Vilka var de bästa albumen från 1984?
Niklas och Henke avslöjar sina fem favoritalbum från året. New discoveries minglar med rena nostalgi-picks.
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Som vanligt kör vi albumåren varannan månad.
Mycket nöje!
Vilka var de bästa albumen från 1984? Niklas och Henke bryter ner första halvan av sina top 10-listor, platser 6-10. Det blir mycket syntpop men också neo-prog och lite annat smått och gott.
Våra musikpoddar hittas via Patreon. Gå in där och sök upp Shinypodden. Det är gratis att följa/stödja oss.
Nyhet! Från och med idag har vi flyttat musikpoddarna till TORSDAGAR. Närheslt vi har nya albumår eller annat inom musikens värld är det torsdagar som gäller. Vi kör albumåren varannan månad.
Mycket nöje!
I found “Misplaced Childhood” in a used records bin at Camden Market in London in 1985. I was stricken with the LP-cover right away. It seemed to talk to me, and I somehow knew the album would be great. The hit single “Kayleigh” would be known to most within a year, but I had never heard about Marillion at that point. It was a leap of faith. Something I hardly ever did or do.
Marillion became one of my favourite bands. It was a glorious era with Fish at the helm. When the band kicked him out in 1988 I felt personally betrayed. I gave the new singer one chance, but it didn’t work out between us, and I am not listening to new Marillion at all. It’s hard to explain, sometimes a vocie just don’t mesh with your inner sensibilities. Let’s file it under “it’s not you, it’s me”.
Luckily, the four albums with the original band have been re-released with extra content as well as numerous live recordings from the early years. I have something like fourteen live shows released and counting from the Fish era.
“Misplaced Childhood” is a concept album loosely based on Fish’s childhood experiences. It’s a magnificent album that in my eyes stands up to Floyd’s “The Dark Side of the Moon”. It’s a pity that (old) Marillion never got around to making a double album like Floyd’s “The Wall” or Genesis’ “The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway”. How glorious it would have been.
The intro of “Pseudo Silk Kimono” by a wall of synthesizers is forever connected to our living room in my childhood home in Skövde. When I got home from London I put the album on my father’s old Dual turntable. The sound was unlike anything I had heard. The melancholic intro is soon followed by two hit singles, “Kayleigh” and “Lavender”. They are great, but “Kayleigh” was somewhat over-played on radio and on a gazillion 80s compilation albums. Now, many years later when the fatigue has subsided, it is again a killer song.
The fourth song “Bitter Suite” is one of two long medleys on the album, we get one treat per side of the LP. The symphonic rock elements of Marillion shines here. Drum, guitar, bass and keyboard in beautiful concert. All the players are great, but my favourites are Steve Rothery on the guitar and Ian Mosley on drums, one of the best drummers I know.
The first side of the LP is closing with the third single, “Heart of Lothian”. It is a perfect live song with Pete Trewavas’ pumping bass and Ian Mosley’s drums backing Mark Kelly’s synthesizer and Steve Rothery’s guitar. Fish’s singing is as heartfelt as all over this album. The song is often sung with full lungs by the audiences.
The second side starts with the menacing “Waterhole (Expresso Bongo)” and all too soon it jumps into the brief “Lords of the backstage”. Suddenly, it’s only the fantastic ending of the album remaining. It starts with “Blind Curve” that clocks in at nearly 10 minutes. The drums are in the front. Fish’s voice is clear and his heart if full of longing. It is so eighties and so not eighties at the same time. Rothery treats us with a guitar solo as if they were a hard rock band with long fluffy hair.
Then the album gets even better. Twice! “Childhoods End?” is only not the best song because “White feather” is following it up. What a majestic finish to a superb album! Drums and guitar play heroes again. It’s classic Marillion, and solo Fish, to end with the best song. “Let’s end with a banger”. It’s often the most fan-friendly song that is at its best live. “White feather” has the peace message that is so typical of Fish’s lyrics. It has always been a very sweet song in my mind.
I can’t rate “Misplaced Childhood” without the nostalgic feelings from my own childhood, the years my taste in music was formed. To me it is a core building stone of the soundtrack to who I was, and am. It is just so hard to separate music and memories with an album like this. I won’t do it!
Rating: 10/10
Side A:
1. Pseudo Silk Kimono
2. Kayleigh
3. Lavender
4. Bitter Suite
5. Heart of Lothian
Side B:
1. Waterhole (Expresso Bongo)
2. Lords of the Backstage
3. Blind Curve
4. Childhoods End?
5. White Feather
Best songs: all songs are the best but some of my current favourites are “White Feather”, “Bitter Suite”, “Blind Curve”
Produced by: Chris Kimsey
Released: June 17, 1985
Media:
Gatefold, vinyl, Germany, 1985
2-CD, Remastered, EU, 1998
Absurdly enough I sold most of my vinyls in the early 90’s. I left my player at my parents house and switched to CDs. Ahh, these ugly small plastic discs with those silly small booklets. My old vinyl collection… Where did you go? How I regret it.
