Late 80's: U2 and Simple Minds

Simple Minds came first for me, but U2 rapidly caught up with them. Both seemed to follow the same trajectory, moving into the stadium rock level of hype and scrutiny. in 1987, U2 released The Joshua Tree, while Simple Minds released "Live in the City of Light". In retrospect, U2's previous album "The Unforgettable Fire" was the high point for me, and when I got to see them at Wembley in 1987, I was comparing that concert unfavourably to the Springsteen one a couple of years ago. Of the two, Simple Minds were the band that came with me through the Wall. "Street Fighting Years" seemed like an anthem for the epic year that 1989 turned out to be.

But when we all poured through the Wall, Simple Minds seemed to fade from view, whereas, U2 seized the moment with "Achtung Baby". I really like the Paul Oakenfold mix of "Mysterious Ways", although that implies a familiarity with Paul Oakenfold and his music that I really did not have. There was a whole new genre of music that I was only vaguely aware of, and what I heard of, I didn't like. I was growing old...

1986: Bruce Hornsby. Who?

Annie and I had gone off the rails, suddenly, and big time. Our holiday was off, but I had the sense that I should get away as far as possible to clear my head. But where, on my own? Somewhere deep inside my memory banks I remembered that I loved trains, especially European trains, and that I was curious about the Europe beyond the Iron Curtain. Hungary at least looked safe, and I already felt confident about Yugoslavia. So that was it, a grand rail trip : Vienna-Budapest-Siofok-Hvar-home.

And just at that moment the radio started playing somebody I'd never heard of, someone who played a piano to sooth a raging soul, to conjure up sunny days. I didn't know anything about Bruce Hornsby, but The Way It Is was great, and I sought out the album, and was hooked. He came with me as I went through the Curtain. And he has stayed with me ever since. The single longest, most consistent musical love of my life; I had to wait 33 years to see him live, and when it finally happened it was another iconic night, in Berlin.

1986: Talk Talk at Hammersmith Odeon.

Talk Talk first came across as a New Romantic band, in the Duran Duran/Human League sector, and I liked them. The second album was far more sophisticated and graced the hedonistic holiday in Crete 84. And then in Spring 1986 came "The Colour of Spring", which was something else entirely, every track a rich work of art which stands the test of time today.
It was melancholy music, but life was anything but melancholy. Annie liked them too, so when we saw that they would play Hammersmith Odeon, we snapped up tickets.
It was possibly the best concert of my life. It starts low key, but they are playing perfectly. We are spellbound. They are playing out of their skins, all of them, including Mark Feltham who plays epic harmonica on "Living in Another World". Listen to us, the audience, after that one, the acclaim goes on and on. Talk Talk, Annie, and I, in perfect harmony. It felt like a very special night in my life. We booked a holiday in Lesbos after that.

Then it all exploded, Lesbos never happened, and I went somewhere else. But there's a postscript to that night, and this concert.

Deep in the future, in my new life, in our newly rented house in Smichov,  in a new millenium, I was browsing Amazon, and stopped dead in my tracks. A live CD of Talk Talk Hammersmith Odeon , May 1986. How could this be? How could I never had heard of this? But it had, inexplicably, only been released a year earlier. And there it was, a CD of one of the most iconic concerts of my life, a marker of a high point in my life, before a fall and a pivot to a new and wider world.

1985 The Boss at Wembley

How lucky I was. To be able to organise to go and see the Boss at Wembley and call it "client entertainment". Fortunately the client, Don from McCain, was a good bloke. He brought his wife, and I took Tricia from the ITCA. I can't remember why I didn't take Annie, but maybe we still kept it under wraps then. It started with the limo from the agency, and the refreshments to take with us. We arrived at Wembley wondering how it would be. Serious rock stars didn't play Wembley, surely it was too big, the accoustics would be terrible. Tentatively we took a place at the other end of the stadium, but Don went off onto the pitch, and came back reporting that it was quite easy to get quite close. To my amazement, we could. And to my amazement Bruce bound the giant 72,000 audience intimately  together as if it was the Half Moon at Putney. On and on it went for three hours, and we just lost ourselves in the riotous energy of the remarkable E Street Band. Afterwards we went for a fine greek meal in Queensway. And then, still buzzing, we went on to the Hippodrome where we clowned innocently around until well past 2.a.m. It was one of those nights when it was just so, so good to be alive. And all the more rare for it being "work". And I had discovered that Springsteen was for sure something on record, but live, he was something else entirely

1984 Golden Earring roar back

Life - and music -seemed to have moved on a long way since Golden Earring had a share of my listening time. Yet suddenly, from nowhere they were back with a powerful album, the old themes of fast cars and treacherous women now augmented by a richer stadium sound, doubtless influenced by their US success. It was a lesson that these guys at least were not going to be just distant memories in my musical life. "Twilight Zone" was their "Radar Love" for the 80's, another perfect vehicle for one of the best rock rhythm sections in the business. The follow up album "News" in 1984 was not quite as strong as Cut, but included another timeless single "When the Lady Smiles"

1982 New Romantics

Chris and I, both seasoned rockers, could not quite believe how we fell for "Dare" the album chock full of single hits from the Human League. But fall we did, whacking it on to the turntable for months on end. Duran Duran and ABC, and later Heaven 17 also captivated us, even though the lyrics in particular often seemed laughable. 

But in fact we were not the only ones. "Dare" was one of those rare albums where every track was there on merit; indeed the track Phil Oakey himself thought the weakest, "Don't you want me baby" was the biggest hit of the lot, and was heard adapted as a football chant at The Valley in 2014. Critics have dubbed it one of the most influential rock albums of all time. This track "Seconds" rumbled out of Radio 1 on a dance DJ's morning show a while a go, and stopped me in my tracks all over again

The Aussie Wave

1983  I returned from Oz - but the music followed me!

Australia had suddenly become fashionable. By now I understood why, even though I had decided it wasn't for me. But as soon as I returned home it seemed as though Australian music had pursued me across the Earth to invade the UK. Some of it was pretty naff - Men at Work, Australian Crawl. But then some class acts appeared. Somewhat unsuspecting I went to see what all the fuss was about around Midnight Oil, at the Venue; there were only about 50 of us there to experience Pete Garrett's extraordinary vocal and visual performance. INXS were a more melodic Aussie rock offering with some great songs spanning the 80s and early 90s.

But my favourite is probably Icehouse; their music seemed to capture the atmosphere of Sydney and the Great Southern Land. "Street Cafe" owes a lot to Bryan Ferry, but it sings to me of the sweet allure of Sydney. A place where somehow everything a British person adores is available, bigger and better than ever you can find in Britain: sunshine, sandy beaches and rollers, big juicy steaks and big juicy strawberries, and long warm evenings in which to enjoy them.