Level 42 - Running In The Family (1987) - €7,99

 

Running in the Family is the seventh studio album by British band Level 42, released in 1987. It features the UK hit singles: "Lessons in Love", "Running in the Family", "To Be with You Again", "It's Over" and "Children Say" 

By Running in the Family, Level 42 had almost completely thinned out their early jazz-funk and soul roots in favor of a radio-friendly keyboard pop with a light R&B vibe. The sound lies somewhere between Kool and the Gang and early Tears for Fears. 

But if early fans might have felt betrayed by the new direction, the band's newfound aptitude for attention-grabbing hooks and airtight instrumental polish attracted more than enough new fans to replace them. Running in the Family included the band's sole number one hit in the U.K. charts, "Lessons in Love." 

It also featured a handful of other respectable pop nuggets including "Children Say" and "Fashion Fever." The record is a little uneven, faltering especially when the band indulges its taste for sappy ballads like "It's Over." 

But for the most part, Level 42 was extremely successful in its attempt to create something that would strike a chord with mainstream pop audiences. And they manage to do it without being obnoxiously derivative. Of course, the whole project reeks of 1987. 

But the solid craftsmanship of the writing as well as the group's ability to adapt to the popular tastes of the time helped them survive the '80s and become one of the more durable bands to have arisen in that era. 

Side A

A1.  Lessons In Love - 4:04

A2.  Children Say - 4:53

A3.  Running In The Family - 6:12

A4.  It’s Over - 6:02

Side B

B1.  To Be With You Again - 5:19

B2.  Two Solitudes - 5:17

B3.  Fashion Fever - 4:35

B4.  The Sleepwalkers - 6:02

Notes

Released: 1987

Format:  LP

Genre:  Jazz-Funk, Synth-pop

Label:  Polydor  

Catalog#  831 593-1

Vinyl:  Goed

Cover:  Lichte Gebruikerssporen

Prijs: €7,99

The Honeydrippers - Volume One (1984) - €10,00

The Honeydrippers: Volume One is an EP released on 24 September 1984, by a band led by rock singer Robert Plant. The project originated when Atlantic Records president Ahmet Ertegün wanted to record an album of his favourite songs from the 1950s. Plant was chosen because Ertegün had seen his pick-up band the Honeydrippers performing 1950s standards. Included in the band were Chic front man Nile Rodgers, and former Yardbirds guitarists Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page—the latter was also Plant's former band mate in Led Zeppelin.
To Plant's horror, "Sea of Love" became his biggest-selling single. According to Plant, the original single was "Rockin' at Midnight," with "Sea of Love" as the "B" side. The single was eventually "flipped" because radio stations were playing "Sea of Love" far more than "Rockin' at Midnight". Plant feared his career would be ruined by this, and that people would think of him now as a "crooner", instead of the rock and roll singer he'd always been. As a result, when he would be asked about The Honeydrippers in years to come, Plant would refer to The Honeydrippers as having been "put to sleep." "Rockin at Midnight" is a remake of the 1949 recording by Roy Brown, the song's author, who wrote it as an answer record to his 1947 composition and recording, "Good Rockin' Tonight".


Side A
A1. I Get a Thrill (2:37)
A2. Sea of Love (3:01)
A3. I Got a Woman (2:55)

Side B 
B1. Young Boy Blues (3:28)
B2. Rockin’ at Midnight (5:55)

Notes

Release:  1984

Format:  LP

Genre:  Rock & roll, jump blues, rhythm & blues

Label:  Esparanza Records

Catalog#  ST-ES 845546

Vinyl:  VG
Cover: VG

Prijs: €10,00

Kim Carnes - Barking At Airplanes (1985) - €7,99

Barking at Airplanes is the ninth studio album by American singer Kim Carnes, released on May 5, 1985 by EMI.

The album received some positive reviews, including from People magazine, which wrote that “Carnes has had plenty of moments before but she’s never recorded an album as pleasing as this.” Yet on the U.S. Billboard 200, it peaked at #48 and sold less than 200,000 copies. The track "Begging for Favors (Learning How Things Work)" features Lindsey Buckingham of Fleetwood Mac playing guitar and singing backing vocals.

The album spawned two hit singles, "Crazy in the Night (Barking at Airplanes)" and "Abadabadango".

