What albums from the '80's don't sound dated?

Another Amy Grant album from the 80s that doesn't sound dated to me overall at all is "Age To Age" from 1982, especially tracks such as "El Shaddai," "Sing Your Praise To The Lord," "I Have Decided," "In a Little While," and "Raining On The Inside." Her 1983 album "A Christmas Album" isn't dated at all and I think is an essential Christmas album whether you are a Contemporary Christian fan, Amy Grant fan or not a fan of either. The first track, Tennessee Christmas, which was co-written by Amy and her then-husband Gary Chapman, would be often covered by many artists since it first came out in 1983 including Alabama, Steve Wariner, Lee Greenwood, Porter Wagoner, B.J. Thomas, Bergen White (who has arranged strings in Nashville for years), Bill Gaither and others, and also "Emmanuel" is an Amy Grant classic and one of the best songs Michael W. Smith has written (his recording of it is on WOW Christmas. WOW stands for World of Worship and is the Christian Music equivalent of the NOW! That's What I Call Music series and they even have a WOW Gold which appears to be a great 2 CD sampler of the genre throughout the years), so much a classic that Myrrh/Word also included it on her Christian Music greatest hits package from 1986, "The Collection," which I recommend as the first pick for an overview of many of the highlights of the early years of her career except that there are no tracks from her self-titled debut album from 1977 included on "The Collection" and songs such as "What a Difference a Day Made," "Old Man's Rubble," "Beautiful Music," did make a major impact in the Christian Music world, but The Collection does include "Father's Eyes," which is the title track from her "My Father's Eyes" album from 1979 and is a Contemporary Christian Music standard, and in fact, her Christian and mainstream albums are all on CD and still in print but the vinyl of her earlier releases is plentiful. The 2 "In Concert" albums do feature Amy in excellent form before "Age To Age" became the first album in Contemporary Christian to be certified Platinum with live versions of songs from her first 3 albums, the third being "Never Alone." IMO, I think the live version of "Too Late" on the 2nd volume of "In Concert" is superior to the studio version on "Never Alone," and Myrrh agreed to the point that instead of the studio version of "Too Late" being included, they used the live version. The 2 In Concert albums, Age To Age, and "The Collection" provide the key essentials for people who haven't heard Amy's early work and "A Christmas Album" is definitely a must have.

 

I had not heard of Julia when I bought a new SACD called "Concrete Love" by Julia Fordham (Vanguard SACD-79739) and I am knocked out by this album and the sound. One of my favourite SACDs. Really worth buying if you are looking for intelligent songs that are beautifully sung. And what a range this woman has - normally pitched low, somewhat smoky and rich; but listen to the last track where she does a cut down rendition of the Minnie Ripperton song.

Your comments on Porcelain are noted. I'll be looking for it, thanks.

Regards,
Geoff

 

Do you think the 80's is the only decade that had it's own distinct sound?
I think every other decade kind of melds into one another except the 80's.

 

I would say the 70s had a much more distinct sound than any other decade -- at least, as far as the music that I'm into is concerned.

 

I'd add Colour Of Spring to the list too.

Mind you, Colour Of Spring is still very much a rock/pop album, whereas Spirit Of Eden doesn't sound like anything else I've ever heard.

Funny how "It's My Life" has become a staple of retro radio and dance nights, yet it really wasn't a big hit at the time.

 

For me, there is a major difference between the early 80s (heavy influence of punk and synth pop on everything) and the late 80s (Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis conquer the planet with their sound -- and then boost the treble by 30db).

 

I confess that I fell for it -- by the time I got to Human League I was within milliseconds of submitting a reply along the lines of "Are you out of your mind?" Then I saw your final words...

 

A few more:

Feelies: Good Earth
Meat Puppets II
Richard Thompson: Across a Crowded Room
XTC: Skylarking (okay, yes, it already sounded 20 years old when it was released, but it hasn't dated any further...)

 

Everything by Peter Gabriel, U2, Talking Heads, REM, Kate Bush, Los Lobos, and Pretenders.

 

Are we talking dated sounding or that bad 80's production style(keyboards, flat drums)?
IMO, hardly anything has survived the later sound except for rock artists on the independent labels of the 80's.

