All Media Reviews: U2

Showing posts with label U2. Show all posts

Sunday, July 8, 2018

Hansa Studios (Berlin): Add PEPE DELUXE to the List!

As pointed out there and other places, Pepe Deluxe now joins the likes of Marillion, U2, REM, David Bowie, Tangerine Dream, Depeche Mode, In Flames, Iggy Pop and Nick Cave among many others to have recorded in Berlin's famed Hansa Studios.

2012's Queen of the Wave is all-time favorite of mine, so this only adds more anticipation for their next record which it sounds like it could be coming out finally in the near future (2019?).

also neat 90 minute documentary shows a lot about Hansa here:

Friday, April 28, 2017

The Year 1984 Albums Calendar and Rankings

1984, now looking at it, was not all that great of a year, I guess for ALBUMS for my taste. It was it seemed a good year for SONGS. It was amidst the MTV craze and 80's singles. Friday Night Videos, icons like Michael Jackson, Prince, Madonna, Huey Lewis, Springsteen, Wham!, Duran Duran, The Police, Phil Collins..80's icons and huge names that were known for songs and their videos.

The top 40 on Sunday mornings, and cassette tapes. I bought my 1st tape as a little kid in 1983 and 1984. Weird Al's album In 3-D namely. And often at the Great American Music store in the Highland Village store.

But as time as gone by and looking at Albums, 1984 has some very good albums, like what I consider my favorite Pat Metheny record in First Circle and my favorite U2 album in The Unforgettable Fire.

Rush's Grace Under Pressure is an album I do enjoy a lot, but I guess I don't see it greater than most of their classic catalog (Caress of Steel-Presto). But it's a great record, thus par for their course. And given the quality of the albums from 1984, it places quite high.

And Prince, I bought Purple Rain on tape and it was such a big deal and rival to Michael Jackson and Thriller then, even though the release dates were like 18 months apart.

But I was a sports kid, so 1984 was most remembered by me for that, but as a year, compared to other years from the 80's, I'm thinking it may not compare. But then again, I suspect a lot of the mid to late 80's albums were not too different.

That also being said, I do have a soft spot for 80's pop, and I included some albums with some of those songs. Also early Metal albums, Thrash, NWOBHM, Prog and Soundtracks.

1. Pat Metheny Group - First Circle
2, Rush - Grace Under Pressure
3. U2 - The Unforgettable Fire
4. Marillion - Fugazi
5. Prince and the Revolution - Purple Rain OST
6. "Weird Al" Yankovic - In 3-D
7. Fates Warning - Night on Bröcken
8. Van Halen - 1984
9. Iron Maiden - Powerslave
10. Queensryche - The Warning
11. Metallica - Ride the Lightning
12. NRG - No Reasons Given
13. Marillion - Real to Reel
14. King Crimson - Three of a Perfect Pair
15.Bruce Springsteen - Born in the USA
16. Duran Duran - Arena
17. Wham! - Make it Big
18. XTC - The Big Express
19. David Gilmour - About Face

Van Halen - 1984
rel January 9, 1984

Various Artists - Footloose (Original Soundtrack)
rel January 31, 1984

Simple Minds - Sparkle in the Rain
rel February 6, 1984

Pallas - The Sentinel
rel February 13, 1984

Queen - The Works
rel February 27, 1984

"Weird Al" Yankovic - In 3-D
rel February 28, 1984

David Gilmour - About Face
rel March 5, 1984

Marillion - Fugazi
rel March 12, 1984

Dire Straits - Alchemy: Dire Straits Live
rel March 16, 1984

King Crimson - Three of a Perfect Pair
rel March 27, 1984

Laura Branigan - Self Control
rel April 2, 1984

R.E.M. - Reckoning
rel April 9, 1984

Rush - Grace Under Pressure
rel April 12, 1984

Roger Waters - The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking
rel April 30, 1984

