It's time to face the music........1985. What a crazy year for me......absolutely crazy. I touched upon that a bit in part 2, so with all that craziness, is it any wonder that 1986 was a much better year for me. At least it was more fun...I had my own apartment now, I hung out with my friends, we went to concerts in the city.....
#8. KRAFTWERK - "ELECTRIK CAFE" (1986) / LOVE AND ROCKETS "EXPRESS" (1986) tie
One memorable night in New York City, Vince and I went to see our then favourite band SIGUE SIGUE SPUTNIK playing at the world famous Palladium......OK, why are you laughing ?....OK, I will ignore that and move on..... This show is memorable for a few reasons, none of them having to do with the headlining band, who were pretty awful. Before the show the DJ played, in their entirety mind you, the then new albums by both Kraftwerk and Love And Rockets. I remember liking what I was hearing for both LPs, watching the still sparse crowd dance, and meeting some cool NYC hipsters. The Kraftwerk LP as a whole isn't much of an album, more like one very long 12-inch mix. It's a bit of a letdown after the 2 previous masterpieces they released (COMPUTER LOVE and THE MAN MACHINE) but I always loved MUSIQUE NON-STOP.
The LOVE AND ROCKETS album still holds up, I think. Just give a listen to AN AMERICAN DREAM. This show is also memorable for the warm-up act. A young comic by the name of Chris Rock. From what I remember of his set, he was many many years away from brilliance.I cannot imagine what must have been going on in his head, trying out his brand of comedy to a bunch of young white goths. Needless to say it didn't go over all that well. As far as the band Sigue Sigue Sputnik playing live.......well...they did a really terrible version of Bowie's Rebel Rebel. The singer just kept repeating the first verse over and over again ........yeah...........
#9. DAVID SYLVIAN - "Secrets Of The Beehive" (1987)
Just 1 year after the non-stop party that was 1986 I finally had a "cool" job and settled down a bit. I was working at Record World in the Walt Whitman Mall in Huntington. I made a few life-long friends in my nearly 2 years there. Friends I still speak to , and I was also exposed to some great music I might have otherwise not have been exposed to. One of those artists was former Japan singer DAVID SYLVIAN. His 1987 album Secrets Of The Beehive was a bit of a departure for him, but it's still the perfect Sunday Morning album.......quiet, folky, atmospheric. Nope....this album doesn't "Rock" in the slightest, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
"FORBIDDEN COLOURS"
#10. DEAD CAN DANCE - "Serpents Egg" (1988)Another one of those bands would be Dead Can Dance. I have carried on an over 20 year love affair with this band now. In my days in the 90's working at Soundtraks in Huntington I have turned many a stranger on to their wild and goth-y blend of world music. This is a band that has to be HEARD. Have you ever tried to describe their music to someone? It's practically impossible. "ULLYSES"
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