A LIFE WITH MUSIC - 1979 - BEST 20 ALBUMS

Here we are again, marrying life and great LP records. Living free of responsibility, records, socialising, and girlfriends were my priorities. Good times.

[@nickcooper1260]

Great choices, David, from 1979 i still love Wire's '154'. The number, '154' referred to the number of gigs they had played up to then'' Magazine's ''Secondhand Daylight' is another classic, with an eerie atmosphere of it's own.

[@davidatkinson-lifematters4826]

Thanks Nick. I have 'Pink Flag' and a CD comp that has tracks from '154'. I have the Magazine albums too. At the time there was so much new music from bands that wouldn't have got a look-in three years earlier, it really was difficult to keep up.

[@vayres7512]

Gang of Four - Entertainment!

[@Fastnbulbous1969]

Great #1 pick with the Ruts. Did you see them live? I've loved that album since I found it at 18 and featured it on my punk radio show in college. And yet 1979 had so many great albums it wasn't in my top 13 -- maybe it should be higher on my list! 1. Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures 2. Buzzcocks - Singles Going Steady 3. The Clash - London Calling 4. Wire - 154 5. Gang of Four - Entertainment! 6. The Slits - Cut 7. Public Image Ltd. - Metal Box/Second Edition 8. Talking Heads - Fear Of Music 9. The Damned - Machine Gun Etiquette 10. The Jam - Setting Sons 11. The Raincoats - The Raincoats 12. XTC - Drums And Wires 13. Thin Lizzy - Black Rose: A Rock Legend Elvis Costello & The Attractions - Armed Forces The Ruts - The Crack Buzzcocks - A Different Kind Of Tension Magazine - Secondhand Daylight The Police - Regatta de Blanc Yellow Magic Orchestra - Solid State Survivor Stiff Little Fingers - Inflammable Material Neil Young & Crazy Horse - Rust Never Sleeps Chrome - Half Machine Lip Moves Contortions - Buy The Specials - The Specials Graham Parker & the Rumor - Squeezing Out Sparks Gary Numan - The Pleasure Principle The Only Ones - Even Serpents Shine Electric Light Orchestra - Discovery The Pop Group - Y Motörhead - Overkill

[@TheBennie102103]

1979 is a special year for me personally, it's the year I started dating my then to be wife and even thought she passed in 2015, I will listen to music from 1979 ( especially the album "Tusk" from Fleetwood Mac) because it makes me feel young again and it brings back that year in memories of her.

[@davidatkinson-lifematters4826]

Good to know that music helps you to rekindle good memories. Thanks for watching the video. 1980 will be around soon.

[@muldoon67]

Thanks for the Ruts, that has now been added to my list of must haves.

[@ianseymour8218]

Have just caught up with this video. Fascinating! Am going to check out a number of these albums that ive not listened to yet. Thanks really enjoyed!!

[@johnw706]

A great list , and I have quite a few of those in my list as well . Here's some of my favourites in 1979 , starting with. my favourites first : Joe Jackson : Look Sharp ! The Pretenders : The Pretenders The Clash : London Calling Graham Parker & the Rumour : Squeezing Out Sparks Pink Floyd : The Wall Jethro Tull : Stormwatch Earth , Wind & Fire : I Am Elvis Costello : Armed Forces Neil Young & Crazy Horse : Live Rust ZZ Top : Dequello Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers : Damn the Torpedoes Dire Straits : Communique Roxy Music : Manifesto The Cars : Candy O Talking Heads : Fear of Music The Specials : The Specials Robert Fripp : Exposure The B 52s : The B 52s Supertramp : Breakfast in America Gary Numan : The Pleasure Principle Cheers !!

[@davidatkinson-lifematters4826]

Let's add some from my shortlist: Pretenders, EW&F ('In the Stone' - wow), 'Live Rust' (of course), 'Fear of Music' (almost made it), The B52s - coming soon!, Supertramp (my least favourite album from this period of theirs - still very good though). I think I'd checked-out of Jethro Tull by then. They just didn't hold my attention when punk and New Wave came along.

