said" – charted well in both the US and around the globe.

Ultimately, Once Upon a Time landed at #1 on the UK Albums Chart and #10 on the US Billboard 200. In addition to chart success, the album was also reviewed favorably. In Spin magazine, Armond White wrote: "Every cut is neat and punchy pomp... The album sucks up love, politics, and religion into a swirling vacuum of show-off musicianship" [Spin. No. 9. p. 28.]. Well said. Songwriting, musicianship, and production all combined to make for a solid 1980s album.

Flashback: Once Upon a Time (October 21, 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!

Friday, October 17, 2025

Friday 80s Flashback for October 17, 2025

[Jetting Like Thieves in Love with Falco] -- I'm doing something I haven't done since the middle of last month: Four albums in one Flashback. I'm still keeping with this year's overall theme, so all of them are, of course, from 1985, and they are all 40 years old by now. So, sit back, check that your volume it set to an appropriate level, and enjoy this double two-fer.

Listen Like Thieves – On October 14, 1985, INXS released their fifth studio album, Listen Like Thieves. This one was the band's international breakthrough. Driven by singles like "What You Need", "This Time", and the title track, Listen Like Thieves peaked at #11 on the US Billboard 200, #48 in the UK, and #24 on the Canadian Albums chart. In addition to being commercially successful, the album was largely a hit with critics as well, both in 1985 and retroactively. AllMusic, for example, stated that this album helped INXS complete "its transition into an excellent rock & roll singles band."

The Jets – The Jets released their self-titled debut on October 14, 1985. This Tongan-American family band of eight siblings from Minnesota started performing together in 1977, and they have performed together as recently as 2015. Thanks to MTV playing their videos in 1985 and 1986, "Curiosity" reached #8 on the Billboard R&B singles chart while "Crush on You" peaked at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Falco 3 – The Austrian singer and rapper, Falco, had his biggest hit record in the United States with the release of his third album. Falco 3 hit stores worldwide on October 15, 1985. It peaked at #3 on the Billboard 200 and at #18 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts. The album's success was largely propelled by the singles "Rock Me Amadeus" (with the music video channeling looks from the 1984 movie) and "Vienna Calling". The former was a top ten hit globally, including a stint at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and in the UK. The latter was also successful, reaching the top 20 in many countries including peaking at #18 on the Billboard Hot 100. He also covered Bob Dylan by recording the 1965 song, "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue", and he used the Cars's "Looking For Love" as the basis for "Munich Girls".

Love – The Cult released their second album, Love, on October 18, 1985. No sophomore slump here. This record was the band's breakthrough, fusing psychedelic rock and new wave goth with a shimmer of hard rock guitar. One would be forgiven for regarding two of the singles – "She Sells Sanctuary" and "Rain" – as the best tracks. And few songs have as great an opening as "She Sells Sanctuary." But I truly fell that "Brother Wolf, Sister Moon" and "Hollow Man" deserve some of your love, too. Love came in at #87 on the Billboard 200, and the singles did so-so in the US. But college radio really embraced The Cult with this release ... and their next two.

That's enough words. Let's get to the music. 🎶

Flashback #1: Listen Like Thieves (October 14, 1985)

Flashback #2: The Jets (October 14, 1985)

Flashback #3: Falco 3 (October 15, 1985)

Flashback #4: Love (October 18, 1985)

See you in seven!

Friday, October 10, 2025

Friday 80s Flashback for October 10, 2025

[7th Dream, 40 Years] -- Forty years ago this week – on October 11, 1985 – the trio called Love And Rockets burst onto the scene with their debut album, Seventh Dream of Teenage Heaven. This trio took their name from a popular comic series, and while they were a new entity debuting in 1985, they did have previous experience performing and even recording together. You see, these three musicians had been the guitarist (Daniel Ash), drummer (Kevin Haskins), and bassist (David J) for gloomy gothic rockers, Bauhaus (1978-1983). For simplicity's sake, I'm overlooking both Ash's and Haskins' pre-Love And Rockets involvement in another Bauhaus side project, Tones On Tail. Anyway, as the new trio gelled, Ash took on lead vocals with support from David J. And, while this new band carried on some of the darkness of their former outfit, they did so with more of a pop sensibility.

