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	Allan Holdsworth - Metal Fatigue - Cassette tape on Enigma Records 1985 Criminally unknown and underappreciated, Allan Holdsworth is one of the greatest musicians ever to pick up the electric guitar. Here, on 1985's Metal Fatigue, everything finally comes together for him. For the majority of this record, Holdsworth is joined by bassist Jimmy Johnson and drummer Chad Wackerman, and these two musicians, virtuosos in their own right, complement Holdsworth beautifully (check out Johnson's wonderful part in "Home" and lovely solo on "Panic Station"). The leader is known for his extremely legato phrasing and rich harmonic vocabulary, both of which are on display in the solo and frantic fills of "Metal Fatigue." Anchored by Paul Williams' vocals, the song is marvelously constructed, with a strong verse melody supported by Holdsworth's upper-register guitar chords. The guitarist's much-vaunted whammy bar work is also on full display here. Certain fills in "Metal Fatigue" are almost queasy sounding, as Holdsworth bends and slurs in impossible ways. His use of the tremolo bar comes out not only during his melodic playing, but also during his rhythm playing, where he allows his chords just a trace of shimmer, enough to lend body to his playing but not enough to blur the harmonies. The influence of Holdsworth's unique style is evident in the work of such rock guitarists as Eddie Van Halen and Alex Lifeson (listen to VH's "Drop Dead Legs" or Rush's "YYZ" for a taste of this connection), but the watered-down and otherwise assimilated adaptations of his style pale compared to the unadulterated stuff. One of the most important fusion records of the '80s is also Holdsworth's best work. Absolutely essential for those who like their rock with a healthy dose of jazz.
	Fudge Tunnel - The Complicated Futility Of Ignorance - Cassette tape on Earache Records The final release from Fudge Tunnel, Complicated Futility of Ignorance comes off like a modern, slightly mechanized Motörhead, comparable to late Prong perhaps, but more dynamic and without any of the industrial gimmicks. This record drips with the blood of calloused hands shredded in an attempt to extricate every ounce of heaviness from the many angular and distorted guitar riffs. Not one to ever hold back, guitarist/vocalist Alex Newport leads his band (that also includes David Riley on bass and Adrian Parkin on drums) through one relentless and violent metal groove-fest after another. The quality is consistant throughout this recording, but the doom-inflected "Six Eight" and the ruthless opener "Random Acts of Cruelty" are subtle standouts. Fans of sludgy, extreme metal not yet familiar with the influential Fudge Tunnel would do well to acquaint themselves with Complicated Futility of Ignorance, perhaps the best of this group's many fine offerings.
	David Bowie - Pin Ups - Cassette tape on Ryko Records PIN UPS served as a sort of "how to" guide to David Bowie's career. This all-covers album shed light on his ability to adopt personas and emulate musical genres with amazing speed and diversity. It also showed that Bowie was anticipating a different musical climate for the rest of the decade, signifying a change from what was admired during the 1960s.
	Green River - Come On Down - Cassette tape featuring Pearl Jam and Mudhoney one Homestead Records Green River were the among the first bands in Seattle to mix metal and punk, heavily influenced by Iggy Pop's original proto-punk group The Stooges, leading to the sound known later as "grunge". Mark Arm, the group's vocalist, is widely credited as being the first person to use the term, though not in relation to the sound it has come to signify.
	Surf Punks - Locals Only - Cassette tape on Restless Records As the name would indicate, the Surf Punks combined two emerging sounds of the late '70s -- punk rock and surf revival. The band, fronted by Dennis Dragon, personified the surf's up, lighthearted West Coast attitude -- they were even featured in a PBS documentary demonstrating "California Beach English." The Surf Punks' irreverence, immaturity, and skepticism of outsiders came shining through in songs like "My Beach," "No Fat Chicks," "Teenage Girls," and "Locals Only." The band's self-titled debut in 1979, made on their own Day-Glo label, became a cult classic
	Compilation - Live Stiffs Live - Cassette tape on Mau Mau Records In order to promote their label and their roster, Stiff Records devised the Live Stiffs package tour as way to showcase all of their key artists (Elvis Costello, Nick Lowe, Ian Dury, Wreckless Eric, Lew Lewis Reformer), as well as themselves. The Live Stiffs shows became notorious for their intoxicatingly (and intoxicated) ragged performances, which the live album Live Stiffs captures particularly well. Elvis Costello's torchy version of Bacharach-David's "I Just Don't Know What to Do With Myself" is a highlight, as are Nick Lowe's two cuts, the otherwise-unavailable "Let's Eat" and a rocking version of "I Knew the Bride," which he never released during the late '70s. Dury and Wreckless Eric are nearly as good, and the entire record captures the wild, careening spirit of Stiff -- it's fun, trashy rock & roll.