[@johnw706]

@@davidatkinson-lifematters4826 Yes , Breakfast is not my favourite Supertramp album either . Tull's Stormwatch is one that has grown on me over the years . And , of course , I forgot to include the Boomtown Rats debut album in my list . Yes , In the Stone is a killer EW & F song , as are Can't Let Go , and Wait . What an opening to that album : In the Stone , Can't Let Go , and After the Love Has Gone . All 'N" All was always my favourite EW&F album , but I Am is very very close to replacing it .

[@davidatkinson-lifematters4826]

@@johnw706 'That's the Way of the World' for me. What an incredible band.

[@johnw706]

@@davidatkinson-lifematters4826 Yes , that's another great one by them .

[@paulsimister944]

My second, third and fourth semesters as a student in Newcastle. The first thing I learned in January 1979 was just how cold it gets up north and second, the local girls were much tougher than I was. Again I'll share the albums from 1979 that have made my all-time top 500 list recently. 19 Bruce Cockburn - Dancing in the Dragon's Jaws 18 Magazine - Secondhand Daylight 17 Muddy Waters - Muddy “Mississippi “ Waters Live 16 Tom Petty - Damn The Torpedoes 15 Thin Lizzy - Black Rose 14 Supertramp - Breakfast in America 13 UFO - Strangers In The Night 12 David Bowie - Lodger 11 Graham Parker - Squeezing Out The Sparks 10 Neil Young - Rust Never Sleeps 9 Pink Floyd - The Wall 8 The Undertones - The Undertones 7 The Jam - Setting Sons 6 Bob Dylan - Bob Dylan At Budokan 5 Elvis Costello - Armed Forces 4 The Clash - The Clash US version of the debut album 3 Neil Young - Live Rust 2 The Clash - London Calling 1 Van Morrison - Into The Music Like 1978, 1979 has five albums in my current all-time top 100 list. 1979 produced my favourite albums by The Clash, Neil Young, Elvis Costello, The Undertones and UFO. I have the album by The Ruts but it's never really captured my attention. I'll give it a play in the next few days. Looking at my list, the Magazine album should probably be higher.

[@davidatkinson-lifematters4826]

Come on Paul, Newcastle isn't that cold! The women really are tough though. :-) That's a good list. I try and select only the very few live albums that meant a lot to me, but 'Strangers in the Night' and 'Live Rust' are great albums.

[@MrTahuna333]

Yes to Bruce Cockburn. What an album.

[@paultomaney9111]

The Ruts! Forgotten brilliance. As usual, class video from a classy gent

[@davidatkinson-lifematters4826]

You're too kind!

[@MGKBOSTON]

Hi David! I love that Rickie Lee Jones record and I have the follow up Pirates. When I was at university I had a girlfriend for a moment who loved Edie Brickell. Such a similar sound to Rickie Lee Jones. Manifesto is terrific! Gimme the night! George Benson is great as you said. Rust Never Sleeps is in my collection along with the Live album. Chic “Good Times”…everyone to the dance floor. I love all 5 Police albums. London Calling David! I think I remember you showing that Ruts album in another video. It’s one I don’t know but based on your description I need it. ✌️

[@davidatkinson-lifematters4826]

Mike, if you like punk, then 'The Crack' is one you'll love. It's not only savage in places, it's beautifully recorded and sounds fantastic. Next to John Lydon, Malcolm Owen is the best punk frontman ever.

[@garypeacock5919]

Rust never sleeps for me David, a game changer.

[@alltheworldsastage899]

Hey David! Great hearing about the gigs you saw. I was in the Air Force in 1979, funds were a bit limited, so I'm guessing I only went to a handful of shows back then. Best one was Ian Hunter on the 'You're Never Alone' tour. I think I have 9 of the 20 albums you showed. Cheers!

[@davidatkinson-lifematters4826]

You 'think', Steve? Surely your spreadsheet will confirm?! 😅 I'm surprised it's only nine though. Can't argue with Ian Hunter. I saw him around this time too, although I can't remember what album he was promoting. I just wanted to hear tracks from 'AAAB', which I loooove.

