September 1980 absolutely teemed with outstanding new albums that arrived in record stores for the first time. Big names aplenty put their musical wares on display. Up-and-comers tried to muscle their way into the picture as well. As a result, choosing just five albums for our look back at what was happening 45 years ago this month was a particularly arduous task. But we sure enjoyed doing the research.
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‘Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps)’ by David Bowie
Several of the albums on this list definitely can be classified as transitional. David Bowie was just coming out of his so-called “Berlin” trilogy as the 80s neared. While those three albums all wowed critics, they often proved somewhat impenetrable to pop audiences. Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps) managed to split the difference. Without completely giving himself over to the pop world (which he would do on Let’s Dance), he managed to deliver slightly more accessible, but no less hypnotic, material. Songs like “Ashes To Ashes”, “Fashion”, and the title track stand out as some of the finest radio-friendly songs of his career.
‘Clues’ by Robert Palmer
Those who only know Robert Palmer from his pop superstardom period of the late 80s really need to go back to the gems he delivered on the regular early in his career. Clues somehow missed being a big hit album despite boasting an impressive amount of killer material; it’s one of the finest albums to come out of 1980. Palmer relished diving into the New Wave genre on this record. He collaborated with Gary Numan, one of the leading lights of that style, on a few songs. “Not A Second Time” represents an outstanding reimagining of one of The Beatles’ early gems. And “Johnny And Mary”, one of the finest tracks of that era, allows Palmer’s underrated songwriting to come to the fore.
‘Heartattack And Vine’ by Tom Waits
Tom Waits was clearly starting to weary of being everybody’s favorite barroom balladeer at this point in his career. He still plays the part for a few songs on Heartattack And Vine. And a couple of those slow ones (particularly “Saving All My Love For You” and “Jersey Girl”) truly soar. But he seemed most enthusiastic here when he was dirtying up his sound a bit. He howls and croaks his way through tracks like the title song and “Til The Money Runs Out” as if he’s onto something. When he came back with his next album, Swordfishtrombones, in 1983, the transformation of his sound would be complete.
‘Hotter Than July’ by Stevie Wonder
‘Hotter Than July’ represents the beginning of what you might call the craftsman period of Stevie Wonder’s career. Feeling burned by the poor reception to Journey Through “The Secret Life Of Plants”, he stepped off the artistic limb onto safer commercial ground. The LP doesn’t flirt with the ambition of his 70s masterpieces. But it’s an enjoyable listen from start to finish nonetheless. Wonder offers up his most convincing reggae track on “Master Blaster (Jammin’)”. He surprises a bit with the deadpan, country-tinged “I Ain’t Gonna Stand For It”. And he sets the template for his atmospheric 80s balladry with “Lately”.
‘One Step Closer’ by The Doobie Brothers
If you want The Doobies at their Yacht Rockingest, One Step Closer should be your first choice when it comes to amazing albums from 1980. The band dives heavily into the instrumental interplay on this record. Songs like “Thank You Love” and “South Bay Strut”, with their polyrhythmic jamming, sound like homages to War. Cornelius Bumpus made a major impact in his lone album with the band. His saxophone silkily glides through the proceedings, and he makes a fetching duet partner with Michael McDonald on the upbeat title track. McDonald, whose “Real Love” was the album’s big hit, went solo after this one. The band wouldn’t release another studio album for nine years in its wake.
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