No matter how hard she tried -- and she tried very, very hard -- Kim Carnes couldn't get either Voyeur or Café Racers, her two follow-ups to Mistaken Identity, into the consciousness of the audience that flipped for "Bette Davis Eyes." 

There were some hits along the way, but they were minor ones. Clearly, it was time for a change, and for 1985's Barking at Airplanes, she broke from convention, stepping up to the boards to co-produce the record. This was the change that was needed, as it resulted in a cohesive, consistent album -- the best she made since Mistaken Identity. 

It wasn't a drastic shift in sound, so perhaps it's surprising that the record is markedly better than either of its immediate two predecessors, but the key is focus. Although there are elements of post-new wave pop, arena rock, adult contemporary, and dance evident throughout the album, they're fused together into a sleek, insistent sound. 

This isn't entirely different from what other artists of her style and era were doing at the time -- this, indeed, sounds like what adult-oriented pop of the mid-'80s sounded like -- but it fits Carnes very well, not just because her great voice sounds ideal in this setting, but because she does this music very well. For all of her hard work, Carnes was rewarded with a moderate hit -- an album that reached 48, while spawning a number 15 hit in the title track. 

It might not have been up to the standards of Mistaken Identity -- it was closer to Voyeur standards, really -- but it still qualified as a welcome comeback, and it's stood the test of time as one of Carnes' best records.

Side A

A1. Crazy in the Night (Barking at Airplanes) - 3:35

A2. One Kiss - 3:32

A3. Begging for Favors (Learning How the Things Work) - 4:52

A4. He Makes the Sun Rise - 4:28

A5. Bon Voyage - 4:44

Side B

B1. Don’t Pick Up the Phone (Pick Up the Phone) - 4:19

B2. Rough Edges - 4:44

B3. Abadabadango - 3:58

B4. Touch and Go - 4:48

Notes

Release: 1985

Format: LP

Genre: Soft Rock

Label: EMI Records

Catalog# 1A064-2403381

Vinyl:  VG

Cover:  G

Prijs: €7,99

Emmylou Harris - Blue Kentucky Girl (1979) - €10,00

Blue Kentucky Girl is an album by country music artist Emmylou Harris, released in 1979. 

The album features delving more traditional country than the country-rock sound of Harris' previous releases. 

 Songs include work by Willie Nelson and Gram Parsons. Rodney Crowell's "Even Cowgirls Get the Blues" featured harmonies by Dolly Parton and Linda Ronstadt, and came out of the women's ill-fated 1978 recording sessions, where they first attempted to record a "trio" album (nearly a full decade before they actually succeeded in doing so).

The album won the 1980 Grammy for Best Female Country Vocal Performance. "Beneath Still Waters" became Harris' fourth No. 1 hit; covers of the Drifters' 1960 hit "Save the Last Dance for Me" and the album's title track (originally recorded by Loretta Lynn) were top ten hits on the US country charts.

 In response to criticism that her records weren't "country" enough, Harris recorded Blue Kentucky Girl, one of her most traditional outings. Relying on a more acoustic sound, the album largely forsakes contemporary pop songs in favor of standard country fare, including the Louvin Brothers' "Everytime You Leave" and Leon Payne's "They'll Never Take His Love from Me." The cover of Dallas Frazier's "Beneath Still Waters" earned Harris her fourth number one single. 

In 2006, the album ranked #20 on CMT's 40 Greatest Albums in Country Music.

Side A

A1. Sister’s Coming Home  [with Tanya Tucker] - 2:52

A2. Beneath Still Waters - 3:41

A3. Rough and Rocky - 3:50

A4. Hickory Wind - 4:01

A5. Save the Last Dance for Me - 3:30

Side B

B1. Sorrow in the Wind  [with Sharon & Cheryl White] - 3:28

B2. They’ll Never Take His Love From Me - 2:34

B3. Everytime You Leave  [with Don Everly] - 2:58

B4. Blue Kentucky Girl - 3:17

B5. Even Cowgirls Get the Blues  [harmony by Linda Ronstadt and Dolly Parton] - 3:56

Notes

Release:  1979

Format:  LP

Genre:  Country

Label:  Warner Bros. Records

Catalog#  WB 56627

Vinyl:  VG

Cover: VG

Prijs: €10,00

China Crisis - Working With Fire And Steel - Possible Pop Songs Volume Two (1983) - €10,00

Working with Fire and Steel – Possible Pop Songs Volume Two is the second studio album by English new wave group China Crisis, released in 1983.

