peterr@utcsrgv.UUCP (Peter Rowley) (01/13/84)
Here we are again, with another annual Best Of list from CFNY-FM, Toronto. The 1982 list received favourable response from net.music readers, so herein is the 1983 list, in its entirety. Listeners were asked, in mid-December, to send in a postcard listing their favourite 10 albums released in '83, along with 10 they hated most. The incentive: 10 entrants would receive the top 10 LP's, 1 would receive the top 83 (!!) LP's, and 1 would receive the 10 worst. CFNY is a commercial station that plays a wide variety of music, concentrating on "new wave", very loosely interpreted. They play quite a bit of imported music and local bands. Finally, they have a policy of not playing a song twice in a 24 hr period. The Top 83 of '83: 1. Tears for Fears -- The Hurting 2. U2 -- War 3. Talking Heads -- Speaking in Tongues 4. Big Country -- The Crossing 5. New Order -- Power, Corruption, and Lies 6. China Crisis -- Working with Fire and Steel 6. Depeche Mode -- Construction Time Again 7. Elvis Costello -- Punch The Clock 8. UB40 -- The Labour of Love 9. The Police -- Synchronicity 10. Culture Club -- Colour By Numbers 11. Yazoo -- You and Me Both 12. The The -- Perfect Day 13. The Spoons -- Talkback 14. Blancmange -- Happy Families 15. Spandau Ballet -- True 16. David Bowie -- Let's Dance 17. Aztec Camera -- High Land Hard Rain 18. Echo and The Bunnymen -- Porcupine 19. Heaven 17 -- The Luxury Gap 20. The Stranglers -- Feline 21. Shreikback -- Care 22. The Eurythmics -- Sweet Dreams 23. Nick Heyward -- North of a Miracle 24. Blue Peter -- Falling 25. Orchestral Manouevres in the Dark -- Dazzle Ships 26. Fun Boy Three -- Waiting 27. Mike Oldfield -- Crises 28. Thompson Twins -- Side Kicks 29. Japan -- Oil on Canvas 30. Kissing The Pink -- Naked 31. Bauhaus -- Burning From The Inside 32. The Cure -- The Walk 33. Howard Devoto -- Jerky Versions of the Dream 34. John Foxx - The Golden Section 35. Gazebo -- Gazebo 36. U2 -- Under a Blood Red Sky 37. The Style Council -- Introducing ... 38. Bruce Cockburn -- The Trouble With Normal 39. Juluka -- Scatterlings 40. Cabaret Voltaire -- Crackdown 41. Billy Idol -- Rebel Yell 42. Peter Gabriel -- Plays Live 43. R. E. M. -- Murmur 44. Paul Young -- No Parlez 45. Herbie Hancock -- Future Shock 46. The Fixx -- Reach The Beach 47. Tom Robinson -- War Baby 48. A Flock of Seagulls -- Listen 49. Bill Nelson -- Chimera 50. Altered Images -- Bite 51. Roxy Music -- High Road 52. Bob Dylan -- Infidels 53. The Payloas -- Hammer on a Drum 54. Simple Minds -- Waterfront 55. XTC -- Mummer 56. Peter Schilling -- Error in the System 57. Re-Flex -- The Politics of Dancing 58. Marianne Faithful -- A Child's Adventure 59. P. I. L. -- This is not a love song 60. Hunters and Collectors -- Hunters and Collectors 61. The Boys Brigade -- The Boys Brigade 62. Grace Jones -- Living My Life 63. New Order -- Blue Monday 64. Roman Holiday -- Cooking on the Roof 65. The Alarm -- The Alarm 66. The Comsat (C.S.) Angels -- Land 67. Freur -- Doot Doot 68. Trans X -- Trans X 69. David Wilcox -- My Eyes Keep Me In Trouble 70. Martha and the Muffins -- Danseparc 71. Ministry -- With Sympathy 72. The Kinks -- State of Confusion 73. Rational Youth -- Rational Youth 74. Prince -- 1999 75. Modern English -- After The Snow 76. The Eurythmics -- Touch 77. The Hawaiian Pups -- Split Second Precision 78. Level 42 -- Out of Sight Out of Mind 79. Thomas Dolby -- She Blinded Me With Science 80. The Belle Stars -- The Belle Stars 81. WHAM! -- Fantastic 82. Tin Tin -- Kiss Me 83. Gang of Four -- Hard The Worst 10 of '83: 1. Def Leppard -- Pyromania 2. Quiet Riot -- Come on Feel the Noise 3. AC/DC -- Flick of the Switch 4. Michael Jackson -- Thriller 5. Ozzy Osbourne -- Bark/Howl at the Moon 6. The Rolling Stones -- Undercover 7. Duran Duran -- Seven & The Ragged Tiger 8. Lionel Richie -- Can't Slow Down 9. Genesis -- Genesis 10. Black Sabbath -- Born Again ------------------------------------ Personally, I really liked 1-4, 11, 18, 21, 25, 27, 29, 36, 40, 42, 76, 79, 80, and of the second half would particularly recommend Bill Nelson's Chimera (49), Roxy Music's High Road (51), and Simple Minds' Waterfront (54). Of the 10 worst, I think there are a variety of reasons for an album appearing on the list; e.g. very popular but either very pop or heavy metal OR an album perceived to be a disappointment (Genesis, Duran Duran). Personally, I'd put the Depeche Mode album on the Worst list, for the latter reason. Some news: Simple Minds will release a new album in early February, called Sparkle in the Rain, containing Waterfront (on the list above; one of the few singles on the list) and a cover of a Lou Reed song! The Eurythmics' new album, Touch (76 on the list, as an import) has just been released in Canada. p. rowley, U. Toronto