Critics Roundup 1986

The three thirty-threes of eighty-six were the Half Biscuit’s ‘Back In The DHSS’ (whacky, witty and tv sussed) and The The’s ‘Infected’ (tense, big and scary). Iggy Pop, David Sylvian and The Housemartins accounted for many happy hours while Blue In Heaven’s ‘Explicit Material’ exuded power with a minimum of pomp.

Stars on 45 were The Smiths with their sublime ‘Panic’, The Bangles for ‘Walk Life An Egyptian’ and PIL with ‘Rise’. Mel and Kim’s ‘Showing Out’ takes my award for dance track and video of the year while Aslan blew away all the homespun opposition with one of their lesser songs ‘This Is’. The Stan Ridgway Perpetual Trophy for best Stan Ridgway single goes to … Stan Ridgway for ‘Camouflage’.

The Horde, The Happens, and A House variously excelled in live performances but event of the year has to be The Housemartins’ olympian feat at the Olympian, closely followed by Aslan at the Danceline, Aslan at the Project, Aslan in Cork …