"HISTORY OF US" INDIGO GIRLS (1989)

For October, the Mental Jukebox is dialing it way back to the eighties and going deep. Deep cuts have always been an important element of music listening to me because they’re often the songs that resonate with me most. Deep cuts are usually the ones that the true fans appreciate most. I like my singles and hits, but I love my deep cuts.

The self-titled Indigo Girls album brings me back to my last couple of years of high school. I caught them on the album’s promotion tour at Port Chester’s Capitol Theatre – just my second ever concert at that point. Some of the songs are celebratory, some of them are unmistakably somber, and all of them are deeply reflective. Ray and Saliers were just 25 and 26 respectively when the album was released, but they were wise beyond their years. This gave songs like “History Of Us” a deep sense of perspective and wisdom that you wouldn’t expect from a couple of twenty-somethings.

I think what makes “History Of Us” that much more special is that it wasn’t celebrated like the album’s more well known songs: “Closer To Fine”, “Secure Yourself”, “Kid Fears”, “Love’s Recovery” and “Land Of Canaan”. “History Of Us” is a hidden gem on the record. Quiet, unassuming, not drawing special attention to itself. Written by Saliers, it’s a song that feels like it was written for the listener, about the listener. It leaves a multi-faceted impression in its wake: nostalgia, remorse, sadness, and all of it, absolutely all of it, is just beautiful.

“Stretched our youth as we must, until we are ashes to dust. Until time makes history of us.”

"MY FATHER'S HOUSE" BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN (1982)

For October, the Mental Jukebox is dialing it way back to the eighties and going deep. Deep cuts have always been an important element of music listening to me because they’re often the songs that resonate with me most. Deep cuts are usually the ones that the true fans appreciate most. I like my singles and hits, but I love my deep cuts.

One of the most powerful things about being a songwriter is you get to tell your story. They’re not just your words. They’re your memories and experiences. These types of songs always feel much fulfilling because they don’t just rely on technical skill and expertise. They come from the heart. Springsteen has written about his relationships, his home, his life. And here in “My Father’s House”, he writes about his dad.

The stark simplicity of “My Father’s House” is reflective of the minimalist production approach on Nebraska. It’s just Springsteen singing, playing harmonica and strumming his guitar. There’s an air of Johnny Cash happening here, but these lyrics are Springsteen’s story of his strained relationship with his dad. It’s pure Springsteen through and through – proving that the most profound aspect of his musicality is the ability to tell a gripping, personal story.

“Last night I dreamed that I was a child out where the pines grow wild and tall. I was trying to make it home through the forest before the darkness falls.”

"WEIGHT OF THE WORLD" ERASURE (1988)

For October, the Mental Jukebox is dialing it way back to the eighties and going deep. Deep cuts have always been an important element of music listening to me because they’re often the songs that resonate with me most. Deep cuts are usually the ones that the true fans appreciate most. I like my singles and hits, but I love my deep cuts.

Vince Clarke is one of the true elder statesmen of synth pop. A founding member of Depeche Mode who gave us bright synth anthems like “New Life” and “Just Can’t Get Enough”. As the band shifted toward a darker sound, Clarke left and formed Yaz (Yazoo in the UK) with Alison Moyet, penning more classics like “Nobody’s Diary”, “Situation”, “Don’t Go” and “Only You”. But my favorite Clarke era is the first decade of Erasure with Andy Bell – and deep cuts like “Weight of the World” are a big reason why.

The Innocents was a banner album for Erasure, spawning some of their biggest hits – including “A Little Respect” and “Chains Of Love”, while also containing some of the band’s most beloved songs like “Phantom Bride” and “Ship of Fools”. “Weight of the World” didn’t jump out the way some of those songs did, but it has a staying power in its slow tempo groove. The deep cut was always one of my favorite tracks. Vince’s simple, commanding synth bass lines and circus-esque transition lines. Andy’s soulful vocals. A relic of Erasure at the top of their game.

“You hold your head in your hands And the weight of the world on your shoulders.”

"LAST CHANCE ON THE STAIRWAY" DURAN DURAN (1982)

For October, the Mental Jukebox is dialing it way back to the eighties and going deep. Deep cuts have always been an important element of music listening to me because they’re often the songs that resonate with me most. Deep cuts are usually the ones that the true fans appreciate most. I like my singles and hits, but I love my deep cuts.

