Bookended by Cats: 2025

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)

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, 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!

Friday, February 21, 2025

Friday 80s Flashback for February 21, 2025

[Don't You Forget Breakfast - Redux] -- The Breakfast Club, the second of John Hughes' teen coming-of-age films, hit theaters on February 7, 1985. Later that same month, on February 19, 1985 – 40 years ago this very week! – The Breakfast Club (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) hit stores and charts. British pop musician Keith Forsey produced the album, in addition to writing and performing on several tracks. This soundtrack album peaked at #17 on the US Billboard 200 chart, probably propelled by Simple Minds' recording of the song "Don't You (Forget About Me)." I mean, that one track practically leapt from the soundtrack and became the anthem of the film itself. The tune is an aural bookend, with Keith Forsey's demo playing as the film opens and the Simple Minds version playing over the close and end credits.

And, yet, I have to ask: Do you recall any other songs from this record? Here are 10 tracks, in order, with their artist:

"Don't You (Forget About Me)" — Simple Minds
"Waiting" — Elizabeth Daily
"Fire in the Twilight" — Wang Chung
"I'm the Dude" — Keith Forsey
"Heart Too Hot to Hold" — Jesse Johnson & Stephanie Spruill
"Dream Montage" — Gary Chang
"We Are Not Alone" — Karla DeVito
"The Reggae" — Keith Forsey
"Didn't I Tell You" — Joyce Kennedy
"Love Theme" — Keith Forsey

When I wrote a Flashback post about this album four years ago, the only other artist here with name recognition for me was Wang Chung. Even now, Wang Chung's contribution ("Fire in the Twilight") leaves as much of an impression on me as it did back in 1985, which is not much of an impression at all. It sounds like average TV theme fare from another decade. Other tracks on The Breakfast Club might have me recall specific moments of the film, but they have no real staying power; I mean, I never find myself humming them later.

The Breakfast Club (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) just might be one of the okay-est soundtracks ever.

But I have to admit that, in re-exploring the album again, I do find the entire effort to be worthy of, at least, background music. It is nice to have playing while doing other reading or work. It is pleasant, barely taking any attention while not quite folding away to nothingness in the recedes of my mind.

Let me know what you think. Just don't forget about me, OK?

Flashback: The Breakfast Club (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

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!

Note: This Flashback was repurposed from the post I wrote for February 19, 2021.

Friday, February 14, 2025

Friday 80s Flashback for February 14, 2025

[How Will I Know?] -- Forty years ago today, February 14 fell on a Thursday. And on that Thursday, Whitney Houston (1963–2012) dropped her solo, self-titled, debut album: Whitney Houston. After a slow start, Whitney Houston ultimately climbed to the top of the Billboard 200 in 1986, and it stayed in that top slot for 14 weeks. Seven of the album's ten tracks were singles, and three of them – "Saving All My Love for You," "How Will I Know," and "Greatest Love of All" – all shot to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. So, her record was the first debut album, as well as the first album by a solo female artist, to have three #1 singles in the US.

Between 1986 and 1987, Houston received five Grammy nominations, including two for Album of the Year (once each in both '86 and '87). Houston did win a 1986 Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female. Just the beginning for Whitney Houston's remarkable career.

Flashback: Whitney Houston (February 14, 1985)

See you in seven!

Friday, February 7, 2025

Friday 80s Flashback for February 7, 2025

[Hole in my memory] -- Heads and Hearts was the fourth album by UK-based post-punk rockers, The Sound. I don't have a specific release date, just that it came out in February 1985. Still, that means the record turn 40 years old at some point in this month. And that is close enough for me to celebrate its anniversary.

Heads and Hearts received some critical praise and appreciation, but nothing that really helped it generate sales or even extra air time. Like several of The Sound's records, it didn't even get a US release. Seems it was limited to mostly European countries. Maybe US record execs didn't expect them to fare well across the pond. Maybe they were too much of a niche act in their native England. Whatever limited The Sound's international audience, it must not have prevented some import sales, otherwise I would not have discovered this album in the mid-1980s.

And this album caught me at the perfect time, being in college and wondering about life. And although I'm now no longer the demographic for lyrics describing problems facing young adults, I still find the vocals and the instruments compelling. I would say this album is, today, just as perfect for cranking up the headphones and zoning out for 40-odd minutes.

