Die Krupps Stahlwerksynfonie (1981) 2cd Expanded Edition Remastered Reissue 2010

Phil Collins' first solo album, 1981's Face Value, was a long time coming, but it proved worth the wait, both for the Genesis drummer/vocalist himself and fans of thoughtful, emotionally charged pop. He'd been wrestling with the idea of doing a solo record for years, finding great inspiration in the pain caused by an impending divorce and craving artistic independence after years of collaboration…

Certainly not the "darkest" the Cure would eventually get, Faith is, as represented by the cover art, one of the most "gray" records out there. Melancholy and despondent (the feel of funerals and old churches just oozes from this record) without the anger that would over take Pornography, Faith comes off as not just a collection of songs, but as a full piece. "The Holy Hour," "All Cats Are Grey," and the spectacular "Faith" are slow atmospheric pieces that take the softer elements from Seventeen Seconds, and - when sidled up next to faster tracks like the single "Primary" and "Doubt" - paint an overall picture of the ups and downs contained within a greater depressive period. But it's not all gloomy keyboards and minimalist percussion, Faith is also a milestone for Robert Smith lyrically, branching out into questions of faith and spirituality he never quite touched on so well ever again…

Out of the ashes of Joy Division, the remaining members decided to carry on recording under the name of New Order. The band’s debut album Movement recorded between 24th April to the 4th May 1981 at Strawberry in Stockport and featuring all new material, produced by Martin Hannett was released in 11th November 1981 on Factory Records.
After the tragic loss of Ian Curtis, the three remaining members of the former band added keyboardist Gillian Gilbert and soldiered on. Despite a relatively assured debut single ("Ceremony," which didn't appear on the album), the first New Order album revealed a band understandably caught up in mourning for its former lead singer. (But of course, themes of loss and isolation were hardly novel for them)…

By all means a phenomenal pop album that hit number nine on the black albums chart and crossed over to penetrate the pop charts at number 32, Nightclubbing saw Grace Jones working once again with Sly Dunbar, Robbie Shakespeare, and the remainder of the Compass Point team. Nightclubbing also continues Jones' tradition of picking excellent songs to reinterpret. This time out, the Police's "Demolition Man," Bill Withers' "Use Me," and Iggy Pop's "Nightclubbing" receive radical reinterpretations; "Nightclubbing" is glacial in both tempo and lack of warmth, while both "Use Me" and "Demolition Man" fit perfectly into Jones' lyrical scheme. Speaking of a lyrical scheme, "Pull Up to the Bumper" (number five black singles, number two club play) is so riddled with naughty double entendres - or is it just about parallel parking? - that it renders Musique's "In the Bush" as daring as Paul Anka's "Puppy Love"…

Bad Boy has created legends in the Midwestern rock scene for more than two decades. Founders Steve Grimm, John Marcelli, Joey LaVie, and Lars Hanson began their performance and songwriting careers in their teens as Crossfire. United Artists signed the band to a two album deal in 1977, but changed the name to Bad Boy, as the name Crossfire was already in use. Both albums, "The Band That Milwaukee Made Famous" and "Back To Back" reached the top 100 nationwide. Xeno joined the band after his years with Cheap Trick in the early 80's. Bad Boy released "Electric Eyes" and "Girl On The Run" on their own Streetwise and Legend labels which both received regional airplay with their singles Cheat On Me, Thunder and Lightning, and Midnight Love which drew national attention to the band once again.