ABC - The Lexicon of Love (1982)

From allmusic (5/5):

"ABC's debut album combined the talents of the Sheffield, U.K.-based band, particularly lead singer Martin Fry, a fashion plate of a frontman with a Bryan Ferry fixation, and the inventive production style of former Buggles member Trevor Horn and his team of musicians, several of whom would go on to form the Art of Noise. Horn created dense tracks that merged synthesizer sounds, prominent beats, and swaths of strings and horns, their orchestrations courtesy of Anne Dudley, who would follow her work with the Art of Noise by becoming a prominent film composer, and who here underscored Fry's stylized romantic lyrics and dramatic, if affected, singing. The production style was dense and noisy, but frequently beautiful, and the group's emotional songs gave it a depth and coherence later Horn works, such as those of Yes ("Owner of a Lonely Heart") and Frankie Goes to Hollywood, would lack. (You can hear Horn trying out the latter band's style in "Date Stamp.") Fry and company used the sound to create moving dancefloor epics like "Many Happy Returns," which, like most of the album's tracks, deserved to be a hit single. (In the U.K., four were: "Tears Are Not Enough," "Poison Arrow," "The Look of Love," and "All of My Heart," the last three making the Top Ten; in the U.S., "The Look of Love" and "Poison Arrow" charted Top 40.) ABC, which began fragmenting almost immediately, never equaled its gold-selling first LP commercially or artistically, despite some worthy later songs."



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David Bowie Megapost (1976-1979)

God, what artist/band can ever compare to Bowie's creative output in the 70s?

Station to Station (1976)

From allmusic (4.5/5):

"Taking the detached plastic soul of Young Americans to an elegant, robotic extreme, Station to Station is a transitional album that creates its own distinctive style. Abandoning any pretense of being a soulman, yet keeping rhythmic elements of soul, David Bowie positions himself as a cold, clinical crooner and explores a variety of styles. Everything from epic ballads and disco to synthesized avant pop is present on Station to Station, but what ties it together is Bowie's cocaine-induced paranoia and detached musical persona. At its heart, Station to Station is an avant-garde art-rock album, most explicitly on "TVC 15" and the epic sprawl of the title track, but also on the cool crooning of "Wild Is the Wind" and "Word on a Wing," as well as the disco stylings of "Golden Years." It's not an easy album to warm to, but its epic structure and clinical sound were an impressive, individualistic achievement, as well as a style that would prove enormously influential on post-punk."

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Low (1977)

From allmusic (5/5):

"Following through with the avant-garde inclinations of Station to Station, yet explicitly breaking with David Bowie's past, Low is a dense, challenging album that confirmed his place at rock's cutting edge. Driven by dissonant synthesizers and electronics, Low is divided between brief, angular songs and atmospheric instrumentals. Throughout the record's first half, the guitars are jagged and the synthesizers drone with a menacing robotic pulse, while Bowie's vocals are unnaturally layered and overdubbed. During the instrumental half, the electronics turn cool, which is a relief after the intensity of the preceding avant pop. Half the credit for Low's success goes to Brian Eno, who explored similar ambient territory on his own releases. Eno functioned as a conduit for Bowie's ideas, and in turn Bowie made the experimentalism of not only Eno but of the German synth group Kraftwerk and the post-punk group Wire respectable, if not quite mainstream. Though a handful of the vocal pieces on Low are accessible — "Sound and Vision" has a shimmering guitar hook, and "Be My Wife" subverts soul structure in a surprisingly catchy fashion — the record is defiantly experimental and dense with detail, providing a new direction for the avant-garde in rock & roll."

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"Heroes" (1977)

From allmusic (5/5):

"Repeating the formula of Low's half-vocal/half-instrumental structure, Heroes develops and strengthens the sonic innovations David Bowie and Brian Eno explored on their first collaboration. The vocal songs are fuller, boasting harder rhythms and deeper layers of sound. Much of the harder-edged sound of Heroes is due to Robert Fripp's guitar, which provides a muscular foundation for the electronics, especially on the relatively conventional rock songs. Similarly, the instrumentals on Heroes are more detailed, this time showing a more explicit debt to German synth pop and European experimental rock. Essentially, the difference between Low and Heroes lies in the details, but the record is equally challenging and groundbreaking."

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Lodger (1979)

From allmusic (4.5/5):

"On the surface, Lodger is the most accessible of the three Berlin-era records David Bowie made with Brian Eno, simply because there are no instrumentals and there are a handful of concise pop songs. Nevertheless, Lodger is still gnarled and twisted avant pop; what makes it different is how it incorporates such experimental tendencies into genuine songs, something that Low and Heroes purposely avoided. "D.J.," "Look Back in Anger," and "Boys Keep Swinging" have strong melodic hooks that are subverted and strengthened by the layered, dissonant productions, while the remainder of the record is divided between similarly effective avant pop and ambient instrumentals. Lodger has an edgier, more minimalistic bent than its two predecessors, which makes it more accessible for rock fans, as well as giving it a more immediate, emotional impact. It might not stretch the boundaries of rock like Low and Heroes, but it arguably utilizes those ideas in a more effective fashion."

