4 Rare 80s Albums -part 64- Glam Rock- Aor- New... Access

Hailing from Los Angeles’s sunset strip but arriving just after the hair-metal explosion, Velvet Criminals leaned more into *David Bowie’s Scary Monsters period than Motley Crüe. Their only album, Neon Masquerade , was pressed independently (500 copies) and distributed only at two local clubs.

A near-mint promo copy sold at a Tokyo record fair in 2023 for ¥320,000 (~$2,150). Album 4: The Fabulous Dirt – “Cheap Perfume & Bad Decisions” (1988, Canada) Genre Blend: 50% Glam / 40% AOR / 10% New Wave 4 Rare 80s Albums -Part 64- Glam Rock- AOR- New...

The runout groove on Side B contains a hand-etched message: “Sorry Mom – The Dirt.” Comparative Table: The Four Rarities | Album | Year | Origin | Primary Genre | Rarity Factor | Estimated Copies Surviving | |-------|------|--------|---------------|---------------|----------------------------| | Neon Masquerade | 1985 | USA | Glam / AOR | Master tapes destroyed | ~300 | | English Rain | 1987 | UK | New Wave / Glam | Flood-damaged sleeves | ~200 | | Geisha Driver | 1986 | Japan | AOR / New Wave | Pulled for artwork | ~150 | | Cheap Perfume... | 1988 | Canada | Glam / AOR | Dumpstered test pressings | ~50–60 | Conclusion & Listening Recommendations For Glam purists: Start with Velvet Criminals – it’s the last true 70s-style swagger filtered through 80s production. For AOR fans: The Fabulous Dirt offers the most accessible hooks and radio-ready choruses. For New Wave collectors: The Soho Roses provide moody, intellectual art-rock with danceable beats. For the adventurous: Tokyo 77 ’s Geisha Driver is a glorious trainwreck of styles that somehow works. Hailing from Los Angeles’s sunset strip but arriving