The 1986 Listening Post - Fate - A Matter of Attitude

Fate - A Matter of Attitude

#305/1430

July 1986

Fate

A Matter of Attitude

Genre: Power Metal

3.25 out of 5

Highlights:

Get Up and Go

I missed the debut album from this Danish metal band. 

Look, there are really only so many ways I can say the same thing. 

This is Big 80s Glam Metal and it brings nothing to the table save for terrible production that smacks of someone overcompensating for what they think they might hearing through their cocaine fueled dial switching and, for some reason, everyone said, “Yes. This should sound like it’s being played through a cardboard tube. That is exactly the sound we were going for. Thanks!”

I guess I can find another way. 

The lead singer’s name is Jeff "Lox" Limbo. If your nickname is a smoked fish that goes on a bagel with a schemer, you’re already starting off on the wrong Fin, Dane. 

I can do this all day. 

It’s not awful. The production really trashes it otherwise it could be a fine example of the genre. Until you hit the end and they decide they wanna be Diamond Dave ala “Ice Cream Man” and it’s bad. 

https://music.apple.com/us/album/a-matter-of-attitude/692008503

The 1986 Listening Post - Gone - Let's Get Real, Real Gone for a Change

Gone - Let's Get Real, Real Gone for a Change

#304/1429   LISTENING POST DISCOVERY

July 1986

Gone

Let’s Get Real, Real Gone for a Change

Genre: Jazz Rock

4.75 out of 5

Highlights:

Peter Gone

Climbing Rat’s Wall

Watch the Tractor

Lawndale Rock City

As much as a surprise that first Gone record was, this is ljust as good. 

We did these out of order and I kind of wish we hadn’t. In fact, I wish we just listened to them back to back. Now I’m not sure which one is better. 

 It sounds like what happens when you own a recording studio and have a LOT of free time and know a ton of fantastic musicians. 

When it kicks it’s monstrous (ala the Highlights above) but when it doesn’t it’s only slightly self-indulgent, like, “Hey! I have a riff, let’s play it to death!”. An example of my frustration is “Rosanne”. A series of riffs, played in a row but it never takes off and just ends up sounding like a soundtrack to a skateboard video. 

I had to give myself over to it and, after I did, it rocketed up my spine in great ways. 

https://music.apple.com/us/album/lets-get-real-real-gone-for-a-change/115820406

The 1986 Listening Post - GTR - GTR

GTR - GTR

#303/1428

July 1986

GTR

GTR

Genre: 80s Supergroup

2 out of 5

Ex-Yes + ex-Asia = more music that sounds like it stopped evolving in 1982 but also didn’t really understand what that movement was and resulted in cut-rate prog-rock. 

GTR is not anyone’s or anything’s initials, ala HSAS or even Y&T. Nope. 

“GTR” is “guitar” without the vowels. 

Ugh. 

Not good. 

https://music.apple.com/us/album/gtr-bonus-track-version/1036846135

The 1986 Listening Post - The Smithereens - Especially for You

The Smithereens - Especially for You

#302/1427

July 1986

The Smithereens

Especially for You

Genre: Power Pop

4.25 out of 5

Highlights:

Behind the Wall of Sleep

Blood and Roses

Crazy Mixed Up Kid

We don’t do EPs here at The Listening Post so something like this record, by a band that had been putting out music and touring it for 5 years prior, is the first representation. 

There is a song by the Smithereens in the movie, “Class of Nuke ‘em High”. That was my first exposure to the band. We saw it in the theater. Because our manager at the video store wrote it. He was somewhat embarrassed. I was in awe and brimming with envy. I adored fringe movies, cult movies, underground music, the stuff that existed in the edges. Maybe it’s because I related. I don’t know.

It wasn’t until years later that The Smithereens came back upon my radar, when Pat DiNizio was tapped as a programmer/Curator for the newly minted XM Radio. 

Sometimes DiNizio sounds like he desperately wants to be My Aim is True era Costello. Can’t say I blame him.

Side One is good. Side Two is spectacular. 

Are The Smithereens anything more than a revival of Power Pop? Isn’t this what Shoes were doing just 7 years earlier? 20/20? The Records? The lines can be traced backwards to The Bay City Rollers and Raspberries 14 years before and forward to Jellyfish and The Andersons and Chewy Marble and a host of others about 14 years later. Smack dab in the middle? The Smithereens. Not as great as either of those sides of the previous or next decades but a pretty fair placeholder. 

https://music.apple.com/us/album/especially-for-you/724080417

The 1986 Listening Post - Gordon Lightfoot - East of Midnight

Gordon Lightfoot - East of Midnight

#301/1426

July 1986

Gordon Lightfoot

East of Midnight

Genre: Soft Rock/Folk

2.25 out of 5

Let’s face it: Everything Lightfoot writes sounds like “If You Could Read My Mind”. And we only really need one of those. 

