684. Steely Dan, Gaucho (1980) For a band renowned for the meticulousness of their recordings, Steely Dan endured a remarkable amount of messiness on the way to Gaucho, their eighth studio album and their final effort until a reunion launched … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #684 to #681
688. The Clash, Black Market Clash (1980) For U.S. audiences, new material from the Clash arrived at a dizzying rate across the final months of 1979 and through 1980. The band’s 1977 self-titled debut, originally deemed too rough for the … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #688 to #685
692. Go-Betweens, Tallulah (1987) Tallulah might not have delivered the Go-Betweens their first experience with professional disappointment, nor even their most pronounced. And yet the recording experience and subsequent related duties were peppered with enough frustrations that the album stands … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #692 to #689
696. Dan Fogelberg, The Innocent Age (1981) There was a point when music artists of a certain stature couldn’t simply release a new record. An extra level of import was required, and so singer-songwriter Dan Fogelberg followed his greatest commercial … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #696 to #693
700. Dinosaur Jr., You’re Living All Over Me (1987) Still known as simply Dinosaur at the time, the band fronted by J. Mascis released their sophomore full-length, You’re Living All Over Me, late in 1987. Championed by members of Sonic … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #700 to #697
704. Phil Manzanera, K-Scope (1978) Phil Manzanera was a busy fellow in the late nineteen-seventies. Undoubtedly most famous as the lead guitarist for Roxy Music, Manzanera was dabbling in all sorts of other projects. Tops among them was the band … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #704 to #701
708. The Special AKA, In the Studio (1984) Using the most straightforward explanation, In the Studio is the third album from the Specials. The fact that the band is billed as the Special AKA tells a significant story. This wasn’t … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #708 to #705
712. Redd Kross, Neurotica (1987) Technically, Neurotica is the first full-length studio effort by the outfit billed as Redd Kross. The band made their entrance with the 1982 LP Born Innocent, but they were going by Red Cross at the … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #712 to #709
716. Big Pig, Bonk (1988) Hailing from Melbourne, Australia — with a formative stop in the U.K. — Big Pig made a brand of propulsive dance music that feels very 1988. Eschewing guitars altogether and employing three different drummers, the … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #716 to #713
720. The Fall, The Domesday Pay-Off Triad Plus (1987) Nothing about the Fall is particularly easy, and so it is with detailing the origins of the 1987 album The Domesday Pay-Off Triad Plus. To begin, let’s establish that the group … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #720 to #717
Coffee for Two 