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I share a lot of Steven and Tim’s likes, particularly artists like Goldfrapp, Kate Bush, Tears for Fears, prefab sprout etc. But I can’t get my head around stuff like the band Sunn 0))). Where does ambient music actually just become unpleasant noise. I love everything that Steven’s done. I love Porcupine Tree, No Man, Blackfield and of course his solo work,and I hear his obvious influences and that’s great. But I don’t hear these (Sunn 0))) ) influences. I’m not being critical and I’m not slagging this band off, I just don’t understand. Anyone got a view?

Never heard the China Crisis album before, and I didn't really hear Steely Dan but the guy sounds a lot like Ric Ocasek to me and they sound like the Cars with a bit of Chinese flavor

Seen Dereck Higgins having a pop at you guys the other day, I think hes bitter that he never got his Zoom interview with Steve; personally I enjoy listening to you guys

I really loved Thomas Dolby's debut album (i have all his albums and still listen to them regularly). But i was also into China Crisis, i must say. If you talk about great synth-pop albums of this time, i would also mention New Musik's "Anywhere" (1981) and "Warp" (1982) albums that i still find incredibly interesting and well produced. And, yes, The Lotus Eaters' 1984 "No Sense Of Sin" touching album… And, about Thomas Dolby's work with other bands, i would of course talk about his great support and production for Prefab Sprout's "Steve McQueen", "From Langley Park To Memphis" and "Jordan: The Comeback" albums… Also, nice to hear Hosono mentioned for his electronic work (and not folk/Tin Pan Alley stuff - which i like a lot too), even though S.F.X. (1985) is the "bigger" album, from Hosono. I was lucky enough to meet him and Miharu Koshi (which Hosono has produced/co-produced extensively during many years) in Japan, a long time ago. He was such a sweet and discreet man… 😅 I have his whole discography (around 40 CDs) and there are so many different things in it, he is such a creative mind (just like Sakamoto)… ☺

I've always felt that BWYB was an underrated album which compares well to their "great four."

I thought I was the only one who prefers the remixed "The Affectionate punch" to the original . . . for the most part.

I laughed when they completely passed over U2's 'How to Dismantle...'?

Just looked up Momus.

I didn't know for years that i wasn't listening to the UK version of Sulk. Curious as its my favourite album ever

The Cure never made a bad record??

Duran Duran Rio album is my all top No1 from all the Duran Duran albums I've got um all 16 studio albums 🎉🎉🎉 Simon lebon Voice amazing Vocals cords fantastic brilliant awesome amazing epic if your in a shop or in ya car or at advertising and you see Duran Duran you now it's Simon lebon 🎉🎉🎉he's totally brilliant live and Duran Duran best ever band on planet earth 🌎🌍🌎 they are still era 46 years making brilliant awesome amazing albums and singles and still touring not many around now from the 80s 🎉🎉🎉

A toadiness?

I remember record stores at the time pushed sampler vinyl EP's (sometimes free, sometimes for a dollar) of exciting new British bands. I recall one EP had "Talk Talk" and "Hungry Like the Wolf" (I forget the other 2 tracks). I loved both songs. Some months later I saw Duran Duran on their first Canadian tour at a small venue in front of about 800 early fans. Great show. I was struck by how stylish they looked. (I saw a lot of bands at that hall: The Fixx, A Flock of Seagulls, Split Enz, Boomtown Rats, Men Without Hats, Iggy Pop, the list goes on.)

Based on the discussion of "Sulk" by Associates, I attempted to listen to the 2016 remaster of that album on Qobuz. I say attempted, because the remastering was so extremely compressed that I couldn't stand the reverb-laden sludge for more than 3 songs. I hope that the original release had more dynamic range, enough to allow the songs to breathe and MacKenzie's voice to not sound like a histrionic alley cat trying to escape from a garbage can. I am so glad that Steven W. doesn't brick-wall his projects like this!

The Party's Over is by far my favorite TT album. The title track Have You Heard The News and Today are synch classics.

Ys is so excessive that it turns out great. It has hellish qualities and end of the world lyrics. Probably the most ambitious effort Italian Prog produced

I was never able to get into 'The Associates' back in the day. Something about Billy MacKenzie was inscrutable and inaccessible.