Most fans say Rio is Duran Duran’s best album. Which makes it interesting that some of these deep cuts aren’t celebrated more. All the accolades seem to go to the big U.S. singles “Rio” and Hungry Like The Wolf”, Live Aid darling “Save a Prayer” and the universally appreciated closing track, “The Chauffeur”. But the album is stacked from beginning to end. You can’t count out the European disco-tinged single “My Own Way”, the new wave banger “Hold Back The Rain”, the omnious epic “New Religion” that got some attention on the live album Arena, and then there’s Track 7: “Last Chance On The Stairway”.

A deep cut that could’ve been a single. Sounds about right for an outfit like Duran Duran. The shimmery synth lines from Nick Rhodes and bumpy bass lines from John Taylor make “Last Chance On The Stairway” one of my favorite cuts from Rio. But what brings it over the edge for me is the instrumental bridge, featuring a conga drum interlude from Roger. It’s vintage Duran Duran. Everything the fans love about the band, but somehow, strangely, gets overlooked and overshadowed by the big MTV-promoted tracks.

“And sometimes I'm caught in a landslide.”

"HELLO EARTH" KATE BUSH (1985)

For October, the Mental Jukebox is dialing it way back to the eighties and going deep. Deep cuts have always been an important element of music listening to me because they’re often the songs that resonate with me most. Deep cuts are usually the ones that the true fans appreciate most. I like my singles and hits, but I love my deep cuts.

Sometimes I think about how much I owe to music artists who unknowingly have become such a huge part of me. My life’s soundtrack. I think about how this movie I’m living would not be the same without the music tracks to support it. Then I think about the music artists who not only exhibited greatness in their own right, they helped pave the way for other great artists that followed after them. These are my thoughts when I listen to Kate Bush’s “Hello Earth”.

Kate always had such a unique perspective. A unique way of looking at things that are right in front of us. “Hello Earth” is one of many examples of this. A beautiful, sweeping deep cut on an album full of Kate’s biggest “hits”, it’s possibly the one track that best exhibits and typifies her ability to let the beauty shine through the ugliness. “Hello Earth” has even greater implications when you hear it back today and realize that this was the sound and aesthetic that Tori Amos and others built off in their own amazing trajectory as music artists. I’m in awe as I listen to it today nearly 40 years later. 40 friggin years.

“With just one hand held up high, I can blot you out Out of sight.”

"WE WORK THE BLACK SEAM" STING (1985)

For October, the Mental Jukebox is dialing it way back to the eighties and going deep. Deep cuts have always been an important element of music listening to me because they’re often the songs that resonate with me most. Deep cuts are usually the ones that the true fans appreciate most. I like my singles and hits, but I love my deep cuts.

My Dream of the Blue Turtles cassette was a prized member of my music collection. I loved all those songs. “Russians” and “Fortress Around Your Heart” are top 5 solo Sting tracks for me. But it’s the maturity and versatility of the entire album that I remember as I listen back to it for the first time in quite a while. The Dream of the Blue Turtles is an amalgam of social themes and genre explorations – and “We Work The Black Seam” is one of the album’s most ambitious tracks.

“We Work The Black Seam” is more than a song, it’s an essay about the decimation of the coal industry and the bleak prospects of a nuclear-powered future. The lyrics are Pulitzer Prize quality. But in typical Sting fashion, the best part isn’t just the words. It’s the way in which he strings the words along to a melody. Like many of the other tracks on The Dream of the Blue Turtles, “We Work The Black Seam” has inventive, wildly ambitious chord progressions, fused together to create a melody like no other.

“One day in a nuclear age They may understand our rage. They build machines that they can't control And bury the waste in a great big hole.”

"SWAN SWAN H" R.E.M. (1986)

For October, the Mental Jukebox is dialing it way back to the eighties and going deep. Deep cuts have always been an important element of music listening to me because they’re often the songs that resonate with me most. Deep cuts are usually the ones that the true fans appreciate most. I like my singles and hits, but I love my deep cuts.

Life’s Rich Pageant has been described as the critical point in time when the band began to cross over to reach a wider fan base. The reality is that Document was really the album that put the band on the map with non-college rock fans. Still, you look back at Life’s Rich Pageant and see highly accessible classics like “Fall On Me”, “Begin The Begin” and “Superman” side by side with R.E.M. classics like “Swan Swan H”.

