[rts] 1987, Part 1
May. 22nd, 2011 07:25 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jon_chaissonFrom past experience, I know a lot of you have heard me go on excessively about how much I love the music from 1988...but lately, while working on my research for Walk In Silence, I've found that while many of the classic alt-rock albums of the late-80s came out that year, there were quite a number that had come out the previous year as well, many of them being "seminal" or at least classic. I figure, why not do a retrospective video post? As like before, these will be in chronological order and under an lj-cut so as to not crash your browser.
I suppose one of the first important albums to come out in 1987 was Hüsker Dü's Warehouse: Songs and Stories, their final album (and second on a major label). It was a sprawling album of Grant Hart's punk-pop and Bob Mould's heartbreaking rock, a bit messy and cobbled-together, but still a strong final release from the Other Godfathers of Minneapolis Punk.
Hüsker Dü, "Could You Be the One?", from Warehouse: Songs and Stories, rel. 1/5/1987
(There is an official video for this, but alas it's not on YouTube.)
Meanwhile...a few weeks later, The Smiths would release yet another very strong single, "Shoplifters of the World Unite". It would be one of the last non-album singles they'd release before their final album near the end of the year.
The Smiths, "Shoplifters of the World Unite", single released 1/26/1987
Releases at the beginning of the year always seem to be quiet and unassuming...after a normally strong fourth quarter the previous year, labels usually wait until springtime to unleash the Next Big Thing, and preferring to reserve this time of year for Slow Movers and further singles.
In February, after hinting at something new with their Snakedrill EP in 1986, the reformed Wire released one of their most brilliant singles of the 80s, "Ahead", which would be contained on their comeback album The Ideal Copy which would be relased in April.
Wire, "Ahead", single released February 1987
Also in February were a few indie movies that would open up the ears and eyes of many just getting into this "college rock" thing...
One was Dogs In Space, a fictional yet striking account of the post-punk underground scene in Melbourne, Australia, the scene that would give us Nick Cave (and in a roundabout way, Dead Can Dance). The movie starred INXS frontman Michael Hutchence, still on the charts with their Listen Like Thieves album, shocking everyone with his portrayal of a drug-addled singer.
Michael Hutchence, "Rooms for the Memory" from Dogs In Space OST, rel. February 1987
...and on this side of the Atlantic, there was Athens, GA: Inside/Out, a documentary of the scene that had given us REM and The B-52s, focusing on their less-known brethen like Love Tractor, Pylon and Dreams So Real. The soundtrack was heavily pushed by MTV's then-new show 120 Minutes, as was REM's beautiful rendition of their track "Swan Swan H" in a deserted building:
REM, "Swan Swan H" from Athens, GA: Inside/Out OST, rel. February 1987
By the end of February we had another soundtrack--this time Some Kind of Wonderful written by John Hughes (a sort of retelling of Pretty in Pink in a different setting, if you will). The movie wasn't nearly as popular, but it did have quite the alternative collection, including a track from Flesh for Lulu that would become ubiquitous that year.
Flesh for Lulu, "I Go Crazy" from Some Kind of Wonderful OST, rel. 2/27/1987
In March, we had those demented Austinites, Butthole Surfers, release an album with a track riffing on Black Sabbath that contained one of alt-rock's most favorite opening quotes ever:
Butthole Surfers, "Sweat Loaf" from Locust Abortion Technician, rel. March 1987
Also that month was the arrival of a new track from Slovenian industrialists Laibach with a disturbing-yet-fascinating cover of a Queen song:
Laibach, "Geburt Einer Nation" from Opus Dei, rel. March 1987
After hearing these tracks on WAMH, my friends and I were never the same.
In mid-March, we also saw the debut of former Waterboys member Kurt Wallinger with his new band World Party, with a track that surprised everyone by getting major airplay.
World Party, "Ship of Fools" from Private Revolution, rel. March 1987
One week before U2 would release their gazillion-selling The Joshua Tree, Siouxsie & the Banshees released an album of covers stretching from Sparks, The Doors, Billie Holiday, and Iggy Pop. This little gem became one of their biggest hits:
Siouxsie & the Banshees, "The Passenger" from Through the Looking Glass, rel. 3/2/1987
And speaking of being overshadowed, March 30 had big releases from The Smiths (the US compilation Louder than Bombs) and Prince (Sign 'o' the Times), but we also had Erasure's sophomore album The Circus, which gave them multiple hits and a place on the synthpop scene.