Delighted to hear Tim giving Saga a mention by way of Rupert Hine. Such a great band. Also nice to hear the voices being centred. The panning on previous episodes was a bit of a pet peeve.

In 1982 Duran Duran were a rock band with synthesisers and blended punk rock guitars with funky beats, glam and electronics. Totally new and in a way nobody else was doing at the time. So, were they innovative? Maybe, for sure not easily imitable. But they are firstly a pop group and sold their “product” of irresistible tunes and unforgettable videos, and as the saying from the wise goes, “there’s nothing wrong with pop”. Other than a pinups band, at the core there is their ability to write memorable hooks, thanks almost entirely to Simon Le Bon’s melodies. In Rio, Nick Rhodes’ arpeggiated and phased synths in rock and funk song structures set them apart, let alone John Taylor’s bass lines that are regarded as amongst the finest in that regard, and nowadays labelled as criminally underrated. After all, you haven’t sold more than 100 million albums for over 40 years just by being a pinups band. There must be something else, and indeed there is much much more than that. Saw them several times live and they are great skilled musicians. Of course, not all of their songs (and albums) were perfect and they have had some that weren’t up the par, especially with some of Le Bon’s lyrics. But they’ve also produced masterpieces that stand the test of time. And for a non-native English speaker, their music more than the lyrics has always been immediate, impactful, and irresistible at times. My personal favourites, Rio, The Wedding Album (Duran Duran), and Medazzaland. Steven, since Duran Duran is always on the lookout for a great guitarist, you should absolutely offer to write a song with them 😉. In the meantime, your wizardry on a 5.1 mix of Rio would be the perfect addition to your brilliant career. Cheers!

Talk Talk followed after John Martyn before Genesis.

that KJ and Cult albums were awesome

Great to hear the love and respect for Thomas Dolby's Golden Age. Superb album. Been listening to it for over 35 years and still impresses me.

as an 80s synthpop fan...82 was a great year, I think Mirror Man was on the first talk talk album, I loved that single and I miss Mark Hollis's vocals

Wow 'Haruomi Hosono - Philharmony' is pretty cool. Shades of Japan, Human League, Sigue Sigue.

Rio was also quite heavily remixed for the American market. In particular Hold Back the Rain (which really should have been a single) is two and a half minutes longer and much heavier. As with most of the Duran catalogue, the reissues sound dreadful. Get Steven Wilson on the case ASAP!

Does Donald Fagen's Nightfly (one of the best of the year) belong in this category?

@18:13 Paul Buchanan

Duran Duran fue una gran banda y lo sigue siendo ;)

So disappointed to hear Mr. Wilson saying he knows nothing of the Lotus Eaters. Simply put, their single is one of the most effortlessly beautiful pieces of music ever created.

ok time to get into Associates/Gary Numan... because all other content i totally click with. Thomas Dolby is the one for me. And if you didnt already.. check the Lotus Eaters!

Duran's "The Chauffeur" is so innovative

So why exactly 'Rio' should be considered a synth-pop album? Because synth-pop is defined by guitars that want to be in heavy metal bands and drummers who think they are in Chic?

lol that photographic proof

Thomas Dolby appeared on Foreigner’s 4 album and provided keyboards foe Bowie at live aid

Duran Duran, my first musical love (as a ten year old). Now as a fifty year old I love modern progressive rock and metal.

Rio is great, awesome production, superb sound quality.

