Group H

[PaulHaddock]

Iron Maiden- Number of the Beast (1982)

Nominated by: Craig, The Cards, Look Out There Are Llamas

The band's first album to feature Bruce Dickinson. Strangely, for a metal album, it reached No1 in the UK charts. It was criticised in the US for its heavy use of religious imagery and lyrics though Maiden have continually said they aren't religious.

Dickinson, due to contractual obligations, couldn't officially write for the album but had a large part in the writing of several songs. 'Run to the Hills' is the album's main single, about the Native Americans and early settlers. 'Children of the Damned' is directly influenced by the film of the same name.

This album was known as one of the albums of the decade and is one of the most well-known 80s metal albums. It catapulted Maiden into the public eye.

 

[PaulHaddock]

The Smiths- Queen is Dead (1986)

Nominated by: Aber gas, TomPNE94, Paranoid Pineapple

Deja vu this. Their 3rd album, despite not doing as well commercially as their debut, it has had a much longer lasting effect, with NME putting it as their best album ever. Most of the reviewers have this album 5/5, stating it was a defining album of the 80s. It was regarded for its humour (from Morrissey of all people) and its early influence to Britpop smug

Many of the album's songs were written whilst they toured the previous year, with the remainder being written of the summer of that year too. "There is a Light That Never Goes Out" is the most known single from the album, written about leaving home and journey of being a passenger, a somewhat melancholic song. "The Boy with the Thorn in his Side" was, to Marr, an effortless piece of writing. "Bigmouth Strikes Again" is a joke about the writer being chastised for his words, when he is in fact joking.

 

[PaulHaddock]

The Smiths- The Smiths (1984)

Nominated by: StagsForLife, Vanni

This album established the Smiths as a band in the mid-80s- it reached No2 in the UK and stayed there for 33 weeks. It had to be recorded twice, as upon listening to it, John Porter said it was rubbish and offered to record the album again for them.

The main subjects of the album (child abuse and love) were 'heralded'. It showed the world the early foundations of an amazing songwriting duo, with Marr's inventive guitarist and Morrissey's way with words. Despite not being on the original album, 'This Charming Man' was recorded and put into the US versions of the album; it went on to become (imo) the Smiths biggest song.

 

[PaulHaddock]

The Specials- The Specials (1979)

Nominated by: Aber gas

Released during a time of race issues, hate and rising violence, it's a brave record. It's an album of hope, infusing a snarling punk attitude with a deep love of Jamaican ska. Inclusive, relevant and militantly anti fascist ( despite some of the boring c*** that followed them round).- Aber gas.
Unlike original ska, the Specials brought guitars to the forefront and is thought to be considerably more laid back than its early Caribbean style. The album itself consists of a mixture of originals and covers.
Produced by Elvis Costello, two of the albums biggest songs both covers; 'A Message To You Rudy' was originally a hit by Dandy Livingstone. Similarly, 'Monkey Man' was actually by Tooty and the Maytals.

 

[Vanni]

The Queen is Dead is a tad overrated I reckon. In fact, in my not so humble opinion, it's definitely behind their debut and Meat is Murder. Sure it has a handful of classic tunes but it also has a couple of filler tracks*, unlike the aforementioned albums which are classics all the way through.

*my criteria for judging classic albums is how many filler tracks rear their ugly heads on the album. Allow me to give you an example -

No. of filler tracks on Lateralus - none - 10/10 album
Metal Box? none - 10/10
Survive of Horror - one - 9/10
and so on......

 

[Habbinalan]

Came to Iron Maiden late. Never got the Smiths at any point.

The Specials were the business from day 1. Cracking album, still regularly played, and their gig in the marquee on Midsummer Common was one of the best and most memorable, despite (or perhaps because of) the mid-set altercation with some of the Abbey's "finest." Also introduced me to Rico - who is also the biz.

 

[PaulHaddock]

Just so we know, my vote goes to Maiden here.

 

[Vanni]

Don't get me wrong Paul H, but if This Charming Man wasn't on the first edition then it doesn't really count now does it? Just like the Fools Gold track which nearly everyone thinks was on the first Stone Roses album when it wasn't. This little thing gets to me more than it perhaps should. The Smiths were an English band whose records were first released for the UK, and then in other countries only because they were commercially successful. In fact, quite a lot of artists only had their records released in one or two markets at the most simply because they weren't a hit. That was the way it worked back then, and still does but to a lesser degree, as evidenced by the ''IMPORTS'' sections in record shops.

If an American band release a 10 track album in the US, and a 14 track one for the European market, the original album would be the 10 track one and not the 14 trk one.

RANT OVER AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME GENTS

 

[PaulHaddock]

 

[Vanni]