Urban75 Album of the Year 1983

[nogojones]

RYM says, Rolling Stone says (Final Cut ffs!), NME says

I remember thinking at the time that the mid 80's was a musical desert and looking at those two lists just confirms how awful it was.

 

[The39thStep]

This is rather lovely, a review on RYM describes it as sounding like a cross between Brian Eno & Vashti Bunyan.
Virginia Astley - From Gardens Where We Feel Secure

It's fantastic

 

[Knotted]

I remember thinking at the time that the mid 80's was a musical desert and looking at those two lists just confirms how awful it was.

That was my first thought too. Still, I recon you'll like this:



Oh and this:

 

[The39thStep]

Chameleons - Script of the Bridge

Their debut. The Chameleons were once described as "Dark and brutal they emerged from unhip Middleton – a town on the edge of the M60. They were never going to appeal to the London music press. Their fans were plumbers, postmen and plasterers."

Definitely a Manchester recession band but separate from Factory Records and signified a great leap forward. Two guitarists with waves of sound , shimmering across each other, a charismatic frontman and a powerhouse ( sadly RIP) on drums . Dark, atmospheric and at times anthemic. Grossly underrated.

 

[Knotted]

Third stream thing I have just found. Sounding pretty cool.

Anthony Davis - Variations in Dream-Time

 

[Skim]

I think of 1983 as the year I started at comprehensive school and moving away from pop into more ‘grownup’ music. Started meeting new friends and discovering gems like this:

 

[Skim]

At the same time, I’m still loving pop like this:

 

[Knotted]

Another third stream thing I've just found. Also sounds pretty cool (and yes I am listening to them both at the same time - proper listen later)

Takeo Moriyama - East Plants

 

[nogojones]

That was my first thought too. Still, I recon you'll like this:



Oh and this:

Oh yeah. There's a few things on this thread that already float me boat.

I've been out of town quite a bit lately and missed out on 73. I have a feeling that's gonna continue, so I will probably miss this too.

 

[Knotted]

You don't think it but this is a great time for jazz.

Henry Threadgill Sextet - Just the Facts and Pass the Bucket

 

[ska invita]

Anglophone music is a bit naff at this point IMO.

Just had the quickest of glances at RYM and theres a couple of ''classic' post punky indie Polish albums, Lady Pank and Republika that were the soundtrack to youthful Solidarnosc era rebellion. Doubt they make any impact to modern ears but interesting for the political climate

 

[Knotted]

Just had the quickest of glances at RYM and theres a couple of ''classic' punky indie Polish albums, Lady Pank and Republika that were the soundtrack to youthful Solidarnosc era rebellion. Doubt they make any impact to modern ears but interesting for the political climate

That's made me think of the Czech band Plastic People of the Universe whose 1983 album I would recommend warmly, though I'm having difficulty streaming it.

OK here's a bit:

 

[hitmouse]

You just might stop to check the Violent Femmes' self-titled debut out:

 

[hitmouse]

You'll have to Wait for 1984 for a full Articles of Faith album, but you can give thanks for the fact that they did at least have an EP out in 83:

 

[zahir]

Womack & Womack - Love Wars

 

[zahir]

The P-Funk All Stars - Urban Dancefloor Guerillas

 

[Fez909]

Brit funk seems to be having another moment in the sun lately (at least in the circles I mix in), so this album sounds both very dated/of its time, and simultaneously fresh as fuck. I think it's brilliant. And IOU is a perfect tune.

Frēēēz - Gonna Get You

Explore songs, recommendations, and other album details for Gonna Get You by Frēēēz. Compare different versions and buy them all on Discogs.

www.discogs.com

 

[ska invita]

You just might stop to check the Violent Femmes' self-titled debut out:

I had no idea this album was as old as it was ... One of my first girlfriends loved this, I thought it was from that time (a few years later).
Loads of nostalgia for me

 

[Fez909]

Wild Style OST - First truly great hip hop album and it is a hip hop album not just a rap album. Soundtrack to the film that had come out the year before. Chris Stein from Blondie & Fab 5 Freddy along with performances from the film. The iconic cover graffiti by Zephyr, Revolt and Sharp.

View attachment 385823

I was certain this tune was on the OST, but it seems like I was wrong. Anyway, it's amazing, and I play it out regularly.



Aha, apparently it was in Style Wars (also 1983), not Wild Style. D'oh!

 

[ska invita]

I remember thinking at the time that the mid 80's was a musical desert and looking at those two lists just confirms how awful it was.

I always think that but with some searching theres always some dub and soul funk nuggets that turn up. On U and Wackies discographies came through in 1982

And loads of great 7s and 12s of course

 

[Fez909]

it was 84-87 that was shit. The beginning and end of the decade was amazing. As good, or better, than any other era, IMO. There was a big thread/argument about it a few years ago on here. I'll see if I can dig it out.

 

[Fez909]

Anyway, back to the good stuff. And '83 seems chock-full of it, to me.

Here's Aretha in her finest form, with Luther Vandross doing the production in his finest form, IMO. This, and the album they made the year before are the best things they ever did. Amazing.

Aretha Franklin - Get It Right

Explore songs, recommendations, and other album details for Get It Right by Aretha Franklin. Compare different versions and buy them all on Discogs.

www.discogs.com

 

[ska invita]

Love the title track never heard the album... Fun video for get it right out there

 

[Fez909]

Love the title track never heard the album... Fun video for get it right out there

This is as good as the title track. Absolutely love this

 

[Throbbing Angel]

 

[Fez909]

Right, time to test the rules again, as is tradition.

Nightdubbing is a dub mix album of tunes from earlier Imagination albums (1981 and 1982). These versions that are more than just remixes...they're completely new tunes, I say.

Let's see what thread Führer decides

Imagination - Night Dubbing

Explore songs, recommendations, and other album details for Night Dubbing by Imagination. Compare different versions and buy them all on Discogs.

www.discogs.com

It's brilliant, btw. Sounds very modern. Obviously with the caveat that everything these days harks back to these times.

 

[Serge Forward]

Elvis Costello, Punch the Clock.

 

[Indeliblelink]

Brit funk seems to be having another moment in the sun lately (at least in the circles I mix in), so this album sounds both very dated/of its time, and simultaneously fresh as fuck. I think it's brilliant. And IOU is a perfect tune.

Frēēēz - Gonna Get You

Explore songs, recommendations, and other album details for Gonna Get You by Frēēēz. Compare different versions and buy them all on Discogs.

www.discogs.com

I think Arthur Baker & John Robie [both New Yorkers] had a big hand in this, Baker wrote IOU.
The same people were behind Planet Patrol, you can hear the similarities. Vocals sound very much like John Rocca although I can't see him credited anywhere. Planet Patrol's 1983 album has a couple of classic electro tracks but some duff stuff too.

This was recorded in the same session as Planet Rock hence the similarities - think they were released as a double A side.

 

[Serge Forward]

 

[Fez909]

Vocals sound very much like John Rocca although I can't see him credited anywhere

Interesting, I didn't know Baker was involved at all!

On Discogs, Baker is credited as the producer, but seeing as Freeze is Rocca's band, I guess it makes sense he wasn't explicitly named. But then that makes things like this seem weird:

Freeez + John Rocca - Southern Freeez / Variations On A Theeem

View credits, reviews, tracks and shop for the 2020 Vinyl release of "Southern Freeez / Variations On A Theeem" on Discogs.

www.discogs.com

If Rocca is Freeez, what does it mean to have Freeze featuring one of their own members