The Last Bus Home

If I worked for Cherry Red and was given a remit for a three CD clamshell box focusing on Irish rock, then it would look like this. The period spans 1979 to 1997 with the emphasis on the unusual suspects and the use of single edits wherever possible.

We start in 1979, six months before the visit of Pope John Paul II. Post-punk and new wave gradually give way to a poppier and more synth based sound. The mix ends in 1986; there’s a circular connection between the opening and closing tracks.

01 Gary Moore – Parisienne Walkways
02 U2 – Stories For Boys (Single Version)
03 The Undertones – You’ve Got My Number (Why Don’t You Use It)
04 The Atrix – Treasure On The Wasteland
05 Boomtown Rats – Someone’s Looking At You
06 Paul Brady – Nothing But The Same Old Story
07 Bagatelle – Trump Card (7″ Mix)
08 Tokyo Olympics – Radio
09 Virgin Prunes – Baby Turns Blue
10 Minor Detail – Canvas Of Life
11 Paul Ashford – One In Every Town
12 Auta Da Fe – All Is Yellow (Hot Hot Hot) (7″ Mix 1984)
13 Those Nervous Animals – The Business Enterprise (My Friend John)
14 Les Enfants – Slipaway
15 The Adventures – Feel The Raindrops
16 The Blades – The Last Man In Europe
17 The Fountainhead – Rhythm Method (7″ Version)
18 Cactus World News – Years Later (7″ Version)
19 Pierce Turner – Wicklow Hills (Single Edit)
20 The Edge with Sinead O’Connor – Heroine
21 Brush Shiels – Old Pal

Part 2 finishes off 1986 before hurtling through the remaining years of the decade like a Slattery’s Bus. We then move onto 1990, a time of youthful optimism and World Cup dreams. Practically all of these songs were beamed into my teenage bedroom via the Dave Fanning Show on RTE Radio 2. I also saw many of the bands play live – either as support acts in Dublin or headlining their own gigs in Waterford’s Bridge Hotel.

01 Blue In Heaven – I Just Wanna (7″ Edit)
02 Tuesday Blue – Tunnel Vision
03 Light A Big Fire – Mr Twilight
04 A House – Heart Happy
05 In Tua Tua – Seven Into The Sea
06 Aslan – Loving Me Lately (7″ Remix)
07 Microdisney – Gale Force Wind (Edit)
08 The Stunning – Got To Get Away
09 Stars Of Heaven – The Lights Of Tetuoan
10 That Petrol Emotion – Cellophane
11 Cry Before Dawn – The Last Of The Sun (Single Version)
12 Into Paradise – I Want You
13 Hinterland – Dark Hill (Edit)
14 Gavin Friday and The Man Seezer – Each Man Kills The Thing He Loves
15 Hey Paulette – I Really Do Love Penelope
16 An Emotional Fish – Grey Matter (Single Remix)
17 The 4 Of Us – Drag My Bad Name Down (1990 Remix)
18 Hothouse Flowers – Give It Up
19 Golden Horde – 100 Boys
20 Power Of Dreams – 100 Ways To Kill A Love
21 Whipping Boy – Switchblade Smile
22 The Swinging Swine – Them Ghosts Do Come
23 The Fat Lady Sings – Dronning Maud Land

Part 3 covers the period 1991 to 1997 which coincides with the Féile era. Plastic pints of Fosters, a chip van and one portaloo. Happy Mondays, Ride and the impromptu Black Francis in ’91 vs the greatest ever festival line-up in ’95. The things that dreams (and reality) were made of. Thank you for listening.

01 Fatima Mansions – Hive
02 The Divine Comedy – Timewatch
03 The Frank and Walters – Walter’s Trip
04 Would Be’s – My Radio Sounds Different In the Dark
05 The Cranberries – Uncertain
06 The Prayer Boat – Oceanic Feeling (Edit)
07 Lir – Halycon Days
08 Something Happens – Daisyhead
09 Engine Alley – Infamy
10 Sultans Of Ping FC – Give Him A Ball And A Yard Of Grass
11 The Pale – Dogs With No Tails
12 Toasted Heretic – Galway And Los Angeles
13 Precious Stones – Red Sky
14 Brian – Knowing
15 Therapy? – Opal Mantra
16 Brilliant Trees – Home
17 Blink – Cello (Radio Edit)
18 In Motion – Hollow Blow
19 Sack – What Did The Christians Ever Do For Us (Edit)
20 Rollerskate Skinny – Speed To My Side (Edit)
21 The Hitchers – Strachan