Labour Of Lust, Nick Lowe

Labour Of Lust, Nick Lowe, 1979, :39

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Elvis Costello's idol and collaborator is not someone I ever paid attention to much, despite being a superfan of the Little Hands of Concrete.  This is yet another in a series of albums that showed my I came to my senses much too late.  This is a spectacular album, full of wit, pop hooks, and occasional weirdness.  I loved the eclectic virtuosity of the album, from swaggering pub rock to crooning ("You Make Me") New Wave pop to country-rock ("Without Love") to modern folk (Endless Grey Ribbon").  "Switchboard Susie" is a litany of telephone-related sexual double entendres; I was hugely tickled by the wit it displays, and so was somewhat disappointed to find out it's a cover song.  Favorite tracks: "Cruel To Be Kind," "American Squirm," "Switchboard Susan," "Without Love."

9 To 5 and Odd Jobs, Dolly Parton

It's the second week of Women's Week!

9 To 5 and Odd Jobs, Dolly Parton, 1979, :35

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Built around her pre-existing title hit for the movie, this is Dolly's concept album about work.  It contains several standards, like "Dark As the Dungeon," a heartfelt "Deportees," and a version of "House of the Rising Sun" that doesn't sugarcoat anything like some version ("I've learned since then / To pleasure the men").  The music is mostly straight country, but there are some pop tinges in it.  As always, Dolly's voice is the star of the show.  Favorite tracks: "9 To 5," of course; plus an original riff on Stephen Foster's "Hard Times" called "Hush-a-Bye Hard Times," the salt-of-the-earth anthem to love over material goods "Poor Folks Town," "Working Girl."

Broken English, Marianne Faithfull

It's wymmyn week, part two!

Broken English, Marianne Faithfull, 1979, :36

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

I had no idea what to expect.  I'd heard Faithfull's name hundreds of times in musical contexts over the years, but never bothered listening to any of her music.  To my mild surprise, it's very synth-heavy, and her voice is ragged and snarling (apparently a side effect of laryngitis and drug abuse).  Lyrically, these songs are personal and direct.  She doesn't pull any punches ("every time I see your dick / I see her cunt in my bed" — a sample from "Why'd Ya Do It").  I must say I don't think I would make this record a fixture on my turntable, but I do admire it.  Favorite tracks: "Ballad of Lucy Jordan," "What's the Hurry?," "Broken English."

The Roches, the Roches

It's Wymmyn Week!

The Roches, the Roches, 1979, :39

★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

Unadorned, honest, amateurish music from a trio of sisters.  Their harmonies are nice, even if the solo vocals wobble and the guitar isn't that exciting.  Lyrically, they tell stories of wanting their waitressing jobs back, having affairs with married men, riding on the train next to a big intimidating man, and just how messed up their family is.  The lyrics don't rhyme.  "The Troubles" is musically interesting, but is apparently about Ireland, boyfriends, and pie?  All this is not exactly shocking stuff, but it was probably a bold move in the ERA era.  Favorite tracks: "Hammond Song," "The Train," "Runs in the Family."

The Feeding of the 5000, Crass

Currently doing one album for each year, 1960-2020. Today: 1979.

The Feeding of the 5000, Crass, 1979, :31

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Holy fuckballs!  Where has this band been all my life?  From the utterly-shocking-even-in-2020 gratuitous spoken-word blasphemy of the first track, to the inexorable proto-Clash machine gun bass and guitar, to the denunciation of sexual politics on the female-bellowed "Women," to the anti-war chants, to the social rebellion of the last track ("Do they owe us a living? Course they do, course they fucking do"), this is pure punk.  A less melodic, angrier, and more vulgar Clash, they rail against all organized religion, the military-industrial complex, private prisons, war, Thatcher, and every other authority.  In true punk fashion, they also include a personal complaint, about being "Banned From the Roxy."  These guys should have taken over the fucking world.  Apparently later they moved closer to something like a feminist art collective.  Their third album was called Penis Envy!  Truly, the world was not worthy of Crass.  A lot of people I know would hate this.  To me it's the antidote to the infected tattoo on the face of music that is David Lee Roth.  I could listen to it on repeat several times in a row.  Could, and did.  Favorite tracks: "Do They Owe Us a Living?," "So What" ("So what if the master walked on the water / I don't see him trying to stop the slaughter"), "General Bacardi."