Urban75 Album of the Year 1984

[Fez909]

Loads of amazing music this year. All the best Italo is from '84, but sadly not much of it is on albums, let alone good albums.

This is peak 80s music, though, and it's a good album, too:

https://www.discogs.com/master/36340-Shannon-Let-The-Music-Play

 

[Dr. Furface]

Footloose soundtrack?

Not for me, but there's a few decent ones

 

[Fez909]

As is this, from another angle.

808s, synth bass, vocoders, and soulful boogie. Perfect!

https://www.discogs.com/master/176544-Kleeer-Intimate-Connection

 

[Fez909]

I love Stevie's Woman in Red OST, but it's not a great album.

It has one of his best tunes on, though:



And one of his weirdest, which I fucking love:

 

[Fez909]

Patrice Rushen also released a great album this year. More 808s, synth bass and sparse production with beautiful soulful lyrics. It's listed as disco on Discogs, which I don't agree with at all.

https://www.discogs.com/master/136488-Patrice-Rushen-Now

This is my favourite tune of hers:

 

[Fez909]

There's a few good tracks on this decent Fun Fun album, but nothing comes close to the stand-out track, Happy Station.

https://www.discogs.com/master/99270-Fun-Fun-Have-Fun

 

[Fez909]

This is apparently the 'rarest' release on Salsoul due to a mixup with the name, meaning the album got pulled. It got a re-release a few years ago, and it still stands up today.

https://www.discogs.com/master/134462-Network-I-Need-You

 

[Fez909]

Really great African funk / boogie album from The Witch, who were apparently the first Zambian band to release a commercial record (not this one).

I love their name, Witch = We Intend To Cause Havoc

https://www.discogs.com/master/668281-The-Witch-Kuomboka

 

[Fez909]

Bonkers Italo / NRG / synth pop from Yugoslavia (Baltalo?)

Great album, with some pretty ridiculous music, and then some quite classy stuff like this:

 

[starfish]

Simple Minds - Sparkle in the Rain. I think was their first that i bought. Still got it somewhere.

 

[Fez909]

Post-Luther Vandross Change carrying on doing what they do. It's good.

https://www.discogs.com/master/15975-Change-Change-Of-Heart

 

[Fez909]

One of the best Italo disco albums, IMO. I played a tune from this out on Saturday. It sounds of its time, yet timeless. Just great.

https://www.discogs.com/master/23861-International-Music-System-International-Music-System

 

[starfish]

And of course, Big Country's second album Steeltown, which i also still have.

 

[Indeliblelink]

Alexander Robotnick - Ce n'est q'un début. Of course it's got the classic Problèmes d'amour on it and the other 5 tracks are ace too.

 

[Indeliblelink]

CTI [Chris & Cosey] - Elemental 7.
Dancing Ghosts, another track with some lovely early 303 action

 

[stavros]

I'm 99% certain it'll be Prince or Frankie for me.

However, to add to the nominations:

 

[Spandex]

A couple of albums from Zimbabwe:

Patrick Mkwamba & The Four Brothers – Tonosangana Ikoko

Which features one of the greatest Zimbabwean guitar tunes of them all, Wapenga Nayo Bonus...



The Bhundu Boys – Hupenyu Hwepasi



Both these albums were only released in Zimbabwe, although some of the tracks turned up on UK releases a couple of years later. I love this stuff, so sunny and happy.

 

[The39thStep]

I'm 99% certain it'll be Prince or Frankie for me.

However, to add to the nominations:

I was listening to The Pearl this morning . Can't get enough of Harold Budd

 

[Elpenor]

And of course, Big Country's second album Steeltown, which i also still have.

They’re playing nearby in a few months, worth going to see now?

 

[Spandex]

A couple of albums from Zaire:

Kanda Bongo Man – Amour Fou - Ekipé

KBM & guitarist Diblo Dibala continue rewriting the rules of Congolese Rhumba/Soukous



M'Bilia Bel – Bameli Soy

One of the few female vocalists on the soukous scene, she had 4 albums out in 84. This one's the best.

 

[starfish]

They’re playing nearby in a few months, worth going to see now?

Annoyingly, ms starfish got me tickets to see them back in 2020/1 but it was cancelled coz Covid & we couldnt make the rearranged date. I hadnt seen them since 1990.

Glad theyre still going, albeit with just 2 of the original lineup.

 

[Spandex]

One of the best Italo disco albums, IMO. I played a tune from this out on Saturday. It sounds of its time, yet timeless. Just great.

https://www.discogs.com/master/23861-International-Music-System-International-Music-System

I kept expecting Dancing Therapy to turn into New Order's Bizarre Love Triangle (from 1986). I guess NO had been listening to it

 

[Fez909]

More quality Italo. Maybe 84 was not only the best year for Italo, but also the only year when Italo albums were good?

Hipnosis - Hipnosis

 

[Fez909]

Cameo released a great album with a reggae tribute to Bob Marley.



Along with their usual synth funk

https://www.discogs.com/master/5965-Cameo-Shes-Strange

 

[Fez909]

Also, Jesse Saunders released the first ever house album this year. It feels more like a comp than an album, but it's definitely an album!

https://www.discogs.com/master/25605-Z-Factor-Featuring-Jesse-Saunders-Dance-Party-Album

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

Is Hole the best industrial album of all time? Dunno. It is definitely very good.

It's only years later that I came to appreciate the big influence he must have had on Matt Johnsons Infected album (which Therwell produced). It also explains why all post Infected The The works are dreary trash with no bite or spark.

 

[hitmouse]

Oh yeah, can't believe it's taken this long to mention the Fall Mafiah pick but that is a strong one.

 

[Serge Forward]

 

[Serge Forward]

I know Morrissey is a cunt these days, but back then...

 

[krtek a houby]

Another excellent year. Lots e choose from, so I'll start with this one. Conventional wisdom has it that his previous LP is the better release but I do have a soft spot for The Flat Earth.

Gorgeous production on this track