The 1985 Listening Post - Black Flag - Loose Nut

Black Flag - Loose Nut

#162

May 14 1985

Black Flag

Loose Nut

3.25 out of 5

Highlights:

Modern Man

I’m the One

Black Flag is the band that takes your criticism as a dare to see if they could actually be worse. 

And then they come out with a new one and prove it.

Here, unlike the turgid crap they put out the year before, they are actually trying to write “Songs” and, well, they aren’t absolutely horrible. They are just bad. 

I have no idea how Black Flag got the reputation they did, perhaps live they were incredible. My brother had “Damaged”. No one ever listened to it. 

This…isn’t terrible. Nor is it great. There are moments where I totally get it and then, in the next, I just want it to be over. 

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/loose-nut/115819569

The 1985 Listening Post - Plan 9 - Keep Your Cool and Read the Rules

Plan 9 - Keep Your Cool and Read the Rules

#161

May 14 1985

Plan 9

Keep Your Cool and Read the Rules

4.75 Out of 5

Highlights:

That’s Life

Poor Boy

Street of Painted Lips

I’ll be honest, when I saw the name Plan 9 I actually didn’t think of Ed Wood. I thought it would be punk. Plan 9 has a punk sounding name to me. I was not expecting 60s psychedelic revival garage rock. 

Nor was I expecting to be this excellent. 

A Rhode Island band that seems to still be making music and playing in that area I don’t know much about them. 

Except that this album is excellent all the way through.

The 7 minute Crampslike odyssey that is “Street of Painted Lips” brought me joy. 

I wish it was better produced because I couldn’t get it to full desired volume. 

Other than that, this thing was a blast. 

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/keep-your-cool-and-read-the-rules/1166239487

The 1985 Listening Post - Supertramp - Brother Where You Bound

Supertramp - Brother Where You Bound

#160

May 14 1985

Supertramp

Brother Where You Bound

Genre: Prog Rock

4 out of 5

Highlights:

Cannonball

Brother Where You Bound

Roger Hodgson left and the keyboardist took over the vocals and, to be honest, I really can’t tell. They are really embracing that prog rock + horn sound (I hear latter day Deep Purple and better days Chicago in here). I’m reminded of when Seth Justman took the reins of J. Geils Band and turned them into a hit machine. (Relying on memory here) Sometimes it takes one person either leaving or handing over control for a band to reinvent itself. I’m not sure I could do it. But, kudos to the guys for continuing. 

The title track is an epic. This was a very political time and a lot of the music represents that and they spare no excess here.

This album doesn’t have the hits Dire Straits did, but without those hits, this is a better record than Brothers in Arms.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/brother-where-you-bound-remastered/1434891450

The 1985 Listening Post - Magnum - On a Storyteller's Night

Magnum - On a Storyteller's Night

#159

May 13 1985

Magnum

On a Storyteller’s Night

4.25 out of 5

Highlights:

On a Storyteller’s Night

All England’s Eyes

Boy, would it be easy to just slag this and write them off as anthem rock garbage but these guys are so earnest here, they are such true believers in the form that it’s kind of endearing. 

Not that this is saying all that much but this is their best since Kingdom of Madness which was a sparkling debut. 

This is all epics and majesty. It’s gotta mean something to somebody, right? Magnum released their 20th album last year. So…

This is better than I expected. I could hear it again, no sweat. 

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/on-a-storytellers-night-25th-anniversary-deluxe-edition/1144262406

The 1985 Listening Post - New Order - Low-Life

New Order - Low-Life

#158

May 13 1985

New Order

Low-Life

Genre: Post-Punk

4.25 out of 5

Highlights:

Love Vigilantes

This Time of Night

Sunrise

Elegia

In a way, Low-Life is more musically approachable than Power, Lies & Corruption, which was extraordinary. New Order owns this space, defines this genre, reinvents it and comes up with a collection of tunes that are hypnotic and groovy. 

The driving symphony of “Sunrise” shows this album’s true strength: simplicity meeting complexity which can be counted on to explode in catharsis when necessary followed by the equally lovely and moving instrumental “Elegia”.

The albums stumbles toward the end as the more pedestrian disco takes hold (“sub-Culture”) but it rights itself with the determined Yaz meets Psychedelic Furs “Face Up” brings the whole thing home. 

A strong strong record, if a lot more poppy than I expected. 

The 1985 Listening Post - Donny & Dusty - The Lost Weekend

Donny & Dusty - The Lost Weekend

#157

May 13 1985

Donny & Dusty

The Lost Weekend

Genre: Cowpunk

4.5 out of 5

Highlights:

The Word is Out

Song for the Dreamers

Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door

Take one part Green on Red (a band that I never really cared for) and another part Dream Syndicate (a band I felt is pretentious and annoying at times, not really dreamy) and add 3 parts The Long Ryders (Who are excellent) and what do you get? 

You seem to get a bunch of drinking buddies who have access to a studio to play around and jam and come up with a ramshackle of terrific Cowpunk stuff.

