1/31/14

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

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