More than a few times, I've seen 1986 described as the worst year in music. I'd be hard pressed right now to disagree, though there are quite a few albums that I hold really highly from this year.

It's also the year I was born.

HAVE AT IT.

And again, even if a personal review is a sentence long - I (and probably most others) find it better than just copying and pasting whatever bullshit AMG says.

This is right in my wheelhouse, as I was a sophomore/junior in high school in 1986. I could post about many albums from that year, but I'll pick one I like that is generally overlooked and often panned, Big Country - The Seer. Yes, it is more of the same with the bagpipe-like guitars, but the tunes are mostly great. "Look Away" is a nice pop tune, and songs like "Teacher" and "Eiledon" are moving and enjoyable.

Hey I'd take an upload of that.

I'll do it this evening.

Yeah, this is definitely one of my least favorite years for music. Of course, I was 6 years old, and I thought it was great at the time.

Anyway, this is a great album:

The Feelies - The Good Earth

I like this album a good bit more than The Feelies' somewhat (slightly) overrated debut. Rather than sounding like herky-jerky post-punk also-rans, here they give R.E.M. a run for their money at jangly guitar pop. Good songs all around, but my favorite is the closer, "Slow Down".



And here, I put it up for you guys in case anyone wants it:


This is the recent reissue with a few bonus tracks.

One more: Ludichrist - Immaculate Deception. This has 19 songs in roughly 30 minutes. It's just a sonic hardcore blast, with lyrics that comment on various issues of the day. The centerpiece is definitely "Most People Are Dicks," but the album contains other great tunes like "God Is Everywhere" and "Down With the Ship." It's too bad these guys couldn't duplicate the power and musicianship of this album again (including in the Tommy Christ-led Scatterbrain).

a ton of good albums from this year (Guitar Town, Talking With the Taxman About Poetry). I'll go with

The Church - Heyday




From AMG:

"Whether it was the assistance of Peter Walsh on production, a decision to bear down and see what could be done, or some further combination of that and other factors, the Church came up with its best release since The Blurred Crusade with the powerful Heyday. Not changing anything in the basic Church sound but presenting both a brilliant slew of songs and some fantastic performances, the quartet created a flat-out fantastic record. The first side alone almost reads like a greatest-hits collection, with one highlight following hard on the other. "Myrrh," leading things off with a careful build up to the main part of the song much like "When You Were Mine," has a strange chorus that almost shouldn't work but does. It's only two lines long and sung in harmony by the full band, all while Willson-Piper and Koppes' guitars keep things moving. "Tristesse" begins with a playful guitar line before shifting into another mid-paced, just dreamy enough effort. "Already Yesterday," with a fine, low-key backing choir, the dramatic "Columbus" and the gentle, string-touched instrumental "Happy Hunting Ground" continue the mood, one lovely moment after another. The second side kicks off with a barnstormer, "Tantalized," easily the band's most aggressive and upfront song since its earliest days. With horns and bells adding to the rushed feel, Kilbey delivers quickly sung verses and staccato choruses, the music continuing to soar along as Willson-Piper and Koppes turn in brilliant guitar work. Add to that further horn and string orchestrations on songs like the wistful "Youth Worshipper" and "Night of Light," and Heyday is a total success."

Love & Rockets: Express

Leaving the gothy sounds of Bauhaus even further behind, the boys minus Peter Murphy offer up their second LP and this one picks up the pace a bit and throws a lot more into the mix with a more propulsive sound and a ton of atmospherics swirling around in the mix. I recall a story I once heard that when they were doing the reissue they asked Daniel Ash for artwork for the inner sleeve and he simply submitted a page with the letters LSD scrawled large across the page. This may indeed be accurate.

Man, the 80's is almost a blackhole in my record collection. 6 year old Kingfish did love him some License to Ill, the first cassette I ever owned.