China Crisis main men Gary Daly and Eddie Lundon were great songwriters searching for that one song that would make a difference. "Working with Fire and Steel" was that song.
Although they had hits before, and they would have hits after, no other song defined China Crisis' essence more. With its percolating beat, Daly's hiccupping vocals, and a smashing chorus, it was the perfect modern pop song. With that said, there was also so much more to China Crisis than that one song.
This, their sophomore album, features songs cut from the same cloth as "...Fire and Steel," including "Animals in Jungles" and "Hanna Hanna," but also reveals a band with deeper meaning and ambitious ideas. Lundon's sweet backing vocals (and lead vocals on the pretty "Wishful Thinking" and "When the Piper Calls") balance out the quirkiness of Daly's voice, creating a perfect combination. Although they were pigeonholed as a 'synth pop' band, China Crisis was much more.
All that mattered to them was the song, and this album is chock full of intelligent, well-written pop songs. Producer Mike Howlett added much to the sonic blend, allowing the melodies to shine while toughening up the band's sound (the addition of a full-time drummer and bassist helped to thicken the sound as well).
Even the softer moments, like "Here Comes a Raincloud," and "The Soul Awakening" are full of life and excitement. Apart from their own matured sound on this release, there are traces of rock, pop, and jazz floating between the lines.


Side A
A1.   Working with Fire and Steel  (3:41)
A2.   When the Piper Calls  (4:04)
A3.   Hanna Hanna  (3:29)
A4.   Animals in Jungles  (3:40)
A5.   Here Come a Raincloud  (4:16)

Side B
B1.   Wishful Thinking  (4:42)
B2.   Tragedy and Mystery  (4:03)
B3.   Papua  (3:36)
B4.   The Gates of Door to Door  (4:16)
B5.   The Soul Awakening  (4:36)

Notes

Release: 1983

Format:  LP

Genre:  Synth-pop, New Wave 

Label:  Virgin Records

Catalog#  205798

Vinyl:  VG
Hoes:  VG

Prijs: €10,00

Drukwerk - Drukwerk (1981) - €10,00

Drukwerk is een Nederlandse popgroep, die vooral begin jaren 80 van de 20e eeuw populair was. Tegenwoordig treedt Drukwerk ook weer op in de Nederlandse zalen.

Drukwerk is in 1978 opgericht door Harry Slinger, Ton Coster, Joop May en Hans Witteveen. De samenstelling van de groep is in de loop der jaren regelmatig veranderd, maar Harry Slinger, Ton Coster en Joop May blijven constante factoren.

De eerste liedjes zijn protestsongs tegen de sluiting van een jeugdhonk in Amsterdam-Noord en atoomenergie in Kalkar en liedjes als ondersteuning van vluchtelingen en krakers. In 1981 neemt Drukwerk de eerste LP Drukwerk op nadat de bandleden door producer Coen van Vrijberghe de Coningh zijn gevraagd, als reactie op het succes, nummers te zoeken voor een demosessie bij EMI.

De single Je loog tegen mij (de cover Terug van Troje van de band Door Mekaar) werd een nummer 1-hit. En dat is na al die jaren toch zeker een Nederlandstalige classic geworden .

De maatschappelijke toestanden worden bezongen ( Kraak Maar (B) raak oa. en de muziek is leuk verpakt .
Ik verveel me zo ( bewerking van Dylan's It's a Hard Rain , is een ander hoogtepuntje 

Side A

A1.  Ik Verveel Me Zo - 3:30

A2.  ‘N Regeling - 3:35

A3.  De Jas - 4:39

A4.  Moeder Aarde - 4:50

A5.  Kraak Maar (B)raak! - 3:11

Side B

B1.  Teddybeer - 3:51

B2.  Vogels Vliegen - 3:13

B3.  Je Loog Tegen Mij - 3:21

B4.  Kunnen Willen - 2:31

B5.  Werkloze - 3:52

Notes

Release:  1981

Format:  LP

Genre:  Nederlandstalig

Label:  EMI Records

Catalog#  1A 058-26650

Vinyl:  VG

Cover:  VG

Prijs: €10,00

Queen - Soundtrack "Flash Gordon" (1980) - €10,00

Flash Gordon is the ninth studio album and first soundtrack album by the British rock band Queen, released on 8 December 1980 by EMI Records in the UK and on 27 January 1981 by Elektra Records in the US. It was one of two film soundtracks that they produced along with Highlander. 

