2013 October

Slicing Up Eyeballs Poll – Top Ten of 1988

On October 31, 2013, in Music, song, by mugen

I’m hoping to post all 10 years of the 80s here, and I’m using Slicing Up Eyeballs’ lists. Some of my “top 10” at the time would have been dramatically different, but since this is hindsight, I’m using my taste now and my respect for the music. The weirdest thing is that I’ve included the contribution of REM every time there’s been one, I think… and I never listen to REM, really. But they made some really great records in the 80s. I didn’t even bother listening to most of what they put out post-1990 or so, except what was on the radio (which is part of why I didn’t bother). I’ve been told this is my loss, and that there’s some great stuff there, but I haven’t felt the urge to remedy that. Maybe someday.

IN THE MEANTIME…

I give you Mugen’s top 10 alt.rock albums of 1988:

Edie Brickell and New Bohemians – Shooting Rubberbands at the Stars
Jane’s Addiction – Nothing’s Shocking
Living Colour – Vivid
Metallica – …And Justice for All
Ministry – The Land of Rape and Honey
Pixies – Surfer Rosa
The Pogues – If I Should Fall from Grace with God
REM – Green
Siouxsie and the Banshees – Peepshow
Skinny Puppy – VIVIsectVI

My list of runners up is pretty long, too. Let’s just say that Soundgarden, Suicidal Tendencies, The Primitives, Transvision Vamp, Fishbone, KMFDM, They Might Be Giants, and Public Enemy weren’t lazy that year.

Slicing Up Eyeballs – Best of 1987 Poll

On October 16, 2013, in Music, song, by mugen

I missed voting on this one again, but here’s what Slicing Up Eyeballs wound up with as best of 1987.

My list:

Appetite for Destruction – Guns N’ Roses
Joshua Tree – U2
Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me – The Cure
Floodland – Sisters of Mercy
Kick – INXS
Document – R.E.M.
The Lion and the Cobra – Sinead O’Connor
Cleanse Fold Manipulate – Skinny Puppy
ALL – Descendents
Bucky Fellini – Dead Milkmen

If I had to pick a top 5 – GNR, Sinead, SP, ALL, Cure

Honorable Mentions:
Some Kind of Wonderful Soundtrack (I actually listen to this, still, more than any one of the above albums)
That Total Age – Nitzer Ebb
Songs About Fucking – Big Black (not because I listen to it that much… because it exists.)

Surprised myself by including the INXS album on this list, but there are so many good songs on that record and the fact that they were popular in the mainstream is weird and cool. Add to that senior dances to “Never Tear Us Apart” and projects based on “Mediate” and the like… I dig some INXS. (Hutchence R.I.P.)

Lots of other good tunes and such, but not so many whole albums. I could listen to any of the above albums start to finish, though, and sing along with most of the tunes, never wanting to switch to something else.