Urban75 Album of the Year 1988

[killer b]

Terminal Cheesecake were an early incarnation of "London tries to do the Butthole Surfers" which later included GOD, Skullflower and Ramleh.

this recent interview with an ex urb is good:

Terminal Cheesecake

 

[killer b]

(You forgot to include M/A/R/R/S from your list of post cheesecake projects)

 

[Fozzie Bear]

(You forgot to include M/A/R/R/S from your list of post cheesecake projects)

Word. I meant more sonically but yes you are right.

 

[maomao]

I tried to make it 20 records my 13/14 year old self could have lived with. But retrospectively the pop stuff that I probably hid at the back of my collection has done better than the metal I was mostly into at the time.

Dinosaur Jr - Bug
Mudhoney - Superfuzz Bigmuff
Butthole Surfers - Hairway To Steven
Pixies - Surfer Rosa
Tom Waits - Big Time
Ministry - Land of Rape and Honey
The Dogs D'Amour - In The Dynamite Jet Saloon
Was (Not Was) - What Up Dog?
Prefab Sprout - From Langley Park to Memphis
Alice Donut - Donut Comes Alive
Napalm Death - From Enslavement To Obliteration
Fishbone - Truth And Soul
Prince - Lovesexy
Sugarcubes - Life's Too Good
Soundgarden - Ultramega OK
Anthrax - State Of Euphoria
Living Colour - Vivid
Nuclear Assault - Survive
Suicidal Tendencies - How Will I Laugh Tomorrow When I Can't Even Cry Today.

I would have been thrown out of the house if I'd brought a Rapeman album home.

 

[sunnysidedown]

Terminal Cheesecake were an early incarnation of "London tries to do the Butthole Surfers" which later included GOD, Skullflower and Ramleh.

There was a bit of "London trying to do the Cramps" with Terminal Cheesecakes earlier incarnation The Vibes. Their album 'What's Inside?' is worth a listen.

 

[Knotted]

Here's mine. I thought at first this was going to be some thin gruel this year, but there's some good industrial and muddy rock. I enjoyed (re)acquainting myself.

1) Public Enemy - It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back

This is so legendary that even I know it. And actually genuinely brilliant. Well balanced among that mayhem

2) Henry Threadgill Sextet - Easily Slip Into Another World

I should have put this at no.1, but I voted tactically. It's the textures that put it over and above.

3) Vágtázó Halottkémek - A Halál móresre tanítása

In Eastern Europe there was never this punk year zero in 1977. There's also a different set of folk traditions to draw on. This straddles the punk and psychedaelic categorisations comfortably while belonging to its own distinct tradition. Dirty sounding, wild legendary Hungary rockers. A real classic.

4) Killing Time - Irene

It's from a melodic and texturered tradition that we have never hit upon in the West and its going beyond that. Strangely natural sounding. But very strange.

5) Iva Bittová & Pavel Fajt - Svatba

Czech violist/singer + drummer. Wild, ecstatic gypsy folk that's backed by one the greatest rock drummers.

6) Nurse With Wound - Soliloquy for Lilith

A really beautiful record. To be honest only the first track is really great and it does drag on, but nevertheless this is a really special noise record.

7) YBO2 - Pale Face Pale

Japanese zeuhl related. But there's a lot to it and band can turn on a penny.

8) :zoviet-france: ‎– Shouting At The Ground

Industrial heading towards ambient at this point. Still rich enough to make it.

9) Ruins - Ruins III

A grotty early record from Ruins. This is an extraordinaryily dynamic stripped down post Magma Japanese rock band. Still relatively tuneful here and with a bit of violin drone. But horribly recorded.

10) Fred Frith ‎– "The Technology Of Tears" And Other Music For Dance And Theatre

One of Frith's best releases. Folky but very much a clean studio production, the focus is on the the rhythm. There's a certain Frith sense of melody.

11) Kampec Dolores - Kampec Dolores

Hungarian folk-rock legend's second album. Not as far reaching as their later work but contains a good bit of "hit" material.

12) Napalm Death - From Enslavement to Obliteration

All other metal sounds rubbish after listening to this. Nothing extraneous. But to be fair I've only ever listened to it once all the way through in one sitting. The key thing is you aren't supposed to be sitting when listening to this.

13) Pražský výběr - Straka v hrsti

Grottily recorded Czech rock. The guitar is doing things which shouldn't be done. Horrid vocals. Its great.

14) Talk Talk - Spirit of Eden

Yeah this is indeed lovely.

15) Biota - Tinct

A tasty little snack of improv.

16) Test Dept - Terra Firma

Some angelic moments among the banging.

17) Skinny Puppy - VIVIsectVI

More sophisticated than I was expecting. Harsh but interesting throughout.

18) Vujicsics - Szerb és horvát népzene: Serb and Croat Folk Music

Hungarian folk band do Serb/Croat folk. They're good at it too.

19) The Fall - Kurious Oranj

The Fall's ballet. Quite a lot of it doesn't really go anywhere, but that's the nature of it. It's got Big New Prinz. I'll say that again. It's got Big New Prinz.

20) R. Stevie Moore - Warning

More lo-fi genuious from R. Stevie.

 

[chilango]

I had a tape of The Fall's Curious Oranj. I'd copied it off someone. I forget who now sadly. Sorry whoever it was was. But one of my usual sources for tapes though.

I hand painted a cover for it. I was 15 after all

As the only Fall LP I ever owned it probably should've made my list.

Two problems though.

1/ I didn't really like it.

2/ I can't think of it without thiinking of this instead. Obviously.

 

[Fozzie Bear]

“Birthday” by the Sugarcubes has followed me into a young people’s bar in Dalston tonight.

