The Island Ear, Issue 138E, March 27-April 9, 1984.

Here's yet another look at The Island Ear, the free, Long Island-based music periodical. I've covered full issues from 1980, 1981, 1982, and 1983, and now this one from spring of 1984. I was in the second half of my miserable freshman year of high school, and the pitiful state of pop music was meager consolation, continuing its slide into uninspired atrociousness. Even Elvis Costello was in a fallow stretch, years away from King of America and Blood & Chocolate.

[July 2024 disclaimer: Just revisiting this post and, jeez, was I in a grumpy mood or what? Like, even more so than usual! Just thought I’d warn you. So, while reading this, imagine I had a hemorrhoid or something.]

On the cover, The Alarm brooded shaggily. (Click on photos to enlarge, geezer.)

In the Record Report from local retailers, Weird Al ate it, and Queen's Radio Ga-Ga hit the chart. We have since been told, in the Freddie Mercury biography, that this single was hot shit, when in fact this is only halfway accurate.

Next, an ad for Rick Springfield's motion picture debut, Hard to Watch, uh, Hold.

Ear Rings album reviews.

An ad for the new dance club Playground ("Where a playmate is always found") in Williston Park.

Sorry this profile of Wire Train is so poorly cropped, but let's just say the presentation matches the quality of the writing. (I suppose I could redo it, but it takes like nine goddamn days to scan, edit and write up one of these issues as it is, so screw it, it stays!)

Ads for Island Sound Records & Tapes (Oceanside, Merrick), Fox's dance club in Massapequa, Leonardo's Hair Design in Rockville Center, and Shuster Sound in Valley Stream.

An ad for Universal Sound Stage in Centereach shares a page with Hot Flashes (of music news) and musical birthdays.

Ads for Record Van (rip-off!) in Merrick, and McHebe's Depot, somewhere on Hempstead Turnpike (Uniondale?). This was supposed to be a color scan. Again, I got a life I'd like to get back to at some point, so get over it.

Rumrunner in Oyster Bay, Hayes Guitars in Bay Shore and Sayville, and the delightfully named Monkey's in Lynbrook.

The Island Ear and Arista Records want folks to try to win an autographed Thompson Twins LP.
Um, that's okay, Island Ear and Arista Records. Really, thanks for offering, but don't put yourself out.

Pizan's Puzzles were never great, but he or she was trying, I guess, so good for him or her.

Record World had Eurythmics, and a contest where the grand prize was a haircut at Mods & Rockers. Second prize was two haircuts at Mods & Rockers.

An ad for L.I. Record Collector tops the quiz, which requires you to come up with five bands with siblings. Um, Mac and Katie Kissoon, who did "Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep"... Hm, that's all I can think of. The White Stripes?

Ads for Spit in Levittown, Record Collection in Massapequa Park, Mr. Cheapo Record Exchange in Flushing, and, ahem, Mods & Rockers in Hicksville (but this ad is unfortunately without the usual chuckle-inducing photo).

Interview with The Alarm, which I have not read.

Ads for the cleverly-named Audio Sound Productions in Hempstead, Justin Sound in Smithtown, Focus II Guitar Centers in North Bellmore, Commack, and Patchogue, and a vague call for performers that looks like a trap to me.

The last page of the interview.

Slipped Disc in Valley Stream touted an in-store appearance by Talas, during which you could get 10% off leather items. Look, Talas, I've got a wristband just like yours!

Writer Jimi LaLumia warns us not to even attempt to avoid the glam-rock band Specimen. Well, I didn't, and yet I managed to.

More ads: Zig Zag Records in Franklin Square, Nightshift Studio in Patchogue, Creamsone Records in Merrick, and Audio Unlimited of West Hempstead.

The latest music videos get a gander, and Larry Kleinman takes an allegedly humorous look at holidays.

Ads for Speakerkits of Bellerose, The Reconing (?) Center of Bay Shore, 007 dance club in Franklin Square, plus one for Pizazz in Lindenhurst (featuring a spiky gal who just read the Larry Kleinman column).

Freshly-smelted metal gets pored over, and February's in Elmont proudly proclaims its status as #2.

Dublin Pub (Hey, I remembered to scan in color this time!) in New Hyde Park, and Sparks on Main Street in Huntington.

IE advertisers get a bonus mention in Where It's At.

Spize in Farmingdale had Modern English, Sam Ash had an Electronic Keyboard and Synthesizer Expo, Quest End in Franklin Square had geeky goodies galore, and Words & Music in Sayville also catered to nerds who liked to read. Nerds!

This issue's Island Eye took a look around McHebe's Depot, finding lots of free t-shirts, feathered bangs and scraggly mustaches.

Duran Duran played the Nassau Coliseum, plus ads for Prime Cuts in Little Neck, Final Vinyl in Baldwin, Neptune Pub in East Meadow, and the Pawnbroker Cafes of Baldwin and Farmingdale (try their drink special, the "Impaling Spindle").

For the Musician details a Steve Vai appearance at Focus II, and Hometown Pride details albums you will never hear, or even see at the mall.

More album reviews, and a brief Q&A with Howard Jones, who seems like an awfully pleasant fella.

Two pages of the current platters getting spun on WLIR, WBAB, et al, plus British chart-toppers and MTV’s newest eye-grabbers.

Finally, the back cover, Midnight Madness at the local UA theaters, sponsored by WPLJ.
(No illustration by Starace, alas.)

So, is Quest End still around? I need plastic bags for my burgeoning Island Ear collection.
See ya next time! Nerds!