I really liked The Cars when I was a teenager. I even bought a couple albums, but they’ve never been a big part of my life. That said, I always enjoy their music whenever I hear it. “Since You’re Gone” was a radio hit, maybe it still is on the “classic rock” stations or XM. I dig it and the flipside “Think It Over” is a more upbeat rocker with a very 1980s sound, a sound created by them as much as anyone. This single was from their fourth album Shake It Up and came out in 1981.
Even if The Cars never existed Ric Ocasek will always be my hero for his work on the early Bad Brains records.
The pop just keeps comin’. I think I spelled their name right, so many letter ‘A’s to keep track of. I don’t remember either of these Bananarama ditties, “The Wild Life” and “The State I’m In” on the back. I think I like the latter the most. It has a 1960s-Supremes vibe to it. Both of them are sort of middlin’ as far as Bananananananarama tunes go. Sorry, lost count there for a sec. Anyhow, Mary thinks she wants to keep this record.
From looking at the record queue it appears the parade of pop records won’t stop until we get to “E.” Stay tuned.
I’ve said this before, I think it was the last King record, guess when this was made. I like pop as much as the next guy, well not really but I’m incredibly tolerant of most forms of music, including pop. The main song, “Love and Pride (Body and Sould Mix)” is solid, listenable pop, but the flip side has two really lame filler pieces. If it were up to me this one would be a goner, fo’ sho.
Server migration, DNS propagation lag, Charter Communications… All of you, can kiss my ass. Now where were we?
Right! Gang of Four’s late period album, Hard. My collection is missing the previous album Songs of the Free and that gap makes this record sound like a rather abrupt change to a more pop sound. Even though Hard is full of classic pop sounds, things like soulful backing vocals and staccato strings, the music is just as strange and interesting as their earlier work. Of course, the lyrics are fantastic too. I played the crap out this record way back, and you can tell from the grime on the cover. My favorite song is “A Man With a Good Car.”
Who is that?
Just what is your business?
Fate is in your hands
And your decisions
A man with a good car needs no justification
Fate is in my hands and in the transmission
Acquired: Used, somewhere far from here, sometime long ago.
It’s a thoroughly ’80s evening. Mary is watching 200 Cigarettes and laughing about how Dave Chappelle’s character Disco Cabbie reminds her of me. (?) I have to say that at least he’s the coolest cat in the movie, with the best lines. This movie was made in 1999 but takes place in 1981. Of course it’s chockablock with some of our favorite music. One year later, 1982, these XTC compilations were released. It’s hard to believe they started so long ago.
XTC’s “Waxworks: Some Singles 1977-1982” (Wikipedia) and “Beeswax: Some B-Sides 1977-1982” were originally released together, but I think they later became separate albums. I have them pushed together in the picture below, but they are in fact physically separate records, not gatefold covers. I’ve never been a huge fan, but I do appreciate their music and have bought some of their records. My favorite song from both records is “Generals and Majors.”
Guess when this record came out? Just look at it. It was 1984. I remember hearing King on a “progressive” or “modern rock” radio station while on a family trip in Los Angeles. It doesn’t sound that progressive or modern now, more like a rocked out version of ’80s pop, or maybe a popped out version of ’80s rock. Anyhow, it’s not bad, but it does nothing for me. “Steps in Time” is Mary’s record and she wants to keep it in case we’re ever drafted to DJ an ’80s dance party down at The Orange Peel. I didn’t make that up.
It’s a two-fer Thursday! That’s because we have two versions of the exact same Falco 12 inch, “Der Kommissar.” One has the standard plain black DJ sleeve, and the other a vibrant color jacket with a picture of Falco, a.k.a. Johann (Hans) Hölzel. Both pieces of vinyl have the exact same songs, serial numbers, and the year, 1982. But the color sleeve is dated 1983. (?) In the US, people are more likely to be familiar with After The Fire’s cover version of “Der Kommissar”, which came out in 1983. This one is better. You can’t beat early ’80s rapping, in German!
Falco died in a vehicle accident in 1998. He was barely 40. I wish we had more of his stuff, at least “Rock Me Amadeus.” The video for that one is a must-see, and I’ve included it below. Lucky you!
Songs on these 12 inches:
“Der Kommissar (The Commissioner)”
“Auf Der Flucht (On The Run)”
“Helden Von Heute (Alles Wartet Auf) (Today’s Heroes)”
I admit that I think the title track “Rebel Yell” is a great pop song, probably Billy Idol’s best. The rest of the album is not so exciting, except for Steve Stevens excellent guitar work. I read an interview with Stevens in Guitar Player magazine back in the 1980s. He said people were always asking him to “do the raygun Steve”, and everyone wanted to know how he did it. The raygun was some killer effect/trick that he did twice in the song “Rebel Yell.” Steve didn’t want to say exactly how to do it. As I remember it, he thought it was kind of lame for people to just copy it and said people should just experiment and come up with their own stuff. I agree, but you can tell me Steve. Seriously.
Acquired: 1986 ? – She probably got it when she was working at Plan 9 Records in Richmond, VA.
Keeper: Maybe
This is just between us. I went to see Billy Idol in a concert during what was probably his first big US tour. That’s embarrassing enough, but since we’ve known each other for so long, I’ll keep going. I’m pretty sure what follows, or something similar, is what I was wearing:
Camouflage BDU pants (probably from the local surplus store).
Black tee shirt with the name of a local new-wave band, “The Nerve”, printed on it in neon pink, with the sleeves cut out, because I’m cool and all.
Not sure about the footwear, probably army surplus boots or maybe Vans.
Hair? I wish I could remember because I know it would be funny.
And the best part… a wide black leather wristband with chrome spikes, not sissy studs, spikes!
While we were waiting in line outside, forever, a police officer apparently inspecting the line for trouble-makers saw my wristband and said it had to go. They knew. I was dangerous!
This 12 inch single has a remix of “Hot in The City” on one side and a remix “White Wedding” on the other. It was a promo, but it looks like it’s been sold a few times. Everybody knows these songs; they were huge hits. I even think they’re decent pop songs. But there is one hilarious detail to this version of “White Wedding” that isn’t on the original.
After one of the verses Billy yells “Rock… Music” and then later “Dynamite… (plus something else I couldn’t make out). ” What?!?… What?!? Did he just yell “Rock Music”? And there is a mega “delay” or echo so it’s really more like “ROCK ROCk ROck Rock rock rock… MUSIC MUSIc MUSic MUsic Music music…” What?!? Was this record intended for a non-english-speaking country? In the studio did someone say “Billy just scream the silliest thing you can think of and we’ll make it sound cool with effects”?
I have Loverboy’s “Turn Me Loose” stuck in my head. That’s just weird. Anyhow, XTC… “Generals And Majors” is a great pop song and I’ve always liked it even though I’m not the biggest XTC fan. This package is another handsome twin 7 inch gatefold that also includes “Don’t Lose Your Temper”, “Smokeless Zone”, and my second favorite here “The Somnambulist.” What’d you call me?!? That last song is interesting and unexpected, minimalist and ethereal with some throbbing bass thing, or whatever. Dig it.
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