Left of the Dial: Dispatches from the '80s Underground: MusicNear.com

Music CD 1

Radio Free Europe - R.E.M.
Going Underground - The Jam
A Forest - The Cure
Holiday in Cambodia - Dead Kennedys
I'm In Love With A German Film Star - Passions
I Will Dare - The Replacements
That's When I Reach For My Revolver - Mission Of Burma
Johny Hit And Run Paulene - x
Just Like Honey - The Jesus And Mary Chain
Black Celebration - Depeche Mode
Tell Me When It's Over - The Dream Syndicate
Hollywood (Africa) - The Red Hot Chili Peppers
Temptation - New Order
Ghosts - Japan
A Song From Under The Floorboards - Magazine
Oblivious - Aztec Camera
Don't Want To Know If You Are Lonely - Husker Du
Rise Above - Black Flag
Back In Flesh - Wall Of Voodoo
Cattle And Cane - The Go-Betweens

Music CD 2

Message Of Love - The Pretenders
Vienna - Ultravox
Freak Scene - Dinosaur Jr.
The Charming Man - The Smiths
Stigmata - Ministry
Ways To Be Wicked - Lone Justice
Wardance - Killing Joke
Enola Gay - Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
Mirror In The Bathroom - The English Beat
Fairytale In The Supermarket - The Raincoats
Behind The Wall Of Sleep - The Smithereens
Political Song For Michael Jackson To Sing - Minutemen
Punk Rock Girl - The Dead Milkmen
Still In Hollywood - Concrete Blonde
Love Will Tear Us Apart - Joy Division
Blister In The Sun - Violent Femmes
Lake Of Fire - Meat Puppets
Amplifier - The DB's
When Love Breaks Down - Prefab Sprout
Goo Goo Muck - The Cramps
This Corrosion - Sisters Of Mercy
Senses Working Overtime - XTC

Music CD 3

The Cutter - Echo & The Bunnymen
Pay To Cum! - Bad Brains
Birthday - The Sugarcubes
Madonna Of The Wasps - Robyn Hitchcock 'n' The Egyptians
We Care A Lot - Faith No More
Teen Age Riot - Sonic Youth
To Hell With Poverty - Gang Of Four
Fa Ce-La - The Feelies
Ana Ng - They Might Be Giants
Swamp Thing - The Chameleons UK
The Mercy Seat - Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
I Look Around - The Rain Parade
All That Money Wants - Psychedelic Furs
Under The Milky Way - The Church
Rise - Public Image Ltd.
Kundalini Express - Love And Rockets
Gravity Talks - Green On Red
Adrenalin - Throbbing Gristle
She Bangs The Drums - The Stone Roses

Music CD 4

Monkey Gone To Heaven - Pixies
Uncertain Smile (Original 7 Inch Version) - The The
Bela Lugosi's Dead - Bauhaus
Christine - Siouxsie And The Banshees
Straight Edge - Minor Threat
I Want To Help You Ann - The Lyres
Our Secret - Beat Happening
Jane Says - Jane's Addiction
World Shut Your Mouth - Julian Cope
Running Up That Hill - Kate Bush
Sex Beat - Gun Club
Take The Skinheads Bowling - Camper Van Beethoven
Institutionalized - Suicidal Tendencies
Pearly-Dewdrops' Drops - Cocteau Twins
24 Hour Party People - Happy Mondays
I Want You Back - Hoodoo Gurus
Suburban Home - Descendents
A Pair Of Brown Eyes - The Pogues
Jet Fighter - The Three O'Clock
Moving To Florida - Butthole Surfers
A New England - Billy Bragg

Sure, there are some omissions, but the box does a remarkable job balancing more popular acts such as Red Hot Chili Peppers, the Cure and Echo & the Bunnymenwith cult faves like Green On Red and obscurities from the Lyres and the Three O'Clock . Even those who were radio fanatics during these years will likely find tracks they aren't familiar with, along with getting a flashback rush from those they are. A colorful 64 page book provides track-by-track background information as well as a handful of essays about the decade that approach the music from different perspectives. There are no public service announcements or aspiring DJ's to interrupt the flow and the remastered sound brings the music to life with crispness low powered FM radio could never rival. --Hal Horowitz