I just gotta say, 80s music is really cool, so go listen to some right now! This means you! Post your favorite songs here! I currently am obsessed with "You Spin Me Right Round," by Dope! I also cannot use punctuation other than an exclamation mark! Please help me!

The '80s were a good period with New Wave, and the tail end of the Punk revolution.

My problem is that I don't know what's '70s, what's '80s and what's '90s.

For me, THE definitive 80s band was Frankie Goes To Hollywood - what else could capture the spirit better than "Relax" and "Two Tribes"?

"Relax" is all I've ever heard from them, but I did see something about them awhile back on VH1. I never knew they were gay or that "Relax" is a gay song, anyway. Not that there's anything wrong with that. The program also said that they did a few different versions of that video, one of which was extremely sexually graphic.

Some good 80's stuff:
Gary Numan's "Cars"
The Cars
Cindi Lauper's "She's So Unusual" (now remastered finally! And yes, it's the one with her masturbatory song on it)
lots of soundtracks from the 80's, or at least just some songs from them ("Don't You Forget About Me", from The Breakfast Club, "The Heat Is On" from Beverly Hills Cop, "Take My Breath Away", Top Gun)
Soft Cell's "Tainted Love", both the regular and 12" expanded dance versions (the latter of which you can find on Rebound Records' 3CD sets, "World of Dance" and "Alterno-Daze" at Circuit City)
"Total Eclipse of the Heart"
Heart
various Motley Crüe songs
various "Weird" Al Yankovich songs and videos

Some bad 80's stuff:
Extreme's "More Than Words"
Spandau Ballet's "True"

Hey! I like Spandau Ballet's "True"!

Other stuff from the Eighties
The Go-Go's
Duran Duran
"Our House" by Madness
"Come On Eileen" - Dexy's Midnight Runners
"A Girl In Trouble (Is A Temporary Thing) - Romeo's Void
"China" - The Red Rockers
"Der Komissar" - After the Fire
R.E.M.
U2
"Video Killed the Radio Star" - The Buggles/MTV
"Radio Ga Ga" - Queen
"Under Pressure" - Queen/David Bowie
Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble
"Run Run Away" - Slade
"Sirius/Eye In the Sky" - The Alan Parson Project
"Genius of Love" - The Tom Tom Club
Talking Heads
"Sister Christian" - NightRanger
"What I Am" - The New Bohemians
"Ah Leah!" - Donnie Iris
Billy Idol, especially "Rebel Yell", "Eyes Without a Face" and "Dancing With Myself"
"Icehouse", "Sister" and "Crazy" by Icehouse
"ALL YOU ZOMBIES" - THE HOOTERS
"Stand Or Fall", "Red Skies", "Saved By Zero" - The Fixx
"Voices" - Russ Ballad
And many, many, many more.

Oh, how I could forget? Prince, Madonna, Springsteen. The big three of the Eighties. Okay, so Michael makes four.

Does anyone remember Starship?

Sadly, the 80s also introduced us to the creative backwater that was Stock, Aitken and Waterman (Jason Donovan, Rick Astley et al.).

At least they did over here in the UK

Oh, yeah, "Relax" did have a pretty funny video.... if you're into that sort of thing... Seriously, though, it was very adult, and was even banned on our national radio stations - so much so that it became #1 in our charts for ever...

"Does anyone remember Starship?"

Unfortunately. I liked them better as either Jefferson Starship or Jefferseon Airplane. The Jefferson Starship put out like two albums in the Eighties. The better of the two was Modern Times. Unfortunately, it's no longer available. Fortunately, I have it on cassette.

Mark, if you didn't know Frankie Goes to Hollywood was gay... they lead singer's name is Holly Johnson, and he's a guy! I still like "Relax", but never could stand "Two Tribes".

Bronski Beat had a little controversy over one of their albums (I can't think of the name of the album, or find it in any of my reference books ) because of the gay theme of one its songs.

