Newcleus - Jam On Revenge - 1984
Newcleus was a really great band that thrived in the era that hip hop was breaking (no pun intended.) Full of synthetic sounds, funky bass lines, and lyrics about space and robots, Newcleus is a lot of fun.

Rich Nice - Information to Raise a Nation - 1990
Shitty 80's rap.

Null And Void - Happiness and Contempt - 1980
I fished this strange little album, playable at 45rpm, out of the trash. I have no idea who these cats were, with the possible exception one of half of Barnes & Barnes. Odd early-synthesiser/tape loop/rock, that kind of sounds like Classix Nouveaux.

Gary Numan - 1978 Volume 3 1979 - 1985
Forged of beautiful blue vinyl, this volume contains 3 cuts from "The Plan" sessions, one from "Telkon", one from "The Pleasure Principle", and one from "Random." Good stuff.

Gary Numan - She's Got Claws - 1981
Single of the same name with "I Sing Rain" and "Exhibition" as a B side. Nothing to write home about.

Gary Numan - Bezerker - 1984
Two versions of the single of the same name with "Empty Bed - Empty Heart" as a B side. Shows Gary in his rather interesting blue hair/lipstick phase.

Sharpe and Numan - Change Your Mind - 1985
Right when I was ready to write off Gary, he teams up with some guy I've never heard of, and releases this single. Although it's only one song (three versions) it's a great song that pumped some life into Gary's listless droning music at that time.

Oingo Boingo - Nothing To Fear - 1982
Oingo Boingo was one of the best bands of the 80's. Fronted by Danny Elfman (who you may know from his extensive movie and TV scoring gigs) this band was intricate, rhythmic, whacked out, and just plain geek cool.

Orchestral Maneuvers In The Dark - Dazzle Ships - 1983
OMD was a pretty decent band, before they evolved into a more pop direction. Before that, they did more experimental synth stuff, sort of like Kraftwerk with pop sensibilities. Great cover, interesting tunes.

Our Daughters Wedding - Moving Windows - 1982
I always suspected ODW of trying to possibly be mistaken for OMD, but only by appearances and name; you'd never mistake them by sound. I will give them credit for not being quite as cheesy as most 80's synth bands were, but they definitely are not interesting.

Mr. Partridge - Take Away/The Lure of Salvage - 1980
Andy Partridge was the singer for one of the late 70's and early 80's most creative "alternative" bands, XTC. This album (which I have not ruled out for digital replacement) is fascinating to say the least. What he did was, using bits and pieces of previously released XTC songs, he warped them into new songs that don't even slightly resemble their original form. Really cool concept, really great album.

Peach of Immortality - Talking Heads '77 - 1984
I never understood this album's title, intent, creator, message or purpose. Basically you get "26+" minutes of what might be loosely termed as industrial/experimental. Generally dull: any monkey with a delay and some tapes could make.

Pink Floyd - Relics - 1967-69
Relics, is just that, a collection of really dated odds-n-ends from this groups primal beginnings. There's an odd assortment of psychedellica and moody pop from the late 60's. Really cool bass sound on "Arnold Layne".

Pink Floyd - Animals - 1977
One thing about the 70's, in those days the "super groups" could spend unlimited time and resources to explore themselves and their music. I think an album like "Animals" wouldn't even have a remote chance in today's market driven music industry. I remember Mr. Carlson looking out the window trying to see the barking dogs on WKRP.

Poison Clan - The Girl That I Hate/Low Life Mutha Fuckers - 1990
Released on the banned Skyywalker Records label, Poison Clan was a spin off of 2 Live Crew. The first side runs over the beat of "I'm Your Puppet", with a couple bitching at each other as the lyrics. It's kind of funny to hear at 45rpm, but other than that, a total waste of time.

Poison Idea - Kings of Punk - 1986
How do you dispute a claim like that when they've got their band name carved into their torso? Coming out of the prolific San Fran. hardcore scene, Poison Idea were hard, loud, and express an extreme aggression that's raw, but not primitive.

Puncture - Puncture - 1994
Puncture is one of those bands who, through no fault of their own, are currently without a contract. It's a shame because they are way better than a lot of bands who get to suck the tit year after year, releasing garbage nobody wants to hear. This was the hooky debut CD thats slightly Ministryesque.

Redhed Kingpin - Pump it Hottie - 1987
This single is really only in my collection because the basis of this song is built on Kraftwerk's "Numbers" sample. I guess it's a pretty good use of the sample, but then again, the sample lends itself to that pretty easily.

The Residents - Duck Stab / Buster & Glen - 1978
I would have to give The Residents the honor of being the weirdest band of all time. If you've ever seen those guys that wear tuxedos, and giant eyes for heads, this is them. Great stuff, I highly recommend them.

Smokey Robinson and the Miracles - Great Songs and Performances... - 1983 (60-81)
Smokey Robinson is certainly nothing short of a legend, mostly in part to his sweet, soulful voice. But, what I like even more than that was the deeply emotional lyrics of songs like "Tears of a Clown" (co written with Stevie Wonder) and "Tracks of my Tears".

Rufus featuring Chaka Khan - Rags to Rufus - 1974
Rufus was the funky little 70's outfit that gave us the classic "Tell Me Something Good".

RUN DMC - RUN DMC - 1984
It's kind of weird how you mentally associate RUN DMC as the most generic / stereotypical rap group imaginable, but in reality, when this album came out there was nothing else like it at all. Songs like "Hard Times" and "It's Like That" set the benchmark for urban reality, as did Grand Master Flash before them.

Rush - Moving Pictures - 1981
Canadian prog-rockers Rush, had a couple of successful live albums, and this was one of them. Some classic tracks include, "Tom Sawyer", "Red Barchetta" and "Limelight".

Schooly D - King of New York - 1990
In his time, Schooly D was far ahead of his time. By this time, he had "sold out" to try and reap some of the gangsta rap riches that had eluded him in the past. This is a single with about 5 versions of a song you really don't need to hear once.

Severed Heads - Clifford Darling Please Don't Live In The Past - 1985
Severed Heads, at this time, were kind of a cross between Throbbing Gristle and The Residents, not as serious as TG, and not as goofy/weird as The Residents. They later went more rave/disco, as many of their peers did.

Simple Minds - Sparkle in the Rain - 1984
I have to give credit to Simple Minds for being an 80's band kind of by mistake. Their music had a bit more integrity than say your Katrina and the Waves, or many of the other bands of that era. Though certainly not the greatest album ever, it at least had pretense and not cheese.

Swans - Children of God - 1987
I was always somewhat fond of the Swans' printed art direction, but was never enamored by their musical offerings. Lengthy, droning, monotonous, lethargic, and dull are just a few words I would describe this 2 album set. Much of it sounds like the singer has a stomach ache. Goth n roll.

The Velvet Underground & Nico - The Velvet Underground & Nico - 1978?
A lot of people regarded this "avant guarde" music as revolutionary and influential, myself I think it's one of the most boring/annoying albums I've ever heard. Lou Reid continues to produce crappy music to this day.

Wiseblood - Dirt Dish - 1987
Yet another Foetus project, this is one phenomenal EP. Always the packaging master, this one is black with a textured foil design. It was later re-released on Foetus Inc. "Sink"

Yellow Magic Orchestra - X00Multiplies - 1980
YMO is a quirky, poppy, but slightly innovative Japanese band, who's center was electronics. Reminds me of bands like Ciba Mato, and Pizzicato 5, but more in spirit than sound. Includes a cover of the Beatles "Day Tripper", and an even stranger strange western/ska/surf song.

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