A BIG +1 on the Tonio K.

And, while not my favorite Priest record, there is no denying that this is still a great one:

It marks the beginning of the leaner, meaner JP sound that they continued on and honed throughout the 1980s with Hell Bent for Leather, Screaming For Vengance, Point of Entry, and the like.

Not as heralded as their debut (and rightfully so). But still, if you think that Marquee Moon is all you really need to hear from the band, think again. Adventure is still almost as good as its predecessor, and that's saying something. "Days", "Carried Away", and "The Dream's Dream" as as majestic as anything the band has ever done. And "Ain't That Nothing" is as hooky. It's just one or two minor missteps that knock this one down a peg. But, that still keeps it way up high on the pegboard. Get it.

The Ramones: Road to Ruin
Probably the last great album made by the Ramones, depending on how you feel about End of the Century. Road to Ruin really does a fantastic job of trotting out typical Ramones fare along with expanding their sound, even tossing in a strong ballad, Questioningly. Great cover of Needles & Pins and a host of fine rockers as well.


Public Image Limited: Public Image
For my money this was a masterstroke for Johnny after the breakup of the pistols. Not content to mine the same territory he went in another direction with this experimental album heavily influenced by dub and krautrock.


Sham 69: That's Life
Oi godfathers released the first punk rock concept album, but don't let that scare you. Mostly it's just straight ahead tunes but with a few little pieces of dialogue tossed in between racks. Features strong songs like Angles with Dirty faces and Hurry Up Harry.


Tom Waits: Blue Valentine
One of my favorite Tom Waits albums that kind of was the end of the road for his troubadour character before getting much weirder on subsequent releases. This already seems him stretching out a bit on songs like Romeo is Bleeding while still staying true to character. Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis is one of my favorite Waits tunes.

Pretty sure Tom P. is lifting directly from Jimmy Page with his look on HT.

I like that first PiL album almost as much as Metal Box.

oh yeah...


Lee "Scratch" Perry: Roast Fish, Collie Weed and Cornbread
Lee Perry's first vocal album. Musically he is at his absolute peak in this era and even if he does not have the strongest singing voice, the material is good enough not to matter. The title track in a monster.

Damn, this was a good year...


Kraftwerk: The Man Machine
Another great band near the peak of their powers. This one is probably their most accessible effort, particularly the 3 minute radio friendly track The Model. Neon Lights was a great one off this as well.

OK, I'll throw another one out there...

Eno/Moebius/Roedelius - After the Heat

Second collaboration between Brian Eno and Cluster, with Cluster's producer Conny Plank and some guest-stars here and there, like Holger Czukay of Can on "Tzima N'Arki". Really great, varied album.

I'm going to be requesting a lot of uploads in the coming days, I can tell.

eh...why not...


Chic: C'est Chic
This one deserves mention if for nothign else than giving the world Le Freak for the Sugarhill Gang to run with. Besides that, rock solid slicked back disco funk.

One of the best live albums of all time. The playing is incredible. The songs are great. And it all just SOUNDS like everyone was having a great time. For a lot of people here, it's just not going to be your thing, but that's okay because for those of you whom this is their thing, you are going to love this.

Was gonna post this one as well. Doesn't have that rawness of the 1st album and doesn't have the classic singles of "Rocket..." but IMO, this takes a back seat to NONE of their 70's output. Great album front to back.


+1 for Television's "Adventure". I listen to it more than Marquee Moon these days (most likely due to fatigue from years of listening to it)

crazy album indeed. the only kraftwerk album I really like is radioaktivität, but this one is unbelievably avant garde.

great pick, drinky. I love cluster. in that kraut rock BBC documentary heard the guy from cluster saying, that their influence on these colab albums was rather small. that must have been a quite weird situation back then, for the cluster guys.

yes - right up there with live at leeds at the very top of the all-time great live albums list

After spending time in the Funky Kings (which gave the world a piece of cheesy 70s AM gold called "Slow Dancing"), Jules Shear formed the Polar Bears and Got No Breeding was the debut in a short 3-album career (although the 3rd was never officially released - but it's out there in the blogs). Combining the wordy confessional approach of the singer/songwriter movement with the raw energy of the, um, new wave, this album set a highwater mark for Jules Shear that he's rarely ever attained since (but he's come close).



His first post-Dolls transmission came close to equaling his previous band. Backed by a hardass bunch of NYC punks, with help from the likes of Aerosmith's Joe Perry, this thing rocked a little harder, if a lot more conventionally, than the Dolls.



For a brief moment the Boomtown Rats seemed like a major force, and Tonic For The Troops was that moment. A punk band with classic rock moves, swinging equally between Elvis Costello and Bruce Springsteen as influences, and Bob Geldof had yet to become completely inflated by self-importance. It all came crashing down by the very next album, but it was definitely fun while it lasted.



Openly gay and brazenly political, none of this would have worked nearly so well if the Tom Robinson Band didn't have hooks. "2-4-6-8 Motorway" and "Grey Cortina" were the "hits", and the original vinyl also came with an ep that included "Glad to be Gay" and "Martin", which I believe are included on the CD reissue.



And some classics that everyone should already know:

Radio Birdman is high on the list of bands I want to like but just can't.

without question

Great song.



One of the best fucking songs ever.

Rads, I was going to ask for the full 30 - but can you up that first Johansen? Ive been listening to his live album, and have at least 8 warrants. I'm hoping to get the chair.

Just snagged it myself

This is the other album I'm checking out tomorrow. I've only ever heard Marquee Moon and never been a huge fan, so I'm not exactly sure why I'm should hear this other than why not.

High five on the Jules and the Polar Bears album, that's what i came to post.

I do like Fenetiks from 1979 slightly better, probably because it was my point of entry.

drummer and lead guitarist are outstanding, although shear's voice is probably love or hate for most.

Nice work, DJ. That new Dolls atrocity includes a reworking of opening track "Funky But Chic" - hopefully the song hasn't been ruined for anyone who heard it there first. Also, the song "Donna" stands beside Artful Dodger's "Forever" and Mott the Hoople's "Ballad of Mott" as one of the greatest eulogies for the singer's own band.

I can't bring myself to listen to the new Dolls. Also...trying to find some way to purge my memory of the knowledge they are touring with Motley Crue & Poison. These guys may have just surpassed anyone in the trashing your legacy competition.