NO ENCORE: THE REVISIT | 1988

It’s Irish album flashback time once again on NO ENCORE as Dave Hanratty and Kieran McGuinness step into 1988 alongside the lively panel of DJ, MC extraordinaire and all-round culture vulture Rick O’Shea, HeadStuff Music Editor Andrea Cleary and the wildly talented and funky CC Brez.

As ever, your intrepid audio adventurers aim to determine the gold standard of Irish music from this chosen time period, and it turns out that 1988 was an especially healthy year…

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The five albums discussed on this episode are…

U2 – Rattle And Hum

Something of a curio in the annals of all things U2; Rattle And Hum makes for one of the more divisive entries in the extensive catalogue. Indeed, the record comes with its very own companion piece in the form of a ‘rockumentary’ charting the band’s endeavours in America but the main event is quite the ramshackle affair, consisting of live recordings, covers and then-fresh material. Rattle And Hum would prove polarising, but there’s enough here to provoke debate to this day.

My Bloody Valentine – Isn’t Anything

Because there’s more to My Bloody Valentine than Loveless. The legend goes that Kevin Shields and company averaged just two hours a night of sleep whilst recording Isn’t Anything, a glorious detail on a record that’s packed with them. It’s a cliché to liken anything that MBV do as a fever dream but the truth is that there really might not be anybody better than them when it comes to concocting such wondrous noise.

The Adventures – The Sea of Love

Northern Irish outfit The Adventures wore their new romantic heart proudly on their sleeve for all to see, hear and swoon over. The Sea of Love, from the opening bars of its title track alone, boasts deliciously of-its-time emotive pop that may well register as a ‘your mileage may vary’ situation for some ears, but there’s no denying the commitment on display here.

The Pogues – If I Should Fall From Grace With God

Also known as the answer to a pub quiz question, namely – ‘Which album by The Pogues has ‘Fairytale of New York’ on it?’. It’s this one, If I Should Fall From Grace With God. You’re welcome. Of course, there’s an awful lot more here than an inescapable Christmas staple. Raw, raucous and reflective; the third Pogues record was a critical and commercial success, but is it good enough for the Revisit panel?

Enya – Watermark

Another answer to a quiz question! Yep, Watermark is the album that originally housed ‘Orinoco Flow’, a true pop culture phenomenon that Enya will always be remembered for. There’s plenty going on throughout her second album, where the signature fusion of Celtic and new age music came to the fore, resulting in great acclaim and success on the world stage. Can it possibly have the same impact in 2017?

This episode was mixed by Joe Panama.