Digging deeper into the 80's (pop and pop rock)

[SoundscapeMN]

The Church?

[LudwigVan]

The Cure’s Pornography - bought this album when it first came out over 35 years ago. Masterful. So damn trippy and a bit unsettling. It’s the album where they just teetered on the edge (of what, I don’t know) before taking a step back to a more grounded pop style (which I love too).

[KevShmev]

I never was overly fond of The Cure's hits back in the day, but I have read enough good stuff about their material that they are definitely on my list of bands to check out soon. 

[TAC]

They're on my list of bands to check out never. 

[KevShmev]

[TAC]

Hah..You cannot hurt me with Dokken.



So overrated.

[KevShmev]

Overrated by whom??  Who rates them?

Disclaimer: I like a handful of their songs.

[TAC]

Overrated by whom??  Who rates them?

 

I'm going to bed soon. If you want to start with me, you have to do it earlier!

[KevShmev]

I'm going to bed soon. If you want to start with me, you have to do it earlier!

Is that what your wife tells you?

[TAC]

I'm going to bed soon. If you want to start with me, you have to do it earlier!

Is that what your wife tells you?

No, that's actually what I tell her!

[Stadler]

Hah..You cannot hurt me with Dokken.



So overrated.

I'm with you on that.  I've heard better singers than Don Dokken at Friday Night Karaoke at the Locust Bar in Philly. 

[KevShmev]

Looks like I need to get into Europe a little deeper.  I only know the Out of This World and Final Countdown albums. Gimme songs I need to check out. P&TY.

[King Postwhore]

I know their newer albums are ass kicking. I don't own them but I've streamed them.

[jingle.boy]

Looks like I need to get into Europe a little deeper.  I only know the Out of This World and Final Countdown albums. Gimme songs I need to check out. P&TY.

Prisoner's in Paradise (the song).  From that album, I'll also call out Halfway to Heaven, Seventh Sign, Til My Heart Beats Down Your Door, and Girl From Lebanon.

2000s era ... I'll have to get back to you on it.  It's been a while since I spun anything there.

[KevShmev]

Okay, sounds good. That gives me some specific songs to tackle.

[gborland]

Check out Everybody Loves a Happy Ending, their comeback album from '04.  Tremendous record.  Love me some Tears for Fears.

Featuring our very own Nick D'Virgilio...

[KevShmev]

Check out Everybody Loves a Happy Ending, their comeback album from '04.  Tremendous record.  Love me some Tears for Fears.

Featuring our very own Nick D'Virgilio...

I don't think NDV actually played on the album.  I know he toured with them on the subsequent tour, but he wasn't on the album, IIRC.

[KevShmev]

Looks like I need to get into Europe a little deeper.  I only know the Out of This World and Final Countdown albums. Gimme songs I need to check out. P&TY.

Prisoner's in Paradise (the song).  From that album, I'll also call out Halfway to Heaven, Seventh Sign, Til My Heart Beats Down Your Door, and Girl From Lebanon.
 

I have to admit that most of these songs were kind of meh to me.  Halfway to Heaven was the one I liked enough to spend a dollar and change on at iTunes to add to my mp3 collection. 

[jingle.boy]

Just so long as you're fine with being wrong on the matter, it's all good.

[KevShmev]

Just so long as you're fine with being wrong on the matter, it's all good.

[King Postwhore]

For a second,  I thought Chad was responding to Tim. 

[KevShmev]

Update...

Ironically, I got my hands on English Settlement last night and I am loving that so far.  The back half has a few songs I can do without, but the first half is money and I do like some of the later tracks like Fly on the Wall.  I listened to it a lot today at work on the ear buds and it just got better and better.  I love the sound of the bass guitar on this record.  This could be the start of a new band obsession for me...

3 1/2 months later, I am still listening to XTC probably 50-60% of the time I have any music playing. Tremendous band.

And I was slightly off below when I said:

I've checked out a little more XTC and I can tell this will be a very hit or miss band for me.  I love English Settlement, but Mummer seems a little spotty; some really good songs and some blah songs.  And I tried Drums and Wires, but that one annoyed the shit out of me and I gave up halfway through.  I think going for the later artier stuff is the way to go, rather than going backwards for the more punk stuff, since punk is not my bag.

