Mike Bennett writesFriday iPod/MP3 Shuffle—Happy Birthday Stephen Morris Edition

When I think of Stephen Morris, I think of the scene in the movie 24 Hour Party People, where producer Martin Hannett is berating Morris’s drumming, trying to mold him into a specific sound. Whether that scene is close the the truth, I do not know. What I do know, is that Morris’s drumming was a vital part of Joy Division’s sound, and then his steady beatkeeping kept people dancing to New Order tracks throughout the ’80s and beyond. In addition to a key role on so many great records, he married bandmate Gillian Gilbert. He has never been at the forefront of music, but that is often true of those who provide the backbeat. Let’s honor Morris on his birthday by grabbing your iPod or MP3 player, hitting shuffle, and sharing the first 10 tracks that come up.

1. The Virgin-Whore Complex — Speakerphone (Succumb): I first heard about this quirky L.A. pop duo from writer Stewart Mason, and that man knows his quirky pop. This is a ominous tune that blends heavy percussion and distortion in the verses, which are read directly from the letters of the notorious Zodiac Killer (though obscured by the all the noise in front) with a sweetly disturbing chorus. This song is memorable in part because the way it is put together is so striking.
2. The Five Americans — Western Union (Bubblegum Classics, Volume 2): This track used to show up on compilations of ’60s hits that would play on UHF stations late night. This is a jangly pop tune that is in the vein of The Monkees and The Cyrkle, with a nifty falsetto harmony chorus that makes the song stand out. Not sure I’d call this bubblegum, but it’s a fun little ditty.
3. The Strand — Not Toys (Seconds Waiting): This ’80s band look back to the ’60s for inspiration. Their music split the difference from classic pop and garage rock. They constructed some catchy songs, and while the playing and singing is a bit ragged at times, it is always spirited, and the fun they are having is palpable.
4. Devo — Red Eye (Duty Now For The Future): I don’t know if is the best Devo album, but it’s my favorite. The arty stuff is just a bit artier, the rocking stuff is a bit more rocking, and their ear for a great pop hook fully blossomed. This is a great is bouncy tune that marries their love of herky-jerk rhythms with their ability to knock out a killer chorus. A terrific tune, later covered by Volcano Suns, and there are at least five songs on the album even better than this.
5. The Dogmatics — Another Saturday Night (1981-86): This scruffy Boston band played rock ‘n’ roll. Some songs were in the vein of The Replacements. Some had a bit of a garage rock vibe. And a few were just simple rock ‘n’ roll tunes. This falls into the final category. This is a bit more polished than some of their material and they survive the gloss fairly well.
6. Gnarls Barkley — Blind Mary (The Odd Couple): This vignette from Ceelo Green and Danger Mouse has an offbeat rhythm, sounding somewhat like reggae, but not coming down on the same beats. Whatever it is, Green tells the tale of the title character, and the solid melody meshes well with the rhythm and other sounds layered down by Mr. Mouse.
7. The Horrors — I Can See Through You (Skying): I haven’t followed The Horrors until now, but apparently, they change a little bit with each album. I hope they decide to stick with this approach for one more album. The British band seems to have absorbed the history of the psychedelic end of post-punk and classic ’80s Brit pop, coming up with songs that imagine a middle ground between The Chameleons and The Stone Roses. This is the best of the bunch, a driving number that sounds like a lost Julian Cope or Inspiral Carpets classic.
8. Blue Oyster Cult — Flaming Telepaths (Secret Treaties): A fine early tune from this great hard rock band. I love how the band melds a comic book horror heaviness, which comes through in the guitar riffs and lead lines, but mixes it with a rock ‘n’ roll piano and some genuinely affecting melody. This is a fairly sophisticated composition that transcends genres, like a lot of the best BOC.
9. Paul Kelly and the Messengers — Randwick Bells (Gossip): Kelly is an artist who I probably should have followed more closely. He recently put out a box set retrospective. I have three of his albums, and they are chock full of outstanding singer-songwriter material. He writes smart lyrics and inviting music. Some songs are catchy, others, like this one, just set a mood, and do so very well.
10. Talking Heads — I Zimbra (Fear Of Music): As great as the first two Talking Heads records are, their status as a seminal ’80s band is due to the run of albums that started with Fear Of Music, where they expanded their stylistic range and established themselves at the forefront of American post-punk. This is one of the band’s first forays into Afro-pop inspired material. Compared to what came later, this is rudimentary, but that doesn’t make any less cool. This track is all about the rhythm, and it’s a very successful experiment that led to big breakthroughs on Remain In Light.