Buried deep in the back half of Life’s Rich Pageant, R.E.M. sounds more like a campfire song than a rock song, a strong veer into a more reflective, somber R.E.M. before the vibrant pop of “Superman” closes things out. Of the two tracks, “Swan Swan H” is the one that truly defines the R.E.M. sound in terms of the melody’s composition, the minor guitar chord playing and Stipe’s wailing, arching vocals. It’s a late relic of the band’s unique, original sound.

“A pistol hot cup of rhyme. The whiskey is water, the water is wine.”

"EL DIABLO" ARCADIA (1985)

For October, the Mental Jukebox is dialing it way back to the eighties and going deep. Deep cuts have always been an important element of music listening to me because they’re often the songs that resonate with me most. Deep cuts are usually the ones that the true fans appreciate most. I like my singles and hits, but I love my deep cuts.

So Red The Rose was an underrated album here in the States. While “Election Day” made some noise as a single, it was the other Duran Duran side project – The Power Station with Robert Palmer and Tony Thompson – that made the biggest impression on this side of the pond. But the themes, songwriting, musicality and production that came from Le Bon, Rhodes and Roger were stellar, including this deep cut, “El Diablo”.

With this track, the devil is in the details. The ocarina comes up big, creating a mystic, ethereal sound. Duran Duran was no stranger to this instrument, having used it most famously in “The Chauffeur”, but that was just the beginning. “El Diablo” also includes a string arrangement of violins and a flamenco-inspired guitar part. Quite ambitious for a side project and a refreshing departure from the hit machine that is Duran Duran.

“One life with the devil do I play. For so long el Diablo is to blame.”

"THE WORKING HOUR" TEARS FOR FEARS (1985)

For October, the Mental Jukebox is dialing it way back to the eighties and going deep. Deep cuts have always been an important element of music listening to me because they’re often the songs that resonate with me most. Deep cuts are usually the ones that the true fans appreciate most. I like my singles and hits, but I love my deep cuts.

Songs from the Big Chair contained absolutely massive hits. Songs that defined an era, including “Shout”, “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” and “Head Over Heels”. But the album also showed us the band’s penchant for creating beyond the four-minute pop single. TFF could do new wave and straight-ahead pop in their sleep. But I think some of their more impressive work are those grander explorations where they saunter along the edges of jazz and classical. One of the best examples of this is “The Working Hour”.

It may not be the song that grabs you right away off that album, but, for me, it has the most staying power of any track on Songs from the Big Chair. The saxophone — and the grand piano to a lesser extent — were instruments that certainly thrived in the 80s. But TFF was using them in arrangements and executions that were uniquely their own. “The Working Hour” doles out sweeping soundscapes, key changes and instrumental jazz solos. It’s delightful. Grand. And timeless.

“Find out, find out, what this fear is about.”

"WE DO WHAT WE'RE TOLD (MILGRAM'S 37)" PETER GABRIEL (1986)

For October, the Mental Jukebox is dialing it way back to the eighties and going deep. Deep cuts have always been an important element of music listening to me because they’re often the songs that resonate with me most. Deep cuts are usually the ones that the true fans appreciate most. I like my singles and hits, but I love my deep cuts.

While “Shock The Monkey” certainly thrusted Peter Gabriel into the mainstream spotlight, the So album is really the output that made him a permanent fixture among the masses. “Sledgehammer”, “Big Time”, “In Your Eyes”, “Don’t Give Up”, everyone knows these songs thanks to MTV, mainstream radio and a coming-of-age flick called Say Anything. But lurking in the back end of this landmark album are two prog anthems – “This Is The Picture (Excellent Birds)” and “We Do What We’re Told (Milgram’s 37)” – that prove Gabriel never lost the itch for something far more unexpected.

“We Do What We’re Told (Milgram’s 37)” is a far cry from the track that precedes it (“Big Time”) in every regard. It’s a slow, prodding track that prefers to crawl under your skin rather than whack you in the head. The synthesizer and guitar notes are sparse and haunted. Minimal. The words resemble an existential poem more than a rock song. And the impression is far less immediate. A song that may not have an immediate impact on you, but days after hearing it you might find it lurking inside your head.

