Algorithms for the Masses by Julian M Bucknall

This week it's a Party Shuffle Good Friday.

Stereo Tonic, by Thunderball, from Scorpio Rising. Nice bit of electronica from a little known band. I found them through one of Thievery Corporation's remix albums and decided to try them out. Not bad at all: echo-ey, sitar-ey, downtempo beats.

Fisherman's Blues, by The Waterboys, from The Best of the Waterboys: 1981-1990. From the Waterboys' Irish folk phase, and I'd have to say I'm not a great fan of it, I'm afraid. Catchy enough beat and tune, lots of fiddles, but it leaves me a little cold.

Lovefool [Tee's Club Radio], by The Cardigans, from Best Summer Album in the World...Ever!. Great compilation album, providing you get the UK double version. This is a catchy poppy little tune, apparently used in Romeo + Juliet, though I can't remember where.

Trouble, by Stevens, Cat, from Gold. Cat on guitar and singing, nothing much else, quiet and contemplative, from his very early years.

Starlight, by Electric Light Orchestra, from Out of the Blue. Fun double LP (I seem to remember the original album had a pop-out-and-fold cardboard ELO spaceship). A quiet track this one, Setting you up for the seriously wacky Jungle that follows.

Bet She's Not Your Girlfriend, by Pet Shop Boys, from Where the Streets Have No Name. Another brilliant B-side from PSBs. Neil has a girl on his arm, and they're bitchily saying "bet she's not your girlfriend". Very much a dance pop track, this.

Aquatic Dance, by Vangelis, from Oceanic. Slowing down now for Vangelis' flowing album about water and the sea. Ethereal voices, a harp, a synthesizer. Taking my cue from the album cover, I imagine seeing formation swimmers doing a slow dance from above for this track.

Don't Drop Bombs, by Minnelli, Liza, from Results. PSBs again, in the background as producers and writers of Liza Minnelli's pop album. Not too bad, although one critic at the time described it as "Liza nil, Pet Shop Boys one". A bit of a protest song as you might guess, but very 80s disco.

Funny How Time Flies, by Jackson, Janet, from Control. The hidden track at the end of the album. Janet speaking in French at the beginning, then a very percussive slow clappy beat: it's the end of the evening, please let's do this again.

Johnny and Mary, by Palmer, Robert, from Clues. One of my very favorite Robert Palmer songs this one, about miscommunication or perhaps non-communication within a relationship. This song needs bass, lots of it, so crank it up. Just brilliant. So good I just listened to it twice.

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