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The 80s Weren't As Bad As You Thought
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HackettFan View Drop Down
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Points: 7946 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote HackettFan Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 23 2019 at 11:22
The 80s was as bad as I thought. Knowing where to look for obscure stuff is a backhanded compliment. But it did exist, so here’s some of what got me through it:

Steve Hackett - Defector (1980)
Steve Hackett - Cured (1981)
Steve Hackett - Highly Strung (1983)
Henry Kaiser and Fred Frith - Who Needs Enemies (1983)
Henry Kaiser - It’s a Wonderful Life (1984)
Henry Kaiser - Devil in the Drain (1987)
Henry Kaiser - Those Who Know History Are Doomed to Repeat It (1988)
Frank Zappa - Shut Up N Play Yer Guitar (three disc box set) (1981)
Frank Zappa - You Are What You Is (1981)
Frank Zappa - Them Or Us (1984)
Frank Zappa - Jazz From Hell (1986)
Frank Zappa - Guitar (1988)
King Crimson - Discipline (1981)
King Crimson - Beat (1982)
King Crimson - Three of a Perfect Pair (1984)
Adrian Belew - Lone Rhino (1982)
Adrian Belew - Twang Bar King (1983)
Adrian Belew - Desire Caught By the Tail (1986)
Peter Gabriel - Melt
Peter Gabriel - Security
Peter Gabriel - So
Peter Gabriel - Passion
Jethro Tull - Crest of a Knave
Frith, Ostertag and Minton - Voice of America (1982)
French, Frith, Kaiser and Thompson - Live Love Larf and Loaf (1987)


I’m struggling to remember. There was a Kevin Ayers album a friend of mine made a tape of and would play while we worked in a pizzeria, but I can’t recall the (correct) title. I had a couple of records with Bill Frisell too, but I don’t recall what they were called.








Edited by HackettFan - December 23 2019 at 12:25
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Splitting it into decades is not really fair either.
When Prog was very fresh about 40-50 brilliant albums followed ITCOTCK from 1970 - 1974'ish.

If you pick out those early masterpieces every decade becomes more equal. 
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Points: 881 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote tamijo_II Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 23 2019 at 11:58
MTV is just Telly replacing FM mainstream and has always existed, dont forget 70's top selling artists like:

The Jackson 5 - The Osmonds - Bee Gees - Rod Stewart - Gilbert O'Sullivan

Barry White - Olivia Newton-John - Barry Manilow - Earth, Wind & Fire  - KC and the Sunshine Band

Glen Campbell - Bay City Rollers – ABBA - A Taste of Honey - Donna Summer - Herb Alpert and a lot more

Not saying they are bad but they are no better that average 80’s MTV – and def. not prog.
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Points: 7955 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote BrufordFreak Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 23 2019 at 12:36
I LOVED the 80s and all of the adventurous uses artist/musicians were coming up with for the technological advances of synthesizers, computer (Fairlight CMI), drum machines (Linn), and MIDI (Simmons drums, Synclavier, SynthAxe, Roland, etc.) So many bands that, to my ears and mind, were absolutely continuing the prog spirit have been barred from or relegated to "-related" status here on ProgArchives, including:

XTC
U2
Simple Minds
Eurythmics
Tom Tom Club
David Sylvian
Talking Heads
Cocteau Twins
Souixie & The Banshees
The Cure
Nina Hagen
Lena Lovich
Art of Noise
Frankie Goes to Hollywood
Psychedelic Furs
ABC
Mark Isham
Propaganda
Grace Jones
Rosie Vela
Aztec Camera
Love and Money
Joe Jackson
and, of course,
Prince Rogers Nelson, 
not to mention numerous artists who were maligned as their music became labeled (and scorned) as "World Music," "Smooth Jazz," and/or "New Age."
  
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Points: 19626 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Sean Trane Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 23 2019 at 13:07
Originally posted by Davesax1965 Davesax1965 wrote:

The 80's were as bad as I thought, otherwise I wouldn't have thought it. ;-)


Yeah, if you think the 80's were good, you weren't there LOL

Originally posted by delventhal delventhal wrote:

The second half of the Eighties was utter sh*t for our beloved genre.


I'd have to agree with that, because the early-80's still had their quota of good albums, especially in RIO/Avant (though I only discovered most of it that stuff in the mid to late 90's ), but the worst years are from 86 to 89, when you only need one hand to count the good albums (unless you're into metal)
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The 80s were not thoroughly bad. They can be compared with a month or a season that is colder, with less hours of sun and more precipitation than the average for the time of the year: there are always some days with fine weather.
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Points: 232 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote foregonillusions Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 23 2019 at 15:28
Looking at my music library, I noticed that most of my 80's prog is from Japanese bands, so I'd say if you were a fan of that kind of symphonic prog, then the 80s were pretty alright.
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Points: 14110 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Lewian Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 23 2019 at 16:21
Seven of my top 10 (OK make it top 12 or so) albums of all time hail from the eighties!
King Crimson - Dscipline, Kate Bush - The Dreaming, Eno & Byrne - My Life in the Bush of Ghosts, Camberwell Now - The Ghost Trade, David Sylvian - Brilliant Trees (the boldfaced ones have apparently not yet been mentioned in this thread, or I have missed that) and not listed on PA Comsat Angels - Sleep No More and Astor Piazzolla - Nuovo Tango, Hora Zero. Plus Holger Czukay Movies (1979) and Talk Talk Laughing Stock (1991), after their two previous 80s albums that come mightily close. Plus all the Cardiacs and Art Zoyd joy from that decade, of which it's hard to pick a favourite, and the next three of King Crimson after Discipline, all the other Kate Bush from that decade, plus great non-prog by Joe Jackson, Thomas Dolby, Killing Joke... Not only are the eighties not that bad, they actually *dominate* my favourites by some distance.


