Mike Oldfield – Platinum [1979; Virgin]

Smooth-flowing (mostly) instrumental prog rock, opening with a four-part title suite which shows a funkier side to Mike Oldfield’s output, Platinum makes melodic references to some of his other work at points, most noticeably with a direct dip into “Tubular Bells” towards the end of the suite, which continues on into the next full song. The arrangements are lushly orchestrated without sacrificing clarity of sound or direction, and the music often has a compellingly melancholy tone to its long and winding forms. Despite the consistently high quality, the heavy usage of previous works, along with the sense of disconnection between the songs, makes it feel more like an offloading of spare ideas than a full-fledged album.

Here’s the alternate cover lettering.

Instant Funk – Bodyshine / Scream and Shout [1979; Salsoul Records]

In “Bodyshine”, this single’s A-side, Instant Funk lyrically riff on their biggest hit, “I Got My Mind Made Up”, while working a disco funk groove. Some elaborations and twists on the main melody do crop up, but for the most part, it’s a straight ride from start to finish. The B-side, “Scream and Shout”, plays up the horns more while slowing the tempo, riding its chorus more heavily, and giving the punch-up points more impact. A nice pair, but not as memorable as some of the band’s other material.

Here’s the cover art used in France.

And in the Netherlands.

Gary Numan – Cars / Metal [1979; ATCO Records, Beggars Banquet, Warner Bros. Records]

Leading with his biggest hit, this single collects two tracks from Gary Numan’s first album dropping Tubeway Army from the name. “Cars” runs on droning synth tones and drum machine kicks, with Numan’s nasal voice intoning the benefits of automobile isolation. The slick rhythms and ramping frequency of the low-punch percussion keep the track moving right along despite the spacy whine of the synths, with the chorus riff bringing a sharp hook for memory. “Metal”, on the B-side, swerves into a slower, near-industrial groove for a story of AI experimentation, taking a straight ride from start to finish, with few bridges to slow the ride. A nice pair of cuts from one of Numan’s high points.

Rick James – Fire It Up [1979; Bellaphon, Gordy, Motown, Pathé Marconi EMI]

On Rick James’ third album (released the same year as his Bustin’ Out Of L Seven), all but two of the song names invoke love in one form or another, starting with the barely-concealed double entendre of “Love Gun”. The other main link is the songs’ ballsy brand of funk, placing James squarely at the center of focus, with the backing band feeling almost incidental despite their strong playing.

It makes James come off as more of a rock star than a James Brown-styled ringleader, and in spite of the cocaine habit which was already in firm swing, he tempers the swagger (and occasional out-right shouting) with softness, sweetness, and soulfulness, which has the side effect of making the heavy love focus not seem quite so out of place. And while the movement from song to song can seem a bit jarring, the full run through the album finds a weird but very effective balance to its energy and momentum, even with the lengthy spoken-word segment of “Stormy Love”. Distinctive and impressive, with very little dead weight despite its unconventional shaping.