Hey, everyone! Long time no see. I'm back, at least for now. I thought I'd try something a little different in order to motivate myself to write about music again. I hope you like it.
I grew up in rural Washington state. Generally, the less said about this area during that time, the better. I lived in a trailer court until midway through the fourth grade (November of 1983, if you want that much detail), then my family moved to the boondocks, where I remained until I graduated from high school. During this time, my family had cable TV for only a brief few months in 1983. The trailer court had entered the modern world. I recall that summer well - my brother and I spent all day out on our bikes, then we'd return home to watch whatever movie was on HBO. Grease 2 was my favorite, for some reason (Michelle Pfeiffer), but I'd watch anything. Missing from this experience, though, was MTV.
Music Television was not part of the cable package in my hometown. I believe that the city council forbade it. (Dancing was okay, though - this wasn't a Footloose situation.) No matter how it happened, I would have missed out on the heyday of the music video. Once we put our double-wide on the former alfalfa field that we called home, all we got were the standard three channels. While many of my age contemporaries might think of music as both a visual and audio experience, I still have difficulty making the adjustment to "watching" music.
With this in mind, I thought I'd take a look at videos from a random smattering of eighties songs I love. Please feel free to watch along with me. Share your thoughts in the comments, including other videos you think I should watch and/or write about.
The Go-Go's - "Our Lips Are Sealed"
I love this video. The sun-drenched footage of the band cruising around Los Angeles in a big old convertible interspersed with a studio performance - it's irresistible. The band is so young and fun and beautiful! It makes me want to go back in time and see them live at this stage. Please note that, in the video, Jane and Belinda stay in the car while the rest of the band go into "Trashy Lingerie." I just noticed this detail! It makes me wonder what else I've missed! You can also see Jane's and, later, Belinda's underwear when they're playing in the fountain toward the end.
I'm not saying this because of the underwear, but now I'm beginning to understand why people enjoy music videos so much. This video, at least, enhances the listening experience. It makes the viewer want to be a part of what the Go-Go's are doing on that impossibly sunny afternoon in L.A. It's a wonderful video, and an outstanding accompaniment to the song that bats lead-off on one of the best pop/rock albums of all time.
The Outfield - "Your Love" and "All the Love in the World"
Both of these songs come from the Play Deep album, which is an underrated masterpiece of power pop/rock. Aside from a couple of ballads, every song on Play Deep hits the mark. "Your Love," of course, is the big hit. Everyone knows it and has formed an opinion. I love it, but that goes without saying, since I'm including it here. It reminds me of watching my uncles play in the city slow-pitch softball league thirty-five years ago. Once, after a game, I had to take a leak. As I stepped into the ballfield bathrooms, I witnessed two of my uncles in the middle of what I assume was a cocaine deal. (I think I know who was buying and who was selling, but I doubt it matters to you, dear reader.) I turned and left quickly and mentioned it to no one for years and years. I kept their secret. I guess I was a cool preteen, as hard as that is for me to believe. Anyway - this video is kind of dull, but (other than the awesome music) is saved by the totally sick mullets on all three band members. Look at that shit! They're almost a caricature of the mid-eighties "business in front, party in the back" fashion! It's sort of like that picture you've probably seen of the Japanese rockabilly dudes with their foot-high pompadours. The Outfield had the look. I wonder if they also scored some coke from my uncle? Bonus: take a look at the Ronnie Milsap wannabe at 1:57! Seriously, though - this band is a trio. Where did they get Budget Ronnie and the extra guitarist? Budget Ronnie's mullet isn't big enough to be in this band!
"All the Love in the World" is a fantastic song - often overlooked because of "Your Love," kind of how Alpha Centauri A is a little bit brighter and larger than Alpha Centauri B. (It was past time for an astronomy analogy.) The video is better than the above one, mostly because the mullets are that much larger here (presumably because they filmed it a couple of months later). And look - Budget Ronnie shows up again! Strike three, studio musician - you're outta there! We want to see more of the drummer's absolutely amazing mullet! 1985 here, folks. Nothing more to see. Move along. The only change I would make to the video would be to make sure the woman making eyes at the band had a mullet as well. But damn, I love this song.
One last thought - why is an English band called The Outfield? They don't really pay attention to baseball or softball in England. It would be like a United States band being named Batters and Bowlers or the 4-3-3s or The Holding Midfielders. I guess I don't mind - it's just a curious choice.
INXS - "Listen Like Thieves"
A perfect video for a perfect song. The band nails it here. They capture a post-apocalyptic vibe quite well. I don't know if I've ever written on this blog how much I loved INXS as an early teen (before I discovered punk rock). Their lyrics were nothing special, but I sure loved their songs. There has never been a sexier human being than Michael Hutchence. I'm only saying what was plainly obvious to everyone. It's a true shame what happened to him just over a decade after the band made this video. I still need to watch the documentary about him - I should make a mental note to do that, but I'm afraid the documentary will just make me sad. Well, let's just watch this video and remember Michael and the band at the height of their powers.
