455. The Tubes, Remote Control (1979) It was a pairing destined to take pop excess to new heights. Across the late nineteen-seventies, the Tubes made a name for themselves by going large and bold with their rock pronouncements, like Elton … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #455 to #453
458. Beat Farmers, Tales of the New West (1985) Drummer Country Dick Montana and and Jerry Raney kicked around in various San Diego bands for years before they started playing together. They recruited guitarist Buddy Blue and bassist Rolle Dexter … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #458 to #456
461. Peter Schilling, Error in the System (1983) For someone making arch synth-pop in the early nineteen-eighties, it was probably pretty obvious which established artist could be pilfered from most productively. German performer Peter Schilling muscled his way into the … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #461 to #459
464. Thrashing Doves, Bedrock Vice (1987) “I loved it,” Margaret Thatcher announced after watching the video for Thrashing Doves’ jagged pop-rock single“Beautiful Imbalance” on the children’s television show Saturday Superstore. “I liked the constant music. I liked the color. There’s … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #464 to #462
467. Various Artists, Quadrophenia (Music From The Soundtrack Of The Who Film) (1979) “The problem with a film like Quadrophenia is that it’s exploited something that’s already there,” Pete Townshend noted of the film based on the Who’s 1973 album … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #467 to #465
470. Red Rockers, Good as Gold (1983) By the time Red Rockers started work on their second full-length album, Good as Gold, they had undergone an evolution in their sound. Formed in New Orleans as an act essentially trying to … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #470 to #468
473. Wang Chung, Points on the Curve (1984) When Geffen Records signed Huang Chung, there was an immediate suggestion about the band’s name. They could keep it, but a change of spelling was advised, prompted in part by a noticed … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #473 to #471
476. Love Tractor, This Ain’t No Outer Space Ship (1986) The early nineteen-eighties was a good time for a band to ply their trade in Athens, Georgia. In addition to an especially fertile club scene, boosted by a college crowd … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #476 to #474
479. Roxy Music, Flesh + Blood (1980) After Roxy Music returned from an extended hiatus to make the 1979 album Manifesto, they found themselves making significant adjustments intended to insinuate their music into the marketplace. Songs from the album were … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #479 to #477
482. Negativland, Escape from Noise (1987) Richard Lyons and Mike Hosler had been operating together as Negativland for nearly ten years when they and their collaborators delivered the album Escape from Noise. The group’s first outing for SST Records, a … Continue reading College Countdown: CMJ Top 1000, 1979 – 1989 — #482 to #480
Coffee for Two 