Now, if you remember Love And Rockets, but not their debut, you are forgiven. Neither this album nor its lone single, "If There's a Heaven Above", charted in any appreciable manner, though college radio did its level best to help. Still, along with a cover of "Ball of Confusion", released earlier in 1985 as a non-album single, the band could boast a pair of singles that served as their strong introduction to the record-buying public. At the very least, Seventh Dream of Teenage Heaven piqued interest among the nascent 80s-psychedelic fans. And even without a long resume of hit singles, this record is far from filler. In particular, "The Dog-End of a Day Gone By", "Haunted When the Minutes Drag", and the title track all shine.

Was this record your first experience of Love And Rockets?

Flashback: Seventh Dream of Teenage Heaven (October 11, 1985)

See you in seven!

Friday, October 3, 2025

Friday 80s Flashback for October 3, 2025

[Basically Chameleons] -- 40 years ago this week, English post-punk rockers The Chameleons released their sophomore studio album, What Does Anything mean? Basically. With only one single, "Singing Rule Britannia (While the Walls Close In)," this album was well liked by many critics. However, its wall of sound – featuring digital delays, pedals, and other studio wizardry – was a bit too much production for some fans and critics. One such critic, Chris Jenkins, called this album "as half-baked as its title" in the 2003 book, The Rough Guide to Rock (page 182). I find What Does Anything mean? Basically to be a great record. It's perfect to have spinning in the background, but it also reveals additional layers (particularly of existentialism and introspection) upon a close track-by-track listen. Definitely a gem.

Neither the album nor its lone single charted, at least not as far as I can tell. The Chameleons didn't release a music video either. So, even with some positive reviews, What Does Anything mean? Basically never gained much traction with the larger record buying public. And I think that's a shame because there's plenty of "Looking Inwardly" that would have lyrically resonated with music fans in the mid-1980s, particularly those of us who were in college at the time. Other excellent tracks on this album include "Intrigue In Tangiers," "Return Of The Roughnecks" (I love the slight guitar growl of the intro, just before the bass and drums kick in), and "Home Is Where The Heart Is."

I don't know the precise date I found my copy of this record, but I do know it was a few years after the actual release. And while the "when" is hazy, the "where" is more solid: I'm pretty sure I found the record in the discount bin at a record shop that used to be on College Avenue in downtown State College, PA (National Record Mart? Maybe). Yes, I bought it on vinyl! And, yes, I still have the LP record (and it's not scratched).

So, to celebrate this album's 40th anniversary, let's spin the whole thing! Use the embedded video below, or click a track's start time to access it directly on YouTube.

Flashback: What Does Anything mean? Basically (October 2, 1985)

01. 00:00 Silence, Sea and Sky 02. 02:01 Perfume Garden 03. 06:41 Intrigue in Tangiers 04. 11:59 Return of the Roughnecks 05. 15:27 Singing Rule Britannia 06. 19:47 On the Beach 07. 24:01 Looking Inwardly 08. 28:35 One Flesh 09. 33:02 Home Is Where the Heart Is 10. 38:57 P.S. Goodbye Bonus Track 11. 42:02 In Shreds 12. 46:14 Nostalgia

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, September 26, 2025

Friday 80s Flashback for September 26, 2025

[Tim is 40] -- It's no secret that The Replacements (or, simply, The 'Mats, short for "The Placemats," to their fans) are probably my favorite in the category of what I refer to as the "sloppy" American rock & roll bands. According to drummer Chris Mars, the band's name reflected their sense of a secondary status: "Like maybe the main act doesn't show, and instead the crowd has to settle for an earful of us dirtbags" [Azerrad, Michael. Our Band Could Be Your Life. 2001. p. 199]. Sporting a combination of the arena blues-rock and post-punk, The 'Mats were never commercially successful, but they did receive critical accolades and have been cited as a major influence for many bands.

