issue 440

In 1985, Rolling Stone was still HERC's primary source of music information. Spin would debut in March of that year and it slid nicely into the slot vacated by his beloved Trouser Press which celebrated its ten year anniversary and ceased publication with the April 1984 issue. (The main man behind Trouser Press, Ira Robbins, contributed a few album reviews to Rolling Stone in 1985.) Lesser influences included copies of New Musical Express read in the basement of the University's library and the occasional issue of Musician, Smash Hits, Creem or Circus he purchased or read at the newsstand or record store.

Issue 440, dated January 31, 1985, featured Billy Idol with his "Sneer of the Year" on the cover and five albums reviewed near the back of the issue.  All of the reviewed albums were already in or soon would be in HERC's collection irregardless of their reviews in this issue.  It was, and is, all about the music.

In addition to cover art, each album below has the title (with Spotify link when available), album artist, label, release date, the critic's name and the original 1985 rating (number of stars) as well as the ratings from Rolling Stone Album Guide (1992) and The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (2004). HERC Included those last two ratings because sometimes history doesn't repeat itself - it rewrites or revises itself.

Follow HERC's record buying adventures in 1985:

1985: A Vinyl Odyssey

Building The Perfect Beast

Don Henley

Geffen

November 19, 1984

Parke Puterbaugh

1985 rating: 3½

1992 rating: 5

2004 rating: 4

Agent Provcoateur

Foreigner

Atlantic

November 5, 1984

David Fricke

1985 rating: 3

1992 rating: 3½

2004 rating: 3½

Centerfield

John Fogerty

Warner Bros.

January 15, 1985

Kurt Loder

1985 rating: 4

1992 rating: 3

2004 rating: 3

Tropico

Pat Benatar

Chrysalis

November 1984

Christopher Connelly

1985 rating: 3

1992 rating: 1½

2004 rating: 2

Word Of Mouth

The Kinks

Chrysalis

November 19, 1984

David Fricke

1985 rating: 3½

1992 rating: 2½

2004 rating: 1