Another 1982 album that I know only through its hit singles, Duran Duran’s Rio is considered one of the first and best New Wave records.
I’m familiar with the title track (today’s SOTD), ‘Hungry Like the Wolf’ and ‘Save a Prayer’ but that’s it. The videos for those songs earned heavy rotation in MTV’s early days, helping propel the band to stateside success.
Las week I counted down my personal favorite albums of 1982, a list that contained some great titles but made no claim to truly represent that year’s musical output.
I turned 10 that year, after all, and I haven’t spent the next 32 seeking out every album I missed during my childhood.
For the next two weeks, I’ll highlight tracks from some of the 1982 albums that might have made my list had I been more familiar with them.
Here’s a typically moody southern gothic track from Neko Case’s 2002 album Blacklisted. The whole album has this great sound.
Today’s track — the title cut — is a quick little poem that seemingly uses a train as a metaphor for a person who won’t settle down. That’s how I read it, anyway.
What’s unclear to me is how this song fits its title.
I don’t have much to say about today’s Random Weekend selection, which comes from one of those albums that found its way into my collection through mysterious means.
Mindy Smith’s debut album, One Moment More, was released in 2004. Since then she has put out four more albums, one as recently as 2012.
I don’t know who she is or why I own this album.
And the best album of 1982 is… Elvis Costello’s Imperial Bedroom.
Over the next two weeks I’ll feature albums unfamiliar to me that topped critics lists in 1982. When searching for those titles, I often came across Costello’s baroque pop masterpiece, knowing full well that it would top my own list. The album topped the Village Voice Pazz & Jop poll that year. It’s the record that really cemented Costello as a critical favorite.
Meet Me In Montauk 