Favorite tracks: "Total Recall," "Restless Time," "One Thousand Reasons," and "Mining for Heart."

Flashback: Heads and Hearts (February 1985)

See you in seven!

Friday, January 31, 2025

Friday 80s Flashback for January 31, 2025

[Oh Yeah] -- Forty years ago this week, the Swiss-based electronic group, Yello, released their fourth studio album, Stella. Now a duo after the departure of one of the band's founding members, Yello moved away from experimental electronica and embraced a more synth-pop approach. Stella became the first album ever by a Swiss group to hit the #1 position of the Swiss album chart (Schweizer Hitparade). Not only that, this album helped Yello gain international success: Stella reached #92 on the UK Albums chart as well as peaking within the top 30 of three European charts. That chart success was made possible after Yello's single, "Oh Yeah," earned worldwide attention due to being featured two seminal 1980s films: Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986) and The Secret of My Success (1987).

"Oh Yeah" is the one song you know by this band, right? Hopefully, you remember it from those aforementioned movies and not that Miebo eye drops commercial.

Flashback: Stella (January 29, 1985)

See you in seven!

Friday, January 24, 2025

Friday 80s Flashback for January 24, 2025

[Still Kings] -- Forty years ago this week, Run-D.M.C. released their second studio album, King of Rock (January 21, 1985). According to Wikipedia, this was the first rap album to be released on CD, and the third rap album to be certified Platinum by the RIAA (source: SPIN Magazine). The album peaked at #52 and #12 on the Billboard 200 and the Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums charts respectively. All four of this album's singles – "King of Rock", "You Talk Too Much", "Jam-Master Jammin'" and "Can You Rock It Like This" – appeared on the Billboard Hot 100. "King of Rock" was the biggest commercial success, reaching #8 on the Billboard Hot 100 and supported by a popular music video that featured Larry "Bud" Melman of Dave Letterman fame.

This album might still be the best fusion of hip-hop and rock there is, and it certainly showcases Run-D.M.C. as both trailblazers and no frills, rock out performers.

Flashback: King of Rock (January 21, 1985)

See you in seven!

Friday, January 17, 2025

Friday 80s Flashback for January 17, 2025

[Centerfield Rising] -- For the second full week of this month, we have two albums that are celebrating the 40th anniversary of their release date. Both records, as best I can determine, were released on January 14, 1985. One record is pop rock (or Americana rock) while the other is a classic of post-hardcore.

Centerfield – John Fogerty had found immense success with Creedence Clearwater Revival. But was kind of floundering after becoming a solo artist in 1973. But that all changed with the release of his third solo studio LP, Centerfield. Released 40 years ago this week, Centerfield went to #1 on the Billboard 200, Fogerty's only solo #1 record. And the album spawned three singles on the US Billboard Hot 100. One of those singles, "The Old Man Down the Road," peaked at #10 on the US Billboard Hot 100 (making it Fogerty's only top ten single as a solo artist) and #1 on the US Billboard Top Rock Tracks. Centerfield is unique for two more points. First, Fogerty played all the instruments on this album himself. Second, it was at the center of a rare case of self-plagiarism; yup, John Fogerty was sued for sounding like John Fogerty.

New Day Rising – Similar to John Fogerty, Hüsker Dü released their third studio album on January 14, 1985. And that's pretty much where any similarities between Fogerty and the Hüskers end. New Day Rising was raw and, compared with Centerfield, blisteringly powerful. Sure, New Day Rising wasn't exactly pop rock, but it was a bit of a shift away from the hardcore punk of Hüsker Dü's debut album. Some of the songs here are melodic and have catchy hooks, but they are also vicious and relentless. No surprise that you won't find any hit singles here, not that hits should be the final arbiter of quality. And New Day Rising did chart, albeit at #10 on the UK Indie Chart. It's an absolute rough gem of the underground rock movement. If you want to read more, Patrick Smith does a great job covering the history of and individual tracks on the album he calls the "very apex" of Hüsker Dü's career, a record that has songs "as melodically solid as any top-40 hits of the time, but all whipped up in a great Minnesota blizzard."

So, which of these albums made it to your own turntable or tape deck in 1985?

Flashback #1: Centerfield (January 14, 1985)

Flashback #2: New Day Rising (January 14, 1985)

See you in seven!