Luckily most of my favourite bands and artists have re-issued their discographies in very nice, however expensive, editions. For Marillion it is even better. They have by now released three out of four studio albums in very attractive vinyl boxes. Only Fugazi remain to be treated with such a nice thing. Restless I couldn’t wait, so I have bought the 2012 re-issue on 180 gram vinyl. The album is stellar, the sound quality is mostly really good, the cover is wonderful.
Of all the albums I have played the most times ever in my life time, all of Marillion’s four albums are most probably in the top 10. I know these albums as the palm of my hand, as they say.
At live shows, Fish sometimes seems to get angry that fans want to hear the old songs. Sure, I can understand his point of view. He want to promote yet another new underwhelming solo album. But I don’t think he really understands how important these four albums have been in many fans lives. It has been the soundtrack to my life during many, many years.
So where does “Fugazi” stands among the four? Well, I think it is in a dogfight about third place. But all four are masterpieces and any given day anyone of them can be in the top. It depends on the mood of the day. But anyway, “Misplaced childhood” and “Script for a jester’s tear” are often in the top in front of “Fugazi”.
Marillion always ends their albums in the moste excellent ways, placing the most impressive song last. The title track “Fugazi” is the magnum opus of theirs, and a fan favourite for the live concerts. The song is a cry for peace, Fish’s main topic when he is not writing about personal experiences or relationships. The piano intro of the song is a favourite part. It feels like home to me.
However “Incubus” may be an even better live-song. “Incubus” has the best guitars solo part of all Marillion songs and Steve Rothery is the only one that can play it up to its potential. “…just like a greasepaint mask…” – cue one of the best guitar solos in rock history. Nice nod to Pink Floyd with a copy of “The Wall” on the floor of the jester’s bedroom. “Comfortably numb” of course has the best guitar solo all time…
“She chameleon” was an old track played even before the first album “Script” was released. The old version was completely different though. I heard it on bootlegs in my youth. Here for the second studio album it got a re-work and the result is a harrowing lament. It is slow and menacing with a great synthesiser melody in the background. Mark does a great job both in the beginning and even better when he gets to take centre stage. New drummer Ian also shows his skills on this track.
The first side of the album we get four slightly shorter songs. The first one is “Assassing”, released as a single and a song often played live. I have never been overly fond of it. Sure, it is great to jump up and down to, but it is lesser work when it comes to Marillion. For most other groups it would be the best song they’ve ever did.
“Punch and Judy” is another single, a fun romp with a great lyric. The best song on the side is lurking as number three. “Jigsaw” is marvellous. Oh, so good. Fish’s emtions runs high. Finally, the seldom played live “Emerald lies” ends the LP side.
This is a masterpiece and I know it by heart. The intricate musical jumble is forever printed in my brain.
My rating: 10/10
Side A:
1. Assassing
2. Punch and Judy
3. Jigsaw
4. Emerald lies
Side B:
1. She chameleon
2. Incubus
3. Fugazi
Best songs: “Fugazi”, “Incubus”, “She chameleon” and “Jigsaw”
Released on March 12th, 1984
Media: Vinyl, 2012 reissue, 180 gram, gatefold
Oh my, how I adore this album. Marillion’s debut album from 1983 may very well be the best debut album of all time. I mean which album could challenge? Maybe this is an interesting post someday, challenge to “Script”… Who? Bowie, Floyd, Kate, Beatles, The Cure…? There are so many to consider. But that’s for another day.
Let me start with the cover, a glorious gatefold cover. Just as with “Misplaced childhood” this cover makes me lose myself in fantasies about a strange world. The cover artist Mark Wilkinson gave the jester his own face. Wilkinson would follow Marillion until they split up with Fish, and then follow Fish all the way to the end of the road. But there are so much more, the painting of the scary lady, the albums on the floor (I see you Pink Floyd), the chameleon that wouldn’t turn up until the next album. Everything is so interesting!
Six long and beautiful songs. The title track was the last to be written, and what a late addition! “Script” is one of the classic Marillion tracks, andto me a challenger for the most important song of the album. Fish’s lyrics, melodies and singing are lifting the song to the heavens.
The rest of the songs were “old” tracks that they had played live until perfection. “He knows you know” is a heavy pumping accusation. Maybe influenced by Floyd's The Wall. He’s in deep in the quicksand of drugs, he can’t break free. It is powerful.
Don’t give me your problems!
“The web” is sometimes my favourite track on the album. At least so far. It is like the little brother to “Grendel”. Mick Pointer’s drumming is great, Fish is singing with an urgency seldom heard, Mark Kelly is a fucking genius on the keyboards. I love them all.
