Just on Deckchairs Overboard… how did they go from that great first EP (featuring That’s The Way) to releasing goddawful dreck like Fight For Love within only a couple of years? Paul Hester got out in good time to not have that atrocity on his resumé…
Australian music got really awful around 1985. Not too many good bands came through that time unscathed.
My take on it. Post punk early eighties lots of bands still were raw and original and exciting with a homegrown garage type sound.
Of course if success comes along, some stay true to themselves. Whilst others maybe with the right intentions get sidetracked or over produced, lots of synth’s & horns back than.
I went from boots, jeans & a ripped Talking Heads T shirt early 80’s.
To the mid 80’s Kayaks, cargo pants & pastel shirts.
And the early 80’s win that contest, by a long way.
I would say it has plenty to do with individual songs being so important these days, each one is unveiled as its own event with YouTube clip release and so forth. To keep the people coming in they rely on a rotating succession of guests on each track.
For hip hop/modern R’n’B, I think it just comes down to the style of the genre - the rapper handles a verse, the female usually sings the refrain.
Didn’t we all? Cream baggies, lemon/pink jumpers and cream kiaks were all the rage… we all looked like extras from a Russell Mulcahy video.
The Beatles did backing vocals for Rolf Harris ffs. The idea that artists feat on other musicians tracks is new is just a basic lack of knowledge. Its been going on since forever. Commercially it peaked in the early 00s when hip hop & rnb crossed over and utterly dominated the charts for years. Since then its been on the wane if anything. Not that that is either a good or a bad thing. Depends on the product. I’m all for good collaborations.
And therein lies the issue, not so much the “featuring” thing per se…
The Who Live at Leeds.
Heaven and Hell, wow, what an opening track to one of the all time great live albums.
Springsteen “features” on one of Lou Reed’s finest tracks, “Street Hassle”, from the 76 album of the same name. As far as I can see Springsteen is not credited on my copy of the album, bought at the time, but I think I read contractual battles precluded any listing. Still it’s obvious it’s him from the moment he sings well into this 11 plus minute epic. Worth adding because it’s an excuse to post my favourite Reed track from my favourite Reed album. Very dark stuff.
Springsteen comes in about 9.05 and the verse ends with the signature line, “Tramps like us, we were born to pay.”
Outside of the VU this is the best Reed tune hands down. Masterpiece.
I LOVE those first few Gomez releases. They even had a good b-side album.
One of my favourite albums.
just caught up on your episode. Good effort!! the TFF guy was freakishly knowledgeable 
In Memory of Llayne Staley who died 21 years ago today and in my opinion has one of the greatest voices; it is definitely highlighted in this acoustic version of Nutshell.
Enjoy.
I was pretty late on AIC. In that Pearl Jam, Nirvana and Soundgarden all grabbed me first, but that Jar of Flies EP turned me. It’s sooooo good. I probably go back to them now (and Soundgarden) more regularly than the others because they both had a level of musical technical proficiency and vocalists that transcended the genre. As unique and gifted as Vedder and Cobain are I have to be in a ‘grunge’ mood to listen to them.