Erasure, "Sometimes" from The Circus, rel. 3/30/1987
In April we had what would much later become a well-known Mike Rowe theme song:
Faith No More, "We Care A Lot" from Introduce Yourself, rel. April 1987
...and the first single from what would be one of the Cure's first breakthrough albums, Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me:
The Cure, "Why Can't I Be You?" single, rel. 4/8/1987
(This album would also contain their biggest hit of that time, "Just Like Heaven".)
[May had some interesting releases, such as That Petrol Emotion's Babble, Nitzer Ebb's That Total Age, and an obscure debut single from soon-to-be-stupidly-huge Stone Roses. Alas, I couldn't find any good videos to post. There was also The Cure's album, but I just posted a video from it. Suffice it to say that Kiss Me Cubed (as![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
head58 and I called it) had some pretty heavy play on my radio when I went on a roadtrip with h58 and the gang.]
In June, XTC relented by releasing as a single of what was originally a b-side (for "Grass") and shoehorned onto the US version of their Skylarking album. It would become one of their most-loved hits:
XTC, "Dear God" single, rel. June 1987
June also brought in a seminal compilation from the 4AD label, Lonely is an Eyesore. This release was important for many reasons, introducing many first-timers to some of the label's most famous bands: Dead Can Dance, Clan of Xymox, Cocteau Twins, The Wolfgang Press, Throwing Muses, and more. A companion video collection of all the songs was also heavily played on 120 Minutes as well.
Clan of Xymox, "Muscoviet Mosquito", from Lonely Is an Eyesore, rel. 6/15/1987
[I should add that the videos from this compilation were part of the inspiration for me to want to major in film in college, once I knew about Emerson; the grainy 8mm films combined with the dark sound intrigued me.]
Also that week was The Replacements' second major label album, Pleased to Meet Me, which picked up many new fans (including myself). This album also contains "Can't Hardly Wait", the song that partly inspired the movie of the same name.
The Replacements, "Alex Chilton" from Pleased to Meet Me, rel. 6/17/1987
[Part 2 coming next]
I suppose one of the first important albums to come out in 1987 was Hüsker Dü's Warehouse: Songs and Stories, their final album (and second on a major label). It was a sprawling album of Grant Hart's punk-pop and Bob Mould's heartbreaking rock, a bit messy and cobbled-together, but still a strong final release from the Other Godfathers of Minneapolis Punk.
Hüsker Dü, "Could You Be the One?", from Warehouse: Songs and Stories, rel. 1/5/1987
(There is an official video for this, but alas it's not on YouTube.)
Meanwhile...a few weeks later, The Smiths would release yet another very strong single, "Shoplifters of the World Unite". It would be one of the last non-album singles they'd release before their final album near the end of the year.
The Smiths, "Shoplifters of the World Unite", single released 1/26/1987
Releases at the beginning of the year always seem to be quiet and unassuming...after a normally strong fourth quarter the previous year, labels usually wait until springtime to unleash the Next Big Thing, and preferring to reserve this time of year for Slow Movers and further singles.
In February, after hinting at something new with their Snakedrill EP in 1986, the reformed Wire released one of their most brilliant singles of the 80s, "Ahead", which would be contained on their comeback album The Ideal Copy which would be relased in April.
Wire, "Ahead", single released February 1987
Also in February were a few indie movies that would open up the ears and eyes of many just getting into this "college rock" thing...
One was Dogs In Space, a fictional yet striking account of the post-punk underground scene in Melbourne, Australia, the scene that would give us Nick Cave (and in a roundabout way, Dead Can Dance). The movie starred INXS frontman Michael Hutchence, still on the charts with their Listen Like Thieves album, shocking everyone with his portrayal of a drug-addled singer.
