The Waterboys — Self-titled Mini LP

The Waterboys -- Self-titled Mini LP

• Artist: The Waterboys
• Title: Self-titled Mini LP
• Year: 1984
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 8
• Owner: Tracy
• Acquired: 1984 – Maybe Tracks in Norfolk, VA.
• Keeper: Yes

What’s going on here? This record by The Waterboys in another oddball in the collection. Their original self-titled and full length LP (8 tracks) came out in 1983. This one was released in 1984. It’s labeled as a “Mini LP” and has only five songs, all of which were on the orginal record. They also released an album of new material that same year, “A Pagan Place.” I can’t find this five-songer on any discography I’ve seen. I’m guessing it was a US-only release designed to sell cheap and hype the band for their next full album.

Anyhow, I like it a lot more than I remember liking it then. Songs include:

“A Girl Called Johnny” (the hit, I believe)
“I Will Not Follow” (my favorite)
“It Should Have Been You”
“Savage Earth Heart”
“December”

Wikipedia article about The Waterboys
The Official Website of Mike Scott and The Waterboys

Van Halen — Women and Children First

Van Halen -- Women and Children First

• Artist: Van Halen
• Title: Women and Children First
• Year: 1980
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 9
• Owner: Tracy
• Acquired: No idea.
• Keeper: Yes

“Women and Children First” is the third album by Van Halen, and it’s brilliant, if not quite as stunning as the first two. These guys followed no rules. It’s hard to believe how eclectic this record is. “Loss of Control” sounds like Slayer for a minute or so, and this is only 1980! Then there’s “Could This Be Magic?”, which is an acoustic number that I suppose you could call old-time folk, blues, or maybe even a “standard.” I don’t know. That one includes the line “Women and Children First” which became the album title. The big hits from this record are “And The Cradle Will Rock…” and “Everybody Wants Some!!”

Have you seen Junior’s grades?

U2 — R.O.K.

U2 -- R.O.K.

• Artist: U2
• Title: R.O.K.
• Year: 1981
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 7
• Owner: Mary
• Acquired: 1985 – When she worked at Tower Records in D.C.
• Keeper: Yes

This four song 12 inch was recorded live at the Paradise Theatre in Boston, March 1981. U2 performs “Fire”, “J. Swallow”, “11 O’clock Tick Tock”, and “The Ocean.” It sounds good; they sound really good. The cover is the same on both sides. Not much else to report. This one is for-fans-only.

Talking Heads — Remain in Light

Talking Heads -- Remain in Light

• Artist: Talking Heads
• Title: Remain in Light
• Year: 1980
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 10
• Owner: Tracy
• Acquired: 1980 – Probably some department store, or maybe as a gift.
• Keeper: Yes

Genius. All eight songs on “Remain in Light” are excellent, and decades later I’ve still haven’t heard anything as original and interesting. Of course, Adrian Belew and Brian Eno also played major parts in the making of this record.

This is one of the first records to be added to my collection. “Remain in Light” was also the first CD I bought. One tragic note here is that I liked the artwork on the album liner so much that I decided to make a book cover out of it. I know, I know. It was stupid, but I had the coolest book cover in my junior high for the week or two before it fell apart. Another unfortunate thing, my older friends had the earlier records and since I got to hear them all the time I never picked them up.

Making a list–Find the cost of opportunity
Doing it right–Facts are useless in emergencies

More about “Remain in Light”
More about Talking Heads

The Saints – All Fools Day

• Artist: The Saints
• Title: All Fools Day
• Year: 1987
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 8
• Owner: Tracy
• Acquired: 1987 – When I worked at Mother’s Records in Hampton, VA.
• Keeper: Yes

“All Fools Day” is another very good record by The Saints. My favorites are “First Time” and the indie hit “Big Hits (On The Underground).” I’ll say it again about these guys, adding horns occassionally really brings out the maximum rock and roll. I got to see them live when they toured for this record.

