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. 🎶

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

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Flashback #2: Alibi (September 6, 1985)

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

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

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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.

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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).

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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 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)

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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 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)

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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 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)

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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 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)

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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!

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).