And this month, their fourth studio LP, Tim, turns 40 years old.

True to form, Tim received critical acclaim but middling success. So, while the album did chart on the Billboard Top 200, peaking at #183, two singles – "Bastards of Young" and "Kiss Me on the Bus" – made no such inroads. But rather than languish on the dust heap of history, Tim has been included on several best of the 1980s lists [Pitchfork, Slant, Rolling Stone, Pop Matters, and Alternative Press], albeit retrospectively, of course.

My favorite tracks are, in no particular order: "Hold My Life", "Kiss Me on the Bus", "Waitress in the Sky", "Bastards of Young" (their only track to have an official-ish video), "Left of the Dial" (an ode to college radio), and "Little Mascara". Oh, Hel, I love the entire album, really.

In 2023, Rhino reissued the album as Tim: Let It Bleed Edition. This five-disc set (four CDs and an LP) includes a new mix, alternate takes, demos, liner notes, and so much more. And, yes, I ordered a copy right after I read the news of this release (September 23, 2023, between 10 and 11pm Eastern).

Flashback: Tim (September 18, 1985)

See you in seven!

Friday, September 19, 2025

Friday 80s Flashback for September 19, 2025

[The Back 40] -- The first-ever Farm Aid concert made history on Sunday, September 22, 1985. That was 40 years ago. Since then, the nonprofit organization has put in Nearly 40 Years of Action for Family Farmers. And there will be a new concert, Farm Aid 40, on September 20, 2025, to continue the work and celebrate the past 40 years. In fact, you can watch a livestream of the anniversary concert on YouTube starting at 3:15pm CST here.

Amazing that it is still rolling, 40 years on.

Back in September of 1985, Willie Nelson and friends took inspiration from Live Aid and organized Farm Aid as a music festival to raise money specifically for American farmers. According to the website, the organization's mission "is to build a vibrant, family farm-centered system of agriculture in America." It's likely they thought that one concert – held at Memorial Stadium, University of Illinois, in Champaign, Illinois – would suffice. It did not. And, so, Farm Aid continues its efforts and holds an annual festival (don't forget to check out the Farm Aid 40 Livestream).

But what about that first concert, huh?

Well, that one featured just over 60 artists, according to the Concert Archives website. There are plenty of playlists and separate videos of the various Farm Aid sets. The embedded video below is supposed to be the full concert, and it is over 4 hours long. And cross-referencing the performances against set lists of available DVDs (like this one), seem to match up. So, if you want to revisit a huge concert featuring acts like Bon Jovi, X, Bob Dylan, Alabama, Brian Setzer, Joni Mitchell, John Mellencamp, Bonnie Raitt, and more, click the play link on the following video.

And support your local farmers!

Flashback: Farm Aid - September 22, 1985

See you in seven!

Friday, September 12, 2025

Friday 80s Flashback for September 12, 2025

[Flip Your Alibi Knee Deep in Arrest] -- I'm featuring a total of four albums on this second Friday of September, 2025. That's a two-fer of a two-fer, right? Or maybe a double two-fer? Anyway, all four of these albums are from 1985, so they turned 40 years old this year.

Flip Your Wig – On September 1, 1985, Hüsker Dü released their fourth studio album, Flip Your Wig. I did not purchase my vinyl copy of Flip Your Wig until 1986, but I did experience the record's one and only single, "Makes No Sense At All", back in 1985 as my introduction to this band. The B-side for this single was a cover of "Love Is All Around", the theme song to The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Music videos were made for both songs, and I caught the one for "Makes No Sense At All" one late night while watching MTV. I never saw the second video until years later, though I do have a mini-CD of the single and B-side. You can now see the videos for "Makes No Sense At All" / "Love Is All Around" back to back. "Makes No Sense At All" reached #2 on the UK Indie Chart, while the album Flip Your Wig peaked at #1 on the UK Indie Album Chart. This wasn't stellar success, but it showed that higher quality production and an emphasis on more melodic songs could broaden the band's audience for their music. It remains one of my fave records from this year.