	American Music Club - California - Cassette tape on Frontier Records CALIFORNIA is one of the American Music Club's most straightforward, roots-rock-oriented releases. It's certainly the most country-flavored, as arid desert landscapes mix with twangy guitars and folksy acoustic strumming. The anomalous "Bad Liquor" turned out to be one of the most-requested songs in the band's repertoire. It's a raging, punky rocker in which singer Mark Eitzel plays the drunken fool looking for trouble or the next drink, whichever comes first. Conversely, "Jenny" is a quiet, ominous, acoustic ballad full of low-key sorrow, and there are parts of the harrowing "Laughing Stock" that are barely audible, as Eitzel's self-esteem vaporizes before our very ears amid gently rippling guitar arpeggios.The opener, "Firefly," is really the mood-definer for the album, and its ostensibly upbeat arrangement masks the lyrics' bittersweet observations about the fleeting nature of happiness. "Somewhere" and "Pale and Skinny Girl" are portraits of non-beautiful losers in the classic AMC mold, the former sounding like it could be a Replacements outtake. Eitzel's existential angst is at its most appealing on "Lonely"; over a steady-rolling folk-rock backing, he reaches new heights (depths?) of alienation with the chorus "If I have to be this lonely, I might as well be alone."
	Pete Townshend - Who Came First - Cassette tape on Ryko Records One of the more introspective and spiritual albums of Who leader Pete Townshend's solo career came at a time when the Who's rock & roll was shaking the earth. WHO CAME FIRST is centered on Townshend's quest for spiritual enlightenment, in this case through the teachings of the famed guru Meher Baba. Those accustomed to the Who's ear-shattering loudness and guitar-smashing violence will no doubt be just as disarmed at the relative peace found in the acoustic-based musings.Also included, to the delight of Who disciples, are pieces from Townshend's aborted LIFEHOUSE project, which was originally intended for the Who. Surely, "Pure and Easy" is as winning and sublime a song as anything Townshend ever recorded. The Rykodisc reissue staples on a number of unreleased tracks that hold up quite well along with the rest of the album.
	Dead Milkmen - Smokin Banana Peels - Cassette tape on Restless Records This EP contains four new remixes of the title track, which originally appeared on Beelzebubba, but if you can wade through those, the second side is prime snotty, juvenile Milkmen. "The Puking Song" is probably the grossest song they ever recorded, so if you like their sense of humor, this one is worth it for that track alone.
	Michael Stanley Band - Right Back At Ya (1971-1983) - Cassette tape on Razor And Tie Records Cleveland native Michael Stanley became a regional phenomenon, but the singer/songwriter/guitarist and his Michael Stanley Band deserved more national success than they achieved. Stanley, whose real name is Michael Stanley Gee, played bass with the folk-rock group Silk in the late '60s. He then went solo and released two solo albums in the early '70s that fit right in with the "singer/songwriter" era. His talent attracted the likes of producer Bill Szymczyk and guest musicians Joe Walsh, Todd Rundgren, and David Sanborn from the beginning. He formed the Michael Stanley Band (aka MSB) in 1975 and pursued a more straightforward rock direction. MSB recorded a string of albums through the late '70s and early '80s that were modest successes nationally but major hits in Ohio. In fact, the Michael Stanley Band was such a sensation at home that it still holds attendance records at major concert venues. 1980's Heartland was easily MSB's best album, and Stanley agrees. It included the hit single "He Can't Love You" (sung by vocalist/keyboardist Kevin Raleigh) and the minor hit "Lover" (sung by Stanley and featuring blistering saxophone by Clarence Clemons). MSB's second and last Top 40 hit was Stanley's anthem "My Town" in 1983. After recording for Epic, Arista, and EMI, MSB independently released two albums on their own before breaking up in 1987.