English musicians and music geeks extraordinaire Steven Wilson and Tim Bowness have at long last posted a new episode of their podcast The Album Years. They talk about 1977, discussing albums by The Stranglers, The Clash, Pink Floyd, and a whole lot more. This is part #1A of what will be 8 episodes about this year.
Watch The Stranglers playing a part of their version of Walk On By on Top of the Pops in 1978. A mellow Burt Bacharach song turned into snarling punk. It can be found on the bonus 7" that came with their Black and White album.
Steven Wilson has curated a new boxset, selecting 58 tracks from his formative years. Steven Wilson Presents: Intrigue - Progressive Sounds In UK Alternative Music 1979–89:
This is my personally-curated attempt to redress the balance, and to perhaps introduce any 1980s-sceptics out there to the idea that conceptual thinking and ambition didn’t suddenly evaporate after 1977. Ambitious, weird and thrilling music was all around you in the 1980s - if you looked in the right places.