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Annie - Anthonio (2009)

David Balls' review on Digital Spy (5/5):

"Tastemakers have been calling Annie the "cool Kylie" for years, but her record sales have never matched her critical acclaim. Her 2004 debut Anniemal demonstrated kick-ass lyricism and a sharp ear for a pop hook, but it made little impact, with only 'Chewing Gum' cracking the top 40. After parting ways with her record label last year and gaining the rights to her upcoming album Don't Stop, the Norwegian is making a welcome return with new single 'Anthonio'.

A collaboration with producer Richard X, it contains all the right ingredients to become the anthem of the summer. With a greater Ibiza house influence than her previous material, and perhaps a nod towards the "mournful break-up" style pioneered by Robyn's 'With Every Heartbeat', it tells the tale of a frivolous holiday romance whose impact lingers long after jetting home. "Oh Anthonio, oh Anthonio, there is only one thing I've been trying to say," Annie sings in the closing seconds. "It may come as a surprise, my baby has your eyes". Perfectly demonstrating why Annie has quietly amassed a cult fanbase, this perfect pop nugget deserves a lot better than it's likely to get."

Single of the year, IMO.
Anyway, get it here.

Also:
Annie - Annimal (2004)

Kylie Minogue - Impossible Princess (1997)

From allmusic (4/5):

"By 1997, much of the pop music landscape had changed. The music papers were declaring the "Techno Revolution" was on, Oasis and Manic Street Preachers were ruling the charts, and simple dance-pop seemed to be the domain of teenage girls. So what does the dance-pop diva of the '90s do? She recruits Manic Street Preachers' James Dean Bradfield, Sean Moore, and Nicky Wire, starts writing unaided, and completely changes musical direction. Enter Kylie Minogue's Impossible Princess (the title was changed to Kylie Minogue after the death of Princess Diana). From the trippy cover art to the abundance of guitars and experimental vocal tracks, this was her "great leap forward." The move got her in the papers, but, unfortunately, critical acclaim was lacking (and so were sales). Critics called it a mistake, and the public was less than impressed. Which is sad, because this is a pretty damn good record. Unlike her early work, this album sounds stronger and has a more natural feel. Her songwriting abilities have come a long way, and Impossible Princess actually flows together as an album. Worth another look."

Get it here.

Annie - Anniemal (2004)

From allmusic (4.5/5):

"In 1999, Annie and her boyfriend/producer, Erot, made a slippery-sexy single called "The Greatest Hit." Though it came out of Norway, it sounded more than a little American, sampling Madonna's "Everybody" while also echoing the nonchalant ecstasy of Patrice Rushen's "Forget Me Nots." It didn't take off, at least not in the traditional sense. It floated around the underground, saw release on labels in different territories, and eventually became a pseudo-secret smash. Within a couple years, dancers and DJs in a few countries began to wonder what became of Annie. Erot's life was claimed by a heart defect in 2001; his partner, quite understandably, went quiet for a while. She picked herself up, took a very active role in the Bergen, Norway, music community, and recorded Anniemal with production help from Richard X, Röyksopp, and Op:L Bastards' Timo Kaukolampi. "The Greatest Hit," thankfully reprised here, is indicative of the album as a whole, bursting with sparkling melodies (often spiked with just a hint of melancholy) over mostly danceable rhythms that are either wholly modern or mischievously referential to early-'80s club hits (Tom Tom Club, the Human League, Arthur Russell's Dinosaur L). Annie's voice might be a little thin, but that's no real factor when it's so sweet and likable. The topics -- teasing, aching, longing -- aren't unfamiliar, yet they're often dealt with in a clever manner. Take "Chewing Gum," in which a dumped boy gets sort of objectified and verbally slain at the same time ("You think you're chocolate when you're chewing gum"), or "The Greatest Hit," containing the most foolproof come-on you could ever give a record geek ("C'mon, baby, you're my greatest hit"). As cunning as it is, Anniemal is also deeply affecting. "Heartbeat" is the least resistible of all, glowing with anticipatory pulses, tremulous sighs, and quivering electric piano vamps."

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Blondie - Atomic 12" (1980)

This is one of my all-time favourite singles. This is the version re-released in 2004 (I believe) out of the Singles collection. "Atomic" is the best song Blondie recorded, and they manage to perform a surprisingly competent version of David Bowie's "Heroes." "Die Young Stay Pretty" is definitely one of Blondie's essential B-Sides. All in all, this is Blondie at their prime. If you're a fan of pop music at all (and haven't heard these songs), check it out.


Tracklisting:

1. "Atomic" (7" Mix) - 3:50
2. "Die Young Stay Pretty" - 3:36
3. "Heroes" (Live) - 6:19

Get it here.
Note: If anyone is reading this blog and wants more Blondie singles, just leave a comment. I have loads of them.