Lots of eighties stuff again. But what an incredibly diverse time the eighties were, musically.

Fade to Grey by Visage
Album: Fade to Grey: The Best of Visage
This song represents all that was great and terrible about 80s new wave. Ice cold synthesizers. French vocals. Pretensious hairstyles. It’s sad that it sounds so dated now, but I still think it’s a great track.

Pictures of Matchstick Men by Camper Van Beethoven
Album: Key Lime Pie
Just a bit better than the Status Quo original, if only because of the violin. It’s strange; there’s a manic energy, but all held together by tight musicianship.

Wishing Well by Schönherz & Scott
Album: Windham Hill: The First Ten Years
An early Windham Hill offering. Faintly African percussion blend with a breezy piano line. Still good to listen to, even if much Windham Hill sounds a bit Adult Contemporary, or I could just be getting old.

I Am Stretched on Your Grave by Sinéad O’Connor
Album: I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got
Just Sinéad’s voice carrying the melody over a funky drum and bass riff. And she’s singing to her dead lover. What more could you want? Perhaps a vigourous violin solo?

“The priests and the friars approach me in dread,
Because I still love you, my love, and you’re dead.”
Imagine the wary cleric.

Eighties by Killing Joke
Album: Night Time
If the Visage tune represents the pinnacle of New Wave posturing, this song represents the pinnacle of boot-stomping guitar-driven punk (even though it’s not rough or thrashing). Both songs recall evenings of Going Out to do dangerous things. Easily the best song with ‘eighties’ in the title. Much better than Loverboy’s ‘Lady of the Eighties”.