Michael Hutchence, "Rooms for the Memory" from Dogs In Space OST, rel. February 1987
...and on this side of the Atlantic, there was Athens, GA: Inside/Out, a documentary of the scene that had given us REM and The B-52s, focusing on their less-known brethen like Love Tractor, Pylon and Dreams So Real. The soundtrack was heavily pushed by MTV's then-new show 120 Minutes, as was REM's beautiful rendition of their track "Swan Swan H" in a deserted building:
REM, "Swan Swan H" from Athens, GA: Inside/Out OST, rel. February 1987
By the end of February we had another soundtrack--this time Some Kind of Wonderful written by John Hughes (a sort of retelling of Pretty in Pink in a different setting, if you will). The movie wasn't nearly as popular, but it did have quite the alternative collection, including a track from Flesh for Lulu that would become ubiquitous that year.
Flesh for Lulu, "I Go Crazy" from Some Kind of Wonderful OST, rel. 2/27/1987
In March, we had those demented Austinites, Butthole Surfers, release an album with a track riffing on Black Sabbath that contained one of alt-rock's most favorite opening quotes ever:
Butthole Surfers, "Sweat Loaf" from Locust Abortion Technician, rel. March 1987
Also that month was the arrival of a new track from Slovenian industrialists Laibach with a disturbing-yet-fascinating cover of a Queen song:
Laibach, "Geburt Einer Nation" from Opus Dei, rel. March 1987
After hearing these tracks on WAMH, my friends and I were never the same.
In mid-March, we also saw the debut of former Waterboys member Kurt Wallinger with his new band World Party, with a track that surprised everyone by getting major airplay.
World Party, "Ship of Fools" from Private Revolution, rel. March 1987
One week before U2 would release their gazillion-selling The Joshua Tree, Siouxsie & the Banshees released an album of covers stretching from Sparks, The Doors, Billie Holiday, and Iggy Pop. This little gem became one of their biggest hits:
Siouxsie & the Banshees, "The Passenger" from Through the Looking Glass, rel. 3/2/1987
And speaking of being overshadowed, March 30 had big releases from The Smiths (the US compilation Louder than Bombs) and Prince (Sign 'o' the Times), but we also had Erasure's sophomore album The Circus, which gave them multiple hits and a place on the synthpop scene.
Erasure, "Sometimes" from The Circus, rel. 3/30/1987
In April we had what would much later become a well-known Mike Rowe theme song:
Faith No More, "We Care A Lot" from Introduce Yourself, rel. April 1987
...and the first single from what would be one of the Cure's first breakthrough albums, Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me:
The Cure, "Why Can't I Be You?" single, rel. 4/8/1987
(This album would also contain their biggest hit of that time, "Just Like Heaven".)
[May had some interesting releases, such as That Petrol Emotion's Babble, Nitzer Ebb's That Total Age, and an obscure debut single from soon-to-be-stupidly-huge Stone Roses. Alas, I couldn't find any good videos to post. There was also The Cure's album, but I just posted a video from it. Suffice it to say that Kiss Me Cubed (as
head58 and I called it) had some pretty heavy play on my radio when I went on a roadtrip with h58 and the gang.]In June, XTC relented by releasing as a single of what was originally a b-side (for "Grass") and shoehorned onto the US version of their Skylarking album. It would become one of their most-loved hits:
XTC, "Dear God" single, rel. June 1987
June also brought in a seminal compilation from the 4AD label, Lonely is an Eyesore. This release was important for many reasons, introducing many first-timers to some of the label's most famous bands: Dead Can Dance, Clan of Xymox, Cocteau Twins, The Wolfgang Press, Throwing Muses, and more. A companion video collection of all the songs was also heavily played on 120 Minutes as well.
Clan of Xymox, "Muscoviet Mosquito", from Lonely Is an Eyesore, rel. 6/15/1987
[I should add that the videos from this compilation were part of the inspiration for me to want to major in film in college, once I knew about Emerson; the grainy 8mm films combined with the dark sound intrigued me.]
Also that week was The Replacements' second major label album, Pleased to Meet Me, which picked up many new fans (including myself). This album also contains "Can't Hardly Wait", the song that partly inspired the movie of the same name.
The Replacements, "Alex Chilton" from Pleased to Meet Me, rel. 6/17/1987
[Part 2 coming next]