It is the soundtrack to the science fiction film Flash Gordon and features lyrics on only two tracks. "Flash's Theme" was the only single to be released from the album, under the title "Flash".

While writing and recording The Game, Queen were asked by renowned movie director Dino DeLaurentis to provide the soundtrack for his upcoming sci-fi epic Flash Gordon. The band accepted and promptly began working on both albums simultaneously. 

Although at first many fans criticized Flash Gordon since it was issued as an official Queen release rather than a motion picture soundtrack, it has proven to be one of rock's better motion picture soundtracks over the years. 

The majority of the music is instrumental, with dialogue from the movie in place of Freddie Mercury's singing (only two tracks contain lyrics), but the songwriting is still unmistakably Queen. Highlights abound, such as "Football Fight," "Vultan's Theme (Attack of the Hawkmen)," "The Wedding March," and the heavy metal roar of "Battle Theme." 

But it was the two more conventional songs that were the album's two best tracks -- the anthemic U.K. Top Ten hit "Flash's Theme" and the woefully underrated rocker "The Hero." With Queen involved, Flash Gordon is certainly not your average, predictable soundtrack. 

Side A
A1.  Flash's Theme   (3:22)
A2.  In The Space Capsule (The Love Theme)   (2:21)
A3.  Ming's Theme (In The Court Of Ming The Merciless)   (2:53)
A4.  The Ring (Hypnotic Seduction Of Dale)   (1:15)
A5.  Football Fight   (1:29)
A6.  In The Death Cell (Love Theme Reprise)   (2:26)
A7.  Execution Of Flash   (0:43)
A8.  The Kiss (Aura Resurrects Flash)   (2:11)

Side B
B1.  Arboria (Planet Of The Tree Men)   (1:41) 
B2.  Escape From The Swamp   (1:37)
B3.  Flash To The Rescue   (2:47)
B4.  Vultan's Theme (Attack Of The Hawk Men)   (1:15)
B5.  Battle Theme   (2:20)
B6.  The Wedding March   (0:56)
B7.  Marriage Of Dale And Ming (And Flash Approaching)   (2:04)
B8.  Crash Dive On Mingo City   (0:46)
B9.  Flash's Theme Reprise (Victory Celebrations)   (1:39)
B10.  The Hero   (3:31)

Notes

Release:  1980

Format:   LP

Genre:  Rock, Filmscore

Label:   EMI Records

Catalog#  1A 062-64203

Vinyl:  VG

Cover:  VG

Prijs: €10,00

Styx - Cornerstone (1979) - €10,00

Cornerstone is the ninth studio album by Styx, released in 1979. Cornerstone was Styx's follow-up to their second consecutive Top 10 selling Triple Platinum album in a row, 1978's Pieces of Eight. Like the four previous Styx albums, the band produced the album themselves. The band started using the new recording studio Pumpkin Studios in Oak Lawn, Illinois.
The album was the first where the band shied away from the art-rock/prog-rock influences that dominated their first eight studio albums and was the band's first move towards a more pop/rock direction (band member Dennis DeYoung stated in a 2009 interview that the change in direction came from reading bad reviews that the group received in the rock press while on their first tour of England).
Dennis DeYoung had two ballads on the album. 

The first was the album's first single and Styx's only US #1 single "Babe" which Dennis wrote for his wife Suzanne. The track was performed and recorded as a demo with just him and the Panozzo brothers but then James Young and Tommy Shaw heard the track and decided to put it on Cornerstone with Shaw overdubbing a guitar solo in the song's middle section. 

