Listomania! - 1987

"She is the torch and she is the theme.
She could be a dream, but, oh boy, is she real!"

- Torch by Soft Cell


1987 started off much the same as 1986 ended. I was living in an apartment with my sister Jondah, who had moved in with me in October of '86. She needed to get out of my parents' house and I needed help with the rent. While we were incompatible in many ways, we worked opposite shifts and didn't see each other that much. I was hanging out with the guys from work a lot and Steve and I spent a lot of time together going out to clubs and listening to music. I had the kids every Friday through Sunday and we took a lots of trips to Springbank Park on Sunday mornings, playing in the fall leaves and going to see the animals at Storybook Gardens. My lease was up at the apartment on March 1st, so I began to look around at other places to live. A guy I worked with, Mike Hoyt, had split up with his wife and needed someone to move into his house to help alleviate his costs. I decided to move in with him. He had a nice semi-detatched place with an in-ground pool, so with summer coming, it seemed like a great idea. I basically had the whole downstairs to myself, which allowed for some privacy as well. I moved in on March 1st and it was a long and tiring day. He had some buddies of his come up from Detroit that day to help with things and they wanted to go out and see if they could get lucky with some of the local women. Now, there were 4 of them, including Mike, and they were in the mood to party. I didn't really want to go, but decided I should join them for the sake of appearances, not wanting to seem like a party-pooper. Mike wanted to go downtown to a London landmark called the Ridout Tavern, which was known as a sort of meat-market at the time. We got to the club and were enjoying a few beverages when I noticed this young cutie staring a hole through me from the dancefloor. I had no interest in women much that whole past year and I was with 4 black guys who were seriously on the make, so the idea that someone was interested in me was kind of strange. Mike came over and commented on how it looked like that girl was checking me out and I became quite nervous all of a sudden. I took off for the washroom, followed by Mike. I just wanted to settle my nerves and he didn't help, giving me a hard time about it and poking fun at me. He told me to go out there and ask her to dance. I said I would if she was still staring at me and we headed back to where the other guys were standing at the side of the dancefloor. As we approached our group, I noticed that this girl and her friend were standing right next to them. I walked up and asked her to dance and we had a great time on the dancefloor for the rest of the night. Her name was Martina and we spent the whole night sitting and talking in her parents' driveway. We became pretty much inseparable from then on and as most of you are aware, we are still pretty inseparable 23 years later. By that fall, we had moved in together and we began our journey through life. The kids loved her right away and, despite the fact that she just turned 20 that June, she was an excellent Mom-type-person for them all through the rest of their childhood. She is my confidant, my best-buddy and I can't imagine ever being without her. I truly believe that she saved me and I know I'm a much better person because of her. Thank you, my darling. You are undoubtedly the best thing that ever happened to me. Oh yeah, here's the list:

10. A Crack In The Clouds - Julian Cope

It begins with a rainstorm and starts off almost Arabian-sounding with a soprano saxophone. This is the last song on Cope's great 4th album, St. Julian. I had been a fan since the Teardrop Explodes days and I liked his quirkiness and twisted worldview. This is a gorgeous, sad song, augmented by a big, full production job. The synths on the chorus sound quite a lot like The Who's Love Reign O'er Me, which, in my books, is not a bad thing. Cope's vocals are so sincere and real and they really evoke that period in my life when I play it now. "And hold you up for all to see, for I can't put you down." My arms are getting a little tired though......

9. This Corrosion - The Sisters Of Mercy

This is one of the best examples one could find of an epic song. It has all the hallmarks of the epic: dramatic lead vocals, a 40- piece gospel choir providing backing vocals, and the huge theatrical production of Jim Steinman of Meat Loaf fame. The Sisters were mainly one Andrew Eldritch, who hailed from Leeds, one of the bleakest and most downtrodden of England's industrial cities, crippled by high unemployment and a huge influx of heroin. His dark vision and sound emerged from Leeds in the early '80s and this album, Floodland, was his masterwork. He had ditched the heavier guitars of his earlier work for more synthesizers here, but the result was a bigger and fuller noise. This song clocks in at 10-plus minutes and was a big fave of mine and Steve's at the time. I'm not sure, but I think the first time we heard it was at an Indian Restaurant on York Street that turned into a dance club after 9 at night. It wasn't there for long, but that night is fuzzily stuck in my mind. "Kill the King, when love is the law, and the wheel turn round." The King is dead boys and it's so lonely on a limb.......

8. Just Like Heaven - The Cure

When Martina and I started going out, I took her to Toronto for her birthday. Of course, I brought lots of music along on the trip. One album we played a ton was The Cure's latest, Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me. It was a double-album and this song may be the best love song that Robert Smith ever wrote. This is a wistful and romantic little song, perfect for a new and blossoming relationship. It has that great descending guitar line running all through it, anchored by the brilliant bass guitar of Simon Gallup. This is the biggest-selling single that The Cure ever released and that is no surprise as the melody is terrific and so catchy. The nice, simple piano part really adds to the tune as well. I know it is one of my sister Shannon's top songs too. "You, soft and only. You, lost and lonely. You, strange as angels, dancing in the deepest oceans, twisting in the water, you're just like a dream." I had too much to dream last night.....

7. Like The Weather - 10,000 Maniacs

This song is from their breakthrough album, In My Tribe. Led by the mercurical Natalie Merchant, the Maniacs were a very good band who could write catchy tunes and play their instruments very well. Merchant was their calling card though, with her distinctive voice and lyrics that spoke to people both literally and metaphorically. The guitar playing on this tune is first-rate, as is the production by Peter Asher, who in the '60s was one half of the chart-topping British duo Peter & Gordon and then went on to produce Linda Ronstadt, among others. This song has such an immediately memorable melody that one feels they have heard it before, even if it is the first time hearing it, and the urge to sing along is too strong to resist. " Well by the force of will my lungs are filled and so I breathe. Lately it seems this big bed is where I never leave." Mickey's theme song on cloudy days....