Alibi – In the 80s, Vandenberg was a Dutch band striving for international success. Named for founder and guitarist Ad "Adje" van den Berg (a.k.a. Adrian Vandenberg), Vandenberg was active from 1981 to 1987. Depending on the source, this band released their third studio album, Alibi, on September 6, 1985, or before the end of August 1985. So, it is 40 years old by now! Alibi was Vandenberg's final studio album until the band reunited in 2020. And it peaked at #18 ... on the Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) chart. The album's two singles – "Once in a Lifetime" and "How Long" – were both ballads, and they may have done well in the band's home country, but they did not chart here in the states. If I recall correctly, I only have their first three albums because I did much of my habit to search for albums in cut-out bins. Oh, and the title track from this record definitely made an appearance on my old mix tapes.

You're Under Arrest – This Miles Davis album was released sometime between April and early September of 1985, 40 years ago. Now, Miles has an extensive catalog, particularly as a solo or lead artist, so I'm not certain how to number this album among his releases. I've counted at least 50 albums prior to You're Under Arrest, all released between 1951 and 1984. Anyway, this album is a collection of pop covers (including Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time" and Michael Jackson's "Human Nature"), and original material, with both categories leaning toward the pop end of the jazz spectrum. The covers also include a spirited recording of D-Train's "Something's on Your Mind", and the originals include a John Scofield composition, the title track, "You're Under Arrest" (sandwiched in this July 1985 clip of a Miles Davis Septet performance). Both of those pieces are highlights on this album. So, while this record is not exactly a milestone recording, Miles Davis' playing is still pretty strong.

Knee Deep in the Hoopla – Jefferson Starship had all but crashed and burned in the wake of their 1984 album, Nuclear Furniture. After dealing with a loss of personnel and a lawsuit, singer Grace Slick and manager Bill Thompson took up the new name of Starship. Now a streamlined quintet, the band changed their musical direction and went into the recording studio with Peter Wolf on production duties. On September 12, 1985, they released their debut album, Knee Deep in the Hoopla. Their first single, the inescapable "We Built This City", topped the Billboard Hot 100 as well as charts around the globe. Their second single, the ballad "Sara", was also a huge hit. Knee Deep in the Hoopla peaked at #7 on the Billboard 200, and was an immense commercial success. Some critics lamented the end of the Jefferson Airplane/Starship eras, while others recognized Starship for the pop juggernaut they were, at least through the end of the 1980s.

That's enough words. Let's get to the music. 🎶

Flashback #1: Flip Your Wig (September 1, 1985)

Flashback #2: Alibi (September 6, 1985)

Flashback #3: You're Under Arrest (September, 1985)

Flashback #4: Knee Deep in the Hoopla (September 10, 1985)

See you in seven!

Friday, September 5, 2025

Friday 80s Flashback for September 5, 2025

[Happy 15th Flashbackiversary!] -- I started posting the Friday 80s Flashback on September 3, 2010. So, this week marks my 15 year Flashbackiversary!

To celebrate, let's turn back the clock -- er, calendar -- 15 years and revisit that very first flashback, which appeared on Prophet or Madman. I'm struck by the sparsity and simplicity of my initial foray into weekly pop-culture ruminations. In fact, that very first flashback has no commentary whatsoever! There isn't even a theme! The weekly theme didn't become part and parcel of the flashback until the fourth entry, on September 24, 2010 (a two-fer: Angry Edition and Uplifting Edition). Sample lyrics first appeared in the November 5, 2010, flashback (Politics Schmolotics). On December 10, 2010, we saw my first attempt at incorporating a header image with the Flashback (Winter Holidays: Week 2). Then, on 6/24/2016, I moved the weekly Flashbacks to its current home, right here on Bookended by Cats.

The rest of this post more or less shares the text and videos from my 9/3/2010 Flashback, slightly updated to correct for any missing files or videos.

Facebook has made me a lazy blogger. Case in point: For several months now, I have been posting video links as "Friday 80s Flashbacks" ... but only on my Facebook page. I think it is high time I share those gems here as well, don't you?

