Lone Justice - I Found Love (Geffen)

I remember interviewing Lone Justice 18 months ago and being warned that Maria McKee didn't like to be singled out - they were a real band, you see. Then all the others disappeared, and what we are left with is one squawky, potential rock superstar and a bunch of session musicians. Imagine Carmel going West Coast; this is the result. Maria McKee is a good songwriter and a charismatic personality, but the sooner she stops packaging herself like Bryan Adams in a dress the better for all of us. (Eleanor Levy, Record Mirror, February 21, 1987)

Don Henley - Sunset Grill (Geffen)

Another winner from the ex-Eagle's Building The Perfect Beast LP. It hinges on Pino Palladino's fluid bass oozing through the languid beat while atmospheric synthesiser washes coat this classy travelogue of LA's lowlife. A nice one. (Mike Gardner, Record Mirror, April 20, 1985)

The Chameleons - Tears (Geffen)

So-so jangly guitar effort, sweetly backed by some layered synth and anchored around a simple drum beat. Would do good business on the preposterously named US 'Rock - Disco' circuit. (Jim Reid, Record Mirror, June 28, 1986)

Madonna - Crazy For You (Geffen)

Madonna can sing! That means she is perfect after all. This is a really slow, smoochy number bearing no relation at all to tracks like "Material Girl" or "Lucky Star". After this she might be taken seriously and not just ogled at by moronic men (such as me). Taken from the soundtrack of Vision Quest, which is pretty good as well. (Simon O'Brien, Smash Hits, May 22, 1985)

Jeepers! It sings! For all of three minutes Maddy drops the teasy-tarty routine and comes on like some mad Crystal Gayle in a song from the movie Vision Quest. I hear Madonna's been having acting lessons herself recently, so it's a pity she couldn't have applied them here. Instead she sings with all the sincerity of a concrete rubber dinghy salesman. (Paul Bursche, No 1, June 1, 1985)

Australian Crawl - The Boys Light Up (Geffen)

I can't bear Australian groups. They all sound like bloody Men At Work and they've all heard about three reggae records and they've put the same reggae rhythm on every track, no matter how unsuitable. They all sing like Sting (or would like to) and the only one that's been worth anything is Split Enz and they come from New Zealand. (There is an exception to this rule - Icehouse. They want to be Roxy Music.) (Martyn Ware [Heaven 17], Smash Hits, January 19, 1984)

The band with the unenviable task of 'warming up' Duran Duran audiences on their recent tour sound more like they'd cool the proceedings down. A ponderous single which takes forever to get going and really isn't worth the wait. (Karen Swayne, No 1, January 14, 1984)

Crawled 'round to the record store and bought a few Men At Work albums, obviously. (Lemmy [Motorhead], Record Mirror, January 14, 1984)

Note: Despite all the Men At Work references, "The Boys Light Up" was in fact a three year old single, belatedly released in the UK as a result of the burgeoning interest in Australian bands.