Legend has it this album was recorded in one beer fueled evening.

Doesn’t sound like it. Sounds like songsmiths getting together and enjoying the shit out of themselves.

This album is a delight.

Put it on with Long Ryders and Beat Farmers (and Lone Justice and Jason and the Scorchers, maybe) and hit shuffle, go out in the backyard, fire up the grill, pop open some cold ones and toss a ball with your kid, throw the frisbee with your dog (he doesn’t care if your drunk, long as you aren’t an angry drunk), laugh with your friends, it’s summer, man.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/the-lost-weekend/293530076

The 1985 Listening Post - Dire Straits - Brothers in Arms

Dire Straits - Brothers in Arms

#156

May 13 1985

Dire Straits

Brothers in Arms

Genre: Rock

3.25 out of 5

Highlights:

So Far Away

Money for Nothing

Walk of Life

First things that come to mind here are that, first off, I recall my brother, who had a state of the art CD player before I had even seen a CD (and he had insertable magazines that were preprogrammed to play certain orders depending on which magazine was inserted), had this on disc. It was supposed to be one of the highest rated digital recordings at the time. 

The other memory is that facocta computer generated video.

So, with all this attention to computer presentation how is the album as a whole?

It starts off with a monster assault. Lulling us into comfort with “So Far Away”, then “Money for Nothing” is perfect. It’s so fucking snotty. The personae who are the narrators are portrayed as lunkheads who condescend to the rich musicians they see on MTV. In a way Knopfler is mocking the viewers AND the performers that MTV made famous. It might be the best song of the era. 

“Walk of Life” is like an upbeat version of what Bruce Springsteen would try in a couple years on Tunnel of Love, it’s a simple rock tune elevated by a calliope of keys and bounce. 

But it all gets so noodle flabby around the middle. It’s as though, on “Why Worry” he’s almost daring us to fall asleep, challenging us not to pick up that newly purchased remote and move on to the next song. Interesting move, Mark. 

And it doesn’t pick up. It’s SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO boring. 

Ambient dullness that won a bunch of Grammys. 

Any goodwill built up by the opening is lost by the time the album gets close to being interesting again. “The Man’s Too Strong” tried to pick it up but it’s crushed under the weight of that responsibility and “One World” really isn’t any good. And the title track is like a long lost Roger Waters song, equally slow and plodding. 

What a letdown this was. 

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/brothers-in-arms/299545299

The 1985 Listening Post - Grave Digger - Witch Hunter

Grave Digger - Witch Hunter

#155

May 10 1985

Grave Digger

Witch Hunter

Genre: Metal

1 out of 5

Lowlights:

Love is a Game

School’s Out

It wouldn’t be a music year if there wasn’t a metal band with the word “Witch” somewhere in it either their name or album title.

This is the first entry of 1985 to that hallowed echelon. And it’s everything you’d expect. Actually it sounds a bit more like sharp metal against glass than the other bands. Sonically, it’s epic, content wise, it’s everything you expect from this genre. 

These guys actually sound like a metal parody band. 

What they do to Alice’s “School’s Out” should’ve resulted in a fine. 

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/witch-hunter-remastered/1371055603

The 1985 Listening Post - The Style Council - Internationalists

The Style Council - Internationalists

#154

May 9 1985

The Style Council

Internationalists

Genre: Smooth Pop

4.5 out of 5

Highlights:

All Gone Away

Internationalists

With Everything to Lose

Shout to the Top

Walls Come Tumbling Down

We are listening to the American version because it includes a great single which was not on Our Favourite Shop, the UK release. 

Weirdly this album is even more eclectic than their first but also more cohesive. 

It’s also much much more “adult”. Like it’s aiming straight for the post-mod swinger with the giant stereo console housed in a credenza. 

Sometimes it’s cloying and dull (“The Lodgers”), other time it crackles (“Luck”) and, still others it’s perfection (“Shout to the Top”).

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/our-favourite-shop/258054997

The 1985 Listening Post - Kim Carnes - Barking at Airplanes

Kim Carnes - Barking at Airplanes

#153

May 5 1985

Kim Carnes

Barking at Airplanes

Genre: SynthPop

2.25 out of 5

Highlights:

Abadabadango

All I can see in my mind’s eye during this entire atrocity (eSPECIALLY when that male chorus comes in on the opening tack) are gold lame short clad dancers, moving in unison in a triangle behind Kim as a wind machine blows her flaxon trellises amidst a sea of dry iced smoke. 

And that’s this whole damned thing.

“Kimmy! Kimmelah! Get me another one of them ‘Bette Davis Eyes’ tunes! Imma sell a million of em. Already gots the DJs lined up to pump that shit out whenever I tell ‘em it’s go time!”

That’s this record. 

I almost like “Abadabadango”, but only because it comes close to sounding like an ABBA track. 

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/barking-at-airplanes-bonus-tracks/1275249646