The History of Pop Part 5 aka What is wrong in my life that I must get drunk every night?

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

So, yeah, you know when I said in the last Now Poll that Now 5 was tons better than Now 4? Erm, well...that was before I typed it out. And also I remember this particular 'era' (first half of 85) with especial sharpness so my judgements may well be softer than yours. There are a few big hitters though - by now of course we're into the period where the success of Now had spawned rivals, and the brand's compilation predominance wasn't assured, so there was a hard fight for the good tracks. Things get gradually better from about Now 7 onwards (I think). As ever, "go for it" in the comments box.

Note a particularly annoying Now syndrome where the follow-up hit shows up on a comp and the better, bigger hit doesn't. PETE BURNS wuz ROBBED in other words.

Note the first thought given to actual sequencing w/the 'soul section' on disc 2!

RESULTS of Now 4 - a comfortable, perhaps too comfortable, win for "Together In Electric Dreams" over "Ghostbusters" and the Pointer Sisters. Nool Pwah to Eugene Wilde, though Limahl seems to have fared the worst in the write-in votes.


[Poll #622466]

Comments

I JUDGE THAT...

[dubdobdee.livejournal.com]

from an uk perspective 80s soul got real bad (critical) deal trapped behind the firewall of MM-sanctioned anti-"soulcalist" hostility to warmed-over 70s (and indeed 60s) soul: the likes of s.arrington, frankie beverly's MAZE, kashif (i think gone quiet by 85?), even late doors EWF were totally off-radar, despite substantial presence in the actual real charts (and pro forma respect at best from the soulcialist faction)

Re: I JUDGE THAT...

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

In 1984 tho Bobby Womack got NME's album of the year!! Why such a turnaround? (If there was one)

Re: I JUDGE THAT...

[thenipper.livejournal.com]

Was 84/85 when Pye became editor? There certainly seemed to be a huge change in direction by mid-85: lots of older writer disappearing, and the beginning of Stuart Cosgrove's reign of terror.

Re: I JUDGE THAT...

[thenipper.livejournal.com]

Tho actually, I now remember a writers' poll from 85 or so that named 'I say a little prayer' as the greatest record of all time.

Re: I JUDGE THAT...

[dubdobdee.livejournal.com]

yes the change at the helm is key i think

the problem wasn't cosgrove so much as the LOOMING SPECTRE of being OUTFLANKED BY YR OWN PAST: everything had to be "justified" (PBS-ification, as kogan wd call it)

Re: I JUDGE THAT...

[martinskidmore.livejournal.com]

that poll had an all-black top ten - Prince, Augustus Pablo and lots of sweet soul, Al Green, Gladys Knight and so on. I think we shouldn't discount the fact that The Poet was a million times better than 99.9% of soul around at that time.

Re: I JUDGE THAT...

[boyofbadgers.livejournal.com]

Were the soulcialists actually the boring-authenticity-obsessed-dull-as-ditchwater-Wellerfan-proto-Hornbys that they seemed to my late 80's MM reading self?

Re: I JUDGE THAT...

[thenipper.livejournal.com]

I think they were Paolo Hewitt. So yes!

Re: I JUDGE THAT...

[dubdobdee.livejournal.com]

paolo >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> hornby

(ok in a lame way NH is a better writer but PH is a WAY more interestin person, he just doesn't advert much to that as a writer, sadly)