The only misses are the first three albums, which have a collective 6-7 songs I have any use for.  After that:

Black Sea - outstanding!
English Settlement - magnificent!
Mummer - very good
The Big Express - inconsistent, but still good
25 O'Clock - trippy and awesome!
Skylarking - a masterpiece
Psonic Psunsport - tremendous!
Oranges and Lemons - very good
Nonsuch - very good
Apple Venus, Part 1 - outstanding!
Wasp Star - inconsistent, but still pretty good

That is 9 major keepers out of 14.  And they have quite a few great b-sides I have been digging into as well.  I will be buying the Steven Wilson 5.1 releases of their work very soon.

The plan next is to try The Smiths or The Cure...

[KevShmev]

5 1/2 months later, still listening to XTC a crap load.  My list of favorite bands is (really, really) long, but they have solidified a spot on it.

That said, it is now time to dig into some of the other bands recommended in this thread.  The Cure, The Smiths, Depeche Mode and Simple Minds seem to get mentioned a lot.  Give me one album by each and I will work on it.

Note: I already have Violator by Depeche Mode.

[King Postwhore]

For Simple Minds,  Sparkle in the Rain.

[TAC]

 

[King Puppies and the Acid Guppies]

For Simple Minds,  Sparkle in the Rain.

New Gold Dream

[King Postwhore]

For Simple Minds,  Sparkle in the Rain.

New Gold Dream

That would be a great follow up.

[Indiscipline]

For The Smiths, The Queen Is Dead.

[KevShmev]

For The Smiths, The Queen Is Dead.

Noted.

For Simple Minds,  Sparkle in the Rain.

I listened to about half and it sounded pretty good, but it didn't want to make me want to keep going.  They might end up being one of those 80's bands where I am happy just having the handful of hits.  I tried. 

[Stadler]

For Simple Minds, the two mentioned or "Once Upon A Time" but full disclosure, it's been YEARS since I heard them and Simple Minds was never an A-list band for me (but "Don't You Forget About Me" was the first 7" single I bought after I got my new stereo in high school).

The Smiths... the single "How Soon Is Now?"   It's fairly different from most of the band's singles, and didn't appear on a studio record, just as a single and a compilation, but it'll allow you to move on to other, better bands.  .  (Not a huge fan of the Smiths; I grudgingly admire Morrissey, and like Johnny Marr, but most of their music is a little obvious for me, and without the fun and energy of other, simple music from the time).

[King Puppies and the Acid Guppies]

For Simple Minds,  Sparkle in the Rain.

I listened to about half and it sounded pretty good, but it didn't want to make me want to keep going.  They might end up being one of those 80's bands where I am happy just having the handful of hits.  I tried. 

Their really good stuff is all before that album. That album is still good, just not as good as the 3 albums that came before it.

[DTA]

[quote author=KevShmev link=topic=52215.msg2477703#msg2477703 date=153818348
5 1/2 months later, still listening to XTC a crap load.  My list of favorite bands is (really, really) long, but they have solidified a spot on it.

That said, it is now time to dig into some of the other bands recommended in this thread.  The Cure, The Smiths, Depeche Mode and Simple Minds seem to get mentioned a lot.  Give me one album by each and I will work on it.

Note: I already have Violator by Depeche Mode.
[/quote]

The Cure has a few different sounding "eras" which makes it tough to pinpoint a single album that encompasses their sound. Disintegration is probably their "masterpiece", but The Head On The Door is a great representation of their poppier sound and has some of their catchiest songs so I'd pick that one.

[ytserush]

Just finished listening to Phantoms by The Fixx to help exercise "Less Cities Move Moving People" out of my head and I forgot how cold and sterile that album sounds.

[Zantera]

The Cure - Disintegration
The Smiths - Meat is Murder

Both bands have made some really amazing albums though, several good starting points

[bosk1]

We need some love for Siouxsie and the Banshees in this thread.  I got into them fairly late in the game.  Saw them live at the Greek Theater in Berkeley touring for Through the Looking Glass.  They were incredible live.  I went out and bought the album, and then started working my way through the back catalog.  Through the Looking Glass remains my favorite by far.  At the time, I didn't realize it was a covers album, probably because the originals are so obscure, and their versions are so different.  This is an album that totally takes me back to the '80s.

Full album listen-through:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emGxnJoQfbs&list=PLydOTJPq2CEE-T_6z4i-swbGV7_f8A26v