I saw Culture Club three times in concert, and would see them again in a minute.
In a video for "Relax", scenes from the pic "Body Double" were used, as the song is prominent in the pic.
Two more cool 80's songs-Van Halen's "Hot For Teacher" and "The Politics of Dancing", by Re-Flex. Van Halen had great early albums, until David Lee Roth became the clown prince of rock.
The original lineups of both Jefferson Airplane and The Doobie Brothers regrouped for new albums in 1989. Unfortunately, I think that they went nowhere after that.

Jefferson Airplane is defunct, but the Doobies are still around. They played Richardson, TX a couple of weeks ago.

Hey! I like Spandau Ballet's "True"!
Well, I'll try not to hold it against you, Benn. *S*

"Radio Ga Ga"
Ugh! More like Radio Gag! Gag!

Missing Persons' Noticeable One, Words, Destination Unknown, Walking in L.A.
M's Pop Musik
Billy Idol's version of Tommy James' Mony Mony (Trivia question: what was Tommy James' inspiration for that song?)

Mark, if you didn't know Frankie Goes to Hollywood was gay... they lead singer's name is Holly Johnson...
Benn, I didn't closely follow most acts during the 80's and mostly only watched them on MTV or heard 'em on the radio, so I was unaware of Holly being gay. I may have heard of it but if so I've since forgotten.

"(Trivia question: what was Tommy James' inspiration for that song?)"

|Yawns| Mutual of New York (How 'bout a question with some teeth to it; something difficult?)

So, Mark, what do you hold against me? (And if you say your body, you're a dead man.)

I think the 80's were the Golden Age for music videos. Back then everyone was trying all sorts of different things. Now every video I catch seems to be quick cuts of groups of dancers in 3 or 4 different outfits or the bands members jabbin' and pointing at the camera which has been placed at some weird angle. Or is it I'm just getting old?

The CD Version I have of FGTH "Welcome To The Pleasuredome" is different than my LP. The LP is better, an '80's classic.
FGTH was named for Frank Sinatra, BTW.
The Go-Go's regrouped recently for their first album in 17 years. ("God Bless The Go-Go's"). I'm surprised that they got past all the drugs and bitter feelings from the past. Jane Weidlin was in "Star Trek IV-The Voyage Home." If you blinked fast, you missed her. She credited as "Alien Communication Officer" and was one of the faces on the viewer during the storm, I believe. There was a VH-1 "Behind the Music" recently, about them. Pretty good, except no mention of Gina Schock's heart surgery.

I like the new Go-Go's disc, God Bless the Go-Go's. I saw them a week ago Friday. They put on an awesome show. They're not yet officially on tour, though.

Jane was also Joan of Arc in Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure, or whatever it was called.

So, Mark, what do you hold against me? (And if you say your body, you're a dead man.)
Only if you were a beautiful woman with a beautiful body, Benn. And I've got nothing against ya. I was only joshing with ya. Gosh, does anyone say "joshing" anymore?

Does anyone remember The Flirts? A blonde, a brunette and a redhead, were they. I remember only one song of theirs from the 80s, "Jukebox (Don't Put Another Dime)". If you ever see Nic Cage's first movie, "Valley Girl" (Deborah Foreman was sooo hot in it!) you'll slightly hear it in the background during a party scene. I've got "Jukebox" and "We Just Want To Dance" on Napster. Really wish they never folded, or changed their policies. I'd like to get tons more songs off of it.

|Yawns| Mutual of New York (How 'bout a question with some teeth to it; something difficult?)
Well, Benn, I figured there had to be someone else who knew that answer. And when I can think of anything difficult I'll post it. Come to think of it a music trivia board would be great! We could make up questions we know the answers to or else get them off of Jeopardy or something.

"Don't put another dime in the jukebox/I don't wanna hear that song no more/Don't put another dime in the jukebox..." Arrrgh! Mark! You got that song stuck in my head! A thousand curses on you! (Not because I hate the song, but because I don't have it in my collection.)

