Centerfold - Man's Ruin (1986)

[Due to Apple's Music app being an unwieldy, glitch-ridden load of shit, and my school term really ramping up here at the end, I am unable and unwilling to spend a lot of time on this dumb blog. So until something gives, I'll be going through my draft archives, looking for posts that I already prepped but, for whatever reason, never posted. Enjoy.]

First and only LP by this weird confluence of commercialism, horniness, and pop chops. Centerfold were a Dutch trio of vocalists/models whose songs dealt primarily in sexual innuendo via a Madonna-esque mix of synthpop and pop rock, and who promoted their first single with a spread in Dutch Playboy and a nude performance on TopPop. So yes, obviously, it's a big, sweaty product of 80s coke culture, and if you, say, commented "God I hate the eighties" on my Dolphin Brothers post, this ain't gonna change your mind. But if you like trashy 80s pop/rock: I swear, Man's Ruin is a non-stop parade of bangers. And there's not a slow jam in the bunch; the closest they come is the shimmering, pulsing "Intimate Climate".

Track listing:

1. Up and Coming

2. Note After Note

3. Dictator

4. Rough

5. Come Get My Love

6. Radar Love

7. Sweetness

8. Dirty Mind

9. Intimate Climate

10. Dancing in Your Arms

She's tight inside, if you know what I mean

She's got places in there no man's ever been

If you like this, check out:

The Flaming Hands - The Flaming Hands (1984)

Teena Marie - Starchild (1984)

Shara Nelson - What Silence Knows (1993)

Shara Nelson came up with Massive Attack, singing and/or cowriting almost half of Blue Lines, including "Safe from Harm" and "Unfinished Sympathy", their first two hits. Aside from one non-album track, that's where her involvement with The Wild Bunch ends, and I'm guessing it's because she started pursuing a solo career. What Silence Knows, her first solo record, is built on the same kind of danceable, soulful trip-hop that she made with Massive Attack, but skew more pop/R&B/soul. It's a great record, and I think it sold moderately well in England, but it didn't make much of an impression anywhere else, and seems to have largely fallen from pop cultural memory.

Track listing:

1. Nobody

2. Pain Revisited

3. One Goodbye in 10

4. Inside Out

5. Uptight

6. Down That Road

7. Chance

8. Thoughts of You

9. How Close

10. What Silence Knows

But if you hurt what's mine

I'll sure as hell retaliate

If you like this, listen to:

A Guy Called Gerald - Essence (2000)

HÆLOS - Full Circle (2016)

Was (Not Was) - Are You O.K.? (1990)

Previously on OPIUM HUM:
Was (Not Was) - Was (Not Was) (1981)

Brilliant fourth album by art-funk iconoclasts Was (Not Was). Crafting pop-rooted songs whose true genius only reveals itself upon close listening was always this band's specialty, and they never did it better than they do here -- if you're not paying attention, "In K-Mart Wardrobe" pretty much sounds like an impeccably produced ad jingle.

Track listing:
1. Are You Okay?
2. Papa Was a Rolling Stone
3. I Feel Better Than James Brown
4. How the Heart Behaves
5. Maria Navarro
6. I Blew Up the United States
7. In K-Mart Wardrobe
8. Elvis' Rolls Royce
9. Dressed to Be Killed
10. Just Another Couple Broken Hearts
11. You! You! You!
12. Look What's Back (Out Come the Freaks)

Broiled chickens sang us love songs from the skewer
Have you ever been this close to going down the sewer?

You should also hear:

Nile Rodgers -
B-Movie Matinee (1985)

Che -
Narcotic (1985)

Child Actor - Never Die (2014)

Previously on OPIUM HUM:
Child Actor - Promise EP (2013)

Glimmering, hazy electropop with a synth-saturated, 80-s indebted sheen.