Another ballad was the power ballad "First Time" which was intended to be Cornerstone's second single (radio stations were playing it and got such a response that A&M wanted it released) until Shaw complained and threatened to leave the band. "Borrowed Time" was released instead, reaching a disappointing #63 on the charts.
DeYoung also wrote the Top 30 hit, the poppish "Why Me", which was the third single release from the album. Dennis predominantly used a Fender Rhodes electric piano on over half of the tracks. Also, the group used real horns and strings on the album on several tracks.
DeYoung and Shaw co-wrote two tracks. The opening "Lights" was music by DeYoung and Shaw with lyrics by Shaw (who also sang on the track). 

The rocking "Borrowed Time" had music by DeYoung (intro) and Shaw with lyrics from DeYoung (who sang on this track). "Borrowed Time" would open concerts on the group's tour in support of Cornerstone nicknamed The Grand Decathlon tour.
Shaw's famous song on the album was the folkish "Boat on the River", which became the band's biggest European hit. He also penned the pop-rocker "Never Say Never" and the epic proggish closer "Love in the Midnight." JY contributed the rocker "Eddie", which was about Edward Kennedy, pleading with him not to make a run for the U.S. presidency.
Cornerstone became Styx's first US Top 5 album peaking at #2 on the Billboard album charts.


Side A
A1.  Lights   (4:37) 
A2.  Why Me   (3:35) 
A3.  Babe   (4:26) 
A4.  Never Say Never   (3:07) 
A5.  Boat On The River   (3:10) 

Side B
B1.  Borrowed Time   (4:58) 
B2.  First Time   (4:23) 
B3.  Eddie   (4:15) 
B4.  Love In The Midnight   (5:22)

Notes

Release: 1979

Format: LP (Gatefold)

Genre:  Progressive Rock

Label:   A&M Records

Catalog#   AMLK 63711

Vinyl:  VG
Cover:  VG

Prijs: €10,00

Nina Hagen Band - Nina Hagen Band (1978) - €10,00

Nina Hagen Band is the debut studio album by Nina Hagen Band. It was released on February 11, 1978 by CBS Records. It was the first release by German singer Nina Hagen after her 1976 expatriation from East Germany. 

When she arrived in Hamburg, her stepfather and singer-songwriter Wolf Biermann got her in touch with CBS. Hagen traveled to London where she was introduced to music genres such as punk and reggae, and befriended other artists including Ari Up of the band The Slits. 

After she returned to Germany, she met with musicians Herwig Mitteregger, Bernhard Potschka and Manfred Praeker. Joined by Reinhold Heil, they formed the Nina Hagen Band and in November 1977 signed a record deal with CBS. Nina Hagen Band was produced by the band with additional production by Tom Müller and Ralf Nowy. 

Most of the songs had been already written by Hagen in East Germany.
Upon its release, Nina Hagen Band received positive reviews from music critics, who praised Hagen's theatrical vocals, different from singing on her East German records. 

The album was a commercial success. In Germany, it peaked at number eleven and also reached charts in other countries, such as Austria and Netherlands.
Four singles were released from the album: "TV-Glotzer", "Auf'm Bahnhof Zoo", "Naturträne" and "Unbeschreiblich weiblich". 

The album was promoted by a European tour. As a part of the promotion, Nina Hagen Band performed in Dortmund's Westfalenhalle in December 1978. The show was broadcast live by the music television show Rockpalast.


Side A
A1.  TV-Glotzer (White Punks On Dope)  (5:15) 
A2.  Rangehn  (3:27) 
A3.  Unbeschreiblich Weiblich  (3:30) 
A4.  Auf’m Bahnhof Zoo  (5:25) 
A5.  Naturträne  (4:05) 

Side B
B1.  Superboy  (4:01) 
B2.  Heiss  (4:11) 
B3.  Fisch Im Wasser  (0:51) 
B4.  Auf’m Friedhof  (6:15) 
B5.  Der Spinner  (3:15) 
B6.  Pank  (1:45)

Notes

Release: 1978

Format:  LP

Genre:  Neue Deutsche Welle, Punk Rock

Label:  CBS Records

Catalog#  CBS 32293

Vinyl:  VG
Cover:  VG

Prijs: €10,00

The Babys - Broken Heart (1978) - €10,00

Broken Heart is The Babys second album. The album produced The Babys first big hit "Isn't It Time", which reached No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1977.

