1987 – Zonker.net

October 1, 2016

“Strangeways, Here We Come” by The Smiths (No. 10)

"Strangeways, Here we Come" by the Smiths (album cover)

The final album by The Smiths, Strangeways Here We Come is a fitting close to a brief but brilliant career.

The Smiths’ star shone brightly and burned out quickly, but they were prolific as Hell for the brief time they were together. Strangeways is their fourth and final album, released in 1987. That’s four albums in five years, a live album the year after they broke up, and a slew of singles and b-sides, besides.

Let me tell you a little secret – there’s not a bad one in the bunch. No bad albums, no lousy singles, and even the b-sides are good. (Especially, “How Soon Is Now?”, which isn’t featured on any of the original LPs.) But Strangeways is especially good.

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September 22, 2016

“Document” by R.E.M. (No. 19)

For Document R.E.M. picked up a much harder edge than previous albums. Sure, Life’s Rich Pageant dabbled a bit with more aggressive guitar, but Document has a much harsher sound throughout. And it sounds so, so good.

Document practically kicks you in the face with the opening track, “Finest Worksong.” A whip-crack snare and then Peter Buck is off to the races with an almost metal guitar intro that sets the rhythm.

There’s more than a little The Who influence here. And Michael Stipe’s voice, once again, is crisp and clear at the forefront. This is, by the way, true to its title. If “Finest Worksong” doesn’t motivate you to get shit done, seek medical care.

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September 21, 2016

“Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me” by The Cure (No. 20)

"Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me " album cover by The Cure

Most of The Cure‘s albums are outstanding, but Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me is simply magical. Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me shows The Cure delivering perfect, joyful pop right alongside languid and extended jams that don’t give a damn about radio play.

I have to be honest, I was a bit put off by Robert Smith’s voice at first. Almost despite myself, I loved some of the singles off this album, but I initially found his delivery just a little off-putting. It eventually grew on me, but that’s a story for later.

Even so, I couldn’t deny the strength of the singles from Kiss Me.

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September 18, 2016

“The Joshua Tree” by U2 (No. 23)

It’s a little daunting to try to find something original to say about an album like The Joshua Tree. Released in 1987, The Joshua Tree sold something like 25 million copies, While it’s no Rumors or Thriller, The Joshua Tree has been rather thoroughly reviewed many times over.

I was aware of U2 before The Joshua Tree, but I couldn’t say that I was a major fan of the band. But when The Joshua Tree came out in ’87, it really couldn’t be ignored. It was all over the radio, MTV, and appealed to kids my age as well as aging boomers trying to keep up with current music. (Boomers who were probably younger than I am today, I might add. Sigh.)

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September 7, 2016

“Cloud Nine” by George Harrison (No. 34)

George Harrison album cover for Cloud Nine

Cloud Nine may not be the strongest George Harrison work outside of The Beatles, but for many reasons it’s my favorite Harrison solo album. My reasons for loving this album? Let me tell you them…

At 17, when Cloud Nine was released, I was still strongly convinced that no band would ever equal The Beatles musically. I’d started to branch out musically, but the Fab Four still dominated my musical mindset. Harrison had been in a long fallow period – Cloud Nine was five years after the previous studio album, and it was also the last studio album before his death in 2001. But it did come along with a new wave of appreciation for The Beatles and some interesting follow-up projects. Continue reading ““Cloud Nine” by George Harrison (No. 34)”