Left of the Dial

Today I break out a wonderful four disc set that I don't believe I've ever presented before, this is a
good one...."Left of the Dial,Dispatches of the 1980's Underground".....I have often considered the 1980's rock n roll's worst decade, still do, but of course it had it's highlights, and a good bunch of them are packaged up here.....if you were in college in the 1980's (I was, in the early part), you can slip all four discs of this on and replicate some of the free-form college radio which could still be heard at the time.....there are a lot of layups here, in fact a lot of stuff by bands that I have profiled fully, but never mind.....this is a triumph of construction, much more than a sum of it's parts. It can magically transform any room into a 1982 college dorm that reeks of cheap marijuana, with a bowl of 714 Ludes on the coffee table, and empty crates of Robin Hood Cream Ale (never mind junior), sitting about the room....ahh, the 80's.

OK disc 1 leads off with something of a layup, REM's fantastic "Radio Free Europe", and includes other obvious and available choices such as "Holiday In Cambodia" by the Dead Kennedys, X's "Johnny Hit And Run Pauline", "Just Like Honey" by the Jesus and Mary Chain"......mixed amongst these (all admittedly GREAT) easy ones, you'll find classic stuff from Black Flag, Wall of Voodoo (the great "Back in Flesh"), the Replacements, Magazine, Dream Syndicate and lots more.....this is a fine disc to sit and listen to on its own, and it is probably my least favorite of the four.
Disc 2 leads off with The Pretenders "Message of Love", and ends with XTC's "Senses Working Overtime", both are among my least favorite tracks by those two great bands, but in between? Wow, Dinosaur Junior's great "Freak Scene", Concrete Blonde's spectacular "Still In Hollywood", Joy Division's classic "Love Will Tear Us Apart", "Goo Goo Muck" from the Cramps.......look around and be amazed by great stuff from the Raincoats, The DB's, Ministry, Minutemen....one small complaint. I've (just personally hated) "Blister in the Sun" from Violent Femmes since I first heaerd it, it was something of a hit so I guess SOMEONE likes it, but to move closer to the level of perfection couldn't we have included thier amazing "Gone Daddy Gone"......oh well.....

Disc 3 is simply loaded, where to begin? Randomely: this disc contains the classic "Pay to Cum!"
from Bad Brains, "Rise" by PiL, and great tracks from Faith No More, Echo & the Bunnymen, Psychedelic Furs, The Church, Throbbing Gristle, Sonic Youth, Gang of Four......wonderful disc. The fourth and final is argueably the best, giving us The Pixies "Monkey Gone to Heaven", "Jane Says" from Jane's Addiction". the goofy "Take the Skinheads Bowling" from Camper Van Beethoven, Gun Club's "Sex Beat"......lots more, perhaps the highlight of the entire set, depending on one's taste, could very well be "Christine" by Siouxsie and the Banshees, you get The The, The Lyres, Descendents, Butthole Surfers, Suicidal Tendencies......

OK, I give this set a full five-star rating......it WORKS as it is supposed to, it is EIGHTIES MUSIC, the one decade for which I think such a label works.....imagine a comp of the 1970's? Blue Oyster Cult next to Roxy music, next to the Newe York Dolls, Next to Patti Smith......if we tried one for the 60's, we'd have to seperate the psych from the surf, the garage punk from the Beatles.....it just DOESN'T WORK, but in this case it does! Perhaps the fact that I listened to all of this shit reularly when I was in college and banging around on my first job.......sentiment to me maybe, but this REALLY IS A GREAT SET and I think you will agree.....just check the track lists below and I think you will be downloading within the hour.......let me know if you agree with me, but I think this set works REALLY REALLY well. I Love it!