On Broken Heart, the Babys make good on the sense of potential that was only hinted at on their debut release. The band found a sympathetic producer this time out in Ron Nevison, who applied the same basic production strategy he used on Lights Out for UFO: He gives the band a sharp, precise recording that fully brings out their power while balancing out the heavier elements of their sound with sophisticated orchestrations that broaden their sound into a cinematic realm. 

The Babys live up to this ambitious style of production by stepping up to the plate with a collection of songs that are tight, catchy, and full of rock & roll conviction.
Highlights include "Give Me Your Love," a steamy mid-tempo rocker that shows off Michael Corby's skill at the keyboards, and the title track, which balances its hard-hitting attack with catchy pop hooks to create an effective, guitar-driven slab of power pop. Broken Heart also gave the Babys their first taste of singles chart success with one its few outside contributions: "Isn't It Time" is an effective power ballad that alternates lush, orchestrated verses with a fiery chorus driven by female backup vocals and a punchy horn arrangement.
The end result is an album that is a quantum leap forward from The Babys in every way. Broken Heart is undoubtedly one of the crown jewels in the Babys' catalog and a worthwhile listen for any fan of big-production AOR rock.


Side A
A1. Wrong Or Right  (3:26)
A2. Give Me Your Love  (3:37)
A3. Isn’t It Time  (4:03)
A4. And If You Could See Me Fly  (2:50)
A5. The Golden Mile  (5:01)

Side B
B1. Broken Heart  (3:02)
B2. I’m Falling  (3:55)
B3. Rescue Me  (3:50)
B4. Silver Dreams  (3:00)
B5. A Piece Of The Action  (4:35)

Notes

Release:  1977

Format: LP

Genre:  AOR Rock

Format:  LP

Label:  Chrysalis Records

Catalog#  511150

Vinyl:  VG

Cover:  VG

Prijs: €10,00

Heart - Dreamboat Annie (1976) - €10,00

Dreamboat Annie is the debut studio album by American rock band Heart. At the time, the band was based in Vancouver, British Columbia.

The album was recorded on an Ampex MM1000 16-track tape recorder (which formerly belonged to United Western Recorders) at the Can-Base Studios in Vancouver, which were later renamed to the current Mushroom Studios. 

It was the first commercially successful album recorded there.

The album contains three commercially successful singles, two of which, Crazy on You and Magic Man, became staples on North American FM radio. 

Producer Mike Flicker helped the group to polish their sound and obtain a recording contract with the label.

Heart's first single, "How Deep It Goes" (backed with "Here Song"), received little attention when released in Canada by the small Mushroom label in early 1975. The second single, "Magic Man" (backed with "How Deep It Goes"), was first picked up for radio play by CJFM-FM 96 in Montreal, while the band was on tour playing small club dates.

Greatly influenced by Led Zeppelin, Heart did its part to help open doors for ladies of loudness with the excellent Dreamboat Annie. 

Aggressive yet melodic rockers like "Sing Child," "White Lightning & Wine," and the rock radio staples "Magic Man" and "Crazy on You" led to the tag "the female Led Zeppelin." And in fact, Robert Plant did have a strong influence on Ann Wilson. 

But those numbers and caressing, folk-ish ballads like "How Deep It Goes" and the title song also make it clear that the Nancy and Ann Wilson had their own identity and vision early on. 

Side A

A1.  Magic Man - 5:28

A2.  Dreamboat Annie (Fantasy Child) - 1:10

A3.  Crazy on You - 4:53

A4.  Soul of the Sea - 6:33

A5.  Dreamboat Annie - 2:02

Side B

B1.  White Lightning and Wine - 3:53

B2.  (Love Me Like Music) I’ll Be Your Song - 3:20

B3.  Sing Child - 4:55

B4.  How Deep it Goes - 3:49

B5.  Dreamboat Annie (Reprise) - 3:50

Notes

Release: 1976

Format:  LP (Gatefold)

Genre:  Rock

Label:  Arista Records

Catalog#  ARTY 139

Vinyl:  VG

Cover: VG

Prijs: €10,00

The Hollies - Write On (1975) - €10,00

Write On is the first of two 1976 studio albums from English rock/pop band, The Hollies. This album, like the band's previous effort, features mostly songs written by the group's songwriting team. The final track of the album is the only one not composed by them. This album was not issued in the U.S.