Let's get started!

Flashback #1: I'm not walking on sunshine just yet, but you might be after checking out the bouncy "Walking On Sunshine" by Katrina & The Waves.

Flashback #2: I love when 80s bands covered hits from the previous decade. Love & Rockets' take on "Ball of Confusion" was pitch-perfect for its time and it should have been even more of an anthem, reaching out well beyond the college radio crowd.

Flashback #3: Almost every word that Alison Moyet sings is true. And when she sang "We all need a love resurrection" in 1984, it's possible that she sang the greatest truth of her entire career in less than four minutes. (Note: The video I embedded in 2010 was no longer available. So, this post includes a replacement that was uploaded in 2017).

Even when flashing back to a previous flashback, the rule of three applies. It's hard to believe we've been getting together once a week for 15 years now. Hopefully, we can continue for some more years to come. There's plenty of great 80s music to keep us busy, I know that! 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, August 29, 2025

Friday 80s Flashback for August 29, 2025

[Still on the Door] -- The Head on the Door, The Cure's sixth studio album, was released this week in 1985, or maybe earlier this month. The specific release date, which varies according to the source one uses, matters less than the fact that The Head on the Door is now 40 years old as of August 2025.

Now, I must confess that I did not discover this record in the summer of 1985. No, that treat was reserved for the fall of 1986. And even then, my own discovery was a bit reverse chronological: First, I had to be introduced to The Cure's 1986 greatest hits album, Standing on a Beach, and then work back. See, the greatest hits collection included two singles from The Head on the Door, "In Between Days" and "Close to Me". Once my college friends had me hooked on Standing in general and those singles in particular, they got me on the previous album. At least ... that is how I recall it happening. So, at this point, I must ask: Do fans of the Cure still use Standing on a Beach as a gateway album to lure their non-Cure-listening friends into the fray?

Back to The Head on the Door.

It might seem strange to long-term fans that, after digging The Head on the Door, I also became a fan of earlier Cure records. The Head on the Door was a significant departure from the band's earlier sound, particularly the dark trilogy of Seventeen Seconds (1980), Faith (1981). and Pornography (1982). I would say that The Head on the Door had different moods rather than being entirely moody. Musically, the album was rather bouncy, feeling quite upbeat in places. Steve Sutherland, writing in Melody Maker, called the album "a collection of pop songs". Retrospectively, AllMusic critic Tim Sendra said this album's new musical direction "had managed to make the band's trademark 'gloom and doom' style both 'danceable and popular'" [AllMusic]. The record peaked at #7 on the UK Albums chart and a respectable #59 on the US Billboard 200, as well as the top 20 of several other country's charts.

The first single, "In Between Days", charted well worldwide, and is regarded as one of The Cure's best songs. My college roommate confidently called it THE BEST Cure song. Well, for about a week. I don't recall if he maintained that claim moving forward. But I do know I'm always happy when it appears in a playlist or comes up on one of my shuffles. It sounds kind of happy, with the acoustic strumming and the keyboard riff. But the lyrics hint at something sadder, if not altogether darker, regarding loss.

The second single, "Close to Me", has a music video with all the band members crammed inside a wardrobe that falls off a cliff and into the sea. I don't know if that video helped, but the track charted even better than the first single. And, like that first single, the dour and enigmatic lyrics are in opposition to the the almost peppy arrangement.

My favorite non-single tracks include "A Night Like This", "Push" (with its incredible intro), and "Six Different Ways." But I so love to listen to this album from start to finish when I have the time.

Flashback: The Head on the Door (August 1985)

See you in seven!

Friday, August 22, 2025

Friday 80s Flashback for August 22, 2025

[Still Crowing] -- John Cougar Mellencamp released his eighth studio album, Scarecrow, 40 years ago this month (or the end of last month, depending on the source). The album peaked at #2 on the US Billboard 200 and launched three top-ten hits. "R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A." peaked at #2 on the US Billboard Hot 100 while both "Lonely Ol' Night" and "Small Town" peaked at #6. "Rain on the Scarecrow," one of my fave tracks on this album, also got radio play and peaked just outside of the top 20.