Edited by Lewian - December 23 2019 at 16:28
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Originally posted by Slartibartfast Slartibartfast wrote:

Originally posted by cstack3 cstack3 wrote:

My goodness, it isn't like the 70's were wall-to-wall excellent music!!  I thought the 80's were amazing....new instruments were being developed (Roland guitar synth), new techniques being used (Van Halen wasn't prog but he sure had an influence), and some of our favorite bands did some of their best work.  King Crimson's 
"Discipline" remains some of my favorite work of their output. 



Even autotune isn't totally evil if used properly heheheeeh LOL


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Originally posted by tamijo_II tamijo_II wrote:

MTV is just Telly replacing FM mainstream and has always existed, dont forget 70's top selling artists like:

The Jackson 5 - The Osmonds - Bee Gees - Rod Stewart - Gilbert O'Sullivan

Barry White - Olivia Newton-John - Barry Manilow - Earth, Wind & Fire  - KC and the Sunshine Band

Glen Campbell - Bay City Rollers – ABBA - A Taste of Honey - Donna Summer - Herb Alpert and a lot more

Not saying they are bad but they are no better that average 80’s MTV – and def. not prog.


I'm not sure what FM station you were listening to in the 1970s. That crap you mentioned definitely wasn't being played in the Detroit area on FM. That stuff was more AM hits radio. Definitely non-stereo AM at that. 
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Originally posted by The Dark Elf The Dark Elf wrote:

Originally posted by tamijo_II tamijo_II wrote:

MTV is just Telly replacing FM mainstream and has always existed, dont forget 70's top selling artists like:

The Jackson 5 - The Osmonds - Bee Gees - Rod Stewart - Gilbert O'Sullivan

Barry White - Olivia Newton-John - Barry Manilow - Earth, Wind & Fire  - KC and the Sunshine Band

Glen Campbell - Bay City Rollers – ABBA - A Taste of Honey - Donna Summer - Herb Alpert and a lot more

Not saying they are bad but they are no better that average 80’s MTV – and def. not prog.


I'm not sure what FM station you were listening to in the 1970s. That crap you mentioned definitely wasn't being played in the Detroit area on FM. That stuff was more AM hits radio. Definitely non-stereo AM at that. 


Likely some difference in radio over the world, so lets say top selling radio hits. All of those sold a lot of singels - you don't do that unless you are played on TV/Radio. 
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Originally posted by Lewian Lewian wrote:

 Eno & Byrne - My Life in the Bush of Ghosts,

That one was on my list.
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In my early youth I really hated eighties horribilities (Modern Talking, Bad Boys Blue etc) and cursed why I wasn´t born 20 years earlier. But gladly speed metal came and saved my youth. Much later I noticed for example Sonic Youth, Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, Nomeasno, Bad Brains, Minutemen, Wipers, Meat Puppets, Talking Heads, the Raincoats, the Pop Group, the Red Krayola, Siouxsie & the Banshees, Bauhaus, the Damned, the Cure, Joy Division, Kate Bush, Tom Waits, Captain Beefheart, Japan, Talk Talk made great albums in the eighties, I just wasn´t aware of them. Still I don´t think it was great time to prog, all the great prog albums have made in the sixties/seventies. Only few later exceptions.

Edited by Mortte - December 23 2019 at 23:26
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^ I think the 80s was a great time for acts of the RIO/Avant Prog variety. So many of my favourite albums come from the 80s, both in and out of PA.
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Originally posted by Logan Logan wrote:

^ I think the 80s was a great time for acts of the RIO/Avant Prog variety. So many of my favourite albums come from the 80s, both in and out of PA.
I haven´t got much into RIO/Avant. I really love Samla Mammas Mannas Måltid-album, but not as much their other albums, not really get into Henry Cow also, although albums I have listened have been at least good. And in Frank Zappa his sixties period is my fav. If you like to recommend me one Avant album from the eighties (not Zappa), I will listen it. Have to say I really love Thinking Fellers Union Local 282, it has put avant in progarchives, but I am not sure, is it really...
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Originally posted by Mortte Mortte wrote:

Originally posted by Logan Logan wrote:

^ I think the 80s was a great time for acts of the RIO/Avant Prog variety. So many of my favourite albums come from the 80s, both in and out of PA.
I haven´t got much into RIO/Avant. I really love Samla Mammas Mannas Måltid-album, but not as much their other albums, not really get into Henry Cow also, although albums I have listened have been at least good. And in Frank Zappa his sixties period is my fav. If you like to recommend me one Avant album from the eighties (not Zappa), I will listen it. Have to say I really love Thinking Fellers Union Local 282, it has put avant in progarchives, but I am not sure, is it really...


