Urban75 Album of the Year 1979

[killer b]

The prince album from 79 is really good, if often a bit overlooked

 

[ska invita]

Must be a shit-tonne of good reggae LPs too. I’ll try and do a list tomorrow.

Explore Jamaica LP from 1979 on Discogs

 

[Knotted]

Tusk or 20 jazz funk greats for number 1? It's going to be close.

I never get this right but its going to be Unknown Pleasures surely?

Also everybody is going to pick the wrong Fall album.

 

[The39thStep]

From the Graveyard and the Ballroom ACR 1979. A rough patchy post punk dance debut album originally on cassette

 

[Knotted]

A quick run down of rock in opposition from 1979:

The Second Art Bears album - Winter Songs. Is extraordinary. Bad form to say this, but it's going to be number 2 on my list as a dead cert and I'll be boring you all about it afterwards. Anyway its short punchy otherworldly songs, no frippery and ferociously beautiful. The downside is that it is completely funkless. I am judging everything else in the light of Winter Songs and The Fall's Dragnet. These two albums are the gold standard.

Henry Cow's final album - Western Culture. The most modern classical Henry Cow outing. No improv on this one. Good solid compositions.

Etron Fou's live album. I never really liked this one. Somehow doesn't have the energy of their studio albums. But I'm listening to it now and I'm coming round to it - it's more dramatic and comic than I remember, I may have really misjudged it. Anyway it's punky, complex sax, bass and drums and oh so French.

Univers Zero - Heresie. The bleakest thing ever recorded. Its a kind of modern classic thing, but the compositions aren't that great. However the textures are exquisite. Will scare the granny out of you.

Art Zoyd - Musique pour L'Odyssee. Dextrous Bartok-rock. It has the wonderful, delicate Trio 'Lettre D'Automne' on it.

 

[Knotted]

This made my top ten for 1978, but I think it might have been 1979 after all. Obviously I recommend it. World fusion sort of thing.

 

[Steel Icarus]

I never get this right but its going to be Unknown Pleasures surely?

Also everybody is going to pick the wrong Fall album.

Is London Calling too rock, then? That'd be my pick for top slot, I think.

 

[Knotted]

If anything I would think that London Calling is not punk rock enough. But I really don't know what you kids are thinking so maybe. Surely you're not all going to vote in 20 Jazz Funk Greats though. Great album and all but a bit niche.

 

[Steel Icarus]

If anything I would think that London Calling is not punk rock enough.

That's what I meant!

 

[Casual Observer]

My head's still in 1969 but a couple of belters not yet mentioned spring to mind.

damned - Machine Gun Ettiquette. The Captain's finest hour. Plenty of looning about but the songs themselves more than stand up on their own.



Elsewhere, Kimberly Rew channels Robert Quine behind Robyn Hitchcock's too clever by half lyrics as the Soft Boys let rip with Can Of Bees.

 

[Knotted]

Rallying the Ra troupes. We did it in '59 we can do it in '79 cause this one's an ace.

 

[krink]

There are stacks I love now but these are the albums I actually had...

London Calling The Clash
The Specials The Specials
One Step Beyond... Madness
Reggatta de Blanc The Police
The Feeding of the 5000 Crass
Inflammable Material Stiff Little Fingers
The Crack The Ruts

 

[Idris2002]

I thought London Calling was 1980?

E2A: nope, december 1979 in UK.

 

[Idris2002]

This is from Into the Music, probably the best Van album nobody knows:

 

[belboid]

Is London Calling too rock, then? That'd be my pick for top slot, I think.

I immediately thought London Calling would romp it, but then remembered Unknown Pleasures, and Bowie's masterpiece.

 

[Idris2002]

Albums of 1979, if anyone needs a guide to the year (like I did):

1979 in music - Wikipedia

 

[Fozzie Bear]

Top drawer 1979 reggae LPs worth your attention:

Augustus Pabo - Original Rockers
Barrington Levy - Shaolin Temple
Barrington Levy - Bounty Hunter
Barrington Levy - Englishman
Black Uhuru - Showcase
Dennis Brown - Wolf and Leopards
Gregory Isaac - Soon Forward
Linton Kwesi Johnson - Forces of Victory
Sugar Minnott - Showcase


