Saturday, March 9, 2013

Important "Progressive" Albums from the 1980s


In no particular order, here is a list of albums that, in my opinion, contributed to the progress of music in the 1980s.




Brian Eno:  (with Harold Budd): Ambient 2: Plateuax of Mirror, (with Laraaji): Ambient 3: Day of Radiance, (with Harold Budd): Ambient 4: On Land, (with Jon Hassell): Fourth World, Vol. One: Possible Musics, (with David Byrne): My Life in the Bush of Ghosts, Apollo: Atmospheres and Soundtracks, More Music for Films, Thursday Afternoon








Kate Bush:  Never Forever, The Dreaming and Hounds of Love








King Crimson:  Discipline, Beat and Three of a Perfect Pair





Pat Metheny (Group): As Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls, American Garage, Offramp, First Circle, Still Life (Talking), Letter from Home








Peter Gabriel:  "3" and "Security"







Bruce Cockburn:  Humans, Inner City Front, The Trouble with Normal, Stealing Fire, Big Circumstance 








Roxy Music:  Flesh and Blood and Avalon








Rush:  Permanent Waves, Moving Pictures, Signals








Talking Heads:  Remain in Light and Speaking in Tongues








Univers Zero:  Ceux du dehors, UZed and Heatwave







David Sylvian:  Brilliant Trees, Gone to Earth, Secrets of the Beehive








The Fixx:  Reach the Beach








BacamarteDepois do fim










Tears for Fears:  The Hurting















Yes 90120







Cocteau Twins/4 A.D. Treasure, Tiny Dynamine/Echoes on a Shallow Bay, Victorialand, and Blue Bell Knoll







The Cure:  Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me and Disintegration






Ryuichi Sakamoto: Illustrated Music Encyclopedia and Neo-Geo plus soundtracks for Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence and The Last Emperor








Ozric Tentacles:  5 cassette-only releases (all compiled on the 1992 release, Vitamin Enhanced box set) and Pungent Effulgent, (Erpland was released in 1990)








Jesus and Mary Chain:  Psychocandy








It's Immaterial: Life's Hard and Then You Die








Love and Money:  Strange Kind of Love 







Steve Tibbetts:  Yr 










Solaris: Marbéli Krónikák (Martian Chronicles)








Asia Minor:  Between Flesh and Divine









Eskaton: 4 Visions










Talk Talk: The Colour of Spring and Spirit of Eden









Eloy:  Planets and Time to Turn








Zammla Mannas Mamas:  Familjesprickor (Family Cracks)








Shub-Niggurath:  Les mortes vont vite









SBB:  Memento z banalnym tryptykiem








Dün:  Eros













Pazzo Fanfano di Musica:  Pazzo Fanfano di Musica








Yezda Urfa:  Sacred Baboon








Dead Can Dance:  The Serpent's Egg








Kenso:  II








IQ: Tales from the Lush Attic and The Wake








Marillion: Script for a Jester's Tear, Misplaced Childhood, Fugazi, and Clutching at Straws








Jean-Luc Ponty: Individual Choice







Voivod: Killing Technology, Dimensional Hatross, and Nothingface








Present: Triskaidekaphobie and Le poison quie rend fou









Queensryche: Rage for order and Operation: Mindcrime








Art Zoyd: Le mariage du ciel et de l'enfer and Berlin








Cardiacs: The Seaside, A Little Man and a House and the Whole World Window, and On Land and in the Sea







XTC: Black Sea, English Settlement, The Big Express, Mummer, Skylarking, and Oranges and Lemons 









U2: Boy, War, The Unforgettable Fire and Joshua Tree









Simple Minds: New Gold Dream









Prince: Purple Rain soundtrack








The Police: Ghost in the Machine












Blade Runner soundtrack (composed by Vangelis)







The Mark Isham soundtracks and Windham Hill work









Trevor Horn's work with The Buggles, Art of Noise, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Yes, Pet Shop Boys, Propaganda, ABC, Grace Jones, Simple Minds, Paul McCartney and Seal