Totally Bitchin' New Wave and 1980s Albums

Totally Bitchin' New Wave and 1980s Albums
by year (not ranked)

MikeSabacinski.com
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= Essential New Wave / 80s Rock

= Lesser-known Beauty

CD

ARTIST - - - Album (Year)

MP3

PATTI SMITH - - - Horses (1975)
Patti wraps galloping punk energy in sublime, mystical musical meditations.

TELEVISION - - - Marquee Moon (1977)
New Wave. If you saw them live, you'd have to dance--and maybe end up hurting yourself.

BLONDIE - - - Parallel Lines (1978)
Blondie's best album rocks out.

PATTI SMITH - - - Easter (1978)
More commercial rock than her Horses album, Easter still has some of her most mystical moments, particularly in the introductions to "Privilege" and "We Three."

XTC - - - Go 2 (1978)
Their early sound: catchy New Wave pop.

THE CLASH - - - London Calling (1979)
Classic New Wave album with punk attitude. Driving energy, great band.

LENE LOVICH - - - Flex (1979)
The first time I heard Lene (Lay-na), I was living in a rooming house with 13 other students. I was in my basement room and clearly heard it blasting from a stereo TWO floors up. I ran upstairs and confronted the DJ. He looked at me apprehensively ('cause he knew he was naughty). "Who IS this?" I shouted over the music, "I really like it!" Lene trills and warbles like a bird over jerky, jumpy melodies. The Rhino Flex ... Plus CD has lots of great bonus songs from a couple other albums.

DAVID BOWIE - - - Scary Monsters (1980)
My very favorite Bowie album seethes with creativity. Bowie not only reinvented his persona throughout his career, he recreated the artist. Here he crashes on the scene with fresh and exciting music, abetted by Robert Fripp (King Crimson) on six tracks -- Major Tom designs the moon mission vehicles and Fripp engineers the guitar power for liftoff. Pete Townshend plays guitar on one track, and Tom Verlaine (of the band Television) wrote one song. I can't keep still.

She asked for my love and I gave her a dangerous mind
Now she's stupid in the street and she can't socialise
I love the little girl and I'll love her till the day she dies

JOHN CALE - - - Sabotage / Live (1980)
Cale's punk persona.

ELVIS COSTELLO - - - Get Happy! (1980)
Elvis was on a Motown kick. The songs (20 on the LP, 30 on the CD) are catchy and exuberant --the title is apt.

NINE NINE NINE - - - The Biggest Tour in Sport (1980)
Punk Punk Punk. Dangerous, threatening and, of course, musically appealing--or else I wouldn't include it.

OZZY OSBOURNE - - - Blizzard of Ozz / Diary of a Madman (1980-81)
These two were Ozzy's best solo works after splitting from Black Sabbath. Fantastic guitar by Randy Rhoads, who died in a plane crash in 1982.

XTC - - - Black Sea (1980)
A harder-rocking XTC album, and one of their best.

ICEHOUSE - - - Flowers (1981)
Chilled, bleak mood. Synth-heavy, tuneful.

PRINCE - - - Controversy (1981)
My favorite Prince album, by virtue of a few rude songs: "Annie Christian," "Ronnie Talk to Russia," "Private Joy."

X - - - Wild Gift (1981)
Fast, guitar-driven New Wave with tongue-in-cheek male and female vocals. Hooky - you can sing along with eXene and, er, John, uh, John Doe.

KATE BUSH - - - The Dreaming (1982)
A symphony of exotic sounds woven around a tender, human core. First she dances on my heart, then crushes it with a kiss. Beautiful and powerful; leaves me emotionally wrung-out by the end.

MISSING PERSONS - - - Spring Session M (1982)
Bubblegum New Wave - high energy and infectious.

LET'S ACTIVE - - - Cypress / Afoot (1982-84)
Catchy, jangley 80s sound, but with a texture and sophistication that keeps it sounding fresh today.

