Last week Dream The Dream a compilation of early UK Techno, House and backbeat curated by Richard Sen was released. The only band I knew on this sampler was Strontium 90, a short lived band in the late 70s formed by former member of French progressive band Gong N`Mike Howlett. Together with Sting and Stewart Copeland it was the pre-Police. Listening to this song I think it has nothing in common with those band because the rhythm based sound, the lyrics and the tribal led structures were untypical for them. Further investigations for this band brought me always back to the same result. It is a song that I can't get out of my mind and if anyone has more information about the band I was happy when you let me know. Have a good summer week.
Whilst thinking about this year I recognized that two explosions ruled the headlines. The first one will be known by many readers as the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster from end of January when the shuttle broke apart 73 seconds into it's flight. All seven members of the crew died. The spacecraft disintegrated over the the Atlantic Ocean. I still see the family members of those who died looking unbelievable to this disaster.
The second one happened three month later and nothing was the way it was before. Me and some mates with those I use to play football were off for a weekend in the mountains. We hiked around the hills and did some rafting and had fun at all. We had rented a hut in the mountain sitting together in the evening when we noticed the news on the radio. They told that in Ukraine an accident happened in the Nuclear Power Plant. An explosion and fire released large quantities of radioactive particles into the atmosphere that spread over much of the wester USSR and Europe. Discussing the theme and the what will be the consequences for us made us all being silent at this time. We also realized that the radioactive particles will not stay in the atmosphere and fall down on earth. What does it mean to all our food, the water and so on? The risk of cancer will expand and suddenly we realized that our lives could come to an end quickly. We also realized that we've been cheated by the atomic industry and been lied by our politicians. What we agreed on this weekend was that we will look for ways to get rid of them Nuclear Power Plants.
Over all that negative things we watched the FIFA World Cup in Mexico and the rebirth of a new great German team. We lost in a dramatic final game against Argentina after extra time 3:2. But the main game was the quarter final in Mexico City between Argentina and England (four years after the Falkland war). It was a great game and finally England was beaten by 'The Hand of God' and Diego Maradona with an unbelievable solo run.
Some music and video-clips from 1986:
Falco - The song of the year in Germany by an Austrian!
Pet Shop Boys - West End Girls: Perfect pop song
New Order - Bizarre Love Triangle: Seem like electronic music takes over the commando
Bruce Hornsby - The way it is: A classical tune
Debbie Harry - French Kissing in the USA: One of her finest songs
The Bangles - Walk like an Egyptian: One hit wonder - but good
Prince - Kiss: How good this song is you can see it's cover versions
Elton John - Nikita: Also a perfect pop song in it's way
Run DMC - Walk this way: That's the way you can make a good song better
When I go back to 1986 there are a few records that I remember very well:
Joe Jackson - Big World: Fantastic live recordings from his best songs
Prince - Parade: One of his best recordings
The Triffids - Born Sandy Devotional: Great record from a hardly underrated band
Hüsker Dü - Candy Apple Grey: It's their legacy to me
Anita Baker - Rapture: The return of soul music and a great voice. Less noticed because most people were focused on Whitney Houston
Peter Gabriel - So: It was his masterpiece after leaving Genesis
The Smiths - The Queen is dead: Listened to it over and over
Sting - Bring on the Night:
Paul Simon - Graceland: Mighty comeback with the best of African music
Elvis Costello - Blood and Chocolate:
Timbuk 3 - Greetings from Timbuk 3: Another little gem that is not on my favorite list
The Housemartins - London 0 Hull 4: As on the back sleeve told 'Take Jesus - take Marx - take hope'
They Might Be Giants - same: Alternative Indie-Folk rock at it's best
The Beastie Boys - Licenced to Ill: Eponymous first album
Miles Davis - Tutu: The man with his horn is back - gigantic!