"Only if you were a beautiful woman with a beautiful body, Benn. And I've
got nothing against ya. I was only joshing with ya. Gosh, does anyone
say 'joshing' anymore" - Mark

A.) I know you were joking, homes. I just hope you know I was only joking. (Oh great. Now I'm quoting Rod Stewart.)

|Checks inside his pants| Nope doesn't look female genitalia to me. But it's been awhile. I could be wrong. (I better not be!)

B.) Are you making a reference to a Bellamy Brothers song? "If I Said You Had a Beautiful Body (Would You Hold It Against Me?)" or Groucho Marx. (Wait a minute maybe I'm the one making the references. great. Now I'm getting confused.)

"The Final Countdown" - Europe... now there was a classic hair band
"Take on Me" - A-ha... I still have the tape that song was on. I must have listened to it a thousand times when I first got it.
The very first MTV Music Award show... I actually watched it live. Man, do I feel old.

Mark N & Benn, the last I heard, Holly Johnson, the lead singer of Frankie Goes To Hollywood, had AIDS. That was at least a good 8 years ago. Haven't heard anything since, but I believe he's still alive.

There were three videos for "Relax" that I know of: the most common is the performance thing with the green lasers and Holly wearing sunglasses and, I believe, white gloves.

The other is a Roman Orgy-type thing, with obvious Gay overtones. I had no clue they were gay until I saw this version. Its not that bad! (By that, I mean it wasn't banned from MTV, but they showed the first version more)

The third version is basically the original video with clips from Body Double in it. And, I think the end of the video is different. I only remember seeing it two or three times.

I was an MTV junkie back in the day. We didn't get it until it had been on for a little over a year, though.

There MAY be a different, more explicit video, but if there is, I don't want to hear about it. (I'm straight, so I wouldn't be interested)

If anyone knows where I can find the R-rated version of Motley Crue's video for "Girls, Girls, Girls" or a video for a song called "Rebel With A Cause" by a band called "Silent Rage", please tell me!

(MTV showed "Rebel With A Cause" on Headbanger's Ball. The video had really, really HOT women in it who were obviously partially nude, but the video had been "lightened up" during those sequences so you couldn't see anything.)

Anyone remember the bands Crimson Glory, Lilian Axe, and Kingdom Come?

Yeah, I knew Holly had AIDS.

Never heard of Silent Rage, and as for the Crue, surely they've released the R-rated version. On what, I don't know.

I remember Kingdom Come and Lilian Axe. As a matter of fact, the Axe played Dallas not too long ago.

You're not the only one who doesn't want to know if there is a more explicit version of "Relax", dude.

Lilian Axe is still around, huh? Good. "Show A Little Love" is one of my favorite songs. Don't know if any of the radio stations here would be able to play it if I requested it, though. (I'm in a hotbed of country stations, and most of the classic rock stations here play the same old stuff....aged Top 40 and stuff like that)

Are you making a reference to a Bellamy Brothers song? "If I Said You Had a Beautiful Body (Would You Hold It Against Me?)"
Yes, Benn, that's my all-time favorite country song title (of course, you brought it up). Sorry for taking so long to reply to that. Tonight's the first time I've been on NC since I got my new Dell, but this isn't my first post. That'd be the DS9: The Fallen board under Games.

There were three videos for "Relax" that I know of: the most common is the performance thing with the green lasers and Holly wearing sunglasses and, I believe, white gloves.
I thought there was only one till I saw some program (I think on VH1) last year about sex and sexual images in videos and "Relax" was mentioned and clips of all 3 versions were shown.

The other is a Roman Orgy-type thing, with obvious Gay overtones.
About the most gay-obvious video that I can think of, at least from the 80s, is Elton John's "I'm Not Standing", or whatever it is with all those young males with painted bodies, that looked like it was filmed on Venice Beach, like Diamond Dave's version of "California Girls" was. Talk about some hot babes! Those girls were steaming! Then there's that one beautiful busty brunette (I love beautiful busty brunettes) in Great White's "Once Bitten, Twice Shy" video when they're all gathered in a warehouse or wherever. Who cares? All I could concentrate on is that one who was shown way too little.