R.E.M. - - - Murmur (1983)
R.E.M.'s full-length debut brought a refreshing acoustic, organic sound to a generally soulless, synth-saturated decade.

STEVIE RAY VAUGHAN - - - Texas Flood (1983)
Heavy blues guitar virtuoso's best album.

XTC - - - English Settlement (1983)
A high point by the outstanding Andy Partridge / Colin Moulding team. All the ingredients of a great rock album - danceable beats, heady melodies, energy, tension, and of course ecstasy, swirl in an intoxicating brew. And brimming - the LP was a double.

KATE BUSH - - - Hounds of Love (1985)
One of Kate's warmest, most romantic and life-affirming works.

TODD RUNDGREN - - - A Cappella (1985)
Studio wizard Todd made this completely from vocals and processed vocal sounds, thus the title. The result sounds like a full band, right down to the percussion. Aesthetically excellent to boot.

WIRE - - - The A List (1985-90)
Unusual arty New Wave band's best tracks. Highly recommended!

XTC - - - Skylarking (1986)
Delightful tunes on this standout XTC album.

SAM PHILLIPS - - - The Indescribable Wow (1988)
She used to be a Christian rock singer but abandoned that scene when she became disillusioned. (Later she would sing, "I need God, not the political Church.") Warm vocals and wonderful, irresistable pop songs.

SONIC YOUTH - - - Daydream Nation (1988)
Classic New York noise-art album.

JOHN CALE - - - Words for the Dying (1989)
This is John the classical composer. These are musical settings he composed for four Dylan Thomas poems, and he is worthy of the task. The power of Dylan Thomas's poetry (sung, not recited) and John Cale's music multiply with shattering emotional intensity. Which is not to say the music is bombastic (it's restrained), just sensitively focused on the sentiment of the poetry.

TOAD THE WET SPROCKET - - - Bread and Circus (1989)
Toad's emotive, stellar debut is another breeze of the 90s blowing away the last days of the empty, plastic 1980s.
"Playlist: The Very Best of Toad the Wet Sprocket"

