issue 443

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 443, dated March 14, 1985, featured U2 on the cover and ten albums reviewed near the back of the issue, including three classic Velvet Underground reissues and the first four volumes of Rhino's Nuggets series chronicling garage rock and early psychedelic rock.  As far as albums in HERC's collection, The VU and Nuggets albums made the cut while Knopfler's noodlings did not.  

Just about the same time this issue of Rolling Stone hit newsstands (and mailboxes), HERC saw U2 on their Unforgettable Fire Tour with special guests Red Rockers.

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

Comfort And Joy [EP]

Mark Knopfler

Vertigo

July 27, 1984

Debby Bull

1985 rating: 4

1992 rating: -

2004 rating: -

Music from the film CAL

Mark Knopfler

Vertigo

August 24, 1984

Debby Bull

1985 rating: 4

1992 rating: 3½

2004 rating: 3½

V.U.

Velvet Underground

Verve

February 1985

David Fricke

1985 rating: 5

1992 rating: 4

2004 rating: 4

Velvet Undergorund and Nico

Velvet Underground

Verve

March 12, 1967

David Fricke

1985 rating: 5

1992 rating: 5

2004 rating: 5

White Light/White Heat

Velvet Underground

Verve

January 30, 1968

David Fricke

1985 rating: 4

1992 rating: 4

2004 rating: 5

The Velvet Underground

Velvet Underground

Verve

March 1969

David Fricke

1985 rating: 4

1992 rating: 4

2004 rating: 5

Nuggets, Volume One: The Hits

various artists

Rhino

1984

Parke Puterbaugh

1985 rating: 4½

1992 rating: 4

2004 rating: -

Nuggets, Volume Two: Punk

various artists

Rhino

1984

Parke Puterbaugh

1985 rating: 3½

1992 rating: -

2004 rating: -

Nuggets, Volume Three: Pop

various artists

Rhino

1984

Parke Puterbaugh

1985 rating: 3½

1992 rating: -

2004 rating: -

Nuggets, Volume Four: Pop, Part Two

various artists

Rhino

1984

Parke Puterbaugh

1985 rating: 3

1992 rating: -

2004 rating: -