Shakespeare Alabama

One of the '80s most striking debuts, Shakespeare Alabama, the first album from this Leicester, England, quintet is filled with soaring guitar epics, complemented by the powerful vocals and provocative lyrics of frontman John Butler and expertly produced by Chris Kimsey. Heavily influenced by the same jangly folk-rock (Byrds, Buffalo Springfield, etc.) that helped fuel R. E. M. and other alternative darlings, Butler and his bandmates opted for clarity instead of navel-gazing, creating anthemic tunes like 'All the Myths on Sunday' and 'Bell of Hope', which sounded like instant classics and considered appropriately big topics like religion and history. This reissue of the 1989 original release has become a sought-after item among fans who recognized greatness when they heard it. EMI. 2005.