Day 0569 - Infected

The The "Infected" (1986)

I enjoyed this much more than the previous The The album in this list (Soul Mining).  It has a strong pop base with some great beats and nice funky bass.   Some of it is upbeat and pulsing, other tracks are slinky and moody, one track even features an early appearance from Neneh Cherry ("Slow train to dawn").  Good solid 80s pop, with angry, socially conscious lyrics.

Day 0357 - 2112

Rush "2112" (1976)

"We can't stop here; this is PROG country!"

Rush's 4th album (their first on this list) was an important one for the band. They had been languishing somewhat, with the record-buying public and the critics dismissing them and numbers declining at their shows. Their record company considered dropping them but decided to give them one more chance...

The album opens with an audacious 20+ minute musical odyssey, informed by both rock and classical compositional styles that takes up an entire side of the record. The other side consist of 5 songs ranging from virtuosic proggy rock, to balladry and some almost pop moments. The album was a success... by Rush's modest standards up to that point, and so the band played on.