Music

Bad is the title track from Michael Jackson’s 7th album, also called Bad. The album was released in 1987 to critical acclaim and was co-produced by Quincy Jones.

I was 14 when I first heard Bad, probably on the radio. The next day, I had purchased the album on cassette and, for the next few weeks, I would listen to it hundreds of time.

All the songs on the album were world-class but Bad, as the opening track, was so full of energy and the sound quality was so good that even my oh-so-crap Tatung audio system sang. Brings back so many good memories…

Da Funk was a track on one of the first CDs I ever bought, Daft Punk’s first album, Homework. This was in 1997 and the whole album was a revelation. It was top-notch house music and the sound quality was (and still is) astounding.

Da Funk is one of my reference tracks. Whenever I need to test a new amp or a new set of speakers, I fire Da Funk. You know that you have good equipment if your jaw drops when the bassline starts at 0:45.

Over the years, Daft Punk released other great albums (most notably Random Access Memories) and tracks (Starboy with the Weeknd) but, for me, Homework rules.

I first heard Tora! Tora! Tora! by Depeche Mode in 1985. I was 12 at that time and the song was amazing on so many levels.

Tora! Tora! Tora! was released 40 years ago (in 1981) on Depeche Mode’s first album, Speak and Spell. It was electro at its best. The bassline was amazing as were the drums. And the lyrics were profound. It was a song about war or, rather, against war. Deep lyrics which had a big impact on my young mind at that time.

It was also the first DM song made by Martin Gore which would give an idea of what the group would move towards during the next few years… More electro and darker but more profound lyrics.