Here's the thing. While there are certainly a ton of artists still influenced by early 80s synthpop, it's not necessarily a good thing. Aside from a few Associates, New Order, OMD and Ultravox tunes, I don't enjoy that stuff like I did as a kid. It was exciting then because it was the sound of the future. But the joke's on us, the future kind of sucked. I had Rio, and I always thought it was a bit s**t then, and still is. Even some interesting artists like Monoton, Sparks, Yaz, Hosono, etc, just don't make my playlists the way post-punk and new wave does. New Order - 1981-1982 EP Monoton - Monotonprodukt 07 Sparks - Angst in My Pants Yazoo - Upstairs At Eric’s Haruomi Hosono - Philharmony Rational Youth - Cold War Night Life Thomas Dolby - The Golden Age Of Wireless Ultravox - Quartet Punk and post-punk especially still sound fresh compared to synthpop, so I hope you all cover it. 1. The Cure - Pornography 2. Mission Of Burma - VS. 3. The Comsat Angels - Fiction 4. The Sound - All Fall Down 5. The Dream Syndicate - Days of Wine and Roses 6. The Birthday Party - Junkyard 7. X - Under The Big Black Sun 8. Orange Juice - You Can’t Hide Your Love Forever 9. Siouxsie & The Banshees - A Kiss In The Dreamhouse 10. The Gun Club - Miami 11. Captain Beefheart & The Magic Band - Ice Cream For Crow 12. The Fall - Hex Enduction Hour 13. Bad Brains - Bad Brains The Damned - Strawberries Wall Of Voodoo - Call Of The West The Church - The Blurred Crusade Bauhaus - The Sky’s Gone Out Au Pairs - Sense And Sensuality Dead Kennedys - Plastic Surgery Disasters The Clash - Combat Rock Virgin Prunes - If I Die, I Die Killing Joke - Revelations Modern English - After The Snow Oingo Boingo - Nothing To Fear The Passage - Degenerates Orange Juice - Rip It Up Liliput - Liliput Nina Hagen - Nunsexmonkrock The Blue Orchids - The Greatest Hit (Money Mountain) The Clean - Compilation Tom Verlaine - Words From The Front Translator - Heartbeats And Triggers The Psychedelic Furs - Forever Now Gang of Four - Songs of the Free Sad Lovers and Giants - Epic Garden Music The Bongos - Drums Along The Hudson The Monochrome Set - Eligible Bachelors

Good thing, Japan has been mentioned. Although I would probably also recomend to mention Japan. That being said, mentioning Japan should as well not be forgotten in that context. Plus at least a few words about Japan.

It's good!

Ah, but don’t forget with Duran they always wanted to be the. Band that married Punk with Funk with a huge dose of Kraftwprk thrown in And way past Rio into the late 80’s and into the 90’s Duran’s guitarist Warren Cuccurrio was Frank Zappa’s guitarist and played with missing persons so that whole punkier / heavier side was still right there And that is why DD will never sound flat, even when f the sound and isn’t for everyone There is and still to this day an Edge to Duran that you have to take your hat off and say fair play, and have to be regarded as one of the best bands over the past 40-50 years

Fantastic connection between China Crisis and Eyeless in Gaza. Fragile and melodic.

I find it amazing that you guys are working musicians and songwriters, and yet you know so, so many albums and so knowledgeable right across the genres....how do you/did you find the time???? Respect!!!! 😂

I was also at the Genesis womad concert 1982 , six of the best and as Steven says it rained all day in Milton Keynes and Talk , Talk with The blues band, Nine below zero and John Martyn . Decent line up , I believe Talk Talk was at the time into their Duran Duran phase so not liked . Devo was worst at Knebworth with Genesis in 78 , never seen so many bottles not helped when their lead singer announced “ we don’t like Genesis , their hairs too long “ lol.

Roxy connection: Marthla Ladly was member of The Associates for some time and appeared in Live(?) Avolon performance in 1982

Could never stand this stuff, I think the 80s was the worst time for music up until now. The last 10yrs have been even worse. That's just me though.

Even though ’The Album Years’ were ‘nice’ about them, I still wanted to ‘defend’ the inspirational and influential merits of Duran Duran. But… thankfully it appears many people here are of the same opinion! A highly underrated band that have always balanced their knack for writing great pop songs with a more experimental aesthetic.

Hosono remixed / edited "Persian Love" by Holger Czukay in 1982 for a compilation he put together, so there is a link there in time and place between them. "Philharmony" is up there as one of the best of the year for me, but I didn't get to hear it until much later.

"I'll have a shower and then phone my brother up, within the hour I'll smash another cup"...still one of my favourite opening lines to any song ❤

Speaking of samplers.. Clocks and Babies by Chakk (related projects Cloud Nine, Moloko) Synth R&B/Electro R&B: You're The One Fore Me by D Train

Someone tell that nerd with glasses who Klaus Nomi was please