These are all perfectly mediocre little soft rock songs you would hear played by a busker at a harbor town pub.

https://music.apple.com/us/album/east-of-midnight/357810641

The 1986 Listening Post - 54-40 - 54-40

54-40 - 54-40

#300/1425 LISTENING POST DISCOVERY

July 1986

54-40

54-40

Genre: Canadian Rock

4.75 out of 5

Highlights:

Baby Ran

I Go Blind

Grace and Beauty

Me Island

Alcohol Heart/54.40

Who is 54-40?? They are still around, still putting out records and you know what? This is excellent. 

They wrote “I Go Blind” which was a hit for Hootie and the Blowfish and this version is better. 

Not much else to say except that this is a fun, angsty, solid rock record. It’s more alternative than most at this time. Just one listen to “Me Island” was enough to make me hit the replay this platter and go right back to the top. 

https://music.apple.com/us/album/54-40/256717179

The 1986 Listening Post - Billy Joel - The Bridge

Billy Joel - The Bridge

#299/1424

July 29 1986

Billy Joel

The Bridge

Genre: Rock

3.75 out of 5

Highlights:

Running on Ice

A Matter of Trust

One of the greatest things I’ve ever read (and nearly completely forgotten) is the Chuck Klosterman essay on Billy Joel in “Sex, Drugs and Cocoa Puffs”. I don’t remember much except that it was a vigorous defense of Billy and, truth be told, when he is on, he’s great. And when he’s not, he’s usually just unmemorable. A good example, to me, is “This is the Time”, a song you immediately forget exists after you hear it but sounds like it’s a classic because you’ve heard it a marillion times and the chorus is actually kind of elegiac and great.

Because, as Chuck writes, Billy isn’t “cool”. He’s not anti-cool, either. He’s just, well, “the only rock star I I’ve ever loved who I never wanted to be”. 

I agree with that. It’s pretty spot on. 

Billy Joel is your social studies teacher made rock musician. 

And that’s this record. Paunchy, dull, goateed and bald. It’s a romantic comedy on TV, which is where you heard “Big Man on Mulberry St.”, on Moonlighting, an 80s version of romance, snark and shallow, fun but unmemorable. 

https://music.apple.com/us/album/the-bridge/192816208

The 1986 Listening Post - Neil Young - Landing on Water

Neil Young - Landing on Water

#297/1422

July 28 1986

Neil Young and Crazy Horse

Landing On Water

Genre: Rock

1.5 out of 5

My exposure to Neil is very limited. That shitty rockabilly nonsense and reading about Pono. It’s weird to me that Neil would be so committed to audio fidelity and yet have an album with terrible synthesizers and processed 80s echo drums in support of mediocre songs in his repertoire. 

This does not endear me to Mr. Young. In fact, the giants of the 60s and 70s like he and Dylan…if their 80s output is your exposure (as it is mine and, no doubt, other youngsters) saying, “Butbutbut, ya gotta listen to their earlier, great stuff!” isn’t going to work. 

Based on this there is no reason to go back and listen to his catalog, he’s a second rate Lindsey Buckingham or Kenny Loggins here. But, at least they can hold a note. 

This is terrible

https://music.apple.com/us/album/landing-on-water/1443868337

The 1986 Listening Post - Loudness - Lightning Strikes

Loudness - Lightning Strikes

#296/1421

July 25 1986

Loudness

Lightning Strikes

Genre: 80s Metal

4.25 out of 5

Highlights:

Let It Go

Dark Desire

Black Star Oblivion

I almost pulled Loudness from this project, after all, it’s a different language and I thought it too regional. I’m really glad I didn’t. I hadn’t heard of them but this was a big record for them stateside and, you know what? It hits all those Ozzy/Priest notes pretty damned hard. 

The timing of this record is good, as classic metal bands seem to be losing their fire and energy and become bloated versions of themselves, Loudness seems to not just be paying homage but picking pop that mantle. 

I’m in the minority on this one. I loved it. 

https://music.apple.com/us/album/lightning-strikes/336668278

The 1986 Listening Post - Lyle Lovett - Lyle Lovett

Lyle Lovett - Lyle Lovett

#295/1420

July 14 1986

Lyle Lovett

Lyle Lovett

Genre: Country

4.25 out of 5 

Highlights:

Why I Don’t Know

An Acceptable Level of Ecstasy

Closing Time

Around 2000 I had been playing with my 4 track and brought it to a friend’s house to record his visiting roommate. A simple and lovely 1-4-5 er with a lead solo over the instrumental verse coming out of the chorus. 

I put some distortion on it and gave it just a wee bit of an edge. He flat out rejected that as he wanted a more “Hank Williams” sound. Not Jr., which is what I would have easily entertained and attempted. It was delicate and lovely and I just couldn’t connect to that. My body operates at a different vibration. 

So, while I can listen to this record and say, “Yeah, that’s nice. That’s a-ok.” I can’t latch on to anything because even at 8 in the morning on a Saturday I need something that is at least trying to kick me in the nuts somehow. 

It’s a really pretty record, though. 

https://music.apple.com/us/album/lyle-lovett/259632793