Lopez Blogs

This evening I was watching a repeat of an old "Rock Family Trees" which was broadcast last week on BBC4, I guess it's part of the BBC's current mini-season related to Liverpool being the European Capital of Culture this year. Suddenly I realised that would also be a very good theme for a Retro Saturday and why not this week!

I credit 1981 with being the year that I realised that there was more music around than what was in the top 40, and began my journey into the 'alternative' music scene.

"Heaven Up Here" by Echo and the Bunnymen was arguably my favourite album of that year, and I played it so much that it is officially worn out. Once more, YouTube never ceases to amaze me: check out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0i9O2UXbj24&feature=related for a performance of the brilliant "Show Of Strength" from German TV's Rockpalast.

I feel that every band I like (or liked) has that one truly great album in them, and then it's downhill all the way. For me, "Porcupine" and "Ocean Rain" and everything that came after that, couldn't match the brilliance of "Heaven Up Here".