The 1985 Listening Post - Howard Jones - Dream Into Action

Howard Jones - Dream Into Action

#81

March 23 1985

Howard Jones

Dream Into Action

Genre: Synth-Pop

4 out of 5

Highlights:

Things Can Only Get Better

Life in One Day

No One is to Blame

At this point, does Howard have this space all by himself?

I remember how revelatory the discovery of Jones was on 84’s Human’s Lib and this one picks right up with that super catchy megahit, “Things Can Only Get Better”.

From there it just gets brighter, somehow. I love that, for the second time, Dean Christgau marked this record as a “Must to Avoid” and I don’t know what the fuck he’s smoking. 

It gets a little bloated toward the back half and I kind of wish it was 2-3 songs shorter but that’s nit picking on what is, ultimately, a fine synth-pop record.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/dream-into-action/1242916297

The 1985 Listening Post - Alcatrazz - Disturbing the Peace

Alcatrazz - Disturbing the Peace

#80

March 22 1985

Alcatrazz

Disturbing the Peace

Genre: Pop Metal

4.5 out of 5

Highlights:

God Blessed Video

Wire and Wood

Stripper

Sons and Lovers

This might be just run of the mill pedestrian 90s metal were it not for Steve Vai’s guitar work. And since that’s extraordinary it helps elevate this in ways that their first album did not but his solo album did.

Graham Bonnet is not a good singer, he’s a screamer but he services the songs with the energy that’s required and whenever the high notes are needed, Vai provides them on his axe. But he does hit them when he can. 

Songs like “Stripper” are Van Halen meets Motley Crue. You can’t be a fan of those bands and dislike this. I mean, the song isn’t good but it’s stoopid and stoopid is to rock and roll what honey is to good triple cream. 

I can’t get over how much “Sons and Lovers” sounds like Van Hagar, if Van Hagar was fronted by…David Lee Roth…?

I’m sorry. I loved the fuck out of this record. 

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/disturbing-the-peace/714964800

The 1985 Listening Post - Meat Puppets - Up On the Sun

Meat Puppets - Up On the Sun

#79

March 21 1985

Meat Puppets

Up on the Sun

Genre: Alternative

4.5 out of 5

Highlights:

Up on the Sun

Maiden’s Milk

Swimming Ground

Too Real

Two Rivers

Screw Nirvana. Kurt Cobain so obviously worshipped at the altar of Chris Kirkwood. 

This album is loose and fun, with the wind of psychedelia at their backs and post-punk in their rearview this is a gem. 

The band’s tightness not only supersedes the weak, almost incompetent singing but is enhanced by it. AND because they are so tight and assured I find the warbling endearing. Like more a musical instrument than a vocal.

Two Rivers is so hypnotically beautiful in a way that I didn’t expect that I had to just listen to it again to be sure I loved it as much as I did. 

This is not post-punk. This is alt-country. At least, as close as you can get to that. How this became the influence for grunge is beyond me…

I think I like this even more than Meat Puppets II

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/up-on-the-sun/444775710

The 1985 Listening Post - Kenny Loggins - Vox Humana

Kenny Loggins - Vox Humana

#78

March 12 1985

Kenny Loggins 

Vox Humana

Genre: Pop Rock

3.25 out of 5

Highlights:

Forever

The opening track sounds just like “Footloose”, which sounds similar to “I’m Alright”, which is pretty much the Kenny Loggins story. 

So much of this is perfectly serviceable and bland AOR pop. It’s almost impossible to hate but at the same time, difficult to remember.

Like a carbon of Lindsey Buckingham, Loggins also manages to sound like a cut rate Rick Springfield (probably due to Tim Pierce’s involvement on guitar). 

The David Foster-ism on this record is abundant and it’s probably because of that that the record sounds bigger than it really is. 

“Forever” is a good example of this outsized production excess for what should have been a lovely ballad, although I kind of enjoyed it, despite its grandiosity…or maybe because of it. 

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/vox-humana/192665882

The 1985 Listening Post - Liege Lord - Freedom's Rise

Liege Lord - Freedom's Rise

#77

March 12 1985

Liege Lord

Freedom’s Rise

Genre: Metal

3.75 out of 5

I have a confession to make. While I was listening to this I was using it to set up our Alexa Echo Dots. See, when my bike was stolen it was brought up to me by my neighbor that they were nonplussed that I, of all people, didn’t have some sort of monitoring system. Considering that we have WiFi lights by Hue, Echo dots everywhere, a wifi scale, a bluetooth blood sugar sensor that I wear, an Apple Watch, etc…how could I have let this slip by?

He was correct. So, I went out and purchased a bunch of Ring accessories to have installed around the exterior. Upgraded front doorbell with higher resolution, floodlight camera in the backyard to upgrade the old and rusted floodlights that are out there, a spotlight camera to monitor the garage door and, of course, a wifi enabled garage door opener. (Don’t @ me with stories of how thieves can hack it, I have a garage door opener that could easily be hacked already, this would at least notify me if the door was opened). 

So, what’s the point? Well, with each of these devices we received a new Echo Dot. And I was trying to turn them into a Whole hose system, which is not as easy as it should be for streaming something on Sonos. Sadly, I can’t figure out how to stream from the MacBook to all the devices at once, which is what I was endeavoring to do with this album, since it’s only available on YouTube. 