“One doubt. One voice. One waR. One truth. One dream.”

"MLK" U2 (1984)

For October, the Mental Jukebox is dialing it way back to the eighties and going deep. Deep cuts have always been an important element of music listening to me because they’re often the songs that resonate with me most. Deep cuts are usually the ones that the true fans appreciate most. I like my singles and hits, but I love my deep cuts.

Like any other band, there are varying opinions as to which album is the band’s best. Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby are often cited as their best, and deservedly so. Those albums are fantastic. But I would also put War and The Unforgettable Fire up there – and the latter is my personal favorite. The songs are great – a perfect array of bangers (“Pride”, “Wire”, “A Sort of Homecoming”), mid-tempo gems (“The Unforgettable Fire”, “Bad”), and ballads (“4th of July”, “MLK”).

“MLK” is a true album track. By itself, it’s great. But it’s infinitely better when played with the rest of The Unforgettable Fire in its totality. The element I’m most drawn to when it comes to U2’s music has always been The Edge’s manic guitar riffs. But on “MLK”, it’s missing. In fact, the only instrumentation is a sole drone note on the synthesizer that accompanies Bono’s vocals. It’s perfect as is. No guitar, snare hit or bass line can improve it.

“SLEEP, Sleep tonight And may your dreams Be realized.”

"VERDI CRIES" 10,000 MANIACS (1987)

For October, the Mental Jukebox is dialing it way back to the eighties and going deep. Deep cuts have always been an important element of music listening to me because they’re often the songs that resonate with me most. Deep cuts are usually the ones that the true fans appreciate most. I like my singles and hits, but I love my deep cuts.

Natalie Merchant’s lyrics during the 10,000 Maniacs years are absolute treasures. An underrated songwriter, I never understood why they weren’t bigger. I’ve always preferred those albums – especially In My Tribe and Our Time In Eden – much more than Merchant’s solo work although those albums got all the attention. One of the greatest treasures of them all is the last track on In My Tribe: “Verdi Cries”.

Few songs capture beauty and heartache as well as “Verdi Cries”. The song is steeped in an overwhelming sense of isolation, with the only thing accompanying the man in 119 is the music. The tale told by Merchant is beautifully written and brought to life by the strings: cello, viola and double bass. Even in my high schools, I sensed Merchant tugging heartstrings on this one which, almost always, is the best way to sing a song.

“The man in 119 takes his tea all alone. Mornings we all rise to wireless Verdi cries.”

"AS HARD AS IT IS" FINE YOUNG CANNIBALS (1988)

For October, the Mental Jukebox is dialing it way back to the eighties and going deep. Deep cuts have always been an important element of music listening to me because they’re often the songs that resonate with me most. Deep cuts are usually the ones that the true fans appreciate most. I like my singles and hits, but I love my deep cuts.

I still remember the day I got my The Raw & The Cooked CD. I remember hearing from critics about a clear delineation between the first and second “sides”, that the first half was the raw and the second half was the cooked. I honestly couldn’t tell how one side was more raw or more cooked than the other. But I do remember the album being great from beginning to end with no filler. I do like the cooked side quite a bit, especially the Buzzcocks cover “Ever Fallen In Love” and the throwback ballad “As Hard As It Is”.

The song starts and ends with that voice. There’s no one else that sounds like Roland Gift. On “As Hard As It Is”, his voice truly ascends and has a chance to shine with its slower, prodding tempo. You can hear a sturdy oakiness on the song that stands in stark contrast to his falsetto approach on “She Drives Me Crazy” and “I’m Not The Man I Used To Be”. The ballad is a refreshing change of pace for an album that mostly operates at a fast, dance-friendly tempo.

“Life's been quiet since you've been gone.”

"VITAL SIGNS" RUSH (1981)

For October, the Mental Jukebox is dialing it way back to the eighties and going deep. Deep cuts have always been an important element of music listening to me because they’re often the songs that resonate with me most. Deep cuts are usually the ones that the true fans appreciate most. I like my singles and hits, but I love my deep cuts.