[@user-dw3hl4sh2w]

I'm 66 and have never liked punk, although Babylon is Burning is a great single. I attended university from 1975-78, and I hated the way rock was gradually replaced by punk at the Students' Union. The audiences were poor for punk. As a teenager, I loved Yes, Zeppelin, Crimson, Steely Dan, Weather Report, Mahavishnu, Gentle Giant, Pink Floyd and Genesis. I admire your eclectic tastes. Of your top 20, I only own the Fripp, Neil Young, and Floyd picks. By 1979 I was hanging out in London nightclubs and was into disco, jazz fusion and ECM. For me, black American disco was more interesting than punk. It was a lot more fun.

[@davidatkinson-lifematters4826]

Cheers for your comment. I think your own music tastes seem quite varied too. For me, punk was just another music genre that came to prominence, rather than a 'movement' I was going to sign-up to, fashion and all. With the exception of Mahavishnu (which I tolerate rather than love), the bands you mention are all amongst my favourites. I'd say punk was a necessary corrective to the blandness that mid-70s pop music had become (remember, punk was really a singles, rather than albums genre), but like you I got into disco and contemporary soul music (with some of the old stuff thrown-in). Less keen on jazz fusion (loved Brand X, Weather Report, Cobham, etc.) but ECM has become a significant (and still) growing portion of my collection since I discovered Pat Metheny/Lyle Mays' 'As Falls Wichita....' album back in the day. They're still coming....even yesterday I took yet another delivery of an ECM album (on vinyl) - Gavin Bryars this time.

[@user-ix4wn1th5m]

Hi 👋 Greetings from New Zealand. You have bought back memories for me. I was 19 years young in 79. I worked for a film 🎥 distribution company thar released cinema movies. I was a film examiner and also worked in publicity. Loved the job. The postion doesnt exist today. I bought Roxy Music 's album Manifesto that year on vinyl. I like the song Angel Eyes from it. I spent alot of my Saturday nights at the disco or a punk venue. One foot in disco and the other foot in a punk club. I liked the British Ska Two Tone scene , and bought the Specials debut album. I also was into Bad Manners , Selecter , and the English Beat. Good video thanks. From Carl.

[@davidatkinson-lifematters4826]

Cheers Carl, and greetings to you too. So much great music during this period. Wasn't it cool to be able to enjoy dressing-up for the disco one night, and wear ragged t-shirt for a punk gig the next? Great times.

[@n22pdf]

Wow great to hear of your younger life Dave and seeing some of the tickets you have from back then.. your memory is amazing and your music knowledge over the years.. Great top 20 albums :) Pete

[@davidatkinson-lifematters4826]

Cheers Pete. A life wasted behind a bedroom door with the volume turned-up loud!

[@EmbryonicRobot]

Wow, that's an excellent collection of concerts and records too. I'll admit that #5 surprised me, and maybe #7 too. I love that Police record. London Calling dropped here in January too, so I consider it the best of both '79 and '80! I have never heard your #1. I would include Joy Division's Unknown Pleasures and Leonard Cohen's Recent Songs for 1979. Nicely done.

[@davidatkinson-lifematters4826]

My dancing days were just beginning! 'Unknown Pleasures' was on my shortlist, but for me, it's always come a distant second to 'Closer'. Despite owning his 'Greatest Hits' Lenny didn't become significant for me until 'Various Positions'. He'll definitely feature later in this (interminable?) series. 😊

[@vinylwood]

Holy cow you had a great 👍 time and so fortunate to have seen so many awesome acts. I grew up in a medium sized city in Canada and would have to drive 5 hrs to Vancouver to see any major events. Only smaller acts or up and coming America/Canadian bands came to my town. Well I almost got to 20 outta 20 same albums with you. The Steve Hacket & that particular G Benson I don’t own. 18 of 20 ! Not bad. We are on the same wavelength lol. Fun video.

[@davidatkinson-lifematters4826]

Thank you very much. Yes, we were rather lucky to live in a major city, where all the tours visited back when 2000 seater city halls WERE the circuit. Mostly arenas and stadiums these days.

[@vinylwood]

@@davidatkinson-lifematters4826 Come to think of it I had moved to Vancouver in 84 and then got to see massive amounts of music. Many big names now were just starting at that time. Good times for sure. 👍

[@disconnected22]

Rickie Lee Jones did a great version of Rebel Rebel

[@davidatkinson-lifematters4826]

Going to chase that down.