[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)
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!
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