The Moving Pictures album is widely recognized as one of Rush’s best albums – from beginning to end. It is a tale of two halves. Side A contains four of the band’s biggest anthems. While still rooted in Rush’s progressive agenda, the songs reveal signs of a band willing to reach across the aisle to music fans that prefer more straight ahead rock, most notably in “Limelight” and “Red Barchetta”. But Side B is unapologetically progressive and less palatable for the masses. That’s what makes songs like “Vital Signs” so good.

The song reflects Peart’s mind for things rock bands rarely articulate so eloquently. “Leave out the fiction. The fact is this friction will only be worn by persistence.” The electronic elements give the song its prog tilt, but it’s also a song heavily influenced by the reggae rock sound of The Police in both the drums and guitar playing. “Vital Signs” is clear evidence of a band that’s willing to evolve and welcome in new influences. A band that has never settled for the status quo.

“Leave out conditions. Courageous convictions Will drag the dream into existence.”

"NO. 13 BABY" PIXIES (1989)

For October, the Mental Jukebox is dialing it way back to the eighties and going deep. Deep cuts have always been an important element of music listening to me because they’re often the songs that resonate with me most. Deep cuts are usually the ones that the true fans appreciate most. I like my singles and hits, but I love my deep cuts.

The art of creating a stellar two-minute banger is one thing. Creating an album full of them is another. Doolittle doesn’t let up. Ever. On tour, the band still trots out a bunch of these tracks – and honestly I wish they would play the whole album in sequence. It’s an album where the deep cuts were just as strong as the singles. The singles, “Here Comes Your Man” and “Monkey Gone To Heaven” in particular, may have been more melodic. But most fans love the Pixies for the fits of rage where melodies almost don’t matter. Case in point: “No. 13 Baby”.

Black Francis could’ve sung this one without a coherent tune and it would still be just as strong. On “No. 13 Baby”, Dave and Kim lay down a chunky rhythmic bed, but musically this is Joey’s show. His guitar is, at times, possessed on the song. Sometimes it feels like it’s buried underground only to rise from the dead and die again. It’s that soft-loud-soft dynamic perfected where the guitar gets us to rise and fall along with it.

“Viva, don't want no blue eyes. La loma, I want brown eyes.”

"GYPSY" SUZANNE VEGA (1987)

For October, the Mental Jukebox is dialing it way back to the eighties and going deep. Deep cuts have always been an important element of music listening to me because they’re often the songs that resonate with me most. Deep cuts are usually the ones that the true fans appreciate most. I like my singles and hits, but I love my deep cuts.

Solitude Standing will always hold a special place in my heart. Suzanne was the first music artist that I met in person. She signed both my Solitude Standing and 99.9 F CDs at Tower Records in Greenwich Village back in the early 90’s. About 25 years later, I saw her perform literally 10 feet left of center from me at Joe’s Pub. Unsurprisingly, only “Luka” and “Tom’s Diner” from Solitude Standing made it on the setlist. It was an incredible night of wit and music. But I was disappointed she didn’t play “Gypsy”.

In 1987, my music tastes mainly leaned in two directions: a classic hard rock direction including the likes of Rush, Pink Floyd and Zeppelin, and an alternative rock direction including R.E.M., U2, Depeche Mode and the like. “Gypsy” with its folk-inspired elements, was clearly neither of these. It’s a song that helped me to appreciate the strength of great songwriting and storytelling, not just a killer guitar riff or synth hook. “Gypsy” is beautifully written, showcasing Vega’s unique ability to merge poetry with prose.

“You come from far away With pictures in your eyes.”

"BIG MAN ON MULBERRY STREET" BILLY JOEL (1986)

For October, the Mental Jukebox is dialing it way back to the eighties and going deep. Deep cuts have always been an important element of music listening to me because they’re often the songs that resonate with me most. Deep cuts are usually the ones that the true fans appreciate most. I like my singles and hits, but I love my deep cuts.

There are few artists more associated with New York than Billy Joel. It’s not just the artist’s hometown. It’s his inspiration – and often the state, the city and its people have been a key subject in his songs. “New York State of Mind”, “Summer, Highland Falls”, “The Downeaster Alexa”, “Miami 2017” and many other songs all reference New York in some shape or form. Another example of this is the deep cut off The Bridge, “Big Man On Mulberry Street”.