Track listing:
1. Morning
2. Against the Night
3. Never Die
4. Last Time
5. Dream Prayer
6. Forever
7. You're a Ghost
8. Fear & Pleasure
9. The Memory
10. The Moment
11. Ungone

There are some things that stay with you for life

Similar listening:

Korallreven -
An Album by Korallreven (2011)

tooth ace. -
Flash and Yearn (2013)

Res - How I Do (2001)

A true gem of artful but pop-oriented neosoul with tinges of reggae. How I Do is front-to-back tight, but I feel like I have to specifically mention "They-Say Vision", a minor hit that's one of my all-time favorite pop songs.



Track listing:
1. Golden Boys
2. They-Say Vision
3. 700 Mile Situation
4. Ice King
5. Sittin' Back
6. How I Do
7. If There Ain't Nothing
8. The Hustler
9. I've Known the Garden
10. Let Love
11. Tsunami

I wanna try that pill that people take
That makes them believe all the things that people say

You might also enjoy:

Eg and Alice -
24 Years of Hunger (1991)

Milosh -
III (2008)

Jan Bang - Frozen Feelings (1989)

Previously on OPIUM HUM:
Christian Wallumrød, Arve Henriksen, Jan Bang, Erik Honoré - Birth Wish (2000)

Synth-driven 80s pop from Norwegian singer/musician/producer Jan Bang. Big, shiny production and upbeat arrangements mask some pretty damn dark lyrics. Bang is better-known for his later work in the jazz world, making this sophisticated take on contemporary pop a curiously sugary addition to his discography. Reminds me of Tears for Fears, circa The Hurting.

Track listing:
1. Frozen Feelings
2. One Made Two
3. Fake Delight
4. Blindness
5. Merciful Waters
6. Dance Away
7. Is This Really True
8. Beyond
9. Come with Me
10. I Can't Forget You

Dive deep down

You'd also like:

Nona Hendryx -
SkinDiver (1989)

Eg and Alice -
24 Years of Hunger (1991)

Che - Narcotic (1989)

A criminally overlooked goldmine of inventive, synth-y art-funk/pop. Starts off sounding like a lost Prince album, and ends up taking on a sinister, almost industrial quality. Records like this languishing in obscurity is a great reason to not believe in God.

Track listing:
1. Scream Like a Swift
2. Fireflies in Summer
3. I Wish He Didn't Trust Me So Much
4. Moving the Silence
5. Imperfections
6. Be My Powerstation
7. Jerusalem
8. View from a New Perspective
9. Celebrating Life

I'm scared of what I'd do

You'll probably also enjoy:

Mazarati -
Mazarati (1987)

Eg and Alice -
24 Years of Hunger (1991)

Godley & Creme - The History Mix Volume 1 (1985)

Kevin Godley and Lol Crème were founding members of 10cc who left the band in 1976, shortly after the band's commercial breakthrough, to form a duo. The History Mix Volume 1 serves as a perfect introduction to the world of Godley & Creme, and not just because it's their best album and it contains one of my absolute favorite songs -- much of the record consists of songs and musical elements from throughout their career (including with 10cc), completely remixed and presented as parts of epic, mind-melting megamixes.

Track listing:
1. Wet Rubber Soup / Cry
2. Expanding the Business / The 'Dare You' Man / Hum Drum Boys in Paris / Mountain Tension
3. Light Me Up
4. An Englishman in New York
5. Save a Mountain for Me
6. Golden Boy
7. Cry (Extended Remix) [Bonus track]
8. Snack Attack (Extended Remix) [Bonus track]

You don't know how to ease my pain

You might also like:

Jane Siberry -
The Walking (1987)

Eg and Alice -
24 Years of Hunger (1991)

The Deele - Eyes of a Stranger (1987)

Smooth, synth-y, slow-burning R&B from a group that included Babyface. Def some Prince influence at work here. "Two Occasions" is one of the all-time great slow jams, and the rest of the album isn't far behind.