Steve Rothery is one of my top three favourite guitar players. He has said that he doesn't like the sound of his guitar on this "old" album. I really don't understand what he is talking about. I love it. The guitar solo on “The web” is giving me chills up my spine. Sure the guitar may be more sophisticated on “Fugazi”, but there is something glorious with the raggedy edge to his playing on this record. The bass player, cool Pete Trevawas is also great. He and Mick on the drums make the backing comp heavy. And Mark Kelly, did I mention that geezer?
Decisions! Have been made! I’ve conquered my fears! The flaming shroud!
Let’s go, second side of the LP.
“Garden party” is like coming home. It is a fun romp, and if you have ever seen the promo video for the song you will for ever remember Fish and the boys dressed up as younglings pranking the Garden party. The melody is rather simple, isn’t it? Jolly fun anyway. Theatrical, engaging, rowdy. Yeah, I like it, but I like all tracks on the album. This is a crowd pleaser almost at the same level as “Market square heroes”.
“Chelsea Monday”… A slower contemplative lament. It’s driven by the bass and the drums, with a urgent guitar, but not the bad shrieking kind. No, this is something completely different and I simply love the guitar solos on this album. Sublime! Saffron sunsets. Fulfilled yet forgotten. Fish is capturing the loneliness and longing in such detail.
The album captures a feeling of a specific time in my life, back in Skövde in the middle of the 80s. Listening to it unlocks a door in the back of my mind. There is a torrent of emotions crashing down on me. Memories of my youth, nostalgia, sadness of years lost, sweet memories of old friends all jumbled together. It’s like the old me watching down on younger me from above, it’s like a dream, a reflection of something forgotten.
Fish keeps saying “this is not a political song”… Yeah right! Bollocks. Of course it’s a political song! “Forgotten sons” is one of the most political songs I know. It brings tears to my eyes. Mother Brown has lost her child.
This is the grand track on the second side of the LP. It is like a story with peaks and valleys of music and moods. My emotions are all over the place when I dive into the world Fish is painting in my mind. The brutality of the first part, the stillness with guitar and spoken words, the drums, oh my god, the drums. And the bass line. I can see the military marching! This is so great I can’t put words to it.
Then a few seconds of bass only, thrown into furious anger. Verbal masturbation. Minster, Minister care for your children! Order them not to damnation! For whose is the Kingdom, the power, the glory?
Amen...
Halt! Who goes there? Death. Approach friend.
Guitar.
Forgotten sons. Forgotten sons. For a second you’ll be famous. Forgotten sons.
Mother Brown has lost her child.
Mr Derek "Fish" Dick certainly has his ways with words.
My rating: 10/10
Side A:
1. Script for a jester’s tear
2. He knows you know
3. The web
Side B:
1. Garden party
2. Chelsea Monday
3. Forgotten sons
Best songs: “Script for a jester’s tear”, “The web”, “Forgotten sons”
Produced by: Nick Tauber
Released on March 13th, 1983
Media: 1983 original vinyl album, gatefold
A few years ago, me and my buddy Mr. Magic did a very small Swedish-speaking podcast where we discussed Bowie’s albums. In the very last episode, we ranked Bowie’s all albums from 28 up to number One.
The bottom five in my list became a fierce dog fight between the two Tin Machine albums, “Pin Ups”, the first album named “David Bowie” and “Tonight”. With that I must say that this album is not great.
“Tonight” was released the year after the smash hit “Let’s Dance”. The reason for the Record Company Man was of course to pull more gold out of the mine. For Bowie it seems to have been an after-thought altogether. He ditched Nile Rodgers as the producer, and the album looks like a support project for his friend Iggy Pop who ran low on cash at the time.
Bowie wrote two new songs with Iggy, Tumble and Twirl and Dancing With the Big Boys, and added three old Iggy songs from the seventies as well as two other covers, one Beach Boys and a Leiber-Stoller song. The rest was a mere two new songs, Loving the Alien and Blue Jean. This is not nearly enough I would say. Bowie continued to surprise his audience, ever the chameleon. He never took the easy way out.
Besides the low output of new "fresh" material, the production of the album is extremely weak. It reeks of bad eighties choices of instruments, mixing and overall “style”. As if that was not enough, many of the songs are done as reggae!!! Hate is a strong word when it comes to reviewing music, so let’s say I really, really don’t like reggae.
In the end only three of the new songs are interesting. “Blue Jean” has a funny music video that is so dated you can only smile with remembrance in your eyes. The best thing with it may be David’s make up. If you are to check it out, don’t miss to also have a look at the 20 minutes short film built around the song directed by Julien Temple.