AllMusic called Scarecrow "one of the definitive blue-collar rock albums of the mid-'80s." It certainly brought roots rock to the record-buying masses of 1985.

Flashback: Scarecrow (August 5, 1985)

See you in seven!

Friday, August 15, 2025

Friday 80s Flashback for August 15, 2025

[Samplebox] -- You might recall Colourbox from my 2019 post about their appearance on the 1987 compilation album, Lonely Is An Eyesore. Well, 40 years ago this week, Colourbox released their one and only full-length studio LP. The record is eponymous, just like their 1983 mini-album and their 2012 boxed set. If you are looking specifically for the 1985 Colourbox, you might have more luck searching by its catalog number: CAD 508. And as far as I can tell, it was an import for the US; I have not seen a US label for it, and it certainly did not chart in the states.

Colourbox is an under-appreciated gem of the 1980s. It is a vibrant and creative debut that – while usually filed under the genres of electronica, dub, and/or synth-pop – actually includes elements of soul, reggae, pop, and even rock guitar. On top of the musicianship and state-of-the-art studio work, this record has a crazy collection of samples from movies like Westworld and TV shows like The Prisoner. Given changes in copyright law, I doubt a record like this could be made today, at least not with this same level of sampled dialog.

So, that variety I mentioned? Well, Colourbox starts with the lovely piano ballad, "Sleepwalker", and then rolls into a masterpiece of guitar, samples, and dance-rock titled "Just Give 'Em Whiskey". For some reason, neither of those tracks were singles. But Colourbox did release "Say You", "Punch", and "The Moon is Blue" as singles, with only that last one getting a music video. These singles did fairly well on the independent charts, but didn't make any kind of dent in the more official hit parade kind of charts. I bet if Colourbox had released their revamp of the Supremes' hit "You Keep Me Hanging On", which is also on this album, they would have rocketed up the charts and secured a more solid place in 80s music history.

What else can I say: Open this box and dance to all the colours.

Flashback: Colourbox (August 12, 1985)

See you in seven!

Friday, August 8, 2025

Friday 80s Flashback for August 8, 2025

[A Cult Jam Four Decades] -- I found several release dates for Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam with Full Force, the 1985 debut album by, well, Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam. Wikipedia's list of 1985 releases cites 8/8/1985 as the release date. The Wikipedia page for the album itself has the release date as 3/17/1985 in the intro paragraph and 9/17/1985 in the sidebar. AllMusic cites the release date as 12/17/1985. Lisa Lisa's own FB page quotes TheSource on Instagram with a celebratory post about the release date being August 2, 1985. Whatever the actual release date was, we know two things for certain: (1) Before the end of 1985, no one outside of Lisa Velez's family probably used her last name anymore. And (2) this debut album hits the big Four Oh this year.

"I Wonder If I Take You Home" was the lead single and it hit charts in May of 1985, priming potential fans for the upcoming album release. Highlighting the tensions around one night stands, this tune peaked at #1 on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart, #6 on the R&B chart, and #34 on the Billboard Hot 100. The second single, "Can You Feel the Beat," also had a May release, and it was likewise a hit on the Billboard Dance chart, peaking at #6. It had various levels of success on other charts, hitting #69 on the Billboard Hot 100, for example. The ballad "All Cried Out" was the third and final single off this self-titled debut album. It hit #8 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and #3 on the US R&B singles chart. The 7" version is credited to Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam with Full Force featuring Paul Anthony (AllMusic & IMDb) & Bow Legged Lou (AllMusic & IMDb).

Despite the chart success, Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam with Full Force garnered only so-so reviews. Robert Christgau of The Village Voice graded it a C+. On the other hand, writing retroactively for AllMusic, Ron Wynn said that Lisa Lisa's voice "had the perfect mix of uncertainty, irony, and edge" and he praised Full Force's production as being state-of-the-art for the time. Whatever the critics wrote then or later, there is no denying that Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam with Full Force is a classic slice of the 1980s. And, as The Source points out, this album definitely opened doors for future Latin artists in pop and R&B. Look, we're talking about it 40 years later! And I bet you remembered at least one of those singles!

