As one YouTube poster commented just a week ago, the Traveling Wilburys were “The Avengers of classic rock.”
George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, Roy Orbison and Jeff Lynne make sense as friends but not necessarily as band mates. Each brings his own distinctive vocal and writing style to the mix… how could they possibly gel?
An album higher on this list (shouldn’t be difficult to guess which one) drew high praise for blending traditional pop music with African rhythms. But years earlier, as the decade began, Talking Heads went even farther in the same direction.
Three albums into their celebrated career, the band was on the verge of splitting. Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth, the married couple who formed the group’s rhythm section, weren’t happy with the perception of David Byrne as the band’s main creative force.
Given the spotty output of R.E.M. over the past 15 years, it’s easy to forget what a force they were in the 80s and early 90s. But no band better defined the alternative movement — and particularly how musical integrity could lead to mainstream success.
Five R.E.M. albums had a shot at this list, with three in the running right up until I finalized things. In the end, two made the cut. And first up is Lifes Rich Pageant.
I suppose the most obvious Bruce Springsteen selection for a list of great 80s albums would be Born in the U.S.A.. But I’ll tip my hand by revealing that neither that nor Tunnel of Love, another standout by The Boss from this era, made my list.
Instead, the lone Springsteen slot goes to the album that preceded both of them, 1982’s Nebraska.
Our latest Random Weekend selection is the first instrumental track of the series, and perhaps the first instrumental track I’ve featured on the blog (though I’m not as sure about that).
I’m wholly unqualified to speak intelligently about instrumental music, but this certainly strikes me as a lovely piece of work that captures the spirit of Pet Sounds (on which it’s the sixth track).
