Lopez Blogs

I realised last night that two of my favourite enduring albums of all time were released in 1989. Back then I was a nerdy 14 year old with glasses so thick I could barely see through them (I'm still waiting to blossom to my full potential now!) I looked at music differently too. It was a simpler time where getting music was something that I worked for - I saved up my money, taped songs from the radio, rushed to Woolworths to buy the latest Kylie single knowing it would be the first time I heard it, etc. I pored over album liner notes, savoured each album knowing my purchase came from thought out choice and passion for the song, the artist and their output. Nowadays it seems that music is so disposable and accessible. It's easy enough to hear singles and albums weeks before they are released commercially. Myspace and youtube means you can pretty much listen to songs whenever you want. The market is literally saturated with people trying to make their mark on the world. I'm not saying this is a bad thing per se, but it does take some of the excitement and mystery out of music that existed back in my youth. But I digress....

So yes, two of my favourite albums of all time were released in 1989. While they were both by what could be classed ostensibly as pop artists, they were significantly different to one another. First up was Debbie Gibson's Electric Youth. Despite Smash Hits describing the first single (US chart-topper Lost In Your Eyes) as "the type of ballad Barbra Streisand would knock out", that particular song (which I bought as a limited edition 'reflective eyes' 7" on Valentines Day) and the parent album cemented my love for Ms. Gibson which has yet to wane. It remains the most pure pop album of her career - her writing skills had matured since the debut, there was the showstopping signature tune and title track (ripe for a cover by either Same Difference or The Killers, I'm not fussed which), the uptempo melodies were as catchy as anything S/A/W were producing and the ballads were suitably moony eyed cheerleader meets heart of gold jock. There was even experimentation with producing songs in different musical styles - the perky optimisim of We Could Be Together came in pop version as well as a more restrained acoustic version. It's an album I never tire of, and one of the first albums I bought more than once (on cassette and then on limited edition "electric yellow" vinyl, which I got into trouble for because I used my mormon tithing money to pay for it, ho ho!) AND! I still have my electric youth perfume bottle in it's glorious pink state. Smells a bit of 2 week old cat piss though :( Take that Tiffany!

The other album which ended up being a favourite that year, and remains so to this day is Madonna's epic and gorgeous Like A Prayer. I still think of this as the album Madonna wrote to get over Sean Penn (who I still think is the love of her life) and gives me hope that perhaps her Guy-split will spawn an equally amazing set of work. Of course, most people will know about the controversy surrounding the first single and title track, the ballsy feminist anthem Express Yourself and the True Blue 2 remake, the lovely Cherish. Those songs are typical but not entirely representative of the whole album - a Madonna who was brave, unafraid of her opinions and ready to show the world. Family issues are addressed on the beautifully flowing Oh Father and underrated Keep It Together. Dear Jessie is almost an experimental tune that perhaps comes from a memory of her late mother. However, the best song for me was, and still is the intimate Til Death Do Us Part. The sinister and raw lyrics are offset by a perky pop tune which has an energetic pace and a chorus that matches anyone of the songs chosen for singles. It's the depth and honesty in the album that kept me coming back to it many years after it was first released...

Other 1989 gems:

• Kylie - Enjoy Yourself (reminds me of the days when Smash Hits and Big used to review albums like this track by track because they were a big event)
• Prince - Batman (oh I thought I was so cool owning this and it began a short lived love affair with the short man's music. Shockingly Arms of Orion, schmaltzy as it is, is still one of my favourite songs on there)
• Martika - Martika (she was a bit like a feisty Debbie Gibson in that she had the pop songs but she also sung about drugs. I was SO cutting edge.)