JOHN MORRIS / The Elephant Man: Original Soundtrack from the Motion Picture [1980]

After the nightmarishly puzzling Eraserhead, director David Lynch took more of a conventional approach with his sophomore follow-up both in film narrative and music with 1980's The Elephant Man.
Instead of scoring the film himself a second time, Lynch turned to Young Frankenstein composer John Morris and the results suit the surreal black & white heart-break of the film to a tee.  For the main theme, Morris channels the same sort of somber Eastern European off-kilter carnival tones Danny Elfman would relate to early in his career.  The tickling xylophones, twinkling chimes and swaying organ of the main theme counteract with the heart-wrenching strings and crying woodwinds of a secondary theme that harkens back to some of Bernard Herrmann's more dramatic scores.  It's all very simple composing and orchestrations but it's easy on the ears and works with the film so perfectly it's nothing short of a success both on-screen and on it's own.

4 adagio for strings out of 5

Songs of Note: The Elephan Man Theme; Recapitulation

YELLO / Solid Pleasure (1980)

Yello's début album is just as odd as the cover art implies. Their blend of musical chairs and art house ideals is damn near impossible to put into words without resorting to a list of synonyms for weird. They share Kraftwerk's love of avant-garde blips and squeaks, but not the minimalism; Yello compositions are more multi-layered. I don’t know why they weren't huge, because they're one of the most interesting things to come out of that awful 80s Synth-pop scene.

Songs of Note: Bostich; Night Flanger

3½ lights turned on out of 5

KATE BUSH / Never For Ever (1980)

Kate's ability to use her voice as an instrument, as something sexual, playful and majestically powerful, keeps the listener engaged while she experiments with more subtle compositions musically. The theatrical moments are reined in from previous albums, but the result is no less imaginative in scope. Repeated listens reveal layers of intent that aren't initially apparent. Her maturity and vision shine through in every verse and in every lush chorus.

Songs of Note: Babooshka; Violin

4 whacked fiddlesticks out of 5

BLACK SABBATH / Heaven And Hell (1980)

Ronnie James Dio's first album with Black Sabbath gets everything right from beginning to end. The Iommi/Butler/Ward sound is less doomy than the Ozzy era but no less melodic. Ronnie's voice projects more than Ozzy ever could; that opened up new avenues for Sabbath to venture down. Lyrically it's more Dio than Sabbath, but I fail to see that as a criticism. It's produced by master knob-twiddler Martin Birch, who finds the perfect pitch and balance to give everyone equal footing. Albums rarely achieve such perfection. H+H is a classic.

Songs of Note: Children Of The Sea; Heaven And Hell

5 endings are just beginnings out of 5

IRON MAIDEN / Iron Maiden (1980)

It's amazing to think that Maiden perfected the sound that would define them for the next 30+ years on their very first album. It's heavily influenced by Thin Lizzy, but it's moulded into something unique. The dual guitar melodies are in place, the Steve Harris bass lines, the quiet refrains and the simple but addictive chorus'. There's also a distinct punk vibe running throughout, mostly due to Paul Di'Anno's vocals; they would eventually drop that part (along with Di'Anno) but it's a joy to revisit it. The eponymous release is still one of my favourite Maiden albums.

Songs of Note: Sanctuary; Iron Maiden

5 lucozade adverts out of 5

KILLING JOKE / Killing Joke (1980)

The first eponymously titled Killing Joke album (they released another one 23 years later) is by far the better of the two. It's usually lumped into the post-punk section of your local store, but it doesn't really belong there, or any other pigeon hole - it's a musical anomaly for the era, years ahead of its time. It was a huge influence on the industrial and metal genres, though. All those bands that you love now loved the Joke long ago. It was self-produced, so sounds a little flat in places, but with a good amp and some reluctant tinkering it can still kick. Time may have dulled its sheen, and parts of it may sound like a cheap porno soundtrack, but none of that has diluted its importance or its power.

Songs of Note: Requiem; The Wait

4 wall scralls out of 5