View Full Version : 80s Synth Pop !
Haselsh1
04-09-2017, 12:24
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4368/36213230713_3cd3342bc8_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/Xb3gQM)Depeche Mode Speak and Spell (https://flic.kr/p/Xb3gQM) by Shaun Haselden (https://www.flickr.com/photos/156648964@N02/), on Flickr
Depeche Mode 'Speak and Spell'
I haven't heard this album for around thirty years and I had forgotten just how bad it was.
Bought this on vinyl a month or so back because 180gm vinyl offers such superior audio sound quality.
No, truly, I did
;)
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4411/36624141300_b4a720e386_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/XNmif5)Depeche Mode Spirit (https://flic.kr/p/XNmif5) by Shaun Haselden (https://www.flickr.com/photos/156648964@N02/), on Flickr
Now compare that to this...!
Or even this...?
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4405/36833094206_9eb1b4dd12_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/Y7PeEo)John Foxx Metamatic (https://flic.kr/p/Y7PeEo) by Shaun Haselden (https://www.flickr.com/photos/156648964@N02/), on Flickr
Arkless Electronics
04-09-2017, 12:51
I love speak and spell! Also still have metamatic on vinyl.
Haselsh1
04-09-2017, 13:55
I love speak and spell! Also still have metamatic on vinyl.
Jez, mine are reissues not originals. I went through that silly phase in 1983, you know, got rid of the lot because CD was so superior.
Metamatic is a very interesting album and very much of it's time. Why Mr Foxx wrote a song about " Underpants " I don't know......
Arkless Electronics
04-09-2017, 22:06
What do folks reckon to "The Garden" by Foxx? Another one I bought new at the time... being a bit of a new romantic back then :D
walpurgis
04-09-2017, 23:04
What do folks reckon to "The Garden" by Foxx? Another one I bought new at the time... being a bit of a new romantic back then :D
Never heard of them. But there again, I'm older than you young fellers. ;)
Arkless Electronics
04-09-2017, 23:58
Never heard of them. But there again, I'm older than you young fellers. ;)
...That's John Foxx... Get with the program grandad! He's real trendy man!.... oh wait... all of that was about 1982 :eek:
Haselsh1
05-09-2017, 05:24
I remember back then around '82, of the folk I used to hang around with, the alternatives were into John Foxx but the mainstream were into Gary Numan. A few years later I got back into playing synths but sadly almost everything had gone digital and I don't get much pleasure making music by parameters. Amazingly though everything has now gone back to playing with knobs even virtual analogue synths. And of course the whole TR909 and TB303 thing has gone retro.
I don't have many fond memories of 80's music though I'm afraid.
walpurgis
05-09-2017, 08:18
I don't have many fond memories of 80's music though I'm afraid.
Yes. My hazy recollection of music in the eighties is one of some pretty grim stuff being around. Probably just as bad or worse now.
Haselsh1
05-09-2017, 09:50
Yes. My hazy recollection of music in the eighties is one of some pretty grim stuff being around. Probably just as bad or worse now.
Yes Geoff but I reckon as we are now some thirty years or more older we are no longer interested in the mainstream and so that bloody awful aspect of music is of no consequence anymore. However, in saying that, yesterday I listened to part of an LP by Laura Marling who I guess is not mainstream and it was bloody awful. I got part way through side one and that was enough. Each to their own though of course.
Arkless Electronics
05-09-2017, 12:59
I really like Laura Marling!
IMHO music was much better in the early eighties. There was a time between '79 and '82 when most of the best electro and lots of other good stuff to boot came out. The rot set in between the mid '80's and 90 with S.A.W followed by all that techno shite and rap. It seems today that the most popular stuff is the stuff I most hate.... Yes hate. It makes me really angry that such complete shite is made, listened to and gets so much airplay. The likes of this "despacito" that was number 1 for ages... FFS! As if it wasn't bad enough there are now god knows how many clone songs out! At least it has some tune though but for the ultimate in complete shite I give you the latest songs from Taylor Swift and Rihanna...
I'm increasingly convinced that these days it literally doesn't matter to "the yoof" if there is a credible tune etc at all.... if I'm interpreting things even partly correctly then the "song" is merely a medium for them to express "attitude" via the lyrics and accompanying video, usually of how strong and confident and not gonna be messed with by boyfriend/boss/ etc and often boasts about success, wealth etc if a male artist. It also seems there is an effort to make it 90% rhythm and as little tune as possible... a key change would be unthinkable!
Haselsh1
05-09-2017, 13:47
Jez, absolutely no bloody idea what 'Despacito' is. In fact I don't know the names of any of this X Factor shit or any of its clones.
Yes indeed, some 80's acts were stunning even Soft Cell, and 'Non Stop Erotic Cabaret' is a bloody classic. Throbbing Gristle ? Excellent. Cabaret Voltaire, OMG...! Loved some of this stuff so much and because I just get so passionate about analogue synths I'd love to see a big resurgence. Excitedly I thought I'd found it in Ladytron but alas, no. Of course it could be that I need to check out more of their stuff on Youtube as I only have one LP by them.
The Laura Marling LP I attempted to listen to was 'Short Movie' but I just found it too Americanised especially for an English folk singer. YUKK...!
Arkless Electronics
05-09-2017, 13:51
Jez, absolutely no bloody idea what 'Despacito' is. In fact I don't know the names of any of this X Factor shit or any of its clones.
Yes indeed, some 80's acts were stunning even Soft Cell, and 'Non Stop Erotic Cabaret' is a bloody classic. Throbbing Gristle ? Excellent. Cabaret Voltaire, OMG...! Loved some of this stuff so much and because I just get so passionate about analogue synths I'd love to see a big resurgence. Excitedly I thought I'd found it in Ladytron but alas, no. Of course it could be that I need to check out more of their stuff on Youtube as I only have one LP by them.
The Laura Marling LP I attempted to listen to was 'Short Movie' but I just found it too Americanised especially for an English folk singer. YUKK...!
Marling did go through a mock yank phase yes... try her latest album;)
I was just looking at some old ETI mags the other day and found all the issues on the Transcendent 2000 synth!
magiccarpetride
06-09-2017, 21:46
Yes. My hazy recollection of music in the eighties is one of some pretty grim stuff being around. Probably just as bad or worse now.
Being an old fart I cannot help but marvel at the masterpieces produced in the early '80s. Albums like "Flat Earth" by Thomas Dolby or "Welcome to the Pleasure Dome" by Frankie Goes To Hollywood sound very good on my turntable today. Even Sade from that period ("Diamond Life") sounds awesome!
walpurgis
06-09-2017, 22:07
The Frankie Goes to Hollywood releases were extremely good sounding. I regard the 'Two tribes' 12" single as a sort of reference. It really is superb, with tremendous dynamic range.
Art of Noise were pretty damn good too.
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