Track listing:
1. Two Occasions
2. Shoot 'Em Up Movies
3. Let No One Separate Us
4. Eyes of a Stranger
5. Can-U-Dance
6. She Wanted
7. Hip Chic
8. So Many Thangz
9. Eyes of a Stranger (Reprise)

I only think of you on two occasions
That's day and night

Also listen to:

Roger -
The Saga Continues (1984)

Mazarati -
Mazarati (1987)

Nile Rodgers - B-Movie Matinee (1985)

Ring in the New Year with some old-school electro-funk and synthpop. In addition to founding Chic, Rodgers was David Bowie's chief collaborator for Let's Dance -- according to Rodgers, Bowie described to him the sound he was aiming for by showing him a picture of Little Richard dressed in red and climbing into a red Cadillac. B-Movie Matinee doesn't attain the same level of boogie-nirvana as Rodgers' first record, but it's hella fun nonetheless. Have some MDMA, it's New Years!

Track listing:
1. Plan-9
2. State Your Mind
3. The Face in the Window
4. Doll Squad
5. Let's Go Out Tonight
6. Groove Master
7. Wavelength
8. Stay Out of the Light

Ooh, ooh, ooh
Me and you

Listen to these, too:

Niteflyte -
Niteflyte (1979)

Teena Marie -
Starchild (1984)

George Duke - Master of the Game (1979)

Boisterous, smooth, impossibly fun, fusion-tinged disco/funk. Master of the Game is aural cocaine that goes straight to dat ass. Rule of thumb: When fusion dudes go disco, it's a beautiful thing.

Track listing:
1. Look What You Find
2. Every Little Step I Take
3. Games
4. I Want You for Myself
5. In the Distance
6. I Love You More
7. Dog-Man
8. Everybody's Talkin'
9. The Alien

Take some chances while you still are young

If you like this, give these a spin:

Rhythm Makers -
Soul on Your Side (1976)

Kilo -
Kilo (1979)

Kilo - Kilo (1979)

An obscure gem of smooth, lean 70s funk. Slap bass, sweet-as-honey vocal harmonies, a lil' bit of sexy sax, and plenty of sweet, sweet synth. Be easy, baby.

Track listing:
1. Days
2. Devil's Eye
3. Be Mine
4. You, You, You
5. Satisfy Your Lovin'
6. Interlude
7. All in a Song
8. Fire, Fire, Fire
9. Love So Nice

Lovin' you is all I want to do

If you like this, check out:

Niteflyte -
Niteflyte (1979)

Oliver Cheatham -
The Boss (1982)

Kimiko Kasai - Kimiko (1982)

Previously on OPIUM HUM:
Kimiko Kasai - Butterfly (1979)

Shimmering, smooth-as-butter disco/soft rock from Japanese singer Kimiko Kasai. Known best as a jazz singer, Kimiko probably represents an attempt to garner a broader American audience. However, regardless of the album's immaculate arrangements and deft pop songwriting, her complex, idiosyncratic voice just wasn't meant for a pop audience, so here it is, three and a half decades later, on a nerdy music blog.

Track listing:
1. The Right Place
2. Looking for Love
3. Steppin' Outside Tonight
4. I'm So Much in Love
5. I Felt You Glancin'
6. Love Is All We Need
7. I Wish That Love Would Last
8. Over You

I felt you glancing

Give these a spin, too:

Adrian Gurvitz -
Sweet Vendetta (1979)

Teena Marie -
Starchild (1984)

Supermax - World of Today (1977)

Super-rad Austrian disco-rock. From its funky, locked-in grooves to the deep, effortlessly cool, mildly ominous vocal delivery, World of Today is a fucking gift from the disco gods -- one that I'm almost certain Matthew Dear has given a few spins.

Track listing:
1. World of Today
2. Lovemachine
3. Reality
4. Musicexpress
5. Camillo
6. Be What You Are
7. I Wanna Be Free

The love I will give you is sweeter than anything else in this world

Also of interest:

Adrian Gurvitz -
Il Assassino (1980)

The Creatures -
L'Altro Mondo Studios (1983)

Teena Marie - Starchild (1984)

Slick 80s pop that takes equally from airy disco, electro-funk, slow-burning R&B, and twinkly soft rock. Teena Marie certainly got an initial boost from her friendship and collaborative relationship with Rick motherfucking James, but her best albums (Starchild, for instance) came when Teena took the creative reins.