The Cramps - A date with Elvis: The Kings of Psychobilly returned with an awesome record
The The - Infected: Played in every god location at my place
What remains from this year in recollection:
Brain - the first PC-Virus starts to spread the net; Space Shuttle Challenger disintegrates 73 seconds after launch, killing the whole crew; 'Baby Doc' Jean-Claude Duvalier flees from Haiti - the family rule and terror ends finally after 28 years; Revolution in the Philippines - President Marcos escapes to Hawaii after 20 years of rule and Corazon Aquino becomes the first female president of the Philippines; Swedish prime minister Olof Palme was assassinated; former UN Secretary General Kurt Waldheim was accused to be involved in Nazi war crimes during World War II; Berlin discotheque 'La Belle', a usually hangout for American soldiers is bombed by Lybian terrorists; Chernobyl disaster in the Nuclear Power Plant - radio active fallout all over the northern hemisphere; FIFA World Cup was won by Argentina; Abu Nidal a former member of the PLO gets radical and orders attacks in 20 countries, killing or injuring more than 900 people; Iran-Contra affair in America - Oliver North is the leading person to get illegal money to support the Nicaraguan Contras; Desmond Tutu becomes the first black Anglican Church bishop in South Africa.
Movies from 1986 that you can watch again:
Platoon - Oliver North processes his experiences from Vietnam war
Aliens - Sigourney Weaver's first fight against them
Down and out in Beverly Hills - Nick Nolte and Richard Dreyfuss showed us the other side of Hollywood
Stand by me - Fine movie about coming of age
The Mission - Unbelievable pictures of a Jesuit missionary in South America in the 19th century
Absolute Beginners - Julian Temple's review of life in the 1950s
Blue Velvet - Still distressing after all the years
Highlander - 'There can only be one'
The Name of the Rose - Sean Connery as a monk and the big question 'Is laughing suitable to god?'
Round Midnight - The best movie about the Paris Jazz scene in the 1950s
Sid and Nancy - Tragedy
A year with very very good records made it hard to decide which album was the one that means most to me. My decision to Sting was finally easy because of two facts: First I saw him a year ago on the tour this live recordings were made. And second because it was one of the only records me and my girlfriend could agree. After he released his first solo record Sting went on tour playing a lot of his solo material and added some songs from his former band The Police. 'The Dream of the Blue Turtles' is a good record but didn't was eager to see him live. In the approach of his tour became known who will be the members of his band. The names of so prominent jazz musicians as Branford Marsalis, Darryl Jones, Kenny Kirkland and Omar Hakim made my decision easy to buy some tickets. Arriving in the nearly sold out concert hall we met a lot of other folks we knew from our hometown. Most of them were more into jazz and funk then into rock music and they just came because of the band and not because of Sting. What we had was one of the best live concerts ever. They arranged the songs in a more jazzy style with time enough for improvisations for each member of the band. What made this musicians high class is their ability to play rock songs also as well as jazz tunes. The record shows exactly the sum of the performance. Therefore it is a milestone of crossover music.
What difference it makes to be in a relationship. In former times you could do whatever you want to do at every time. Now you have to take care of the sensitives of the one you're with. Not that I want to complain - but you have to sort your life in another way. You have to tell at this day I want to go playing football and at the other day I want to hit the pub to act like a DJ. From these days I knew that agreements will be the part of the game. Me and Susanne had a lot of good days together this year. We spent our holidays in a longer vacation to Yugoslavia. We was there a few years after the dictator Josip Broz Tito died and the whole Yugoslavian federation was peaceful and save. We have perceived that the whole state is stuck in the communist ideologies and no one was able to make a little business of his own. If one has gone in the back country, one has got to know the true people. They served us roasted mutton and some rice and we talked about our life whilst we had some shots of local liquor. What happened to Yugoslavia a few years later makes me sad right now.
The main thing I remember this year was Live Aid, organised by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise funds for relief of the ongoing Ethiopian famine. Since 'Do they know it's Christmas', the first charity single I followed Bob Geldof's intentions to create a live project on two continents but forget it till the day it take place. I remember very well this day, because I was asked by my girlfriends sister to built up some shelfs in her room. While I was working, I asked her to switch on the TV so I can watch and listen Live Aid alongside. The more and more the concert in London continued the more we were fascinated by the different appearances of the artist. Most of them played their well known songs but what is still in my head, is the appearance of Elvis Costello. He showed up the stage alone with his guitar and introduced an old northern English folk song: His version of 'All you need is love' was the final aggregation of the whole event. One more example why E.C. is one of the greatest artists on earth.
Here's a small choice of songs that was released in 1985 - some of them I still like, some that was popular this year:
The Jesus and Mary Jane: Great debut - Noise, just like honey
Sting: His first record after Police's split. His political statement to Reagan's star wars plans.
