TODAY’S TOP TEN ALBUMS OF THE ’80s (by Diane Adams) 1. Kings Of The Wild Frontier – Adam & The Ants 2. Journeys To Glory - Spandau Ballet 3. Hounds Of Love – Kate Bush 4. Dare – Human League 5. Toyah! Toyah! Toyah! – Toyah 6. Rio - Duran Duran 7. A Walk Across The Rooftops - The Blue Nile 8. Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret – Soft Cell 9. Searching For The Young Soul Rebels – Dexys Midnight Runners 10.Sound Affects – The Jam ‘I suppose Kings Of The Wild Frontier sort of defined my adolescence,’ says Diane Adams from east London. ‘Adam was at the forefront of such exciting times for me and I’d never heard music like it before. It sounds as innovative today as it did then. I’m not ashamed to say that my bedroom wall was covered with posters of him. He was such a hunk!’ Done your Top Ten yet? Time is running out. Message, don’t post, your selection and if you could mention why you chose your No. 1 that would be great. If you want to promote anything – record, book, film, gig etc. – send the details at the same time. We guarantee to post every one we receive. Also, if you’d like to nominate a friend or friends to do the Top Ten challenge, please be our guests. The aim is to produce the Ultimate Flexipop! Top 40 Albums Of The 80s Chart so please put your choices in order. Released in November 1980, Kings Of The Wild Frontier was the second album by Adam & The Ants. It reached No. 1 in the UK, No 44 in the US, No. 4 in Sweden, No. 7 in New Zealand and No. 18 in Australia. It also spawned three hit singles Kings of the Wild Frontier that reached No. 2 in the UK; Dog Eat Dog, which reached No. 4 and Antmusic that peaked at No. 2 as well as No. 1 in Australia for five weeks. The album was the UK’s top selling in 1981 (and the 48th best seller in 1980) and won Best British Album at the 1982 Brit Awards. The album is included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. Allmusic said: ‘Hooking up with Malcolm McLaren was a pivotal moment for Adam Ant, since the manager not only introduced Ant to the thundering, infectious Burundi drum beat that became his signature, he stole his band, too. ‘Adam and the rest of the Ants had just worked up how to exploit the Burundi style when McLaren pirated the boys off to support Annabella Lwin in Bow Wow Wow -- using the very same sound they had developed with Adam Ant. It was now a race to get that sound into the stores first, and Adam lucked out when he joined forces with guitarist Marco Pirroni, who quickly proved to be invaluable. ‘Adam and Marco knocked out a bunch of songs that retained some of the dark artiness of Dirk Wears White Sox, largely anchored by those enormous Burundi beats and given great, irresistible pop hooks -- plus a flash sense of style, as the new Ants dressed up in something that looked like American Indians with a velveteen touch of a dandy fop. It was a brilliant, gonzo move -- something that quickly overshadowed Bow Wow Wow -- and the resulting record, Kings Of The Wild Frontier, is one of the great defining albums of its time. ‘Theres simply nothing else like it, nothing else that has the same bravado, the same swagger, the same gleeful self-aggrandizement and sense of camp. This walked a brilliant line between campiness and art-house chutzpah, and it arrived at precisely the right time -- at the forefront of new wave, so Adam & the Ants exploded into the British popular consciousness. If image was all that they had, they wouldve remained a fad, but Kings Of The Wild Frontier remains a terrific album because it not only has some tremendous songs -- the title track and Antmusic are classic hits, while Killer In The Home is every bit their equal -- but because it fearlessly, imperceptibly switches gears between giddy and ominous, providing nothing short of a thrill ride in its 13 songs. Thats why it still sounds like nothing else years after its release.’ Track List: Side A 1. Dog Eat Dog 2. Antmusic 3. Feed Me To The Lions 4. Los Rancheros 5. Ants Invasion 6. Killer In The Home Side B 1. Kings Of The Wild Frontier 2. The Magnificent Five 3. Dont Be Square (Be There) 4. Jolly Roger 5. Making History 6. The Human Beings If you can’t get the Vevo link below, try this cool live version youtu.be/JHoExnbjI7M
Posted on: Mon, 26 Jan 2015 12:55:19 +0000
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