Now this is how it started: THE ILX 1980s ALBUM POLL RESULTS!!

i never understood the appeal of kate bush's singing. liz fraser's voice is so much more angelic. so much more from another world.

I love Liz Frasers voice, I'm still hoping that This Mortal Coil may feature, but it's Kate Bush's sensuality which ultimately winds for me.

um, 'wins' for me.

lol

16. New Order - Technique [1989] (273 points, 15 votes, 2 first place votes)

http://img.maniadb.com/images/album/179/179125_1_f.jpg

Technique may well be the best album of the 80s. It may as well be. In Feb '89 I listened to it on my Walkman each morning on the bus to Redditch, I always remember the piercing winter sunlight being strobed as we passed the bare tree-lined, frosty fields. For New Order's TOTP appearance Barney mimed the "sophisticated laydeeee" bit in Fine Time, that was quite amusing. It sounds so colourful and crisp. I love this album.

― David Merryweather (DavidM), 21. lokakuuta 2003 21:13

I read some weird dismissal of it somewhere recently. I was like 'I thought everyone realised this was the best New Order album??' They seemed to be implying that one just needed a couple of tracks from it.

The whole point of it for me is that it's a whole album. I adore the sweep of it. It's all of a piece. With grinning confidence it introduces itself in the hi-hats of the glorious 'this is where we all are' Fine Time, sets the emotional 'this is where we've come from' note with All The Way and then spins through five perfect whirls of sun-bleached pop, feet never hitting the floor. Is Vanishing Point a shining pinnacle or the comedown? Depends on whether I'm dancing, maybe. Either way, it's the brilliant heart of the album. Then Dream Attack comes along to shoot you through the heart again, an epilogue, the most beautiful of all mornings after.

― N. (nickdastoor), 22. lokakuuta 2003 1:17

Some of the aptest comments on this thread have been about the splendid unity of the album, how it feels of a piece. Listened to it for the first time in a while last night and then again right now and that unity is if anything stronger with time -- and is perhaps further built upon by the album's brevity. I was honestly startled when I noticed that not even half an hour has passed by the start of the next to last song "Vanishing Point," something that honestly struck me and which I don't think I had ever noticed about the album before. In an era of CD bloat and constant complaints about 'only the hits being good,' the briskness is something which stands out all the more -- but even at the time it had to be something notable for its relentless focus.

It's hard to say that there's anything extraneous on the album as a result -- about the only thing I can actually think of that is is intentionally so, that cough and drone at the start of "Love Less," a 'mistake' or fillip that calls attention to itself by being there. Otherwise, the album is rigorously, almost maniacally precise, and though the comparison is not exact I am reminded of the particular precision of much modern day pop, where the beats and space and delivery is so tightly wound and cossetted to achieve an often brilliant perfection. Similarly Technique -- the 'rock' songs do not sprawl, there is no sloppiness, the 'solos' -- think the break on "All the Way" -- fit tightly within the songs, everything is a specific piece to the puzzle. The 'dance' songs similarly seem to draw on everything they had done before and increase the impact to a slippery, endless shifting that is so fantastically and frenetically effortless. "Round and Round" in particular -- after the stop-start-shift of "Fine Time," itself a razor-sharp exercise in element interacting with element and then spinning off from it at a right angle, this is even more insanely spot on. Listen to the difference in rhythms between verses and choruses, how Bernard has a ridiculously good anti-flow flow (and even a call and response with himself at one point, all the more striking for being the sole moment like it -- if it wasn't there it might never have been missed, now that it IS there it can't be ignored), and how nothing STOPS -- everything is pure fluidity at high speed. Compared to, say, the slow burn build of the extended "Perfect Kiss" or the triumphalist progression of "True Faith," this is spiralling choreography that gets more involved as it goes until it smashes into echo and dies.

The division between 'rock' and 'dance' is ultimately artificial though, thus the quotes. The fluidity of this album, how it does feel of a piece, lies in how easy the whole idea between switching from, say, live to synth drums and back again is, how sometimes synths are more prominent and sometimes the guitars are and sometimes it's all a specific balance and then it changes again. It's so ridiculously unforced.

Also, this album is so beautifully bright -- not without darker moments, the unnerving sense of threat and desperate clawing back in "Guilty Partner" led specifically by Peter Hook's bass, but something about it calls to mind the description I read once about eighties pop being an incarnation of the reflection of CD lasers bouncing off glittering cocaine. The high synth melody on the second verse of "Round and Round," the acoustic guitars Dr. C mentions above, the sweet rising/falling electronic chime on "Vanishing Point," much more. Combine that with the sense granted by the album's precision and one can imagine this as a high-flying instance of collage, like the album was never written and conceived as a series of songs in a 'classic' sense, however you wish to define classic.

And then of course there's "Run," their 'John Denver song' -- except John Denver never made me feel so perfectly on-point melancholy as that part Alan talks about way upthread where it all strips back to synth string and drums and then Steven Morris quickly switches to a louder but just as steady beat. Absolutely beautiful.

