Life and Pieces

The #Music I listened to from age 13-17 that left the biggest emotional impact Part 38. Tears for Fears, The Hurting.

Although I never owned this as vinyl, I did have the cassette which I played many, many times.

My hunt for the vinyl version of this continues, but I did find an extended play EP for the song Change recently.

The #Music I listened to from age 13-17 that left the biggest emotional impact Part 37. Bauhaus, Burning from the Inside.

#Bauhaus have always been an enigma to me, ever since my introduction via a classmate’s Bauhaus tattoo on her upper chest in biology class. Her devotion prompted me to listen to them and I was ushered into this dark, haunting, and yes gothic realm occupied by other bands like Sisters of Mercy and Siouxsie and the Banshees.

In hindsight, listening to Burning from the Inside, it’s easy to spot the elements that led to Peter Murphy’s solo career and Love and Rockets, both of which I equally adore.

The #Music I listened to from age 13-17 that left the biggest emotional impact Part 36. New Order, Blue Monday.

It’s Monday, today #BlueMonday and time to enter 1983 with perhaps the biggest song ever. When singles mattered more, Blue Monday went down as the best-selling single ever. Ironic when you consider New Order created it initially as a setlist filler.

The #Music I listened to from age 13-17 that left the biggest emotional impact Part 35. Yaz, Upstairs at Eric’s.

This album is so remarkable given it was Vince Clarke’s first foray post-Depeche Mode and it introduced Alison Moyet to the world. She brought such soul to Clarke’s boundless synth melodies to create some timeless tracks. People still break out into dance instantly with Situation and Don’t Go.

The #Music I listened to from age 13-17 that left the biggest emotional impact Part 34. ABC, The Lexicon of Love.

Honestly, I first bought the album for the look, not The Look of Love. One of my favourite yearly pleasure was getting The Rock Yearbook, which named ABC’s album cover for The Lexicon of Love the best of the year. Further into the Yearbook was a review for the album by New Musical Express, saying it is…”One of the greatest albums ever made ... will be played to the point of nausea by everyone who buys it.” High praise and enough for me to seek and buy it.

The #Music I listened to from age 13-17 that left the biggest emotional impact Part 33. Duran Duran, Rio. For me there is no group, album and its art that better defined the ‘80s than Duran Duran and Rio.

Every, every track is gold on their own, and beautifully unique. From the title track to The Chauffeur, Rio is a masterpiece. Deep cuts like Hold Back the Rain and My Own Way (and all its extended versions) are so strong.

My only sad note is that Rio also proved to be the high point for Duran Duran. The first two albums being their best albums by far. To quote Tyrell from Blade Runner in speaking to the android Roy, “The light that burns twice as bright burns half as long — and you have burned so very, very brightly…”

The #Music I listened to from age 13-17 that left the biggest emotional impact Part 32. The Cure, Let’s Go to Bed. This is the first EP I have featured, but it’s one that figured prominently in my youth. It was perhaps my first introduction to The Cure. I think I’m inclined to this period in The Cure’s history more than any other.

I was also excited to switch my Pro-ject turntable to 45 RPM to play this EP, which includes an extended version of LGTB as well as the radio edit.

The #Music I listened to from age 13-17 that left the biggest emotional impact Part 31. Adam Ant, Friend or Foe.

Adam Ant’s first solo record was one of my favourites and has such great moments. Marco Pirroni collaborated heavily on the LP and it shows, with spaghetti western riffs throughout.

I’m not a fan of camp and theatre in modern music, but Adam Ant makes it work, often in a self-deprecating tone. I laugh at loud at his videos for tracks on this album, videos which no doubt propelled this album’s success further.

The #Music I listened to from age 13-17 that left the biggest emotional impact Part 30. The Clash, Combat Rock.

For me, The Clash are arguably the best rock ‘n’ roll band ever. The way they evolved over the years was remarkable, and each transition was groundbreaking.

Combat Rock was their last album and is filled with stunning tracks. Know Your Rights, Straight to Hell, Should I Stay or Should I Go, and Rock the Casbah are each so different yet distinctly Clash songs.

The #Music I listened to from age 13-17 that left the biggest emotional impact Part 29. Cat People, Soundtrack.

Keeping with the cat theme after Stray Cats, this soundtrack by Giorgio Moroder and featuring David Bowie is a gem, even if the film isn’t.

The film marks a style common in the ‘80s shared by others like Body Double, Body Heat, Dressed to Kill and The Hunger which Bowie starred in.

The #Music I listened to from age 13-17 that left the biggest emotional impact Part 28. Stray Cats, Built for Speed.

My love for rockabilly started on a trip to Birmingham, England in 1985 when on any given day downtown you would see punks, New Romantics, Mods and Teds/Teddy Boys/Rockers mixing it up. It was exciting to see and my fascination was tweaked by Quadrophenia and then Stray Cats.

The music, tattoos, fashion and attitude on display by bands like Stray Cats, Canada’s Bopcats and others was infectious.

The #Music I listened to from age 13-17 that left the biggest emotional impact Part 27. Spoons, Arias and Symphonies.

As we break into 1982 I recall Spoons. From Burlington, Ontario this 4-piece band were favourites with many in Canada.

My first concert ever included Spoons, Blue Peter and Platinum Blonde at the London Gardens, and I’m not sure which band was headlining, they were are so good and hot at the time.

The #Music I listened to from age 13-17 that left the biggest emotional impact Part 26. Japan, Tin Drum.

Halfway through this project it’s fitting that we finish 1981 with Japan’s last album Tin Drum.

The #Music I listened to from age 13-17 that left the biggest emotional impact Part 25. Blondie, Best of Blondie.

It’s remarkable for a band to release a best-of compilation so early in its existence, testament to how deep this band is.

Heart of Glass was very groundbreaking for this band. It represented a real departure from their punk roots, but in some way, still captured their essence.

Other tracks like Atomic are also timeless and have been covered by bands over time.

The #Music I listened to from age 13-17 that left the biggest emotional impact Part 24. Teenage Head.

I have owned this album three times. The first time I lost it to a classmate in grade 8, who neglected to return it, the second time I I lost it in a move and the third and last time I acquired it from a record shop in Cobourg.

#Teenagehead were a force led by the legendary Frankie Venom. I regret I never saw Teenage Head with Venom in the lineup, but always enjoyed their music and the stories that circled around them.

The #Music I listened to from age 13-17 that left the biggest emotional impact Part 23. Soft Cell, Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret.

This is another one of my vinyl records that I can listen to back to front. Every song is fantastic and different and its own way.

Bedsitter, Sex Dwarf, and of course, Tainted Love are go-to tracks, but the deep cuts on this album are all terrific as well.

The #Music I listened to from age 13-17 that left the biggest emotional impact Part 22. John Foxx, Metal Beat.

Foxx, Gary Numan, Human League were all students of J. G. Ballard and his Crash novel and informed a lot of their music. Foxx’s Underpass is a shining example of this.