VARIOUS ARTISTS - NOW 80s Alternative
NOW Music proudly presents NOW – 80s Alternative: 30 tracks across 2 LPs, pressed on stunning pink vinyl - encapsulating the era and celebrating an incredibly diverse decade for ‘Alternative’ music.
LP1’s first side showcases this diversity: Kicking off with Eurythmics stunning ‘Beethoven (I Love To Listen To)’, and Propaganda’s magnificent debut ‘Dr. Mabuse’, before The B-52’s bring U.S. New Wave with ‘Planet Claire’. Post-Punk Pop exploded on the charts of the early 80s, and The Associates and The Stranglers feature, as do The Adventures ‘Broken Land’ and Marc Almond’s ‘Stories Of Johnny’ – both amazing songs. That calibre of song writing is continued on the second side with Tom Robinson’s ‘Atmospherics…’ and the Elvis Costello co-write ‘Shipbuilding’, beautifully realised by Robert Wyatt. Next up is the understated classic ‘I’m In Love With A German Film Star’ from The Passions, leading into Synth-Pop from Yello, Midge Ure & Mick Karn, Japan and a brilliant single from Japanese band Sandii & The Sunsetz. LP1 fittingly closes with defining U.S. New Wave smash ‘Whip It’ from DEVO.
The epic ‘This Corrosion’ from Sisters Of Mercy starts LP 2 in grandiose style, followed by atmospheric masterpieces from Siouxsie And The Banshees, Bauhaus and The Cure. The debut hit from Bjork’s band The Sugarcubes with ‘Birthday’ follows, before David Sylvian’s ‘Pop Song’, and ‘Flowers’ from Zaine Griff (featuring Kate Bush on backing vocals).
The final side opens with the song that launched one of the defining bands of the era, The Smiths, with ‘Hand In Glove’. Timeless hits from Aztec Camera and the Pretenders lead to R.E.M., the Pixies and The Psychedelic Furs representing the U.S. Alt scene, and the collection draws to a close with The Cult’s ‘Edie (Ciao Baby)’, and The Clash’s commentary on the era ‘This Is England’.
NOW – 80s Alternative – A celebration of a different view of the decade’s charts - the lesser-compiled 1980’s singles.
Tracklist
LP 1 Side A
1. Eurythmics, Annie Lennox, Dave Stewart - Beethoven (I Love To Listen To)
2. Propaganda – Dr. Mabuse
3. The B-52's - Planet Claire
4. The Associates - Party Fears Two
5. Marc Almond - Stories Of Johnny
6. The Adventures - Broken Land
7. The Stranglers - European Female
LP 1 Side B
1. Robert Wyatt - Shipbuilding
2. Tom Robinson - Atmospherics: Listen To The Radio
3. The Passions - I'm In Love With A German Film Star
4. Midge Ure & Mick Karn - After A Fashion
5. Japan - Gentlemen Take Polaroids (Edit)
6. Sandii & The Sunsetz - Dreams Of Immigrants
7. Yello - Vicious Games
8. DEVO - Whip It
LP 2 Side A
1. Sisters Of Mercy - This Corrosion
2. Siouxsie And The Banshees - Peek-A-Boo
3. Bauhaus - Kick In The Eye
4. The Cure - A Forest
5. The Sugarcubes – Birthday
6. David Sylvian - Pop Song
7. Zaine Griff - Flowers
LP 2 Side B
1. The Smiths - Hand In Glove
2. Aztec Camera – Oblivious
3. Pretenders - Talk Of The Town
4. R.E.M. - So. Central Rain
5. Pixies - Monkey Gone To Heaven
6. The Psychedelic Furs - President Gas
7. The Cult - Edie (Ciao Baby)
8. The Clash - This Is England
