This Week's Forgotten Gem of the '80s - Tom Robinson's "Atmospherics (Listen to the Radio)"

One of England's most unsung early post-punk artists as leader of the hard-rocking Tom Robinson Band, social activist and ragged singer-songwriter Tom Robinson continued to release music as a solo artist during the early '80s. Few in America were listening, of course, but Robinson remained a viable artist in his homeland - and for good reason. Though it may be true that Robinson is a great singer in the same way that Bob Dylan is - that is to say, soulful and passionate if not perfectly precise - it's also true that the former writes distinctive songs of great power. Though known far more for his outspoken role as a gay rights activist and general critic of intolerance than as a rock music original, Robinson will surprise you at every turn if you let him.

For instance, his 1983 single "Atmospherics (Listen to the Radio)" arrives on a sophisticated groove that certainly expands Robinson's sound from his early punk rock-inspired efforts. As one of the main singles from his debut solo album North by Northwest, this tune artfully fuses elegant saxophone lines that are never cheesy with Robinson's unmistakably street-gritty vocals. Listeners in Britain may have had plenty of opportunity to hear this song when it came out, but I include Robinson in this regular feature for all the American music lovers, like me, who were denied our Robinson fix way back when. It's time to know more about this artist than merely that he was one of rock's earliest and few openly gay performers of the punk era.

• Sample or download "Atmospherics (Listen to the Radio)" here.
• Compare prices on Tom Robinson CDs here.

Album Cover Image Courtesy of Castaway