[…continued from last post]

Singles were very active this year with 19 being purchased. Singles were primarily non-LP tracks, but in a few cases were singles attached to full albums. Sometimes even in physical format! Most of these were from Planet Bandcamp. As usual, there were a few outliers. Some of these were cover tunes, and some were reworkings of earlier releases. Here’s the list:

SINGLES OF THE YEAR

1. Fluid Japan: Afterlife
2. René: Siren [Ayé Ayé]
3. Fluid Japan: You Shut Down
4. Jan Linton: Always The Last To Dream
5. Fluid Japan: Equilibrium
6. Department S: So Far Away
7. OMD: Bauhaus Staircase
8. Steven Jones + Logan Sky: This Intensity
9. PiL: Hawaii
10. The Blow Monkeys: Said Too Much [version 2]
11. Yacht: Two Heads
12. Jan Linton: Rosemary
13. Jan Linton: Strange Effect
14. Fluid Japan: All Of His Reactions
15. Jan Linton: Always The Last To Dream [inst.]
16. Icehouse/Simple Minds: Get It On
17. Countess Of Fife: Goodbye Motorbike Guy [remix]
18. Jan Linton: Joy 2023
19. Martyn Ware: Unknowable

As much as this was Gavin Brick’s year, I can also point to the re-emergence of Fluid Japan from total obscurity to near-obscurity as having a vise-like grip on the singles space in my head. Their stunning “Afterlife” almost posits an imaginary intermediate step between “Sons + Fascination” and “New Gold Dream” era Simple Minds. I can’t imagine music being any more successful to these ears.

New to me this year was René Paraza and his “Siren [Aye, Aye]” single had a rock-solid appeal and managed to get stuck on repeat throughout the year to my continual enjoyment. Department S continued to offer material that did more than justice to the band name with a teamup with The Stranglers Baz Warne which offered plenty of pleasure.

I capitulated to the pre-release title single from OMD’s “Bauhaus Staircase” and it was actually on CD5 format! The track was better than much of the new album which lacked in standout cuts with the shout-out to Pere Ubu and a generally great lyric, both of which helped. Steven Jones + Logan Sky kept the strong music flowing; this time without the sort of guest players who’ve broadened their scope of late.

I’d not managed to write about the surprisingly tender ballad “Hawaii” that PiL released in their perhaps misguided bid to represent Ireland for the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest! Misguided only in that songs of this artistic caliber seemingly have no place in the crass world of Eurovision! A more touching tribute to his now late wife from Mr. Lydon can’t be imagined. As soon as I read about it it was purchased. I’d missed most of the new DL singles that Cali Art Pop band YACHT had been floating our way of late, so something snapped and I pounced on “Two Heads,” enjoying it immensely. Quick payback for “hitting that button.”

This year Fluid Japan and Jan Linton were keeping my fingers poised to “hit that button.” His singles were a melange of dance-oriented cuts as well as the Art Rock he can do no wrong with, but the most intriguing single of his this year may have been his Scott Walker cover, “Rosemary!” It takes guts to think you can cover a Scott Walker tune, but he acquitted himself admirably on “Rosemary.”

The Blow Monkeys re-cut a great song from “Feels Like a New Morning” for their latest greatest hits album and made it even better on the rematch. And finally Icehouse and Simple Minds commemorated their first tour of Oz together in 42 years with a single duet of the old T-Rex classic, “Get It On;” making it a mutual roots check for the two groups, who cut their musical teeth on T-Rex et. al.

Next: …Buy Them More Than Once