Category: Vinyl

The Cure – The top (1984)

Please come back, all of you

Back in 1984 whilst in high school, I found new friends. It brought happier times and life long friends, but also an inflow of new musical influences. The Cure was one of the bands I discovered via Per and Anders and the other guys in the pack I started to run with.

I immediately fell in love with The Cure and hastily checked out their back catalogue. The new album was “The top”. It was not my favourite. After the stellar debut album they followed it up with three dark and really depressing albums, it was glorious, it was depp-rock. I still love that trio; “Seventeen seconds”, “Faith” and “Pornography”. After an off year that only produced a mini-album heavily influenced by New Order they came out with this bridge album before another impressive run of four albums beginning with “The head on the door”.

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Marillion – Fugazi (1984)

Where are the poets?

Absurdly enough I sold most of my vinyls in the early 90’s. I left my player at my parents house and switched to CDs. Ahh, these ugly small plastic discs with those silly small booklets. My old vinyl collection… Where did you go? How I regret it.

Luckily most of my favourite bands and artists have re-issued their discographies in very nice, however expensive, editions. For Marillion it is even better. They have by now released three out of four studio albums in very attractive vinyl boxes. Only Fugazi remain to be treated with such a nice thing. Restless I couldn’t wait, so I have bought the 2012 re-issue on 180 gram vinyl. The album is stellar, the sound quality is mostly really good, the cover is wonderful. 

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Roger Waters – The pros and cons of hitch hiking (1984)

In truck stops and hamburger joints

1983… Pink Floyd was not working and Roger dumped the guys, whomever were left. Rick had already left. Nick and Dave were let go. Roger picked up his other concept album idea, called in som substitute players and went to work. The result was the magnificent 1984 album “The pros and cons of hitch hiking” which turned out to be Rogers last really great work.

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Neil Young – Homegrown (2020)

Plant that bell and let it ring

It is very entertaining to be a Neil Young fan. He change his mind as often as he makes plans. It’s a roller-coaster with a lot of waiting for albums that may or may not come out on time. It will be released in July is always the answer.

Recorded finished albums gets shelved and new stuff is done in days and released in a rush. He has an archive of unreleased stuff, both highly sought after studio material as well as a mother load of live stuff. One of the most famous unreleased albums is “Homegrown” from 1975. It was finished and almost out the door… The story is that when he was to play the record for the Band, he instead played songs from another album, “Tonight’s the night” that was recorded in 1973. So instead of releasing “Homegrown” in 1975 “Tonight’s the night” was let loose on the world. Neil said in an interview that he felt the “Homegrown” album was to personal…

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David Gilmour – About face (1984)

Either you are wrong or I am right

“About face”, Gilmour’s second solo album, was released the year after Roger Waters ended Pink Floyd, as he thought at least. This album has more production compared to the first self-titled solo album from 1978. This one is slicker. In the same year Roger released “The pros and cons of hitch hiking”, a concept album he pitched to the other guys pre-The Wall even. I may have to review Roger’s album next as a comparison. Which of the two legend did best with their 1984 efforts?

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David Gilmour – David Gilmour (1978)

Run like… short and sweet

“David Gilmour” is David Gilmour’s first solo album, released in 1978, a year after “Animals” and a year before “The Wall”. On this album he tried his wings on his own, and the result is very good. I love this album more today than when I grew up. Back then I listened alot on Pink Floyd and this is clearly not Pink Floyd, so I was taken aback. Nowadays I have grown into it. It is of course dominated by David’s guitar playing.

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Neil Young – Everybody’s rockin’ (1983)

Never to be heard on the radio

“Everybody’s rockin’” was the second album on Geffen Records and now it got even more crazy. This is a true rockabilly album. Think 50’s rock. Amazing that Neil did this to his friend David Geffen. I for one am not a fan of this genre. Hate is a strong word and not to be used for reviews of music, but I really don’t like that type of music. How is it then when my musical hero Neil does it? Something must give…

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Neil Young – Trans (1982)

Who put the bomb on the sacred altar?

“Trans” is the true litmus test of all of Neil’s albums. It is often only understood by the most die hard fans. Am I right? Most casual fans love his more commercial, his more artistic, or simply put – his better albums, but the die hard fans enjoy this mostly because it is different. And so the “Geffen years” began.

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Neil Young – Re*ac*tor (1981)

Got mashed potatoes

“Reactor” is a true Crazy Horse album but as such it is a little off, a little jarring. As the second studio album of the eighties it continues the road towards the most strange Neil records of all time. This record feels a little bit edgy, metallic, less warm, it’s an industrial feeling. You can also hear some signs of the development that will lead to the next album “Trans”… Machines at work in the background.

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