INXS - The Swing
rel April 1984

The Bangles - All Over the Place
rel May 23, 1984

Clannad Legend album cover.jpg

Clannad - Legend [TV Soundtrack]
rel May 1984

Bruce Springsteen - Born in the U.S.A.
rel June 4, 1984

Prince and the Revolution - Purple Rain
rel June 25, 1984

Dio - The Last in Line
rel July 2, 1984

The Time - Ice Cream Castle
rel July 2, 1984

Sade - Diamond Life
rel July 16, 1984

Metallica - Ride the Lightning
rel July 27, 1984

Metal Church - Metal Church
rel July 1984

New Edition - New Edition
rel September 28, 1984

Survivor - Vital Signs
rel August 1984

Iron Maiden - Powerslave
rel September 3, 1984

Mercyful Fate - Don't Break the Oath
rel September 7, 1984

Queensryche - The Warning
rel September 7, 1984

Fates Warning - Night on Bröcken
rel September 1984

Robyn Hitchcock - I Often Dream of Trains
rel September 1984

U2 - The Unforgettable Fire
rel October 1, 1984

Sheena Easton - A Private Heaven
rel October 2, 1984

Hall and Oates - Big Bam Boom
rel October 12, 1984

XTC - The Big Express
rel October 15, 1984

Wham! - Make it Big
rel October 23, 1984

Deep Purple - Perfect Strangers
rel October 29, 1984

Duran Duran - Arena
rel November 12, 1984

Madonna - Like a Virgin
rel November 12, 1984

Kool and the Gang - Emergency
rel November

Don Henley - Building the Perfect Beast
rel November 19, 1984

Marillion - Real to Reel
rel November 1984

Dune album cover.jpg

Toto - Dune
rel December 1984

Cardiacs - The Seaside
rel 1984

Aerial Boundaries.jpg

Michael Hedges - Aerial Boundaries
rel 1984

Steve Morse - The Introduction
rel 1984

NRG - No Reasons Given
rel 1984

Pat Metheny Group - First Circle
rel 1984

Untitled

Thinking Plague - ...A Thinking Plague
rel 1984

Wednesday, March 29, 2017

The Year 1987 Albums Calendar and Rankings

1987, a year I chose out of curiousity per Marillion, Rush and Giraffe had albums. Plus 1 of the 3 best U2 records in The Joshua Tree came out that year.

But in looking at the depth of the year, it's a pretty barren, thin year. Some of the 80's pop and Metal was okay (Helloween, Savatage). Prince, George Michael, Michael Jackson. Sting, REM, INXS. Some iconic names with some of their better records of course.

However on the grand scale of my taste, 1987 was also Top Heavy and I suppose somewhat nostalgia laden. Although I am wondering and suspicious the 1980's were a lot like this year. The most memorable and go-to's end up being a few at the top. Which supports my feeling about the 1980's strength largely being in Singles rather than Albums. Other decades though seem to have a larger chunk of albums, often underground albeit, but for many good reasons.

I do find it interesting though to have to choose between a Marillion album and a Kevin Gilbert album, which happens in other years as well. And Clutching takes this one, as it's my favorite Fish-period Marillion record, and 1 of 5 5-star albums from the band.

1. Marillion - Clutching at Straws
2. Giraffe - The Power of Suggestion
3. Rush - Hold Your Fire
4. U2 - The Joshua Tree
5. Pink Floyd - A Momentary Lapse of Reason 6. George Michael - Faith
7. Pat Metheny - Still Life (Talking)
8. Jane's Addiction - Jane's Addiction
9. Michael Jackson - Bad
10. INXS - Kick
11. Prince - Sign "☮" the Times
12. Sting - ...Nothing Like the Sun
13 Helloween - Keeper of the Seven Keys Part. 1
14. Savatage - Hall of the Mountain King
15. The Dukes of Stratosphear - Psonic Psunspot
16. The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Live at Winterland
17. Def Leppard - Hysteria
18. Guns N Roses - Appetite for Destruction
19. Jethro Tull - Krest of a Knave
20. Joe Satriani - Surfing with the Alien
21. Faith No More - Introduce Yourself
22. Bruce Spingsteen - Tunnel of Love
23. R.E.M. - Document
24. Roger Waters - Radio K.A.O.S.
25. Yes - Big Generator
26. TNT - Tell No Tales