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James Cooke

@dodgydiscs.bsky.social

260 followers 260 following 920 posts

Pop crazed youngster, books, TV & film, cooking, hiking guy et al. OK piano player. Reviews unheard Smash Hits reviewed albums - Su Pollard to Motörhead. Semi-binning Twitter where my previous guise was ‘Dodgy Discs’. No politics, No DMs please

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James Cooke @dodgydiscs.bsky.social · 14h

Lovely. Which Sparks record?

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James Cooke @dodgydiscs.bsky.social · 15h

Just turned the misfit home grown green & half red tomatoes into salsa. Where’s my Doritos?

James Cooke @dodgydiscs.bsky.social · 17h

10cc - Ten Out Of 10. Dec 81. No UK Chart Placing. Just 5cc by this time but the 80s hadn’t arrived yet for them. Still stuck in late 70s ‘Dreadlock Holiday’ mode. Melodically faultless & production is lush but I couldn’t pick out a stand out song tbh. #smashhitsalbumreviews

James Cooke @dodgydiscs.bsky.social · 23h

Choon

Dano Loves Music @danolovesmusic.bsky.social · 2d

“Chase” by Giorgio Moroder was a UK #33 hit in 1979. ⭐️⭐️1/2 #vinylcommunity #70s #giorgiomoroder #EveryHitSongEver

James Cooke @dodgydiscs.bsky.social · 1d

Did you like ‘Jordan: The Comeback’? That’s my favourite album of theirs.

James Cooke @dodgydiscs.bsky.social · 1d

Halloween 🎃 seems to be taken very seriously in a flat nearby where we live!

James Cooke @dodgydiscs.bsky.social · 1d

Durutti Column - LC. Dec 81. No UK Chart Placing. To be reminded of John Martyn from the early 70s is no bad thing. Echoey guitars & piano & gentle, misty atmospherics. Shame the vocals are too low in the mix to make it rise above fine. 6.5/10 #smashhitsalbumreviews

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James Cooke @dodgydiscs.bsky.social · 2d

Boney M - Boonoonoonoos. Dec 81. No UK Chart Placing. Undeniably catchy diverse disco pop. A myriad of topics & musical styles. Top tracks: ‘Road To Agadir’, ‘We Kill The World’ & ‘Breakaway’. Simplistic yes but also impressively written & performed 7.5/10 #smashhitsalbumreviews

James Cooke @dodgydiscs.bsky.social · 3d

Modern Romance - Adventures In Clubland. Dec 81. No UK Chart Placing. I’ve a soft spot for their ToTP party vibe but staggered they managed 2 separate top 10s with ‘..Moosey’ & ‘..Salsa’; pretty much the same tune. Really dig track 2 unironically. 7/10 #smashhitsalbumreviews

James Cooke @dodgydiscs.bsky.social · 4d

AC/DC - For Those About To Rock (We Salute You) Dec 81. UK Peak: 3 Essentially repeating the same trick as ‘Back In Black’. The title track would’ve fitted perfectly on the last LP. The others don’t quite hit the mark but still pack a rocky punch. 7/10 #smashhitsalbumreviews

James Cooke @dodgydiscs.bsky.social · 4d

It’s The Human League on the Christmas issue of Smash Hits (10-24 Dec 1981). Quite interested in the Chas Jankel LP but have heard nothing else. I hope Lil Wayne found his pal #smashhitsalbumreviews

James Cooke @dodgydiscs.bsky.social · 5d

Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft - Gold Und Liebe. Dec 81. No UK Chart Placing. I’d agree with the review. Some good ideas rhythmically & from a synth point of view but the monotonous nature of the tracks makes this drag over the 35 minutes. #smashhitsalbumreviews

James Cooke @dodgydiscs.bsky.social · 6d

New Order - Movement. Nov 81. UK Peak: 30. A distinctive style on display with an opening track which indicates promise but not a varied album particularly overall. One song blended into another. In fact, I was a bit bored by the end. 6/10 #smashhitsalbumreviews

James Cooke @dodgydiscs.bsky.social · 7d

Hendon Central to Stoke Newington with my good friend Tim. A drink in the Boogaloo, lunch in Kampai! & a Guinness in the Auld Shillelagh to finish #capitalring

James Cooke @dodgydiscs.bsky.social · 7d

Love this track. Fond memories of 1st year at Leicester Uni. I bought the cassette single of ‘Drive’

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James Cooke @dodgydiscs.bsky.social · 7d

Kool & The Gang - Something Special. Nov 81. UK Peak: 10. The one with ‘Steppin’ Out’ & ‘Get Down On It’ & you get a variation of those tunes throughout. Not that that’s a bad thing. ‘Pass It On’ is a nice smooch. Formulaicly pleasant 7/10 #smashhitsalbumreviews

James Cooke @dodgydiscs.bsky.social · 8d

The Stranglers - La Folie. Nov 81. UK Peak: 11. The one with ‘Golden Brown’. Probably described overall as bright, even poppy yet retaining a leftfield edge. However, ‘La Folie’ sounds like it was recorded in a blissed out Parisian fug. I love it. 7/10 #smashhitsalbumreviews

James Cooke @dodgydiscs.bsky.social · 9d

They’re just jumped up courgettes aren’t they?

James Cooke @dodgydiscs.bsky.social · 9d

I love the oddness of ‘Alan’s Psychedelic Breakfast’ the softly spoken ingredient list and the dripping tap. A great yet overlooked album

James Cooke @dodgydiscs.bsky.social · 9d

Skids - Joy. Dec 81. No UK Chart Placing. The urgency of suburban new wave is completely swept aside for poetic Celtic epics of slow burning strums, marching, thudding percussion & swaying heather. In other words, unexpected. Runrig fans might ❤️ it 6.5/10 #smashhitsalbumreviews

James Cooke @dodgydiscs.bsky.social · 10d

The Four Tops - Tonight! Nov 81. No UK Chart Placing. The one with ‘When She Was My Girl’ & ‘Don’t Walk Away’ plus an ‘All I Do’ cover of Stevie Wonder’s. A strong competent album but unlikely to stay too long in the memory bank. 6.5/10

James Cooke @dodgydiscs.bsky.social · 11d

The Teardrop Explodes - Wilder. Dec 81. UK Peak: 29. The one with ‘Passionate Friend’. There’s plenty to commend in the 1st half: ‘Seven Views Of Jerusalem’ & ‘Pure Joy’ being particularly perky. Second half isn’t quite as fine but still listenable. 7/10 #smashhitsalbumreviews

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James Cooke @dodgydiscs.bsky.social · 12d

Haircut 100 at C&A on the cover of Smash Hits (26 Nov - 9 Dec 81). Heard ‘Non Stop Erotic Cabaret’ but none of the non live or greatest hits albums. Ethel sounds….interesting #smashhitsalbumreviews

James Cooke @dodgydiscs.bsky.social · 12d

Stray Cats - Gonna Ball. Nov 81. UK Peak: 48. As the review states, a fine rockabilly LP that has that authentic feeling & drive rather than the pallid imitating that surrounded them at the time. 6.5/10 #smashhitsalbumreviews