There’s a not-so-comprehensive article about The Saints on Wikipedia where the author describes them as “punk.” I guess that’s accurate in the broadest possible sense, like the way The Clash was punk, but maybe a little misleading. This band is deep and broad, in its influences and its songwriting.

R.E.M. — (Don’t Go Back to) Rockville

• Artist: R.E.M.
• Title: (Don’t Go Back to) Rockville
• Year: 1984
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 8
• Owner: Mary
• Acquired: 1984 – Probably when she worked at Tower Records in D.C.
• Keeper: Yes

Just a 12″ of “(Don’t Go Back to) Rockville.” It’s a great song that I can now manage to enjoy. The flipside includes a couple live songs from a show in Paris. Nothing special about this unless you’re a hardcore collecting R.E.M. fan. I gave it a high rating just for “Rockville.”

The Partridge Family — Up To Date

• Artist: The Partridge Family
• Title: Up To Date
• Year: 1971
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 3
• Owner: Mary
• Acquired: Late 1980s, birthday gift from her sister Jolly
• Keeper: Yes

Not sure what to say about this one. I just know we have to keep it. If you want to join the Partridge Family Fan Club see the info in the pic below. “Add 25¢ for rush handling.”

Here’s a page with more than you ever wanted to know about The Partridge Family’s “Up To Date.” Also, be sure to check out the main page of this same site.

The Olympic Sideburns — Self-titled

• Artist: The Olympic Sideburns
• Title: Self-titled
• Year: 1985
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 8
• Owner: Tracy / Mary – both had copies
• Acquired: Not sure.
• Keeper: Yes

When you meet a woman who has the same Olympic Sideburns record as you, just marry her. That’s what I did. It’s not like you’re gonna get another chance. Though it’s the same record, we have different versions. Mary’s was released on Epitaph for the US, but made in the UK. My version is on New Rose, and it came with a “Limited Editon FREE 12′ EP.” That’s right, it’s a 12 foot EP. It’s huge! Look at the sticker on the pic below. This one also came with a cool songbook/comic book.

By looking at these guys you might be tempted to think this is just another 1980s band doing the ‘6os garage rock punk thing. Or maybe you’re not that hip. Anyhow, these guys are way deeper than that. I mean, they’re from Australia, so they can’t help but be weird, and cool. They were somewhat of an Aussie underground super-group, with rotating members who were all in other bands. I can’t explain the sound beyond saying that it’s energetic, slightly noisy, and rocked out in the weirdest way. I know they would’ve been great to see live.

New Model Army — The Ghost of Cain

• Artist: New Model Army
• Title: The Ghost of Cain
• Year: 1986
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 6
• Owner: Mary
• Acquired: 1986 – When she worked at Plan 9 Records in Richmond, VA.
• Keeper: Yes

I liked this New Model Army record more than I remember. Lotsa energy, and you can feel the anger. I don’t know much about the band, but I always thought frontman Slade The Leveller was too intense to be taken seriously. If there was a “hit” on “The Ghost of Cain” I think it must’ve been “51st State”, or at least I remember a video. Mary got to see them live in Richmond. My favorite song is “Lights Go Out.”

Here’s an article about the band at Wikipedia.

Madness – Madness

• Artist: Madness
• Title: Madness
• Year: 1983
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 10
• Owner: Mary
• Acquired: 1983 – Kempmill Records in Springfield, VA.
• Keeper: Yes

I’m not sure what the deal is with this self-titled Madness album. Mary thinks it was a US-only release that the label put out after the single “Our House” was a hit everywhere else. Before that tune nobody in the US knew who Madness were. Nobody, except the cool kids that is. It includes songs from their first four records. Anyhow, I couldn’t find any info about it on the official Madness site or Wikipedia’s page about Madness.

I like everything on this record, but I think my favorite is “Grey Day.” The piano, bass and concert chimes together sound so heavy.

“Madness is all in the mind.”