[The Brotherhood of Tutu's Hotel Muses] -- Well, we raced through September and have entered the first weekend of October 2026. But a bunch of great, or fondly remembered, albums were released in or near the end of September 1986. So, I'm closing out the previous month with a rare double twofer: a total of four albums on this Friday, and all of them turned 40 years old in September.
Sacred Heart Hotel – I have not found a specific release date for this debut album from Dublin-based indie band, The Stars of Heaven. AOTY cites simply September 1986, as do several other sources. Maybe that lack of specificity is related to this album's obscureness. It was one of only two albums released by The Stars of Heaven; they split up in 1990, two years after their sophomore, and last, studio LP. The Stars of Heaven received airplay from John Peel, and Sacred Heart Hotel reached #11 on the UK Indie Chart (but failed to chart in the US). Still, when John Peel is interested in a band, they bear checking out. And listening to this album almost borders on an act of self care. Highlights include "Folksong" and "Talk About It Now".
Throwing Muses – The eponymous debut album from Throwing Muses, released on September 20, 1986, was a powerful collision of punk energy and mercurial mood swings. Critically lauded – well, except for a C rating from The Village Voice – the album had one single, "Soul Soldier", but no real chart activity. Still, it did get traction on college campuses and it launched a relatively successful, or at least productive, career for the band on UK label 4AD. Definitely check out "Hate My Way", the third track on this record.
Tutu – A tribute to Archbishop Desmond Tutu, this was around the 59th or so studio album that the legendary Miles Davis released. It was near the end of his life (he passed in September 1991), but not the end of his career. He still had a few albums left in him. Tutu has been called one of the worst albums by Davis. That might be due to Davis' heavy use of synths, sequencers, and drum machines. And he even played most of the instruments on the album, even the digital ones. Despite early critical reviews, Tutu went on to be considered a pivotal and defining jazz album of the 1980s. Whatever one thinks of the accompaniment, which might sound dated today, these pieces provided space in which Miles Davis could really improvise. Check out "Tomass" and "Backyard Ritual" and make your own decision.
Brotherhood – The fourth studio album from New Order, Brotherhood cemented the band's standing as post-punk and dance floor giants. The songs are a mix of post-punk and electronic styles that received largely positive reviews. The album reached #9 pm the UK Albums, #1 on UK Independent Albums, and #117 on the US Billboard 200 charts. "Bizarre Love Triangle" turned out to be the band's breakout single, even though it didn't crack the top 40 of either the UK Singles Chart or the US Billboard Hot 100; at least, not until after a new mix was released in 1994. "State of the Nation" – a CD only track – was the band's 12th single, and it peaked at #30 on UK Singles Chart, #1 on UK Indie Singles, #4 on US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play, and #18 on US Billboard Hot Dance Singles Sales.
That's enough words. Let's get to the music. 🎶
Flashback #1: Sacred Heart Hotel (September 1986)
Flashback #2: Throwing Muses (September 20, 1986)
Flashback #3: Tutu (September 29, 1986)
Flashback #4: Brotherhood (September 29, 1986)
And that's all till next week. Dedicated 80s-philes can find more flashbacks in the Prophet or Madman archives or via Bookended's 80s Flashback tag. As always, your comments are welcome on today's, or any other, flashback post. And if you like what I'm doing here, please share the link with your friends. If, however, you don't like the flashback, feel free to share it with your enemies.
See you in seven!
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