If anyone knows where I can find the R-rated version of Motley Crue's video for "Girls, Girls, Girls"...
I know Aerosmith's "Love on an Elevator" is R-rated with a bit of nudity on its uncensored version that MTV (or maybe Aerosmith themselves) put some "censored" bars over the naughty bits to air it. Here's a funny story involving that song. I used to be a fast food manager (and not by my choice) and while waiting for customers to come in (it was a new location with lousy parking) one of the girls, a sorta-cute blonde, Laura, was talking about having done it in an elevator with her boyfriend. So me, having a somewhat warped sense of humor, pretended to call up the local rock radio station (which has gone waaaaay down in quality in the past few years or so to the point of none anymore whatsoever) and request that Aerosmith song, and Laura started laughing so hard that she bent over and was almost screeching, and jumping around like a little kid who's got to pee, when she said, "Noooo!" Ok, ya had to be there but it was very funny.

MarkN, the Elton John video you're thinking of is "I'm Still Standing". Yeah, it was blantantly gay too, but the song is one of my favorite EJ tunes ("I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues" & "Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting" are my two favorite Elton John songs, though).

And I am SO with you about that "Once Bitten, Twice Shy" video, but have you ever seen the video for "Rock Me"? The babe in it MUCH hotter than the one you're referring to.

I happen to know for a fact that there are some R-rated versions of a couple of INXS videos. Not "The One Thing", though, unfortunately.

You think the Elton video is gay? What about the video to R.E.M.'s "Losing My Religion". That should've been your first clue to Michael Stipe's sexual orientation. (I remember reading an interview with R.E.M. back in the late 80's in some local freebie newspaper. They were talking with R.E.M.'s lead guitarist, Peter Buck. Buck was talking about how after the show, the band would hit up on all the groupies, "except Michael", he said. And laughed. I kinda knew that then about Stipe. "Losing My religion" only confirmed it.)

By the way, now that George Michael finally came out of the closet, here are two revamps to a couple of his songs (The FasterLove video gave away his orientation before he got busted, by the way):

George Michael - (I Want Your) Father's Figure

George Michael & Elton John - Please Let Your Son Go Down On Me

MarkN, the Elton John video you're thinking of is "I'm Still Standing".
Oops! My bad! That was in my head as I wrote that and thought that I was writing it but for some reason I wasn't aware that I'd used "Not" instead of "Still". Man, I'm getting so old!

...have you ever seen the video for "Rock Me"? The babe in it MUCH hotter than the one you're referring to.
Yeah, but it's been so long that I've forgotten it. Had it made the impact on me that "OB,TS" did I'd've remembered it better. Thinking of that beautiful busty brunette bending over, showing some serious cleavage always brings a smile to my face. I wonder where she is now and if she still looks good or has let herself go.

George Michael & Elton John - Please Let Your Son Go Down On Me
Well, I guess I'm not the only one to have ever thought of this one.

I can't believe not one individaul mentioned Men At Work!!!
I thought them to be also a wonderful part of the eighties. How about Huey Lewis and the News. Both lead singers have been in the movies here and there. I just saw Lewis in Deuts Before seeing the movie, I thought he just had a cameo, but he actually stars pretty much in the whole thing. I think he does a great job playing off Gweyneth Paltrow.

Mpatterson, the Dope version of "You Spin Me Round" stinks. The original version, by Dead or Alive is much better!

Dead or Alive are still together; I think they play the club circuit. The lead singer's had so much plastic surgery that he doesn't even look the same, but it is the same guy.

The reason I liked 80's music so much was because it seemed happier than today's music. Nothing's been the same since that Grunge crappola came along. (Yes, I think Nirvana and Pearl Jam sucked. Got a problem with it?)

Other than liking several of their songs? No. I've always been drawn to darker themes myself.

The Cure pretty much originated in the `80s. It's kinda hard to call their stuff "happy". Especially since it's often been called "mope rock". Then there's Bauhaus, X, Love and Rockets, etc. It's even hard to refer to U2 as happy. "Sunday, Bloody Sunday", anyone?

