If you want an amazing eighties album with superb production I can't recommend Shriekback's Big Night Music highly enough, especially the b-side. In fact mainly the b-side. I love that album and also use it as a test record when I get new tubes/equipment. They don't sound like their name would suggest, it's beautiful atmospheric but still thumping music. Miles better than Dead Can Dance, a band who's music I find pretentious. Check out “The Underwaterboys" online for a taste.
Anybody into 80s big music?
Big music=big guitars, big drums, anthemic songs, etc. Big Country, XTC, the Alarm, the Call, the Waterboys, Simple Minds, Cactus World News, and of course U2. Any others come mind?