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)

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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!

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)"...

• Looney Tunes Wiki
• Lost Turntable
• Wikipedia Entry
• Muppet Wiki
• IMDb

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

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)

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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!

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: 

1. Top of post: Absolute Martian Manhunter logo in gren.
2. 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 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)

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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 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):

1. Red Wine And Whisky *
2. Do You Want Crying *
3. Que Te Quiero ‡ 
4. Machine Gun Smith ‡ 
5. Cry For Me *
6. Walking On Sunshine ‡ 
7. Going Down To Liverpool ‡ 
8. Mexico *
9. The Sun Won't Shine *
10. Game Of Love *

* from Katrina and the Waves 2, 1984

‡ from Walking on Sunshine, 1983

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

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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 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)

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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!