At the time of its release in early 1976, Epic Records passed on Write On, but subsequently included a handful of its songs, including "Star," "Love Is the Thing," "I Won't Move Over," and the title track on 1977's Clarke, Hicks, Sylvester, Calvert & Elliott. 

Why they passed on it is anyone's guess, since it's as strong as anything the group had been putting on LP up to that time, made up of pleasant and tuneful, if not always memorable or exciting songs, the authorship of all but one credited to Allan Clarke, Terry Sylvester, and Tony Hicks. 

The opening track, "Star," might have been a modest hit, with its engaging hooks, quasi-reggae beat, and gorgeous harmonizing on the choruses, if it had been given a chance on AM radio. 

"Write On" is also beautifully sung and offers a delicious chorus, but just misses the level of tension needed to put it over, even with Tony Hicks' larger-than-life guitar solo in the middle. 

The delightfully ebullient "Sweet Country Calling," by contrast, is a lost AM radio classic that ought to have kept this band at least near the Top Ten; "Narida" is a dance number with a great beat and a powerful, reverb-drenched lead vocal performance by Allan Clarke; the languid, ethereal "Love Is the Thing" might be the prettiest song the group ever recorded this side of "The Air That I Breathe"; "Crocodile Woman" is an uncharacteristic (for this group) rock'n'blow blowout heavily featuring Hicks' guitar; "My Island" was a showcase for their softer, more lyrical, acoustic side; and the closer, "There's Always Goodbye," was a good attempt to merge these different facets of the group's sound within one song, highlighted by some gorgeous dual-layered acoustic guitars. 

Good as the group is on the best of these songs -- and that's very good -- the album also illustrates the basic problem faced by the Hollies, entering an era in which they were defined by their songs rather than a precise image: Mid-'70s audiences (and DJs) could never be sure if the Hollies were trying to go head-to-head with Bruce Springsteen as rockers, competing with Billy Joel as creators of AM pop, or were challenging England Dan and John Ford Coley as romantic balladeers. 

They were intersecting with all three, but not in a distinctive way, at least not without a heavy promotional push, which never came close to happening.


Side A
A1.  Star  (3:39) 
A2.  Write On  (4:48) 
A3.  Sweet Country Calling  (3:05)   
A4.  Love Is The Thing  (3:34) 
A5.  I Won’t Move Over  (3:32) 

Side B
B1.  Narida  (3:58) 
B2.  Stranger  (3:28) 
B3.  Crocodile Woman  (3:33)   
B4.  My Island  (4:20) 
B5.  There’s Always Goodbye  (4:15)

Notes

Release: 1975 

Format: LP

Genre:  Pop 

Label:  Polydor Records

Catalog#  2374120

Vinyl:  VG
Cover:  VG

Prijs: €10,00

The Sugarhill Gang - 8th Wonder (1981) - €10,00

The Sugarhill Gang are an American hip hop group, known mostly for its 1979 hit "Rapper's Delight," the first rap single to become a Top 40 hit.
The members, all from Englewood, New Jersey consisted of Michael "Wonder Mike" Wright, Henry "Big Bank Hank" Jackson, and Guy "Master Gee" O'Brien. 

The three were assembled into a group by producer Sylvia Robinson, who founded Sugar Hill Records with her husband, record mogul Joe Robinson. The group and the record company are named after the Sugar Hill, Harlem neighborhood.
“8th Wonder” is their second album. 

The album was released in 1982 for Sugarhill Records and was once again produced by Sylvia Robinson and James Cullimore. Though not as successful as the group's previous album, the album did feature the minor hits "8th Wonder" and "Apache", as well as such slick funk burners as “Hot Hot Summer Day” and the incredible bit of uptown dance alchemy “Funk Box” (shades of Prince here). 

An appearance by another Sugar Hill Records rap group, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five.