Jazz-influenced and featuring Ron Carter on acoustic bass, “Big Man On Mulberry Street” has plenty of big band moments as well as low-key meanderings. It feels like a big production in every way – from Joel’s piano playing to the horn section flourishes. Who is this big man on Mulberry Street? He can’t seem to stay out of trouble. He comes alive at night. He’s always making an impression. And Joel found just the right words to become him for five and a half minutes. When he writes about New York, he can't go wrong.

“Sometimes I panic, What if nobody finds out who I am?”

"BYE BYE BAD MAN" THE STONE ROSES (1989)

For October, the Mental Jukebox is dialing it way back to the eighties and going deep. Deep cuts have always been an important element of music listening to me because they’re often the songs that resonate with me most. Deep cuts are usually the ones that the true fans appreciate most. I like my singles and hits, but I love my deep cuts.

The day I discovered The Stone Roses’ debut album was a watershed moment for me as a music fan. Looking back, I think this is when I became a serious fan of music. I got lost in the music – and I couldn’t help but dissect every element of those songs. The Velvet Underground was known as the band that made its listeners want to start their own band. Well, that’s what The Stone Roses did for me. One of the less heralded tracks on the debut record would be another band’s anthem track. “Bye Bye Bad Man” is resolutely a significant part of my life’s soundtrack.

The melody is exceptional. So exceptional, in fact, that I can’t imagine another band concocting it. It gives “Bye Bye Bad Man” that rare juxtaposition of smooth flow and hard edges. Instrumentally there are no slouches here. Every band piece is so critical to the sound. Each member adds serious muscle to the track – from Ian Brown’s Manchester drone and Squire’s jangle fest on guitar to Mani’s chunky bass meanderings and Reni’s garage rock sound on drums. The song is a reminder of how endearing Tracks 1-12 were, not just the single releases. An extraordinary track from one of the most impressive debut albums of all time.

“Choke me, smoke the air in this citrus-sucking sunshine. I don't care. You're not all there.”

"OSCILLATE WILDLY" THE SMITHS (1987)

For October, the Mental Jukebox is dialing it way back to the eighties and going deep. Deep cuts have always been an important element of music listening to me because they’re often the songs that resonate with me most. Deep cuts are usually the ones that the true fans appreciate most. I like my singles and hits, but I love my deep cuts.

The U.K. had The World Won’t Listen. The U.S. had Louder Than Bombs, one of my all-time favorite compilations and albums, period. It might seem odd to call a track off a compilation as a deep cut – as compilations are often comprised of the hits or singles. However, just like New Order’s Substance, Louder Than Bombs contained a heavy dose of spectacular b-sides, including “Oscillate Wildly”.

More than any other song from the band, “Oscillate Wildly” demonstrated Johnny Marr’s musical intellect and diverse palette beyond traditional guitar riffs. It was the b-side to “How Soon is Now?” and sat quietly on the deep compilation album Louder Than Bombs. More notably, it was an instrumental. The subtle brilliance of “Oscillate Wildly” made me wish The Smiths recorded more instrumentals. To this day, it still remains one of my favorite Smiths tracks.

"WELCOME TO THE ROOM... SARA" FLEETWOOD MAC (1987)

For October, the Mental Jukebox is dialing it way back to the eighties and going deep. Deep cuts have always been an important element of music listening to me because they’re often the songs that resonate with me most. Deep cuts are usually the ones that the true fans appreciate most. I like my singles and hits, but I love my deep cuts.

Rumours will always be Fleetwood Mac’s piece de resistance. The holy grail. It’s legendary and stands among rock’s greatest albums. I think it’s this stature that has caused other Fleetwood Mac albums to be unfairly diminished. Fans love Tango In The Night and it’s universally recognized as a great album. Yet somehow I think it’s vastly underrated and hasn’t been given the recognition it’s due. We know the hits, but the album tracks are superb, including Track 9: “Welcome To the Room… Sara”.

In the U.S., the big hits were “Little Lies” and “Big Love”. Both of them are great, but I do like the minor hits (“Seven Wonders” and “Everywhere”) and deep cuts the best. “Welcome To The Room… Sara” is one of my favorites because, let’s face it, Fleetwood Mac is Stevie Nicks. The group lives and dies with her. So any song that puts her alto vocals at the forefront is going to be great. Of course, the stellar harmonies and instrumentation didn’t hurt either.

“This is a dream, right? Déjà vu.”