I’d not heard it for decades until it was posted here at the weekend.

 

[Indeliblelink]

As you can see I was quite into hip-hop in 1988 with dance music seeping in (I think I purchased the Fast Eddie LP in '88 thinking it was a rap album and only learned to love it a year or two afterwards after properly getting into dance with the rave explosion).

Public Enemy - It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back
Eric B. & Rakim - Follow The Leader
DJ Fast Eddie - Jack To The Sound
Farley ''Jackmaster'' Funk - No Vocals Necessary
808 State - Newbuild
Baby Ford - Ford Trax
Amnesia - Hysteria
Laser Dance - Around the Planet
EPMD - Strictly Business
Boogie Down Productions - By All Means Necessary
The Pogues - If I Should Fall From Grace With God
NWA - Straight Outta Compton
Big Daddy Kane - Long Live The Kane
Biz Markie - Goin' Off
Jungle Brothers - Straight Out The Jungle
Ultramagnetic MC's - Critical Beatdown
Dead Can Dance - The Serpent's Egg
Ozric Tentacles - Sliding Gliding Worlds
Pixies - Surfer Rosa
Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds - Tender Prey

 

[sunnysidedown]

Ozric Tentacles - Sliding Gliding Worlds

Kick Muck

and i need to listen to that Baby Ford album again.

BTW, this was one of the best hip-hop albums of '88

 

[ska invita]

Such a big tune

Stronger Than Pride sounds super fresh to this day

 

[The39thStep]

Here's mine. I thought at first this was going to be some thin gruel this year, but there's some good industrial and muddy rock. I enjoyed (re)acquainting myself.

1) Public Enemy - It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back

This is so legendary that even I know it. And actually genuinely brilliant. Well balanced among that mayhem

2) Henry Threadgill Sextet - Easily Slip Into Another World

I should have put this at no.1, but I voted tactically. It's the textures that put it over and above.

3) Vágtázó Halottkémek - A Halál móresre tanítása

In Eastern Europe there was never this punk year zero in 1977. There's also a different set of folk traditions to draw on. This straddles the punk and psychedaelic categorisations comfortably while belonging to its own distinct tradition. Dirty sounding, wild legendary Hungary rockers. A real classic.

4) Killing Time - Irene

It's from a melodic and texturered tradition that we have never hit upon in the West and its going beyond that. Strangely natural sounding. But very strange.

5) Iva Bittová & Pavel Fajt - Svatba

Czech violist/singer + drummer. Wild, ecstatic gypsy folk that's backed by one the greatest rock drummers.

6) Nurse With Wound - Soliloquy for Lilith

A really beautiful record. To be honest only the first track is really great and it does drag on, but nevertheless this is a really special noise record.

7) YBO2 - Pale Face Pale

Japanese zeuhl related. But there's a lot to it and band can turn on a penny.

8) :zoviet-france: ‎– Shouting At The Ground

Industrial heading towards ambient at this point. Still rich enough to make it.

9) Ruins - Ruins III

A grotty early record from Ruins. This is an extraordinaryily dynamic stripped down post Magma Japanese rock band. Still relatively tuneful here and with a bit of violin drone. But horribly recorded.

10) Fred Frith ‎– "The Technology Of Tears" And Other Music For Dance And Theatre

One of Frith's best releases. Folky but very much a clean studio production, the focus is on the the rhythm. There's a certain Frith sense of melody.

11) Kampec Dolores - Kampec Dolores

Hungarian folk-rock legend's second album. Not as far reaching as their later work but contains a good bit of "hit" material.

12) Napalm Death - From Enslavement to Obliteration

All other metal sounds rubbish after listening to this. Nothing extraneous. But to be fair I've only ever listened to it once all the way through in one sitting. The key thing is you aren't supposed to be sitting when listening to this.

13) Pražský výběr - Straka v hrsti

Grottily recorded Czech rock. The guitar is doing things which shouldn't be done. Horrid vocals. Its great.

14) Talk Talk - Spirit of Eden

Yeah this is indeed lovely.

15) Biota - Tinct

A tasty little snack of improv.

16) Test Dept - Terra Firma

Some angelic moments among the banging.

17) Skinny Puppy - VIVIsectVI

More sophisticated than I was expecting. Harsh but interesting throughout.

18) Vujicsics - Szerb és horvát népzene: Serb and Croat Folk Music

Hungarian folk band do Serb/Croat folk. They're good at it too.

19) The Fall - Kurious Oranj

The Fall's ballet. Quite a lot of it doesn't really go anywhere, but that's the nature of it. It's got Big New Prinz. I'll say that again. It's got Big New Prinz.

20) R. Stevie Moore - Warning

More lo-fi genuious from R. Stevie.

14) Talk Talk - Spirit of Eden

Yeah this is indeed lovely.
How this couldnt get on a list of top ten albums is beyond my comprehension

 

[Knotted]

Yes, I thought it was going to be in the top 5. What happened?

 

[killer b]

Wire - A Bell is a Cup

I didn't like this so much last time I listened, but I just found it in the stacks and stuck it on and it turns out it's great.

 

[ska invita]

In the back to 1988 time machine, this documentary is amazing
The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years



i was aware of the first punk one, but didnt realise there were two more in the series
its basically looking at (the last days of) glam/hair metal with a particular focus on trying to make it unsigned LA bands, but theres big names in there too.
Top level documentary making, gets lots of unguarded footage and responses, though you could say its a hatchet job on the genre. Many a jaw dropping moment in it
Released in 1988
good article and interview with the director Whatever Happened To The Stars Of The Decline Of Western Civilization Pt 2?