Because I owe you all one or two big favors for sticking in there despite all the problems I’ve encountered recently, today is a special post. If you go back through my posts, you’ll see that consistently, I rate one album from the 80’s above all others. Considering the number of truly great albums that came out of that decade, this is a high compliment. That album, of course, is Gun Clubs superb masterpiece, Fire of Love. I posted pieces of it here and there, but like all truly great albums, it must be listened to straight through to get the full impact from it.
A warning though…this is some serious stuff here. If you own a gun, and you’ve been drinking for a couple days straight, and your woman just done you wrong (kind of descries me in 1986!), do NOT listen to this. This is the music of a man whose soul is in some serious pain. Jeffry Lee Pierce’s howls and emotion along with the punked up blues riffs take you on a hellish nightmare ride. Don’t let that scare you though….this album is considered by many to be the best of the decade. I certainly helped set the stage for what American underground music would be like.
Now, about that claim I make of it being the best…I know there will be disagreement. Thats cool. Sometimes I argue that point with myself. I mean, the Minutemen’s Double Nickle on the Dime is damn good. So is Meat Puppets II. Any of the Pixies first few albums are right up there as well. The Fall’s This Nations Saving Grace, which I just covered a bit back is another. All superb albums, and all worthy of being in number one. But in the end, that really can be only one, and this is the one I keep coming back to. Let me know yours, and who knows, maybe it will pop up for all the world to see. Enjoy!
9 responses so far ↓
1 great // Jun 13, 2008 at 9:16 am
zizz iz great el-shito!!!!!!
zanx!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
2 Michael // Jun 13, 2008 at 10:57 am
Not to ruin a great post with some bad news, but this post is a bit of a tribute as Nick Sanderson (drummer for The Gun Club, The Jesus And Mary Chain and Freeheat) passed away earlier this week. RIP Nick.
Here is a link to writeup about Nick at the LA Weekly…
http://blogs.laweekly.com/play/news/nick-sanderson-gun-club-drumme/
3 MissParker0106 // Jun 13, 2008 at 2:11 pm
*A-Hem*…if I didn’t show up to respectfully disagree with you, you’d think I didn’t love you anymore.
That said, The Chameleons’ “Script of the Bridge” - Best Album of the 80’s…followed closely by “Telekon” (Gary Numan) and “Waiting for the Floods” (Armoury Show).
MissParker0106’s last blog post..80’s Music Rules ~ Even More from Canada - Chalk Circle
4 Infonistacrat // Jun 13, 2008 at 2:24 pm
@Michael:
My head has been so buried in work, I had not heard the news. Thanks much for passing that on. What a talent, and what a career to have been associated with so many bands. Yes, lets consider this a fine tribute to a great artist then.
5 Infonistacrat // Jun 13, 2008 at 2:32 pm
@MissParker0106:
Somehow, I knew that would bring a response by you! All fine albums, to be sure. The fun thing is about discussing topics like this is that you could spend all day debating the pros and cons of 20 or 30 albums that could be considered the best of the 80’s. Of course, I would gladly do that over a couple of ice cold frosty beverages, listening to said albums as they were compared. How great would THAT party be!
6 MissParker0106 // Jun 13, 2008 at 2:44 pm
Make the “frosty beverages” a couple of Stellas and you’re on.
RIP Nick Sanderson. With all of my travels throughout the Internet, I hadn’t heard that, either.
MissParker0106’s last blog post..80’s Music Rules ~ Even More from Canada - Chalk Circle
7 Dgrador // Jun 14, 2008 at 4:42 pm
Fire Of Love just keeps getting better with age.
Dgrador’s last blog post..The WORST (Canada)
8 Infonistacrat // Jun 14, 2008 at 8:00 pm
@Dgrador:
Ain’t that the truth? I probably listen to it once a month, and it’s always a treat. I’m not sure there is a single album I listen to more that Fire of Love.
9 Minuteman77 // Jun 18, 2008 at 9:49 pm
Thanks for the post! Fire of Love propelled me through undergrad school in Mo. during the late 80’s. Best of the 80’s for me had to include “Let it Be”, “Nothing’s Shocking” and “Life’s Rich Pageant”. What happended to ‘alternative rock’. It’s probably 4.50 a gallon now too.
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