I don;t know Thinking Fellers Union Local 282, will look into it.

This would be throwing most people off the deep-end, but I feel like recommending that you try Art Zoyd's Génération sans futur from 1980. But that might be too easily likened to the music off Henry Cow's Western Culture. On second thought, maybe try This Heat's Deceit.
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Originally posted by tamijo_II tamijo_II wrote:

This is the end of my list of what I find to be essential 80's albums, there is a lot more just picked those i think anyone need to hear before......


1986 - 1989

 

1986

Prog/Experimental:

David Sylvian - Gone To Earth

Frank Zappa - Jazz from hell

Laurie Anderson - Home of the Brave

Miriodor – Miriodor

Peter Gabriel – So

Talk Talk - The Colour Of Spring

Other very important albums imho :

David Lee Roth - Eat 'Em and Smile

Eurythmics – Revenge

The Firm - Mean Business

Hüsker Dü - Candy Apple Grey

Megadeth - Peace Sells...But Who's Buying?

Miles Davis – Tutu

Paul Simon – Graceland

The The – Infected

The Call - Reconciled

 

1987

Prog/Experimental:

David sylvian - Secrets of the Beehive

Jethro Tull - Crest Of A Knave

Marillion - Clutching at Straws

Pink Floyd - A Momentary Lapse Of Reason

Roger Waters - Radio K.A.O.S.

Rush - Hold Your Fire

Yes - Big Generator

Other very important albums imho :

Bill Bruford's Earthworks - Earthworks

The Cure - Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me

David Bowie - Never Let Me Down

Robbie Robertson - Robbie Robertson

Ryuichi Sakamoto, David Byrne, Cong Su - The Last Emperor

Simply Red - Men and Women

U2 - The Joshua Tree

Whitesnake - 1987

 

1988

Prog/Experimental:

Cardiacs - A Little Man And A House And The Whole World Window

Dead Can Dance - Serpent's Egg

Other very important albums imho :

David Lee Roth – Skyscraper

Joan Armatrading - The Shouting Stage

Queensrÿche - Operation: Mindcrime

Robert Plant - Now And Zen

Sade - Stronger Than Pride

Sinéad O'Connor - The Lion and the Cobra

Steve Roach - Dreamtime Return

Talking Heads - Naked

Tracy Chapman - Tracy Chapman

U2 - Rattle and Hum

 

1989

Prog/Experimental:

Birdsongs Of The Mesozoic – Faultline

Horizont - The Portrait Of A Boy

Jethro Tull - Rock Island

Peter Gabriel – Passion

Porcupine Tree - Tarquin's Seaweed Farm

Swans - The Burning World

Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe - Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe

Other very important albums imho :

Adrian Belew - Mr. Music Head

David Byrne - Rei Momo

Faith No More - The Real Thing

Culture - Too Long In Slavery

The Cure – Disintegration

Lisa Stansfield - Affection

Simple Minds - Street Fighting Years

The The - Mind Bomb

Whitesnake - Slip Of The Tongue
 

and the eighties crash and burn . If Yes - The Big Generator is ever regarded as 'essential' then I am truly dead and gone to hell.
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Originally posted by Slartibartfast Slartibartfast wrote:

Originally posted by richardh richardh wrote:

The rise of MTV was the main problem which came in the Wake of punk crashing and falling as always would. Something had to take it place and unfortunately something came to take it's place that was not about music.

I kinda liked MTV for a while and Beavis and Butthead for a while.  Punk was crap for me in it's heyday. I love pronk like Cardiacs and Knifeworld.  Big smile
 

Punk has something but then it got twisted into something else. The nonsense idea that you didn't need to be a musician to make music seemed to spawn a raft of one finger on the keyboard pop synth bands with weird hair. 
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One real gem that I forgot about from that decade was Propaganda - A Secret Wish. Trevor Horn was involved witb some interesting stuff including Art of Noise and Frankie Goes To Hollywood - Welcome To The Pleasure Dome. Had to be an ex proggie.

Eddie Jobson - A Theme Of Secrets was previously mentioned and that's a goodie as well.

I also think that Enya's - Watermark is a very beautiful album that bucked the trend. 
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In the eighties Iron Maiden, Metallica, Voivod and many others made some great prog-infused metal albums and laid the groundwork for all progressive metal that came in the nineties. Blue Oyster Cult made 'Fire of Unknown Origin'. Camel released 'Nude'. Hawkwind recorded 'Live Chronicles'. Queensryche made 'Operation Mindcrime'. Scott Walker recorded the progressive vocal record 'Climate of Hunter'. Frank Sinatra recorded 'The Future' (part of trilogy). Than of course there are Marillion and IQ who started their impressive careers and launched the neo-prog genre.
I'm guitarist and songwriter for the prog-related band Mother Bass. Find us at http://www.motherbass.com. I also enter stages throughout the Netherlands performing my poetry.
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