 

I think U2 & REMS's 80's are pretty timeless sounding. Other albums I would pick....

The Cult-Electric
Minutemen-Double Nickles On The Dime
Stones-Tattoo You

 

So many, but mine would include:

The The "Infected"

The Blue Nile "A Walk Across the Rooftops" and "Hats"

Kate Bush "Hounds of Love"

David Sylvian "Secrets of the Beehive"

Peter Gabriel "III" "IV" and "So"

REM "Murmur" "Reckoning" "Fables" "Pageant" "Document" "Green"

U2 "War" "Unforgettable Fire" "Joshua Tree"

Tom Waits "Swordfishtrombones" and "Rain Dogs"

Lloyd Cole and the Commotions "Rattlesnakes" "Mainstream"

Pixies "Surfer Rosa" and "Doolittle"

All the Smith's albums....

and Mary Margaret O'Hara's "Miss America"

 

How about 1988's "Nothing's Shocking" by Jane's Addiction. I still think of that album as more of a '90 album. Grunge before grunge.

I know that there's got to more not mentioned, but this one just popped into my head.

I have to disaggree with Van Halen's "1984" as a timeless record. Between that cheesy opening title track and "Jump," that's pure 80's. That and Alex's god aweful tinny drum sounds. Whenever I play that record I just skip ahead to "Panama." The rest is classic.

 

I'd say anything Jeff Lynn produced which includes Tom Petty, Wilbury's, etc... His records pretty much sound the same today as they did during the 80's. Dry, compressed, real instruments. None of that 80's gated reverb or chorus on vocals that plagues many of the 80's records.

 

Echo and the Bunnymen.. From Crocodiles (debut) upto, and including Ocean Rain. Awsome band.

 

Well, I can think of a number of albums from 1980, like
Billy Joel - Glass Houses
John Lennon and Yoko Ono - Double Fantasy
Split Enz - True Colours (in one way 80's synths and guitars, on the other hand, quite unique)
but on reflection I don't think "80's production sensibilities" had really taken hold by 1980. More like a continuation of 1979 values; The Wall, Into The Music, The Long Run, Slow Train Coming etc. etc. etc.
1982 is about the time I remember actively hating "trendy music", and actively turning exclusively to the 60's for confort

 

Rickie Lee Jones - Pirates
Bruce Springsteen - Nebraska & Tunnel Of Love
Simply Red - Picture Book; Men & Women; A New Flame
Tears For Fears - Sowing the Sounds of Love
Simple Minds - New Gold Dream; Sparkle In The Rain; Street Fighting Years
Rolling Stones - Tattoo You
Thompson Twins - Quickstep & Sidekick & Here's To Future Days
REM - Murmer; Reckoning; Fables; Life's Rich Pageant
Style Council - Everything
Echo - Everything

Can you tell I miss the 80's?

 

Yup, All the same soundtrack with different vocals. Pretty much an extension of ELO that haunts -EVERYTHING- Jeff touches.

 

Styx...Gotta Agree with you on Queen's The Works

One that doesn't sound dated to me is one that I'm playing right now in fact...Roger Waters The Pros and Cons of Hitchhiking. Also-

Frank Zappa's Does Humour Belong in Music

Stray Cats - Built For SPeed (okay so it's fifties but it's a timeless sound)

The Cure's Kiss me Kiss Me Kiss Me

THat's all the comes to mind right now

Haven't really heard most of ELvis Costello's stuff from the 80's except from the greatest Hits album (just getting into him) but Spike has one of my favorite songs of the moment on it...Veronica.

 

Paul Simon - Graceland

 

Tattoo You - of COURSE! Maybe the best SOUNDING (i.e. not best best) of all Stones albums? Or would that be Black And Blue?

 

Don't mean to take you to task on this, but you're of the opinion this album DOESN'T have the 80s written all over it? IMO, that's the only decade this album could've been released in.

Pixies, Echo & the Bunnymen, Lloyd Cole & the Commotions, REM, Richard (& Linda) Thompson, Kate Bush, Bangles, Screaming Blue Messiahs, The Vapors, Marshall Crenshaw,...

I actually prefer 80's music to most of the 90's music. There seemed to be a lot more changes in the 80's, not all good but still...

 

The Nightfly - Donald Fagen