Tom Petty: Back after a long time with a psychedelic sound
The Cure: Also back again - now not as somber as before
The Eurythmics: Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart appears with a fantastic record
Prefab Sprout: Listened so often to this song
The Waterboys: Since then I know Brigadoon
Paul Hardcastle: This year's song against the war
Kate Bush: She gave us a wonderful song and a superb video
And what most of my mates hated (and hate still):
Which records from 1985 are worth it that one remembers them:
The Mekons - Fear and Whiskey: The return of the giants with a perfect combination of punk style and country. Still a monument of a record.
Michael Franks - Skin Dive: One of his best records. Clear voice meets fusion jazz.
Roy Harper - Whatever Happened To Jugula: Roy Harper made one of his best records.
Chris Isaak - Silvertone: His first record is still a perfect combination of Americana, Rockabilly and Rock'n'Roll
Sisters of Mercy - First and Last and Always: Post punk meets doom rock
Eurythmics - Be Yourself Tonight: A superb mixture of great songs with the awesome voice of Annie
Scritti Politti - Cupid & Psyche 85: Sophisticated pop - only possible to make at this time
Sting - The Dream of the Blue Turtle: Everybody's favorite of the year
Prefab Sprout - Steve McQueen: One of the best records ever
The Waterboys - This is the Sea: Another album full of timeless songs
The Fall - This Nation's Saving Grace: Mostly I grab this record out of my box when I want listen to MES
Tom Waits - Rain Dogs: Now he's able to make songs with hooks
The Jesus and Mary Jane - Psychocandy: Noisy guitars with honey
Once there was a time, when it was impossible to get a movie on DVD. That's what we saw in this year:
Out of Africa: Maybe one of the best love movies that has been made
Year of the Dragon: Mickey Rourke as a cop in Chinatown
Silverado: The return of a classic western movie
Runaway Train: Fantastic escape from an Alaskan prison with Jon Voigt
Pale Rider: Another good western movie with Clint Eastwood
My Beautiful Laundrette: Stephen Frears and Daniel Day Lewis in a melodrama about racism and friendship
Letter to Brezhnew: A touch love story between east and west.
Kiss of the Spider Woman: William Hurt as it's best. A political imprisoned and a gay man in Brazilian prison recapitulate their life and dreams
The Falcon and the Snowman: Great story and fantastic soundtrack
The Color Purple: Most of us saw this movie from Spielberg with Whoopie Goldberg
What has moved the world and me this year: From now on you have to pay if you want to use Swiss highways; Mikhail Gorbachev is the new General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union; The Greenpeace vessel Rainbow Warrior is bombed and sunk in Auckland harbour by French DGSE agents; Scientists of the British Antarctic Survey announce discovery of the ozone hole; Schengen-Agreement igned between certain member states of the European Economic Community, creating the Schengen Area, a bloc of (at this time) five states with no internal border controls; Live Aid pop concerts in London and Philadelphia raise over £50 million for famine relief in Ethiopia; The cruise ship Achille Lauro is hijacked in the Mediterranean Sea by 4 heavily armed Palestinian terrorists. One passenger, American Leon Klinghoffer, is killed; a lot of air plane disasters all over the year - and also hijacking, too much to name them all.
There are a bunch of records released in 1985 that would be in a lot of 'Best-of-ever'-charts like the Prefab Sprout's 'Steve McQueen' what's one of my favorite records ever. Or Roy Harper, The Eurhythmics, The Mekons or Tom Waits. But the record from 1985 that grown deeply to my heart is from the Pogues. There second record is filled with a big basked full of great songs and followed me nearly 30 years in what kind of mood or relationship I was in. I think this record is the completest one they have ever made (ok 'If I should fall from grace with god' comes very close to it). The album's title is taken from a quotation often missatributed to Winston Churchill: 'Don't talk to me about naval tradition. It's nothing but rum, sodomy, and the lash'. The artwork is based on the Raft of the Medusa, a painting by Théodore Géricault, with the band members' faces replacing those of the men on the raft. On this record Philip Chevron joined the band on guitar and they turned away from covering song to their own material. Although they made some ultimate versions of some well known songs like 'A pair of Brown Eyes', 'And the Band Played Waltzing Mathilda'. All in all this one of the few records I can listen from start to end without it becomes dull.