(edited to add: damn it! "This video is unavailable in your country." Fuck! I've instead included a live performance that I found. Maybe you can find the official video on your own?)
The above is only their second-best song. It is topped by...
INXS - "Don't Change"
This might just be the best song of the 1980s. Ask me this question on thirty different days and I'll give you thirty different answers, though. It's a nice, simple video of the band playing in a warehouse. Both Tim and Kirk have teased up their hair for the performance! Andrew decided that it would be a good idea to mount his keyboard on the wall so that he can play it one-handed while dancing. But when things really heat up, he has to turn away to play it two-handed. Jon the drummer (he, Tim, and Andrew are brothers) is the fun-loving guy that everyone adores. Garry Gary Beers looks the coolest with his leather jacket, big boots, and timeless hair. He would look the coolest, that is, if Michael fucking Hutchence weren't the front man for the band. When I was young I wanted to be him so badly. He is the epitome of urban coolness that I (or, honestly, anyone else) could never attain.
My friend Turdy and I have had a plan for a few years to write something for the blog about our love of INXS. Perhaps one of these days we'll get it done. One last thing about Turdy - when I lived in Minnesota, her house was (by car) exactly one Ramones - s/t away from mine. Our friendship was meant to be!
Bruce Springsteen - "I'm on Fire"
I cannot tell you how much I love this song. I did not know a video existed for it until this very moment! Bruce is a surprisingly good actor in this one. The video captures pretty well the turmoil that inexpressible longing and desire can create. Her left hand (with the huge diamond ring) lingering on the fin of the car. Bruce's gaze unable to break away from her legs, except for fleeting attempts to look at her (unseen to us) face. Unable to resist, he drives the car out to her mansion, working up his courage during the trip. At the last moment, Bruce decides to leave matters alone and drops the key in the mailbox. A wise move, even if his heart tells him otherwise. Short and sweet, while conveying more emotion than many feature-length films. Thumbs up!
How about some more Bruce?
Bruce Springsteen - "Dancing in the Dark"
I've had the idea of writing about perfect songs for quite a while now. Specifically, I'm interested in exploring how many perfect songs in a row are on an album. Bad Religion's Suffer, for instance, starts with five perfect songs. "Land of Competition," the sixth song, is a bit of a misstep both lyrically and musically compared to the previous five. The largest number I've found so far is on CCR's Chronicle, Vol. 1. Every song from "Proud Mary" to "Long As I Can See the Light" is stunningly perfect. The train of awesome pauses with their rendition of "I Heard (Hoid) It through the Grapevine," then picks up again with "Have You Ever Seen the Rain" and "Hey Tonight." That's thirteen songs in a row that are a sheer gift to humanity. I'm not sure if a greatest hits collection counts, though. But I ask myself questions like: what are the best two songs in a row on a record? (The answer is "Bad Moon Rising" and "Lodi" on CCR's Green River.) What are the best three songs in a row? The answer may very well be "I'm Goin' Down," "Glory Days," and this song from Born in the USA. Spectacular. In this video, Bruce makes the smart decision to set it to an outstanding live show. Bruce and the band are at their energetic best. You can tell that he's having the time of his life on that stage. It's fun to see Clarence Clemons dancing along (though not in the dark) while waiting for his awesome sax solo. Was that a young Courtney Cox in the crowd and dancing with Bruce on stage?
Scorpions - "Rock You Like a Hurricane"
As with "Listen Like Thieves," this is a perfect video for a perfect song. Such wild energy in the visuals - Klaus emerging from the sci-fi tube, the caged band playing as if their lives were at stake (which they were - did you see that crowd?). The moment at 3:30 with the guitarists rockin' together is all too brief for my taste. It's inevitable that the cage breaks, the woman with the frizzed/teased hair gets in to have her way (presumably) with Klaus and the gang, and our heroes retreat (along with the aforementioned woman) back to the neon stasis tubes. This song fucking rules. I never get tired of listening to it. Klaus Meine is, perhaps, the least likely sex symbol that the 1980s produced. (Yes, I know Scorpions have been around since the 1960s.) I am terribly jealous of my brother - he saw them live a few years ago and declared it a wonderful experience. Hopefully I'll get a chance at some point to see them.
(Edit: damn it again! Here's a direct link to the video.)
Living Colour - "Cult of Personality"
Living Colour's Vivid is the most underrated album from the 1980s. Corey Glover is the most energetic front man I have ever seen. Vernon Reid is the most versatile guitar god you're likely to ever encounter. And the songs! Vivid is crammed full of amazingly tight compositions that demonstrate a mastery of several different types of music - metal, power pop ("I Want to Know" is as good as anything The Knack did), punk (check out the intro to "Desperate People"), rap, funk, calypso...a wonderful album. They were no slouches in the lyrics department, either. Just listen to "Open Letter to a Landlord" or "Which Way to America" to get a taste of how sharp they are. The video here is crammed full of interesting treats. My favorite part is watching Vernon play his big solo - he uses so much whammy bar action that he probably has to re-tune between songs! Then Corey's hair band comes off as he headbangs us all to hell, but is magically back on as he sings the final verse. Then it's off again! What a great song.