Track listing:
1. Lovergirl
2. Help Youngblood Get to the Freaky Party
3. Out on a Limb
4. Alibi
5. Jammin'
6. Starchild
7. We've Got to Stop (Meeting Like This)
8. My Dear Mr. Gaye
9. Light

White lines on the dresser

More, more, more!:

Adrian Gurvitz -
Il Assassino (1980)

Mazarti -
Mazarti (1987)

Adrian Gurvitz - Sweet Vendetta (1979)

Previously on OPIUM HUM:
Adrian Gurvitz - Il Assassino (1980)

More soft, airy disco from Adrian Gurvitz. It's like ELO dancing under a mirrorball with Toto.

Track listing:
1. Untouchable and Free
2. The Wonder of It All
3. Put a Little Love (In Life's Heart)
4. Love Space
5. The Way I Feel
6. Time Is Endless
7. I Just Wanna Get Inside Your Head
8. Free Ride
9. One More Time
10. Drifting Star [bonus]

Life's still waiting for you

These are pretty great, too:

Colin Blunstone - One Year (1971) + 3 more

Wayne Henderson - Emphasized (1979)

Adrian Gurvitz - Il Assassino (1980)

You might know Adrian Gurvitz from one or more of his early bands -- The Gun, Three Man Army, or Baker Gurvitz Army (all proto-metal/hard rock greats) -- or his work with the Graeme Edge Band. What you might not know is that he released a series of phenomenal, disco-flavored soft rock solo records in the late 70s and early 80s, of which Il Assassino is the second, and my personal favorite.

Though it's all pretty much perfect, from the immaculate production to the breezy melodies to the casually diverse instrumentation (his rock chops shine through in the form of a few crucial twin guitar leads), what really sets this LP apart is Gurvitz's somewhat bleak lyrical approach, which compliments the often minor-key arrangements and provides a depth that you don't often get on records that sound like this.

Track listing:
1. Borrowed Beauty
2. Seventeen
3. Movie Picture
4. Hit Man
5. Movie Picture Theme
6. She's in Command
7. New World
8. Crying to the Night
9. Heat

Out of dreams

You might also dig:

Niteflyte - Niteflyte (1979)

Oliver Cheatham - The Boss (1982)

Mazarati - Mazarati (1987)

Well, there's no way around this: Mazarati is a shameless rip-off of Prince and the Revolution. Released by Prince's Paisley Park Records, it's the exact same mix of 80s funk, chiming keyboards, pop beats, rock guitar shredding, and slightly effeminate vocals. Less effective songs, of course, but still, who the fuck doesn't wish there were a lost 80s Prince record floating around out there somewhere?

Track listing:
1. Players' Ball
2. Lonely Girl on Bourbon Street
3. 100 M.P.H.
4. She's Just That Kind of Lady
5. Stroke
6. Suzy
7. Strawberry Love
8. I Guess It's All Over

Make me shout

Niteflyte - Niteflyte II (1981)

Previously on OPIUM HUM:
Niteflyte - Niteflyte (1979)

By request (sort of), here's Niteflyte's second and final album. Smooth, pop-oriented funk/soul filtered through a cocaine-coated sheen of disco. To me, it doesn't quite match the triumph that was their first record, but there's plenty to like here, such as the plastic reggae of "Shoot from the Hip" and the breezy groove of "On Your Own".

Track listing:
1. You Are
2. You're Breaking My Heart
3. Shoot from the Hip
4. Anyway You Want
5. Sexy Dancer
6. On Your Own
7. Alicia's Song
8. I Knew It Couldn't Happen

The day's finally here

If you like this, try:

Oliver Cheatham - The Boss (1982)

Afric Simone - Boogie Baby (1978)