DISC 1-01 REM-Radio Free Europe/02 THE JAM-Going Underground/03 THE CURE-A Forest/04 THE DEAD KENNEDYS-Holiday In Cambodia/05 PASSIONS-I'm In Love With a German Film Star/06 THE REPLACEMENTS-I Will Dare/07 MISSION OF BURMA-That's When I Reach For My Reach  For My Revolver/08 X-Johnny Hit And Run Pauline/09 THE JESUS AND MARY CHAIN-Just Like Honey/10 DEPECHE MODE-Black Celebration/11 DREAM SYNDICATE-Tell Me When It's Over/12 THE RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS-Hollywood (Africa)/13 NEW ORDER-Temptation/14 JAPAN-Ghosts/15 MAGAZINE-A Song From Under the Floorboards/16 AZTEC CAMERA-Oblivious/17 HUSKER DU-Don't Want To Know If You Are Lonely/18 BLACK FLAG-Rise Above/19 WALL OF VOODOO-Back In Flesh/20 THE GO BETWEENS-Cattle and Cane
DISC 2-01 THE PRETENDERS-Message of Love/02 ULTRAVOX-Vienna/03 DINOSAUR JR-Freak Scene/04 THE SMITHS-This Charming Man/05 MINISTRY-Stigmata//06 LONE JUSTICE-Ways to Be Wicked/07 KILLING JOKE-Wardnce/08 ORCHESTRAL MANOEUVERS IN THE DARK-Enola Gay/09 THE ENGLISH BEAT-Mirror in the Bathroom/10 THE RAINCOATS-Fairytale in the Supermarket/11 THE SMITHEREENS-Behind the Wall of Sleep/12 MINUTEMEN-Politicacl Song For Michael Jackson to Sing/13 THE DEAD MILKMEN-Punk Rock Girl/14 CONCRETE BLONDE-Still In Hollywood/15 JOY DIVISION-Love Will Tear Us Apart/16 VIOLENT FEMMES-Blister In the Sun/17 MEAT PUPPETS-Lake of Fire/18 THE DB'S-Amplifier/19 PREFAB SPROUT-When Love Comes Down/20 THE CRAMPS-Goo Goo Muck/21 SISTERS OF MERCY-This Corrosion/22 XTC-Senses Working Overtime

DISC 3-01 ECHO & THE BUNNYMEN-The Cutter/02 BAD BRAINS-Pay to Cum!/03 THE
SUGARCUBES-Birthday/04 ROBIN HITCHCOCK & THE EGYPTIANS-Madonna of the Wasps/05 FAITH NO MORE-We Care a Lot/06 SONIC YOUTH-Teenage Riot/07 GANG OF FOUR-To Hell With Poverty/08 THE FEELIES-Fa Ce-La/09 THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS-Ana Ng/10 THE CHAMELEONS UK-Swamp Thing/11 NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS-The Mercy Seat/12 THE RAIN PARADE-I Look Around/13 PSYCHEDELIC FURS-All That Money Wants/14 THE cHURCH-Under the Milky Way/15 PUBLIC IMAGE LTD.-Rise/16 LOVE AND ROCKETS-Kundalini Express/17 GREEN ON RED-Gravity Talks/18 THROBBING GRISTLE-Adrenalin/19 THE STONE ROSES-She Bangs the Drums

DISC 4-01 THE PIXIES-Monkey Gone to Heaven/02 THE THE-Uncertain Smile (Original 7 inch version)/03 BAUHAUS-Bela Lugosi's Dead/04 SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES-Christine/05 MINOR THREAT-Straight Edge/06 THE LYRES-I Want To Help You Ann/07 BEAT HAPPENING-Our Secret/08 JANE'S ADDICTION-Jane Says/09 JULIAN COPE-World Shut Your Mouth/10 KATE BUSH-Running Up That Hill/11 GUN CLUB-Sex Beat/12 CAMPER VAN BEETHOVEN-Take the Skinheads Bowling/13 SUICIDAL TENDENCIES-Institutionalized/14 COCTEAU TWINS-Pearly-Dewdrops' Drops/15 HAPPY MONDAYS-24 Hour party People/16 HOODOO GURUS-I Want You Back/17 DESCENDENTS-Suburban Dream/18 THE POGUES-A pair of Brown Eyes/19 THE THREE OCLOCK-Jet Fighter/20 BUTTHOLE SURFERS-Moving to Florida/21 BILLY BRAGG-A New England

Got some good ones for this week, I think, keep an eye open for some possible non-musical bonus material to make up for my time away......not sure what yet, but something!