Quite possibly my favorite album of the eighties at least. One of the best ever for me, definitely.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), 30. heinäkuuta 2004 20:44

Yes!!! I'll take #16.

somehow i like it that new order beat joy division.

That's such a beautiful cover.

there is something optimistic about it: brightness beats darkness. life beats death.

here is the closer cover again as it did not work before (i hope it will appear now):

http://static.rateyourmusic.com/album_images/s545.jpg

xpost agreed, though I think that the vinyl sleeve of Low Life is my favourite.

So here's what's left...

Remain In Light
Daydream Nation
Doolittle
Surfer Rosa
Thriller
Purple Rain
Sign O the Times
Double Nickels
Paul's Boutique
Straight outta Compton
Murmur
Back In Black
Spirit Of Eden
Nation Of Millions
Mistrial

and Rio!

Maybe Queen is dead instead of Mistrial

Mistrial as in LOU REED Mistrial? No way.

xpost

And Arcadia, So Red The Rose.

Kidding about Mistrial. But I'd love to see Blue Mask finish

Technique may well be the best album of the 80s.

― David Merryweather (DavidM), 21. lokakuuta 2003 21:13

Me of 2003 otm. Which is why I gave it one of the #1 votes. Was really hoping, waiting, praying for a top 10/5/1 placing.
16. Daft.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYu2cnei5H0

wasn't somebody whining there wasn't enough wrapping on this list?

Are people really that fond of Mistrial? I'm pretty ambivalent on the album itself, but didn't realize it had a possible fanbase that could squeeze it into this poll (especially this high up).

okay, too many xposts :(

no chance that van halen will make this list?

if Rio doesn't place in a top 100 of the 80's then there's actually no hope for ILM

ok so what youre saying is that master of puppets and reign in blood arent even going to place?

MADNESS WTF

I liked all the New Order albums up until Technique, which I found painful. It's overly busy and brittle, like they realized their peak has passed and they're trying to hard to keep up with trends. I bought a used copy several years ago to give it another chance. It still sounds like a dud.

Wait, speaking of squeezing... there's no SQUEEZE in this poll!

unless i missed them somewhere down the line? xxpost

Can't believe 'Computer World' won't make it, and to a lesser extent 'Bug'.

Haha, what? Think I got the formatting a tad wrong in my last post.

I'm trying of think of an '80s album better than Technique... I just can't.

Mine was the other #1 for Technique. Ned's blurb is brilliant, and makes we wonder what he voted #1 (assuming he voted)?

The Dreaming was my #1 vote...glad to see it earn so high a place.

if ned voted in ilx polls we might have seen chameleons in the top 100

...but he doesn't

Can't believe 'Computer World' won't make it, and to a lesser extent 'Bug'.

I really think Computer World might sneak in, I really hope so.

I'm really glad Technique made it in so high although I thought Low-life would be there too, I voted for both.

Pretenders #1

ok so what youre saying is that master of puppets and reign in blood arent even going to place?

MADNESS WTF

― NAKES HAVE THE STAPLES IN THEM (jjjusten),

No way will they go top 10 so its beginning to look like they wont place at all, which is unbelievable really. But they might be up in the next few places so i wouldn't give up just yet. But no way will Iron Maiden make it now. Looks like AC/DC might miss out too. But if they all miss out, Pyromania getting in the list just makes it even more bizarre.

btw no surprise at all, that on ilm, new order beats joy division.

I wouldn't count Master Of Puppets out yet. I feel like there are gonna be some surprises coming up.

Maybe 13 Songs will sneak in. It's top 10 in my book.

I voted 13 songs but i cant see it making it. I really thought black flag and the butthole surfers would make the top 50

Peter Gabriel's III in the Top 10.

There was only one Black Flag offered. Had My War been on the list it would have got points from me.

Also uh MOVING PICTURES where is it? I thought everybody loved that record!

Yeah - no Fugazi, Bad Brains, Buttholes, Fishbone, etc. My eighties was very different. Plus my real number one wasn't nominated (again, only myself to blame) - The Time's What Time Is It?,the best Prince-related album of all time (yes, better than his own albums).

Was Moving Pictures big in the UK?

this has probably already been decided but would be cool to do a 00's album poll starting in january?

can spirit of eden win this poll?

If this had been for live bands, Fishbone would be in my Top 30, easy.

doubt it, but would be lovely if it did (was my second choice behind no-hoper cardiacs album) xp

Yeah- no Fugazi, Bad Brains, Buttholes, Fishbone, etc. My eighties was very different. Plus my real number one wasn't nominated (again, only myself to blame) - The Time's What Time Is It?,the best Prince-related album of all time (yes, better than his own albums).

I love that Time album. I would have probably voted for it and not just because it's my favourite album cover of all time.

xpost I predict Spirit will be top 5 and possibly no. 1

Thank you Kitchen Person! Confirmation of the wonder of The Time is appreciated.

Chagrined to say I've only ever owned Ice Cream Castles.