The Sci-Fi Guys

R.E.M., Lifes Rich Pageant
I.R.S., 1986

Dinner Side
1. Begin The Begin
2. These Days
3. Fall On Me
4. Cuyahoga
5. Hyena
6. Underneath The Bunker

Supper Side
1. The Flowers Of Guatemala
2. I Believe
3. What If We Give It Away?
4. Just A Touch
5. Swan Swan H
6. Superman

“Cuyahoga”

I didn’t expect to like this album. There’s enough of R.E.M.’s signature experimental alt-rock weirdness to remind you who you’re listening to – skip ahead to “Swan Swan H” if you don’t believe. But to my surprise, it’s all built on a solid foundation of legitimate rock ‘n’ roll. Most of R.E.M.’s early stuff is a miss for me, but this is a damned good album, start to finish. I think this would be well received even among listeners who are not fans of R.E.M. in particular. This whole thing was an extremely pleasant surprise, but the standout song is “Superman.” Anyone who had heard R.E.M.’s cover of “Draggin’ The Line” knows they can remake a hippy song like few other bands. They cover “Superman” with equal skill. What an incredible track. Buy this album.

“Underneath The Bunker”

“The Flowers Of Guatemala”

“I Believe”

“Superman”

Belinda Carlisle, Belinda
I.R.S., 1986

1. Mad About You
2. I Need A Disguise
3. Since You’ve Gone
4. I Feel The Magic
5. I Never Wanted A Rich Man
6. Band Of Gold
7. Gotta Get To You
8. From The Heart
9. Shot In The Dark
10. Stuff And Nonsense

“Mad About You”

For a member of The Go-Go’s, I expected a lot better than this. “Mad About You” has some genuine rock ‘n’ roll presence, but that energy is regrettably absent in the remainder of the album. Several times “I Need A Disguise” builds to a crescendo that never materializes, which seems to have been the blueprint for most of these songs. “Band Of Gold” is a lacklustre cover that highlights what this album feels like for me: karaoke. And just like a karaoke bar, it’s got everything you would expect – mediocre pop country, mediocre doo-wop, mediocre disco, bad pseudo-Carribean island pop, and a confusing, directionless ballad that makes me want to pay my tab and leave. That’s particularly frustrating when I know Belinda Carlisle is capable of so much better. Instead of naming this album after herself, she really should have named it for the closing track. That would have been so much more apropos.

“Since You’ve Gone”

Madonna, True Blue
Sire/Warner Bros., 1986

1. Papa Don’t Preach
2. Open Your Heart
3. White Heat
4. Live To Tell
5. Where’s The Party
6. True Blue
7. La Isla Bonita
8. Jimmy Jimmy
9. Love Makes The World Go Round

“Papa Don’t Preach”

There’s something oddly lacking about this album, and the only reason I can think of is that I am listening to an original 1986 compact disc pressing. I think this was mixed for vinyl and cassette, and that mix comes across as unfinished on CD. I clearly remember “Papa Don’t Preach” and “Open Your Heart” being – and sounding – absolutely huge back in ’86. “Open Your Heart” in particular was a wall of sound, but it comes across as empty here. I mean that literally; the mix isn’t nearly as full as I remember hearing it on the radio back in the day. The songs are crystal clear but ring hollow, almost like demo tracks.

“La Isla Bonita”

I really should listen to the remastered version of this album, because my recollection is that “La Isla Bonita” was an outstanding, almost haunting track entirely unlike any of Madonna’s other songs. But here the drums and Spanish guitar that gave it that distinct Caribbean/West Indian mystique are muted and overwhelmed by synthesizers, spoiling the mood entirely. I remember this song being so much better than it sounds here.

“True Blue”

The one mix that stands out above the rest is the title track, “True Blue,” which I have spent the last forty years believing was a Cyndi Lauper song. My apologies, Madge. In my defense, I was eleven in 1986, and it was not socially acceptable for boys to know too much about girl music back then. As for the here and now, I am going to reserve judgment until I can listen to a better mix of this album, or at least hear it on vinyl or cassette. I don’t feel like I can fairly rate this album based on this disc.

“Open Your Heart”