143. The Jam, Sound Affects (1980) As was becoming the norm, Paul Weller was not quite ready to go when he arrived at the studio to record the Jam’s fifth album, Sound Affects. Spurred in part by record company and … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #143 to #141
146. Talking Heads, Remain in Light (1980) “Remain in Light was a difficult album to make,” Chris Frantz, drummer for Talking Heads, told Rolling Stone magazine a few years after the release of LP in question. “We wanted to do … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #146 to #144
149. XTC, Black Sea (1980) “We find that once you’ve done something, you’ve tried it and you should move on,” Andy Partridge, frontman of XTC, declared not long after the release of Black Sea, the band’s fourth studio album. “Actually, … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #149 to #147
152. Joe Jackson, Look Sharp! (1979) David Ian Jackson was around one year into his scholarship-funded studies at the Royal Academy of Music when he decided classical music composition wasn’t what he wanted to do with his life. He knew … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #152 to 150
155. Missing Persons, Spring Session M (1982) Some of the folks from Frank Zappa’s backing band were a little bored with the esoteric, intricate music they were charged with playing. They started when guitarist Warren Cuccurullo and drummer Terry Bozzio … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #155 to 153
158. Morrissey, Viva Hate (1988) The ink on the death certificate of the Smiths was still moist when the group’s lead singer, lengthily known as Steve Patrick Morrissey, released his full-length solo debut, Viva Hate. For the faithful, who saw … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #158 to #156
161. Talking Heads, True Stories (1986) David Byrne wanted to make a movie. The Talking Heads frontman had long held creative aspirations beyond the dazzling art rock he made with cohorts Chris Frantz, Jerry Harrison, and Tina Weymouth, and the … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #161 to #159
164. Billy Bragg, Talking with the Taxman About Poetry (1986) “I’m a firm believer that by the third album, you have to show some signs of progression,” Bragg said. “With the first couple of LPs, you’re just carving out your … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #164 to #162
167. Ramones, End of the Century (1980) “This is the best album we’ve done,” Joey Ramone proclaimed of End of the Century on the eve of its release. “It’s so loud that flies were having heart attacks during the playbacks.” … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #167 to #165
170. Psychedelic Furs, Midnight to Midnight (1987) The fall of 1986 would have been an opportune time for the Psychedelic Furs to release a new album. In the spring, they’d received the biggest boost of their career when the song … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #170 to #168
Coffee for Two 