2nd division IMO

Aswad - Hulet
Augustus Pablo - Africa Must Be Free By 1983 Dub
Bob Marley and The Wailers - Survival
Creation Rebel - Rebel Vibrations
Crucial Bunny Vs Fatman - Fatman Dub Contest
Dennis Brown - Words of Wisdom
Freddie MacGregor- Bobby Babylon
Ijahman Levi - Are We A Warrior
Johnny Osbourne - Truth and Rights
Mikey Dread - African Anthem
Mikey Dread - Dread At The Controls
Misty In Roots - Live At The Counter Eurovisionn 79
Prince Far I - Cry Tuff Dub Encounter II
Prince Far I and the Arabs - Dub To Africa
Prince Jammy - Kamikazi Dub
Sugar Minnott - Ghetto ology
Sugar Minnott - Black Roots

Also not mentioned so far?

The Slits - Cut
The B-52s - The B-52s

 

[Idris2002]

Significant bit of Irish rock history:



From the Radiators 1979 album Ghostown.

 

[Idris2002]

Floyd's The Wall is 1979 isn't it?

That's got to be in there, surely, for all its faults?

 

[Idris2002]

The Blondie album of that year is Eat to the Beat, which I don't think is considered classic Blondie. Their hit of that year was Heart of Glass, which was actually from 1978.

 

[Idris2002]

Side-splitting hilarity via the sage of Westmount, Mrs. Cohen's boy:



(this one is really good, by the way - even the mariachi band cover of Un Canadien Errant works).

 

[belboid]

Floyd's The Wall is 1979 isn't it?

That's got to be in there, surely, for all its faults?

it certainly is. And it possibly should be, but I can't bring myself to list it.

There was also this, tho this is the only really good track on it.



Quite a few '69ers had albums out this year too, tho I doubt they'll be m/any votes for Zeppelin or Can this time.

 

[belboid]

A couple more that deserve a mention

 

[belboid]

And then there was this, of course. From when we were excited about the different ways Bob had of playing the old songs.

 

[andysays]

Continuing the post-punk theme, there's the ironically named second album from Siouxsie and the Banshees

 

[Knotted]

L Voag's The Way Out is the best album of the entire decade in my opinion. Bad form to say that before the vote, but it's not going to get mention otherwise. Just listen to the fucking thing.

 

[rekil]

Kurt was correct about these lads.

 

[Casual Observer]

L Voag's The Way Out is the best album of the entire decade in my opinion. Bad form to say that before the vote, but it's not going to get mention otherwise. Just listen to the fucking thing.

Funnily enough, I thought that might feature in your thinking. I have the CD somewhere and must dig it out for another listen. Milk From Cheltenham from you in a few years time then?

 

[Steel Icarus]

Top drawer 1979 reggae LPs worth your attention:

Augustus Pabo - Original Rockers
Barrington Levy - Shaolin Temple
Barrington Levy - Bounty Hunter
Barrington Levy - Englishman
Black Uhuru - Showcase
Dennis Brown - Wolf and Leopards
Gregory Isaac - Soon Forward
Linton Kwesi Johnson - Forces of Victory
Sugar Minnott - Showcase


2nd division IMO

Aswad - Hulet
Augustus Pablo - Africa Must Be Free By 1983 Dub
Bob Marley and The Wailers - Survival
Creation Rebel - Rebel Vibrations
Crucial Bunny Vs Fatman - Fatman Dub Contest
Dennis Brown - Words of Wisdom
Freddie MacGregor- Bobby Babylon
Ijahman Levi - Are We A Warrior
Johnny Osbourne - Truth and Rights
Mikey Dread - African Anthem
Mikey Dread - Dread At The Controls
Misty In Roots - Live At The Counter Eurovisionn 79
Prince Far I - Cry Tuff Dub Encounter II
Prince Far I and the Arabs - Dub To Africa
Prince Jammy - Kamikazi Dub
Sugar Minnott - Ghetto ology
Sugar Minnott - Black Roots

Also not mentioned so far?

The Slits - Cut
The B-52s - The B-52s

Steel Pulse - Tribute to the Martyrs

Not as good as Handsworth Revolution but decent

 

[Idris2002]

And then there was this, of course. From when we were excited about the different ways Bob had of playing the old songs.

If we're allowed have live albums, that's going in my top ten.

With the Specials at number one (listening to it now, and there's really no question).