Side A
A1.  Funk Box   (8:05)
A2.  On the Money   (5:25)
A3.  8th Wonder   (3:56)

Side B
B1.  Apache   (6:09)
B2.  Showdown (feat. Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five)   (5:41)
B3.  Giggalo   (3:51)
B4.  Hot Hot Summer Day   (6:12)

Notes

Release:  1981

Format:  LP

Genre: Rap / Hip Hop

Label:  Sugarhill Records

Catalog#  540017

Vinyl:  VG

Cover:  VG

Prijs: €10,00

The Alan Parsons Project - Stereotomy (1985) - €10,00

Stereotomy is the ninth studio album by The Alan Parsons Project, released in 1985.
Not as commercially successful as its predecessor Vulture Culture, the album is structured differently from earlier Project albums, containing three lengthy tracks - ""Stereotomy" at over seven minutes, "Light of the World" at over six minutes, and the instrumental "Where's the Walrus?" running over seven and a half minutes (making it the longest instrumental the Project ever made) and two minute-long songs at the end. It is a full digital production and both the LP and CD releases was encoded using the two-channel Ambisonic UHJ format.
The original vinyl packaging of the album was different from all the reissues: it featured somewhat more elaborate artwork of the paper sleeve supplied with a special color-filter oversleeve. When inserted, the oversleeve filtered some of the colors of the sleeve artwork, allowing four different variations (2 per side) of it. That was supposed to symbolize visual stereotomy. In the reissues, only one variant remained.
The word "stereotomy" is taken from "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" by Edgar Allan Poe. It refers to the cutting of existing solid shapes into different forms; it is used as a metaphor for the way that famous people (singers, actors. etc.) are often 'shaped' by the demands of fame.
Stereotomy earned a Grammy nomination in 1987 for Best Rock Instrumental Performance – Orchestra, Group, or Soloist for the track "Where's the Walrus?"


Side A
A1.  Stereotomy   (7:15)
A2.  Beaujolais   (4:27)
A3.  Urbania (Instrumental)   (4:34)
A4.  Limelight   (4:39)

Side B
B1.  In The Real World   (4:17)
B2.  Where's The Walrus? (Instrumental)   (7:34)
B3.  Light Of The World   (6:22)
B4.  Chinese Whispers (Instrumental)   (1:02)
B5.  Stereotomy Two   (1:18)

Notes

Released:  1985

Genre:  Progressive Rock

Format:  LP

Label:  Arista Records

Catalog#  207463

Vinyl:  VG

Cover:  VG

Prijs:  €10,00

Queen - Live Magic (1986) - €10,00

Live Magic is a live album by British rock band Queen. It was recorded at various live shows during The Magic Tour and was released on 1 December 1986.

As Queen's second live album, Live Magic might appear to be a bit unnecessary, but a closer look reveals that it's a better record than the previous Live Killers. Culled from a variety of dates from the 1986 Kind of Magic tour but concentrating on the final show at Knebworth, Live Magic captures Queen, and Freddie Mercury in particular, at the height of their powers. While the set list might rely a bit too heavily on mediocre mid-'80s material for some tastes, the band is tight and professional, and Mercury has an undeniable hold over the crowd. It's to Queen's credit that the energy rarely dips over the course of the record. Live Magic may be designed for hardcore fans, but for those listeners, it will provide a number of highlights, proving that the band's remarkable performance at Live Aid was no fluke

Most of the performances were recorded at Knebworth Park on 9 August 1986, which marks the band's final ever concert with its original line-up.


Side A
A1.  One Vision  (5:09)
A2.  Tie Your Mother Down  (2:59)
A3.  Seven Seas of Rhye  (1:21)
A4.  A Kind of Magic  (4:47)
A5.  Under Pressure  (3:49)
A6.  Another One Bites the Dust  (5:16)

Side B
B1.  I Want to Break Free  (2:40)
B2.  Is This the World We Created…?  (1:30)
B3.  Bohemian Rhapsody  (4:42)
B4.  Hammer to Fall  (4:22)
B5.  Radio Ga Ga  (4:27)
B6.  We Will Rock You  (1:33)
B7.  Friends Will Be Friends  (1:09)
B8.  We Are the Champions  (2:01)
B9.  God Save the Queen  (1:19)

Notes

Release:  1986

Format:  LP (Gatefold)
Genre:  Rock
Label:   EMI Records
Catalog#  1A062-2406751

Vinyl:  VG
Cover:  VG

Prijs: €10,00