Flashback: Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam with Full Force (circa August 1985)

See you in seven!

Thursday, July 31, 2025

Plastic Fantastic

Plastic Man #1 (Dec 1966)

Not quite a grail book, but Plastic Man #1 (Dec 1966, DC Comics) is a comic I've wanted for a while. One of my first comics was a coverless copy of #11 from this series, which I have since re-acquired, with an attached cover. After snagging #1 and #19 during SDCC, I now have 10 out of the 20 issues of this run.

Where does this land in Plastic Man history? Well, Plas first appeared in Police Comics #1 (Aug 1941). He didn't get his own series till later, and there have been multiple series named for him. The CLZ app refers to this run as Plastic Man Vol. 1 while Comic Book Realm considers it Vol. 2. The earlier run by Vital Comics / Quality Comics Group (1943-1956) is Plastic Man Vol. 1 at the Realm, while CLZ files the series under the moniker of Plastic Man (Quality Comics). I'll probably never own any of those QCC books, or Police Comics for that matter. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Anyway, this issue has the 1st appearance of the Silver Age Plastic Man (Eel O'Brian Jr), considered the son of the Golden Age Plastic Man (Eel O'Brien). After 1977, the son is all but forgotten, and DC Comics focuses on Eel O'Brien.

Well, that's not entirely correct. The "Jr." version of Plastic Man's son is gone, but he got a son called Offspring in The Kingdom: Offspring #1 (1999), and JLA #65 (June 2002) gave Offspring the civilian name of Luke Ernie "Loogie" McDunnagh O'Brian (Luke O'Brian for short).

Friday, July 18, 2025

Friday 80s Flashback for July 18, 2025

[The Devil's Flashback] -- In my experience of being a music fan for several decades, I have found that there are albums that are seared into one's memory, almost imprinted onto the DNA. There are albums that flash furiously and brightly into one's life, but that flash is of limited duration, and even more limited in terms of recollection. And, of course, there are releases that span the gap between. This week's flashback album is of the furious albeit brief variety. In fact, I did not even consciously recall this record until I started listening to its playlist on YouTube.

Electronic and avant-garde composer Nicolas Collins is known as a pioneer in the use of microcomputers and kit-bashed instruments in live performance. His homemade instruments would combine circuitry, simple computers, and traditional instruments. His third album, 1985's Devil's Music, features a performer DJ-ing with snippets of a live scanning radio, for example.

According to Collins himself, "Devil’s Music is a performance piece about global media, local culture and individual interference. It developed in 1985 out of the confluence of my fascination with early Hip Hop DJs, a Cagean love of the splendor of radio, the introduction of the first affordable, portable samplers [nicolascollins.com, June 2009]. Devil's Music is a music collage in which radio transmissions are "digitally sampled, looped, retriggered, reversed, and de-tuned" through a "cheap sampling system (consisting of two Electro Harmonix Super Replays and one 16 second Delay) to develop the quirky rhythmic interplay that characteristizes the piece" [Collins].

Had I not been involved with the Penn State Electronic Music Lab, I probably would never had heard of Collins or this album. It seems I promptly forgot about his work shortly thereafter. But in listening to this album anew, I am pleasantly reminded of my own late hours in the studio, and discussions with the other students attempting to compose pieces from an assortment of loops, Moog recordings, and live instruments.

Your mileage may vary, particularly if you have not noodled around with electronic music, but this record is still an interesting snapshot of everyday sounds turned into fodder for a compositional tapestry. Was it ahead of its time? Well, it was unsuccessful upon release 40 years ago. And I cannot find any commercial information regarding the album's 2009 reissue. At least it hasn't been completely abandoned to the dustbin of history.

Flashback: Devil's Music (July 1985)

See you in seven!