= Essential New Wave / 80s Rock

= Lesser-known Beauty

Art and Music

Home

CD	ARTIST - - - Album (Year)	MP3
	PATTI SMITH - - - Horses (1975) Patti wraps galloping punk energy in sublime, mystical musical meditations.
	TELEVISION - - - Marquee Moon (1977) New Wave. If you saw them live, you'd have to dance--and maybe end up hurting yourself.
	BLONDIE - - - Parallel Lines (1978) Blondie's best album rocks out.
	PATTI SMITH - - - Easter (1978) More commercial rock than her Horses album, Easter still has some of her most mystical moments, particularly in the introductions to "Privilege" and "We Three."
	XTC - - - Go 2 (1978) Their early sound: catchy New Wave pop.
	THE CLASH - - - London Calling (1979) Classic New Wave album with punk attitude. Driving energy, great band.
	LENE LOVICH - - - Flex (1979) The first time I heard Lene (Lay-na), I was living in a rooming house with 13 other students. I was in my basement room and clearly heard it blasting from a stereo TWO floors up. I ran upstairs and confronted the DJ. He looked at me apprehensively ('cause he knew he was naughty). "Who IS this?" I shouted over the music, "I really like it!" Lene trills and warbles like a bird over jerky, jumpy melodies. The Rhino Flex ... Plus CD has lots of great bonus songs from a couple other albums.
	DAVID BOWIE - - - Scary Monsters (1980) My very favorite Bowie album seethes with creativity. Bowie not only reinvented his persona throughout his career, he recreated the artist. Here he crashes on the scene with fresh and exciting music, abetted by Robert Fripp (King Crimson) on six tracks -- Major Tom designs the moon mission vehicles and Fripp engineers the guitar power for liftoff. Pete Townshend plays guitar on one track, and Tom Verlaine (of the band Television) wrote one song. I can't keep still. She asked for my love and I gave her a dangerous mind Now she's stupid in the street and she can't socialise I love the little girl and I'll love her till the day she dies
	JOHN CALE - - - Sabotage / Live (1980) Cale's punk persona.
	ELVIS COSTELLO - - - Get Happy! (1980) Elvis was on a Motown kick. The songs (20 on the LP, 30 on the CD) are catchy and exuberant --the title is apt.
	NINE NINE NINE - - - The Biggest Tour in Sport (1980) Punk Punk Punk. Dangerous, threatening and, of course, musically appealing--or else I wouldn't include it.
	OZZY OSBOURNE - - - Blizzard of Ozz / Diary of a Madman (1980-81) These two were Ozzy's best solo works after splitting from Black Sabbath. Fantastic guitar by Randy Rhoads, who died in a plane crash in 1982.
	XTC - - - Black Sea (1980) A harder-rocking XTC album, and one of their best.
	ICEHOUSE - - - Flowers (1981) Chilled, bleak mood. Synth-heavy, tuneful.
	PRINCE - - - Controversy (1981) My favorite Prince album, by virtue of a few rude songs: "Annie Christian," "Ronnie Talk to Russia," "Private Joy."
	X - - - Wild Gift (1981) Fast, guitar-driven New Wave with tongue-in-cheek male and female vocals. Hooky - you can sing along with eXene and, er, John, uh, John Doe.
	KATE BUSH - - - The Dreaming (1982) A symphony of exotic sounds woven around a tender, human core. First she dances on my heart, then crushes it with a kiss. Beautiful and powerful; leaves me emotionally wrung-out by the end.
	MISSING PERSONS - - - Spring Session M (1982) Bubblegum New Wave - high energy and infectious.
	LET'S ACTIVE - - - Cypress / Afoot (1982-84) Catchy, jangley 80s sound, but with a texture and sophistication that keeps it sounding fresh today.
	R.E.M. - - - Murmur (1983) R.E.M.'s full-length debut brought a refreshing acoustic, organic sound to a generally soulless, synth-saturated decade.
	STEVIE RAY VAUGHAN - - - Texas Flood (1983) Heavy blues guitar virtuoso's best album.
	XTC - - - English Settlement (1983) A high point by the outstanding Andy Partridge / Colin Moulding team. All the ingredients of a great rock album - danceable beats, heady melodies, energy, tension, and of course ecstasy, swirl in an intoxicating brew. And brimming - the LP was a double.
	KATE BUSH - - - Hounds of Love (1985) One of Kate's warmest, most romantic and life-affirming works.
	TODD RUNDGREN - - - A Cappella (1985) Studio wizard Todd made this completely from vocals and processed vocal sounds, thus the title. The result sounds like a full band, right down to the percussion. Aesthetically excellent to boot.
	WIRE - - - The A List (1985-90) Unusual arty New Wave band's best tracks. Highly recommended!
	XTC - - - Skylarking (1986) Delightful tunes on this standout XTC album.
	SAM PHILLIPS - - - The Indescribable Wow (1988) She used to be a Christian rock singer but abandoned that scene when she became disillusioned. (Later she would sing, "I need God, not the political Church.") Warm vocals and wonderful, irresistable pop songs.
	SONIC YOUTH - - - Daydream Nation (1988) Classic New York noise-art album.
	JOHN CALE - - - Words for the Dying (1989) This is John the classical composer. These are musical settings he composed for four Dylan Thomas poems, and he is worthy of the task. The power of Dylan Thomas's poetry (sung, not recited) and John Cale's music multiply with shattering emotional intensity. Which is not to say the music is bombastic (it's restrained), just sensitively focused on the sentiment of the poetry.
	TOAD THE WET SPROCKET - - - Bread and Circus (1989) Toad's emotive, stellar debut is another breeze of the 90s blowing away the last days of the empty, plastic 1980s.	"Playlist: The Very Best of Toad the Wet Sprocket"