Urban75 Album of the Year 1981

[Fedayn]

I'm just enjoying sharing and talking about the cool records I've found tbh, and reading about and listening to the cool records other people have found. I don't really know what else a music forum could be for.

I think they are for what you say, but it always seeps in. I am not criticising btw, I was a skinhead for a few decades so one-upmanship and peacocking was always part of it, and was on ebay and FB pages for clothes and original clobber, it always seeped in there. Same with old reggae and soul vinyl etc.

 

[Fedayn]

its the exact opposite IME - only wish more people posted so thered be more suggestions.
im here for recommendations and also try and do my bit by sharing whatever digging ive done thats come up trumps

Well then we have both seen different sides in these kind of threads/pages etc. Neither cancels the other out,

 

[Knotted]

Last year I decided this Vanguarda Paulista (Sao Paulo avant garde) album from Marinho Castellar was 1981 rather than 1980.



Definitely worth a listen.

 

[belboid]

We haven't had this yet, and it isn't even that obscure! Arguably Zappa's final decent album, because it does just what it says on the tin cover

 

[hitmouse]

Another for the "not ridiculously obscure but may be new to some people" list, the Flesh Eaters, dunno how I'd describe them beyond like "gothy punk with saxophones", they were good though:

 

[Knotted]

I thought the Art Bears World As it is Today was 1980 but it's 1981. I slightly prefer their other two albums but this one has some astonishing moments that make you feel like you've been smacked in the face.

 

[Knotted]

This Heat's Deceit is the obvious album of the year IMO. Not sure I'm going for it yet though.

 

[andysays]

Reminder of one that was suggested for 1980

Nobody has mentioned Fire Engines' Lubricate Your Living Room yet. It's surely one of the better if uglier post-punk albums of the year.

but then put on hold when we realised it wasn't released until 1981

 

[killer b]

Totally this....Discogs has through the global hive mind become an amazing resource - i remember when it was still patchy, now its got one off acetates listed on it! Having such a complete catalogue is a new development, plus the fact that pretty much everything listed can be accessed (and so heard) somewhere online means its a diggers paradise. Im catching up on lost years.

just as an aside on this, I think it's catalogue is still a bit patchy with new stuff - I picked up a couple of albums yesterday from the 50p promos bin at Vinyl Exchange, both released in 2019 and both not yet on discogs. And yet, a tape I released a few years ago in an edition of ten was up there within a week...

 

[ska invita]

just as an aside on this, I think it's catalogue is still a bit patchy with new stuff - I picked up a couple of albums yesterday from the 50p promos bin at Vinyl Exchange, both released in 2019 and both not yet on discogs. And yet, a tape I released a few years ago in an edition of ten was up there within a week...

Yes, and worst still many digi only releases aren't getting catalogued which is a real shame as discogs is now the official database

 

[Knotted]

Something completely different. Hungarian composer Peire Vidal's album of neo-medieval songs - A Troubadour in Hungary. To be fair I think I'm just missing the folk revival...

 

[hitmouse]

Just checked, and Rudimentary Peni didn't do an album till '83, but their first EP was 81:


Have we had a mention of Demolition War on here yet? Think we might've done but hard to search if people don't include the band/record name when posting links.

 

[Knotted]

Really liking this Polish jazz duo. Krzysztof Zgraja & Jacek Bednarek - Walking Colour. Flute plus double bass.

 

[Spandex]

Have we had a mention of Demolition War on here yet?

Yeah, bottom of page 4.

If you really want to vote for it looks like a longer album length version was released on cassette in 81:

(I've got it on the EP-LP from '85)

 

[marty21]

Well then we have both seen different sides in these kind of threads/pages etc. Neither cancels the other out,

I've based my top 10 on what I liked 40 years ago , it includes Human League ,Kraftwerk, Hall & Oates & Styx

 

[Spandex]

I've based my top 10 on what I liked 40 years ago

If I did that my complete ballot would be:

- Adam & The Ants - Prince Charming

As that was the only album from 81 I listened to in 81.

 

[hitmouse]

Yeah, bottom of page 4.