Friday, July 11, 2025

Friday 80s Flashback for July 11, 2025

[Heart Zooming] -- I'm here with another 1980s two-fer for your weekend. With both albums this week, we see artists well into their careers, but making a shift. And both of these albums feature outstanding female vocalists.

Heart – With a self-titled album released in 1985, somewhere between mid-June and July 6, Heart not only revitalized their career with their eighth studio album, but also glammed up their look. They embraced corsets, fluffy shirts, and a few other pirate/glam touches. Just look at their album cover. While I'm not sure who influenced Heart's wardrobe change, I do know they had outside influences for the music. Heart saw the band working with several well-known songwriters such as Jim Vallance, Holly Knight, Mark Mueller, and Bernie Taupin. Heart's first three singles from this album – "What About Love", "Never", and "These Dreams" – were all top 40 hits in the US, and they also charted globally. Also, the music video for "Never" featured the band in their very best pirate glam finery. Heart peaked at the #1 slot on the Billboard 200, and was in the top 100 or better in several other countries. Heart was now a pop band, playing powerful hooks supported by polished songwriting, and the Wilson sisters' wore their tight corsets all the way to the most popular album they ever released.

Who's Zoomin' Who? – On July 9, 1985, Aretha Franklin released, Who's Zoomin' Who?, her 30th studio album. This marked a shift away from the adult contemporary sounds of her prior records and toward 1980s themes such as dance-pop, synths, and the then contemporary R&B styles. She got rave reviews and the lead single, "Freeway of Love", was a commercial success which not only peaked at #1 on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, but also earned Ms. Franklin a Grammy Award [see notes on TV80s.com]. This album also features "Sisters Are Doin' It for Themselves", a fantastic collab with Eurythmics. Who's Zoomin' Who? is considered Franklin's comeback album, and it even established her as a music video star. The album peaked at #13 on the US Billboard 200, #3 on the US Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, and #49 on the UK Albums chart, as well as zooming into the top 40 of charts around the world.

What's on your turntable this weekend?

Flashback #1: Heart (July 6, 1985)

Flashback #2: Who's Zoomin' Who? (July 9, 1985)

See you in seven!

Friday, July 4, 2025

Friday 80s Flashback for July 4, 2025

[Damned Progaganda] -- I wasn't certain what to highlight for this fourth of July weekend. Well, not until after the middle of the week and its deflating news. Still, I was able to select two albums that, depending on the source, were both released on July 1, 1985, and are, therefore, 40 years old as of this weekend! We have one artist from the UK, and another from Germany. So, if you were looking for patriotic tunes this week, you'll have to click elsewhere. But, if you want another glimpse into my musical tastes, read on!

Phantasmagoria – 40 years ago this week, depending on the source, The Damned released this album in either June or July of 1985. I'm splitting the difference, and following at least two sites that point to July 1, 1985, as the release date for The Damned's sixth studio album, Phantasmagoria. This was the band's first release without original member Captain Sensible, and it also marked a shift from punk to a more gothic rock sound. Of the three singles, only "Grimly Fiendish" charted, peaking at #21 on the UK charts. And it joins "The Eighth Day" and "There'll Come A Day" as my fave tracks on the album.

A Secret Wish – German synthpop band Propaganda released their debut album, A Secret Wish, on July 1, 1985. Do you remember it? Probably not, as that is the way of some propaganda, heh. Anyway, Trevor Horn, David Sylvian, and other 80s music luminaries were involved in the creation of this record which reached the top 25 of multiple countries' charts. Two of the singles – "Duel" and "The Nine Lives of Dr. Mabuse" (often referenced simply as "Dr. Mabuse") – both peaked within the Top 30 of UK's charts. I'm a little surprised that "Duel" didn't do well on MTV in the US. I mean, that chessboard stage set and other visuals should have launched the video into steady rotation! As far as non-singles, I'm partial to "The Murder of Love".

What are you spinning this weekend?

Flashback #1: Phantasmagoria (July 1, 1985, or so)

Flashback #2: A Secret Wish (July 1, 1985)

See you in seven!