Friday, January 10, 2025

Friday 80s Flashback for January 10, 2025

[A Silver Tone] -- I don't know what your first memory of Chris Isaak was, but mine was his 1989 breakout hit, "Wicked Game," from his album of the same year, Heart Shaped World, and then featured in David Lynch's 1990 film, Wild at Heart. But here's the thing: That Isaak-Lynch collab got started here, with a 1985 album.

Released on January 10, 1985, Silvertone was Chris Isaak's debut studio album. The album was titled after Isaak's first band, which he had formed with guitarist James Calvin Wilsey right out of college in 1981. This rockabilly band took their moniker from a Sears-branded line of consumer electronics (radios, batteries, etc.) and musical instruments (some popular guitars in the 1950s). Silvertone – the band, not the brand – had performed together a few years prior to getting considered for a recording contract. But when the time came to record an album, the producer pretty much envisioned Chris Isaak as a solo performer, and he relegated Silvertone to backing band status.

Adding insult to injury, the record company wanted to downplay the Silvertone name so Sears wouldn't potentially get lawsuit happy over their copyright. And the aforementioned James Calvin Wilsey was the only original member of Silvertone to be credited on this debut album, and he continued to work with Isaak through 1993. The band is remembered in the album title, but most of tracks were recorded using session musicians, so the band isn't even preserved in recorded memory.

Anyway, Silvertone (the album, not the band or brand) was a critical success ... but not a commercial one. Well, it did reach #77 ... in Australia. Still, there's a bit of a silver(tone) lining: Two of Silvertone's tracks – "Gone Ridin'" and "Livin' for Your Lover" – did get new life when they were featured in David Lynch's 1986 film, Blue Velvet. And that's what launched an ongoing collaboration between Isaak and Lynch.

The rise of Chris Isaak as an artist begins here, in an oft-forgotten debut album. And it's actually quite good. I guess it just couldn't cut through to an audience when it was released.

Flashback: Silvertone (January 10, 1985)

I'll see you in seven!

Friday, January 3, 2025

Friday 80s Flashback for January 3, 2025

[believe in gas, food, lodging] -- New year, same motive for the 80s Flashbacks: Celebrate albums that have, or will, turn 40 years old in the current calendar year. And I'm starting off the year with a two-fer post. And while both of this week's albums were released in 1985, quite possibly early in January 1985 (as best I can determine), I'm not 100% positive on the specific release dates. Still, each one should be 40 years as of this week, or at least by the end of this month.

Gas Food Lodging – Possibly released on January 1, 1985, Gas Food Lodging was Green on Red's second studio album. They are said to have recorded the album in only five days. I think the wayward energy, rather than any lack of polish, definitely attests to the short timeframe. It's a loud and rough record, a soundtrack for the road, with more than a sideways glance at country rock and a slight aftertaste of psychedelia. Robert Palmer of The New York Times called it "the most distinctive and accomplished of all the recent 60's-rooted albums" ["Psychedelic Rock Stages a Comeback," The New York Times. p. A23, 2 June 1985] while The Ottawa Citizen pointed to its roughness as portraying "a bleak view of the American heartland" ["Rock," Ottawa Citizen. p. F5, Evelyn Erskine, 3 Apr 1987]. I could not find a complete YouTube playlist for this album, so I have embedded the band's 2021 re-release on Bandcamp.

Something to Believe In – The Scottish band APB released Something to Believe In at some point in January 1985. It was sort of considered a debut album, but it was actually a compilation of the band's previous independent singles, plus some new tracks. The initial release of this LP did not include the band's 1981 debut single, "Chain Reaction," but that song has since been added as a bonus track on subsequent releases. In fact, you can find re-releases that have upwards of 16 total tracks. My introduction to APB was their 1986 album, Cure for the Blues. Their funky bass enraptured me and I had to find more. Fortunately, one of my dormitory friends had a bunch of APB's earlier singles. And while APB performed sporadically in the 1980s and 1990s, they did not record much new material after 1986. So, the band's discography is pretty sparse, but their re-releases and anniversary editions are well worth checking out, especially if you like the chunky new wave aesthetic they display on Something to Believe In.

Tell me: Did you like either of these records back in 1985?

Flashback #1: Gas Food Lodging (January 1, 1985)

Flashback #2: Something to Believe In (January 1985)

I'll see you in seven!