I6 The UPEI SUN, January 28, 1982, page T‘. ‘ TheMUSic Beet , 1981 Revisited ‘ f - s \ THE “ORST f If V ' gvelse; 1981 was evidence of an SUPERI‘mUPENSUPERSTUPOR?) ABBA! ever-widening gap between the British and ' . THE ONE THAT YOU LOVE AIR SUPPL‘I‘ American msic scenes- It Seems that if you want RISING ’93; HOOK to hear a new band that shows any sign of life AUDIO VISIONS KANSAS or orginality, you will have-to look to Britain; - THE OFFICIAL SECRETS ACT M , As one would expect, radio is the culprit. In DEAD RINGER‘ l‘TE'A'l‘IOAF (MEATPEAD) comparing the yearly charts of the two countries, TEIEKON GARY NIH-RN it is clear that Britons are Willing to take 1W HOPE FOR THE WRETCHED THE PLASMATICS risks in what they. listen to. At the same time, I'M HERO CLIFF RICHARD U.S. radio "hits" are barely distinguishable ‘ WIRED NR SCIJND ' CLIFF RICHARD from the stuff that is diffused through the' PURITY 0F ESSENCE THE RUNDUR nation's shopping malls. A ‘ ' ‘ BAD EUR GOOD JIM STEINMPN ' There were, hwever, some very good albums PARADISE THEATER STYX released by North AmeriCan artists in '81. The PARIS ‘ SUPERI'RAMP reason that A.M. radios-ignored them is because FAIR WARNING » VAN HALEN ‘ they didn't conform to the formula of 3 minute ' ‘ homogenized hits (you know, those things you hear ‘ Song , between commercials) . The albums that Sold well SONG OF THE YEAR: "TOO Drunk to F—-—" — the did so. because of this same formula - Pat Benetar, Dead Kennedys. (a balding ) Christopher Cross, and Speedwagon's I QUIES OF THE 'm: High Infidelity. ' The latter was the year's , "Seriously, my only ambition in the world . @stseller. Okay, so it sold over 6 million is to 90 to Egypt, Stand on top to the central copies — it' still isn't‘very“ ‘ t ' ' ' pyramid, and piss all over it.” - / 1981 was a year in which several major _ . ' -Ozzy Osbourne, Blizzard of 02 groups decided to call it quits, among them: "My real name is Preliminary Drawing. " The ~'Eagles, Steely Dan, Wings, the Joe Jackson ‘ ~ _ ~Sketch Band, Steeleye Spam, and Rockpile. Meanwhile,» __ , ‘ "The reason I haven't given interviews in Robert Plant and Jimmy Page joined ex—Yes \ ; recent years is simply because I've become very members Alan White and Chris Squire, sparking ' < private. Also, to be honest, I really don't ' rumours of‘ a new super—group. ' think I've got that much to say." What follows is a list of what Ibelieve « . ' —David Bowie were the best and worst albums of '81. Since "I haven't the first idea who this is, and ranking is impossible, the lists are in , the only reason I'd'want. to is so I could avoid alphabetical order by performer. future encounters. " v -‘ y . . -Elvis Costello, after hearing 'THE BEST ‘ g V y S - the new Styx single. \ CATHOLIC BOY ' ‘ THE JIM CARROLL BAND ‘ > "English fans don't wait for a computer to HUMANS BRUCE COCKBURN tell them what to buy. In America, it's all TRUST - ELVIS COSTELLO Stastics. If Americans like something, it's MAKING MOVIES . ,DIRE STRAITS " probably crap- 'IWANGIN' ' DAVE EDWNDS . ' r -Stewart Copeland, the Police DANGEsz ACQUAINTANCES mm pm "There isn't much difference between rock FREEZE FRAME ‘ THE J. GEILS BAND . ' ‘ 'n' roll and teaching. . . you're entertaining 'PIRATESJ . RICKIE LEE JONES delinquets. " LONGDISTANCE VOYAGER THE MOODY BLUES’ ' -Sting. the Police HARD pRQMISES I PEI-Ivy & THE HEAREBRms ' , "Most people are too busy constructing stuff PREI‘ENDERS 11‘ THE PREI'EmmERs ‘ ’ which is suitable for radio — and that's why there PLEASANT DREAMS ’ RAlanEs ‘ are so many dull groups, dull disc jockeys, dull ‘ SECDNDS OF PLEASURE HDCKPILE r I 7 records, dull everything." ‘ TATTOO YOU ‘ FEELING ‘ ‘Nick We V \ ' "I'm not a thick turd." BOY ‘ s , U2. > , —Bob.($e1dof, the Boomtcwn Rats 1 l. wéihw TURNEDoN V3 THE REAR wmvow DE FRoeeER. NA. g Listing/22753 , 7 ~ \_