So, I have a system that can simulate my Sonos with inferior sound but can’t do this one function which I guess is fine, I can still stream it to ONE speaker. 

Anyway.

Liege Lord.

Metal with purpose. 

It’s not bad. I wish I could have it fill the house but, even though I can’t, it still works. It’s very metal. Very very Priest. This whole album feels like an audition to be the opening band on a Judas Priest tour. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OkQxZaga9Uo

The 1985 Listening Post - Uriah Heep - Equator

Uriah Heep - Equator

#76

March 12 1985

Uriah Heep

Equator

Genre: Pop Metal

2.25 out of 5

Abominog. 

That’s the only album of Uriah Heep’s that anyone ever needs. 

Before that, it was garbage and after that…stuff like Equator. The album opens with a pale and embarrassing attempt to be Def Leppard. There’s one Def Leppard. We need absolutely zero more. Especially from a band that has been around since……19fucking69. 

And then they decide, hey, let’s be Foreigner. Because we need more of that MOR Pop Metal. 

Ugh. This is as pedestrian as it can be. 

This is their 16th album. And, by my count, the 5th record I’ve heard. Only one is of any value. The one I mentioned at the top. 

I’ve already spent more energy writing about this than is deserved. But I listened to the whole goddamned thing. 

Cuz that’s what I do. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l91-o9-k7Ac

The 1985 Listening Post - Sisters of Mercy - First and Last and Always

Sisters of Mercy - First and Last and Always

#75

March 11 1985

Sisters of Mercy

First and Last and Always

Genre: Goth Rock

3.25 out of 5

I was toying with changing the genre to “David Bowie wannabe band” but that wouldn’t be fair to Joy Division. 

At least Robert Smith was able to twist his adulation for Scary Monsters era Bowie into something interesting (to me early Cure sounds NOTHING like what they were about to become and I credit that to this particular fetish).

So, what are Sisters of Mercy bringing to the party? Well…a party, I think. This doesn’t sound like a depress-o-platter, it’s like a dance record for the disaffected or wannabe disaffected. 

I wore eyeliner for a couple weeks in college. I also bleached my hair. And wore my mother’s blouses because they seemed “pirate-y” and goth. 

Then I cut my hair and put on a blazer and went to class. 

That night I had a dream. I was standing in a black void and there was a spotlight on me and a disembodied voice that said, “Thank god you started wearing normal clothes again.”

That is a true story.

At that point Sisters of Mercy would have nothing to offer me. It has less to offer me today.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/first-and-last-and-always/1002376675

The 1985 Listening Post - Eric Clapton - Behind the Sun

Eric Clapton - Behind the Sun

#74

March 11 1985

Eric Clapton

Behind the Sun

Genre: Blues Rock

3.5 out of 5

Highlights:

See What Love Can Do

Forever Man

Tangled in Love

A backyard patio. Bedecked with tiny lights. Some wind chimes. A fire pit. Happy laughing twentysomethings drinking cold beer from bottles. Summer dresses. Men in jeans with sandals and plaid button downs. Someone passes around a tray of coke. A woman jumps into the pool. Her boyfriend jumps in with her. 

This album plays in the background. At no point does anyone say, “This music is good, what is this?”.

Man, he even makes “Knock on Wood” dull. 

Weird that “Forever Man” was one of the only tracks not produced by Phil Collins but sounds more like a Phil Collins solo track than anything else on the album.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/behind-the-sun/296193964

The 1985 Listening Post - Mountain - Go for Your Life

Mountain - Go for Your Life

#73

March 8 1985

Mountain

Go for Your Life

Genre: Blues Rock

2 out of 5

Highlights:

Shimmy on the Footlights

I really wanted this to be good. I know nothing of Mountain except that Leslie West is a legend. So, this is my introduction to them. 

I honestly didn’t expect this many keyboards. Or this much juvenility. 

The most it comers close to interesting ZZ Top-esque boogie rock is “Shimmy on the Footlights”. And that’s still barely of interest. 

Too bad. I bet these guys were great at one point.

Dumb fact:

This was produced by Pete Solley, who, at one point, produced Oingo Boingo. 

There is a song here called “I Like Young Girls”.

I believe there is a connection. I believe it’s dark. And I don’t wanna know any more about it. 

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/go-for-your-life/1402895827

The 1985 Listening Post - Hoodoo Gurus - Mars Needs Guitars

Hoodoo Gurus - Mars Needs Guitars!

#72

March 8 1985

Hoodoo Gurus

Mars Needs Guitars!

Genre: Rock

4.5 out of 5

Highlight:

Bittersweet

Poison Pen

In the Wild

Mars Needs Guitars

As good as Stoneage Romeos? Umm…almost. It’s quick, assertive, assured and a ton of fun. There’s a contained energy on “In the Wild” that seems like it might spiral out of control but it’s held together with tension as it comes to a head and gives a way to the moderate tempo’d Split Enz-esque “Death Defying”.

As I’m writing this I’m listening to the first side and it just doesn’t stop. It’s one great track after another. 

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/mars-needs-guitars/298097113