Bonus content - the band playing the song live on the Arsenio Hall show. It's so fun to see Corey strutting around the audience like a pro wrestler (complete with spandex shorts!), then heading back on stage to do a short synchronized dance with Muzz. Hope you enjoy it. Maybe you'll spot the old dude in the crowd suffering through the performance, which might be the best part of the whole video.
Steve Perry - "Oh Sherrie"
I've always appreciated that "Perry" and "Sherrie" rhyme. The pop music DJs of the mid-eighties probably enjoyed it as well. It rolls off the tongue. Try it. But back to the video, which is completely ridiculous. It's not hard to believe, given their ubiquity, that video producers were making music video parodies as early as this. Steve halts the medieval proceedings, walks off the set, mopes a bit, spies his true love, then walks down and takes her in his arms while telling us all that their love holds on, holds on. This video's statement is important - it's saying we should get back to the basics that everyone enjoys. All we want to see is Steve Perry in tight jeans (one can see the outline of his package) and righteous sideburns spending time with a good-looking lady. It doesn't matter that the aforementioned lady is wearing red tights with a white summer dress, I guess. Might as well throw on some leg warmers while you're at it. I don't want to nitpick - this song is the best. If you hate it, you and I have nothing in common.
Belinda Carlisle - "Mad about You"
Okay, I have a thing for eighties Belinda Carlisle. This is probably my favorite song from her post-Go-Go's career. I'm just a big lover of her voice - not much range, but she does everything she can with it. Not everyone can be Madonna! The video is a pretty good representation of two people in love. We've all seen and heard it before, but this iteration has Belinda as the star! Plus - and I hate to sound shallow, but I guess sometimes I am - this video shows Belinda at her most stunning. Wow. As one of the video commenters notes, she looks like a movie star from the 1940s or 50s.
(Edit: this is getting fucking old. Here is the direct link to the video.)
Lita Ford - "Kiss Me Deadly"
If I had had access to MTV as a teen, I'm not sure who I would have had a harder crush on - Belinda or Lita. No one (with the possible exception of Tickle Your Taint's own Kloghole) ever looked better in spandex. Or leather pants. Or ripped jeans. (The same applies to Kloghole.) The video is hot. I wish I were that guitar. The song is quite enjoyable as well. I've always liked the bridge of this song - the little guitar part after Lita declares "But I know what I like" never fails to thrill me. And the chorus is full of energy. The guitar progression when she sings "Come on pretty baby, kiss me deadly" is first rate. Bonus: keytar sighting at 2:36! There is more that I could say, but I'd rather watch the video again than type more!
Quiet Riot - "Cum on Feel the Noize"
Okay, bear with me here. "Metal Health" was my first encounter with heavy music. It came out when I was in 4th grade. A friend of mine brought his boombox to school one day along with his cassette copy of that album. I recall following him around during lunch while being blown away by these songs. I had never heard such a loud guitar! Plus, it was scandalous to hear a song called "Love's a Bitch."
Everyone knows this song is a Slade cover. This version is light years better than the original song. Strangely, the band hated doing it. On their next album "Condition Critical," they led it off with another Slade song ("Mama Weer All Crazee Now.") It didn't take a genius to figure out that the first cover moved a lot of product, so it might make $ense to try it again. As fate would have it, the Quiet Riot version couldn't touch the original. (I don't know if this is controversial, but Slade's version of "Mama" is an unimpeachable classic - one of the best songs of the early seventies.)
The video itself is kind of boring, at least for the first half. The extended scene of the guy in his bedroom "feeling the noize" is unfocused and lasts too long. They should have cut to the band rockin' out a lot earlier. This scene is fine. I always thought Kevin DuBrow was one of the strangest looking people ever. Bug eyes and a hatchet face. I wish I could wear his tiger-striped spandex pants! I could have fit in them when I was nineteen. Rudy Sarzo's and Carlos Cavazo's hairstyles are on point. Rudy's feathered hair farm is glorious, while Carlos's...hairdo would later be perfected by suburban moms throughout the U.S.
The funniest thing about this song - one of the wits commenting on this video said "I feel sorry for anyone named 'feel the noise.'"
I could keep going with this, but we'll end with...
The Housemartins - "Caravan of Love"
I was not aware of this band and song in the 80s (small town, no college radio, etc.), but I fell in love with them after hearing their London 0 Hull 4 album a couple of years ago. If someone set out to design an album specifically tailored to me, they could hardly have done much better. It's like three albums in one, all with Marxist-inspired lyrics about supporting each other through hard times. There's the punk/pop stuff, the northern soul-tinged covers of classic tunes, and the a capella versions of some favorites. The latter songs remind me of my college roommate Jason, who was a big a capella fan. He was even part of an a capella group in college. Unfortunately, he died in a car accident twenty years ago - some piece of shit wasn't paying attention and hit him as he was going to pick up his daughter. Love you and miss you, my friend. This song (which was a single they released between their two albums) is for Jason. He would have enjoyed it.