6. Love Removal Machine (Extended Version) - The Cult

The Cult made a big move away from the psychedelia of the Love album toward a more straight ahead hard rock sound on the Electric album. Guitarist Billy Duffy channels Angus Young of AC/DC on this stomping rocker, all huge power chords and metallic steel. I was a huge fan of singer Ian Astbury, who could belt it out better than anybody this side of Robert Plant. The 12" single is again the version to go for with its extended drum beats at the beginning and the great heavy drum sound with its chunky hi-hats and foot pedals. It is the guitar sound that is king here though and it may be Duffy's best performance on record. The subject matter is the usual cock-rock milieu, painting a picture of the woman as a hot little piece of ass, but it is redeemed by the band seemingly not taking themselves too seriously and sounding like they know that they're in on the joke. "Having trouble with my direction, upside down, psychotic reaction." I never ask for directions....

5. Mr. Malcontent - Lloyd Cole & The Commotions

This song is from their 3rd, and last, album, Mainstream. The album was given to me for my 27th birthday by Martina, who had gone and talked to the guys at Dr. Disc and got me an advance copy on cassette. What a great present! The whole album is blindingly good, probably my fave album of '87, so it was hard to choose 1 song from it. I decided on this one because it is still so fantastic, both musically and lyrically. Bassist Lawrence Donegan, now the Golf writer (!!) at the U.K. newspaper The Guardian, does an amazing job throughout the whole album and his sinewy playing anchors this tune. As usual, Cole makes several literary references in this song, this time quoting T.S. Eliot and name-checking My Beautiful Launderette. The guitar playing heightens the melody in a very cool way too, acoustic and folky and then punchy and rocking, especially at the solo part. "Cut off my nose despite my face and i will not more longer wait. Or should I laugh or should I cry, or should I part my hair behind." Laughin' and cryin', it's all the same to me......

4. Never Let Me Down - Depeche Mode

This album, Music For The Masses, is their crowning achievement, in my opinion. I was never a massive fan of these guys. I liked a few singles, but this album is great. The sound is much bigger, eschewing the sparse beeping synths of their earlier work for a robust, full-bodied noise, especially on this track. Slap on some headphones and crank this song up loud and you will see my point. There are even actual real guitars on this song and the piano lead-line is brilliant! I always thought the subject matter to be a little ambiguous, but ultimately I think it's about cruising around, getting high and just feeling good and Dave Gahan's vocals are the perfect instrument to convey that feeling. "We're flying high, we're watching the world pass us by. Never want to come down, never want to put my feet back down on the ground." My feet are firmly screwed to the floor....

3. Exhuming McCarthy - R.E.M.

They hired producer Scott Litt to work on this album, Document, as well as the next 6 albums. He gave them a more radio-friendly sound, bringing Michael Stipe's vocals to the front of the mix. This song draws a parallel between the McCarthy era of the 1950s with the phony-patriotic, flag- waving bullshit of the Reagan era. They even use an excerpt of lawyer Joseph Welch rebuking McCarthy at the Conressional hearings McCarthy held in the '50s, with the famous "Have you left no sense of decency, Sir?" speech. The song's main musical feature is the groovy little 1960s bass line played by the under-rated Mike Mills. For a political song, it sure is a toe-tapper! "You're beautiful, more beautiful than me. You're honourable, more honourable than me, loyal to the Bank of America." The more bucks ya got, the more friends ya got....

2. Amused - The Grapes of Wrath

The Grapes were 2 brothers and a buddy of theirs from Kelowna B.C. The Hooper brothers, bassist Tom and drummer Chris, along with guitarist Kevin Kane, were Canada's finest band in the late '80s. This is taken from their 2nd album, Treehouse, which was produced by Tom Cochrane, who did a great job with it. Too bad he put out records himself as it is my feeling that he should have stayed silent behind the control panel instead of inflicting his horrid voice on my ears many times too many. I love the steely, ringing guitar sound and the earnest vocal by Tom Hooper. The melody is stunning and the harmonies are perfect. This is my fave song of any by them and it is one of those that sticks in my head and causes me to sing aloud for hours after just 1 listen. It brings back memories of Martina's parents' basement, where many hours were spent listening to music in those days. "If she starts to think I wonder why I am. She smacks her hands in her head and story's told again." Tell me the old, old story....

1. Red Hill Mining Town - U2

When I was compiling this list, I had trouble deciding on the order of the 10 songs. What would be #1? Well, I picked this U2 classic because it just wouldn't be fair to 1987 if I hadn't picked something from the biggest album of that year, The Joshua Tree. It was the soundtrack to that first summer with Martina, who played the shit out of the album. I took her to see them that October in Toronto, where we froze our asses off at Exhibition Stadium. This was always my fave song off the record. It was a different kind of political song for U2, as it concerned the Thatcher government's closing of coal mines, especially in the north of England. The politics was made personal by Bono's lyrics though, as rather than dealing directly with the loss of one's employment, it gives thanks for having someone to stand with you in hard times. It is a beautiful melody and quite moving and certainly one of my top 5 U2 tracks ever. By the way, they didn't play this when we saw them live, which they never did because Bono apparently couldn't pull off the high notes live. " With hands of steel and hearts of stone, our labour day has come and gone." Now that, my friends, is a great lyric!