Critics' Choice 1985

1. Talking Heads Little Creatures [EMI]
Little Creatures saw the band forsake their Afrocentricleanings for something approaching pop orthodoxy. ‘And She Was’ and ‘Road To Nowhere’ were smart, literate and catchy as hell, while ‘Creatures Of Love’, no doubt influenced by a then burgeoning Californian roots movement that included Los Lobos and Green On Red, embraced the alternative end of country, featuring accordion, washboard and steel guitar.
2. Madness – Mad Not Mad [Zarjazz]
3. Prefab Sprout – Steve McQueen [Kitchenware]
4. John Fogerty – Centrefield [Wea]
5. Lloyd Cole And The Commotions – Easy Pieces [Polygram]