“Dancing With the Big Boys” is like an early song from the “Never Let Me Down”-sessions. It is bombastic and fun in a way, but it’s not among Bowie’s classics. “Loving the Alien” is better. Reminds me about some of his work for soundtracks like “Absolute Beginners”.
Of the rest, most of them are unbearable to me. Sure, Bowie gives a master class in singing on the “God Only Knows” but I question the need for this song and this album to begin with. One part new stuff, one part covers and one part reggae versions of old Iggy Pop songs. Crazy. Like a “Kinder Surprise”, but without the chocolate.
Maybe I can give him that the album is eclectic at least.
My rating: 3/10
Side A:
1. Loving the Alien
2. Don’t Look Down
3. God Only Knows
4. Tonight
Side B:
1. Neighborhood Threat
2. Blue Jean
3. Tumble and Twirl
4. I Keep Forgettin’
5. Dancing With the Big Boys
Best songs: “Loving the Alien” and “Blue Jean”
Produced by: David Bowie, Derek Bramble and Hugh Padgham
Released on September 24th, 1984
Media: Box “Loving the Alien [1983-1988]”, 2018, reissue, remaster, 180g
Idag släpps andra delen av Shinypodden Special om de bästa albumen från 1985. Nu kommer vi äntligen få veta vilka album som var de mest minnesvärda från året. Och nej, det är inte The Smiths.
Länk till intervjun med Fish om Kay, kvinnan han skrev Misplaced Childhood om.
Niklas nämner ett liveframträdande från 1987 där Kate Bush har med sig David Gilmour. Ni hittar länk till det klippet i inlägget Veckans låt som publicerades igår.
Poddavsnittet hittar du där poddar finns, eller via länken här.
Shinypodden Special intresserar sig just nu för albumåret 1985. Det andra avsnittet med top 5 kommer ut imorgon!
En av 1985 års låtar fick bli Veckans låt nämligen Running up that hill av gudinnan Kate Bush.
Här har vi låten i dess puraste form, den officiella musikvideon dessutom, sedärja:
Under podden pratar Niklas om liveversionen då Kate spelar med sin välgörare David Gilmour. Jag fascineras av frisyren på bassisten. Quelle spectaculaire!
SPOILER ALERT Niklas!
Under 2022 seglade låten upp till topp på listorna på grund av dess flitiga användande i Stranger Things, season 4. Över 35 år efter dess release! Jag lämnar er med that scene...
Det är för övrigt något liknande detta The Wheel of Time skulle sett ut som när vi möter Ba'alzamon under inledningen av sagan. Dårarna som gör tv-serien är tyvärr så usla man kan vara...
Shinypodden Special är åter i luften. Äntligen!
Nu tar vi oss an de bästa albumen från 1985. Detta blir en härligt nostalgisk resa. Vi har också utvecklat programformatet med ett par förbättringar vilka en kommer direkt under inledningen av detta första avsnitt. Andra programmet kommer om en vecka.
Poddavsnittet hittar du där poddar finns, eller via länken här.
Imorgon kommer första avsnittet av Shinypodden Special om bästa albumen från 1985 ut. Neil Youngs countryskiva Old Ways skulle ha platsat på min top 10, men eftersom jag inte vill spela hans låtar i podden (och därmed på Spotifys platform) erbjuder jag er chansen att lyssna på hans album här via länkar till Youtube.
Neil har många album där han blandar mjuk rock med country i en ljuvliga combo. Old Ways är däremot hans enda renodlade countryskiva med låtar som Get back to the country, California sunset och Where Is the Highway Tonight?
Bästa låten från albumet är Bound for glory som också är en duett med en av countrymusikens bästa röster Waylon Jennings. Mycket nöje!
Förberedelserna inför Shinypoddens Special om musikåret 1985 pågår som bäst, första avsnittet publiceras natten till måndag om en vecka, och det är ett album jag blivit förälskad i... Albumet är Love av orkestern The Cult.
Wow, vilket album. Supernajs. Detta är annars ett år som är överfullt av nostalgiska favoriter. Det är svårt att slå sig in bland album jag lyssnat på en hel massa genom åren.
The Cult hade jag hört lite i periferin ända sedan det begav sig, men jag har aldrig på riktigt tagit åt mig dem. Men nu har jag funnit denna juvel. Låten som sticker ut från albumet är låten She Sells Sanctury.
Mycket nöje!
Shinypodden Special är tillbaka. Niklas och Henke har gjort en djupdykning i det fantastiska musikåret 1983. En tidsresa 40 år tillbaka i tiden. Musik är härligt.
Lyssna på vårt samtal där vi snackar om våra tio favoritalbum och en massa mer.
Avsnittet kan också fungera som en introtävling för lyssnarna!
Vilka album gillade vi allra mest? Lyssna ända till slutet så får ni veta.
Kommentera gärna våra val nedan.
Lyssna på Shinypodden där poddar finns, eller här.
