1982 was the beginning of a, roughly, three year reign of Michael jackson's Thriller being everywhere and winning all the Grammys. I even have Thriller on LP. It s not going to be on my Mt. Rushmore because I still have PTSD from living through Thriller-mania. I'm pretty sure Michael Jackson's legacy will withstand this egregious snub. 1982 was a decent year. My list of contenders that missed the cut is quite good. They are: XTC English Settlement, Flock of Seagulls self-titled, Asia self-titled, INXS Shabooh Shoobah, Judas Priest Screaming For Vengence, Culture Club Kissing to be Clever and Paul McCartney Tug of War.
Considering my hatred of Lou Reed and The Velvet Underground it's surprising that my number one is Dream Syndciate's Days of Wine and Roses. One thing that saves it for me is Steve Wynn's vocals have enough Jonathan Richman to counterbalance the Lou Reed influence. He sounds much less dreary and more playful than Reed. The great things about this album are the guitar work and the timeless production. It came out of the Paisley Underground scene, but has it's own sound that isn't shackled to any particular place or time.
Number two is Signals by RUSH. I've posted quite a bit about RUSH and this is one of my favorites. The standout track for me is "Analog Kid". The playing is amazing and the lyrics are great. "Too many hands on my time. Too many feelings. Too many things on my mind. When I leave I don't know what I'm hoping to find and when I leave I don't know what I'm leaving behind". Top Peart. "Subdivisions" is an iconic song about suburban alienation. "Chemistry is a hidden gem in the RUSH catalog.
Number three is Vs. by Mission of Burma. This album, along with their 1981 EP Signals, Calls and Marches, cemented them as one of the most important bands of the indie rock underground of the Eighties. Mission of Burma influenced many bands, including R.E.M.
Finally, a shout out to The New Romantics with Rio by Duran Duran. When Rio came out it was a new and exciting sound. And the music videos were exotic and cinematic. Simon LeBon has one of the signature voices in pop music. The singles from Rio were great and so are the deep cuts. If you were a guy in 1982, it wasn't cool to admit you liked Duran Duran...but you did. Don't even try denying it.
Looking ahead to 1981, I think you can probably guess my number one. It's another decent year, however 1980 is going to be loaded. Peace.
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