Camper van Beethoven: S/T

OK, these two records in a row make it look like all I did was take acid in 1986. That's not completely true. Still...here's another acid drenched record but from a totally different place. This one is more folky, acoustic and laid back. The opening track sets the tone with it's chorus of "just get high with the radio on...just relax and sing a song...."

It's widely considered one of his worst albums, and it really doesn't hold up well today at all, but I've always been drawn to it for some odd reason. I think it's the unique drum sounds of Letterman's then-drummer Steve Jordan.

Also very interesting from a lyrical perspective.

dammit - i was in college when that came out

i'm so effing old

Peter Case: S/T

Ex Plimsouls vocalist's debut solo album is a rootsy folk blues affair that leans far to the traditional side of things and pulls it off quite well. My personal favorite of his solo records by a long shot. The production touches are a bit dated last time I listened to it, but it's stripped back sound mostly still shines through.

I should probably check out Love and Rockets.

OK...last one...


Revolting Cocks: BigSexyLand

Debut LP by industrial super group featuring members of Ministry and Front 242 and others. Template for much of the industrial music around before heaps of distorted metallic guitars entered the picture. This was from the time when industrial was all about the beats and nothing else. OH yeah...and acid. Jesus fucking christ I think I took too much acid back then.

I never thought about how lean this year was. Alot of the great bands of that era seem to have released great records in 1985 and especially 1987.

However. 4 records really standout as favorites for me that year.

Sonic Youth-Evol-The 1st in a string of 3 masterpieces in a row.
Slayer-Reign In Blood-What needs to be said.
Bad Brains-I Against I-Total Rush

And one of my favorite albums of all time that I still listen to often.

Chameleons UK-Strange Times

Shit...gotta mention Raising Hell...best Run DMC album and a monster in 1986.

Skylarking is a brilliant song cycle of passage through the seasons of life, heartbreak, and disillusionment. Colin Moulding, Andy Partridge and Dave Gregory are better than ever with top notch melodies and performances. Coupled with Todd Rundgren and his supple production, this is nothing short of a pop masterpiece.

Ah, 1986. I knew it well. The year I graduated from high school. Growing up in upstate New York, we had access to both kinds of music – bad classic rock and bad top 40. Many a night was spent alone in my room with the easy listening strains of Billy Joel, Phil Collins; and Huey Lewis and the News on my Walkman. Then, on a whim, I bought the “Pretty In Pink” soundtrack and everything changed. INXS! The Smiths! New Order! Psych Furs! Echo & The Bunnymen! Holy Shit!
Still holds up today and paved the way for some other great records I grew to love from ’86:

• The The – Infected
• The Smiths – The Queen Is Dead
• R.E.M. – Life’s Rich Pageant
• Depeche Mode – Black Celebration
• Housemartins – London 0, Hull 4

Like many, it was also the year I was first exposed to the Cure albeit through the “Standing On A Beach” compilation.

P.S. Second the love for the Feelies. Didn’t get my arms around them until late in college though.

Who would've thought these guys from Jersey would "turn up" the 60's influenced British Invasion with loud guitars, melodies and terrific performances. My ears are still ringing.

found link

The Sonic Youth, Slayer, and Smiths records are some of my favorites as well. I gave that Chameleons UK album a shot a little while back... does nothing for me.

I never got much into much else they did, but I really liked that album. Also, they were one of my biggest surprise live bands in that I didn't really expect much and then they came on and were tight as fuck and put on an awesome show for a couple hours.

Express is a great call.

Master of Puppets came out in '86, right? I could heap a ton of superlatives and hysterically ill-conceived "bests" on that album (and for good reason). One of the few 80's metal albums I can still stomach and pretty damn influential on Young Yail Bloor (I'm pretty sure I didn't hear it until fall of '87).

A young Alejandro Escovedo and brother Javier, plus Jon Dee Graham crank up the punk/country and roll.

(not my link)

Tracks 01-11 from LP "True Believers" (1986)
Tracks 12-21 from unreleased 2nd LP (1987)