If you really want to vote for it looks like a longer album length version was released on cassette in 81:

(I've got it on the EP-LP from '85)

Impressive research skills! Also, does make me wonder how they, and many other artists on this thread, would react if you could get a time machine and tell them that people would be picking over the intricacies of this stuff in 40 years' time.
Just checked another hardcore album that I could totally have believed being from 81, and turns out the first Bad Religion album came out 19 days into 1982. At least I have a pretty solid list for "best of 1982" already.

 

[klang]

and turns out the first Bad Religion album

is there anything on it that's not on 80-85?

edit - just checked, there doesn't seem to be

 

[hitmouse]

Yep, just checked and there isn't, think I have the CD version that's just 80-85 with a different name.

 

[The39thStep]

And, how can we not forget the idiosyncratic and delightful self titled Penguin Cafe Orchestra album ? Not as good as the first or indeed third but if you have a spare 45 mins its worth a visit , even if its just to listen whilst gazing at the delightful artwork of hybrid human/penguins .

 

[Indeliblelink]

Absolute Body Control - Absolute Body Control
Nice Belgian minimal synth/synth-pop, shame "is there an exit?" isn't on there though.

 

[Indeliblelink]

TC Matic - TC Matic
More Belgian goodness, bit more new wave/dance-punk

 

[Spandex]

Absolute Body Control - Absolute Body Control
Nice Belgian minimal synth/synth-pop, shame "is there an exit?" isn't on there though.

Absolute Body Control are a perfect example of a band that was little known in the 80s but has been rediscovered and become better known since the internet came along.

At the time they were one of the acts that were part of the international cassette trading network, being little known outside the scene and only appearing on a handful of obscure compilations. Then in '85 they split and became part of the better known EBM act The Klinik. In the '00s a number of blogs started raking over all the minimal synth acts from the 80s cassette scene, a 2CD compilation 'Lost/Found' came out, a vinyl box set of all their cassette albums followed and then in '07 they reformed, putting out 2 new albums since.

Great band

 

[killer b]

Absolute Body Control are a perfect example of a band that was little known in the 80s but has been rediscovered and become better known since the internet came along.

At the time they were one of the acts that were part of the international cassette trading network, being little known outside the scene and only appearing on a handful of obscure compilations. Then in '85 they split and became part of the better known EBM act The Klinik. In the '00s a number of blogs started raking over all the minimal synth acts from the 80s cassette scene, a 2CD compilation 'Lost/Found' came out, a vinyl box set of all their cassette albums followed and then in '07 they reformed, putting out 2 new albums since.

Great band

the rate my music charts for 81 are absolutely rammed with these kinds of bands - so many that I'm just scrolling past anything with 'minimal wave' in the description. this year's flute heavy psych rock

 

[The39thStep]

Absolute Body Control are a perfect example of a band that was little known in the 80s but has been rediscovered and become better known since the internet came along.

At the time they were one of the acts that were part of the international cassette trading network, being little known outside the scene and only appearing on a handful of obscure compilations. Then in '85 they split and became part of the better known EBM act The Klinik. In the '00s a number of blogs started raking over all the minimal synth acts from the 80s cassette scene, a 2CD compilation 'Lost/Found' came out, a vinyl box set of all their cassette albums followed and then in '07 they reformed, putting out 2 new albums since.

Great band

Deux, a French band early 80s , best described as 'minimal synth with stripped down rhythm compositions and suitably cold duets.' had a similar route releasing only cassettes and singles. Unfortunately, a retrospective album was only released in 2019 so they'll never appear on one of these threads re 80s albums but worth checking out imo.

 

[Knotted]

This is a good (as always) album from Chico Buarque. (Brazillian popular music)

 

[Knotted]

To go with Massacre and Material there's Curlew. NYC avant funk rock.



Says 1989 but it's 1981

 

[Knotted]

George Lewis's Chicago Slow Dance is sounding interesting. Minimal noise-jazz sax.

 

[cloudyday]

Conrad Schnitzler was knocking out a few in 81.

 

[Spandex]

When I was a moody 16 year old Bauhaus were my favourite band, so I can't let 1981 pass without mentioning Mask. They were much more than just a goth band, in many ways more a glam/art-rock act taking influences from all over - T-Rex, Bowie, dub, funk - although they have plenty of post-punk and that pretentious gloominess of goth to them. Not their best flowing album due to the switches in style, but it does have a load of great tracks, including my favourite of theirs, goth-funk classic Kick in the Eye: