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Dale @chelseaguitar.bsky.social · 11h

Listening to it today, each song is unforgettable, deliciously melodic with often funny and sometimes dark and cynical lyrics. And the cover design was somehow representative of the band’s music.

Dale @chelseaguitar.bsky.social · 11h

The Beautiful South - Welcome To The Beautiful South (1989 Go! Discs). I was overjoyed when ex-Housemartins Paul Heaton and Dave Hemingway came together to present this record to the world. Welcome To The Beautiful South was indeed beautiful from start to finish.

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Dale @chelseaguitar.bsky.social · 1d

Combining the mini-album Ecstasy and the Strawberry Wine single, this record has echoes of 60’s jangle buried in hazy, fuzzy guitars. By subtracting Dave Conway and adding Bilinda Butcher, you can surely FEEL the shift in direction. And darnit, these songs are magical.

Dale @chelseaguitar.bsky.social · 1d

My Bloody Valentine - Ecstasy And Wine (1989 Lazy). So a little after hearing Isn’t Anything, I was also marveling at this collection of My Bloody Valentine’s pre-Creation/ Lazy recordings.

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Dale @chelseaguitar.bsky.social · 2d

It was a favorite of mine and yeah, I became a fan (until Second Coming that is, heh). I had the I Wanna Be Adored t-shirt and even had a bowl cut. And another reason why I liked hollow-bodied guitars was because of John Squire’s T2S.

Dale @chelseaguitar.bsky.social · 2d

The Stone Roses - The Stone Roses (1989 Silvertone). At the tail-end of the decade when I was transitioning from high school to college, the music I listened to was also shifting, along with the music landscape, natch. I didn’t know much about Madchester until I bought The Stone Roses’ debut.

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Dale @chelseaguitar.bsky.social · 3d

The most captivating track here (and served as a silver lining, too) is of course the live track “Ceremony”, that one time Joy Division ever played it as part of the band’s last gig at Birmingham University (although there is another recording of a rehearsal).

Dale @chelseaguitar.bsky.social · 3d

Joy Division - Still (1981 Factory). Still was issued a year and a half after Ian Curtis’ death. This record still feels like one of the saddest endings to a band ever. #vinylcollection

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Dale @chelseaguitar.bsky.social · 4d

…like the Darklands outtakes “Don’t Ever Change” and “Swing”, and a re-recorded version of “Just Out Of Reach”. There are also a couple of crazy covers here: “Who Do You Love” and “Surfin’ USA”. I first encountered “Surfin USA” from a compilation entitled Under The Covers.

Dale @chelseaguitar.bsky.social · 4d

The Jesus And Mary Chain - Barbed Wire Kisses (1988 Blanco Y Negro). Some compilations will include rare tracks, which are usually a treat. Like Barbed Wire Kisses for example. This collects The Jesus And Mary Chain’s singles, b-sides and a few rarities…

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Dale @chelseaguitar.bsky.social · 5d

Depeche Mode - The Singles 81-85 (1985 Mute). I liked Depeche Mode until Music For The Masses. I don’t know but I was on the fence already with Black Celebration. I preferred it when they sounded young and boyish so I guess this collection suited me more than their Singles 86-98 release.

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Dale @chelseaguitar.bsky.social · 6d

With Siouxsie as the focal point, The Banshees were very visceral and haunting, even at their most melodic.

Dale @chelseaguitar.bsky.social · 6d

Siouxsie And The Banshees - Once Upon A Time (1981 PVC). The early years of Siouxsie And The Banshees were very influential to post punk and goth. Once Upon A Time encapsulated those first four years and included the first nine singles plus one album-only track, “Mirage”.

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Dale @chelseaguitar.bsky.social · 7d

1984-1989 was a reminder of how great they were. Whenever I listen to this now, it gives me goosebumps. It’s probably the cream of the Commotions crop.

Dale @chelseaguitar.bsky.social · 7d

Lloyd Cole And The Commotions - 1984-1989 (1989 Polydor). After The Commotions broke up, they released this “best of” record so this is quite like closure for the band. Lloyd Cole and company only had three albums but they were all terrific.

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Dale @chelseaguitar.bsky.social · 8d

Standing On A Beach has a track or two that represents The Cure’s different phases up to The Head On The Door and that makes it an awfully amazing listening experience.

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Dale @chelseaguitar.bsky.social · 8d

The Cure - Standing On A Beach (1986 Elektra). This can quickly satisfy my Cure fix. Killer tracks, all of them, singles and non-singles and with varying moods too. Best-of albums kind of give me a quick snapshot of the different stages of a band’s career progression. #vinylcollection

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Dale @chelseaguitar.bsky.social · 9d

I know some people who scoff at “best of”’s but I like them! Here’s a few I have in my collection.

New Order - Substance (1987 Qwest). I play this a lot more than any of the proper albums. It has everything I love about New Order and it’s the absolute perfect way to introduce someone to the band.

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Dale @chelseaguitar.bsky.social · 10d

Shelleyan Orphan is one of my favest bands ever. I’ll never get tired of this album. Caroline Crawley has one of the most beautiful voices I’ve heard, up there next to Liz Fraser and Harriet Wheeler.

Dale @chelseaguitar.bsky.social · 10d

Shelleyan Orphan - Century Flower (1989 Rough Trade). The closer to Cross-Wired was the slow-number “A Few Small Hours” by Shelleyan Orphan. I may have a copy of Century Flower already by this time and it’s one of my best-loved records ever.

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Dale @chelseaguitar.bsky.social · 11d

There’s a few more inventive ideas in here (mixing dub, soul, and other experimental stuff) that no doubt contributed to trip hop too.

Dale @chelseaguitar.bsky.social · 11d

A.R. Kane - 69 (1988 Rough Trade). The A.R. Kane track from Richard Tan’s Cross-Wired, “Crazy Blue” was from this album. And around this time was in all likelihood the first time dream pop was uttered, by Alex Ayuli. And it’s the perfect description.

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Dale @chelseaguitar.bsky.social · 12d

Criminally underrated, this album was perhaps one of the best Irish records of the ‘80’s.

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Dale @chelseaguitar.bsky.social · 12d

Microdisney - The Clock Comes Down The Stairs (1985 Rough Trade). “Birthday Girl” had a little bit of radio airplay locally, and was released as part of Richard’s Cross-Wired tape. The song was from this record, their second, but last on Rough Trade before going to Virgin.

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Dale @chelseaguitar.bsky.social · 13d

Well come to think of it, Miracle Legion was more akin to R.E.M. really, especially since Mark Mulcahy sounds almost like Michael Stipe.