Here's one for ya: Rick Astley! I'm sure I wans't the only on who was surprised to find out that he was a skinny little white guy. (For a girl, I can actually do a decent impression of Astley singing "Never Gonna Let You Down.")

I can't believe nobody mentioned Milli Vanilli (sorry if you did. There is a lot of reading to catch up on here).

Did anyone mention Bryan Adams? Everybody at my senior prom was waiting on pins and needles for the band to play "Heaven."

Bronski Beat. Thanks, Benn, I was trying to remember them. The other day I heard the Communards version of "It Ain't Necessarily So." It's the same singer, right?

In the 80's I saw the following groups/artists on local college campuses:

INXS
UB40
k.d. lang
Melissa Ethridge

(I think the Hooters also played at my college, but I wasn't very interested in them.)

I'm not sure if the following are 80's songs or 70's songs, but they sound early-80's enough for me:

"Funky Town"
"Boogie Oogie Oogie"
"Hot Stuff"

Rick Astley. The name reminds me of a Mojo Nixon song, "Debbie Gibson Is Pregnant With My Two-Headed Love Child": "Rick Astley is a panty-waist/That's why I had to punch him in the face."

Milli Vanilli! The only act in the rock and roll era to have their catalog permanently deleted. Why A&M (I think that was their label) waited until it turned out that Rob and Fab didn't sing on those songs to apologize to audiences and give them back their money is beyond me. I wanted my money back the first time I heard "Girl You Know It's True" ("We don't sing our songs"). And I heard it either on the radio or this topless club I went to! What's infuriating is that the record label got off scot free for helping to dump this scam on the music listening public.

Surprisingly, their disc isn't a collector's item. At least as far as I can tell. I have a buddy who wanted a copy of it for some strange perversed reason. He still owes me big time for going out and finding it, and |shudders| buying it for him. I've never been so humiliated in my life.

"Did anyone mention Bryan Adams?" - Juli

Now, now Juli. The Canadians have already apologized for Bryan Adams on many occassions. There's no need to pick at old wounds.

I never really followed Bronski Beat and Communards, so I don't know if the lead singer is the same guy. Sorry.

I love "All You Zombies" by The Hooters, despite all the biblical references in it. To me, it's a classic! (Another darkly themed tune.)

"Funky Town" is definitely an Eighties song. Lipps Inc. released it in 1980. Then, a few years later, it was covered by Psuedo Echo.

"Boogie Oogie Oogie" by A Taste of Honey, I think, and Donna Summer's "Hot Stuff" are from 1979. I have a fondness for the music of that year.

Ok, then "Funky Town" is the tail end of Disco.

How about some early '80s reggae? "Electric Avenue".

And of course, who could forget that 1982 classic, "Valley Girl"??? Like, ohmigod! Fer Shure!

Funny, I've always thought of "Funky Town" as the last great Disco hit. (S.O.S. Band's "Take Your Time [Do It Right]" is in there somewhere, also.)

Eddie Grant's "Electric Avenue" is just about the only Eighties reggae song I know. The only other one I remember was Musical Youth's "Pass the Dutchie". Reggae seems to have been bigger in the Seventies, during Bob Marley's heyday. Eric Clapton covered "I Shot the Sherriff" (and turned the song into a "White" song). Paul McCartney's fledging band Wings' debut album, Wings Wild Life is heavily influenced by reggae. Stevie Wonder had "Boogie On Reggae Woman". Johnny Nash and "I Can See Clearly Now". Waitaminute! There was one other `80s reggae song: The Bellamy Brothers' "Get Into Reggae, Cowboy". The Jamaican answer to "Play That Funky Music".

"And of course, who could forget that 1982 classic, 'Valley Girl'???" - ScottN

"Last idea to flit her mind/Had something to do with where to find/A pair of jeans to fit her butt/And where to get her toenails cut."

Hey! Some of us are trying to forget them!

Dead or Alive are still together; I think they play the club circuit. The lead singer's had so much plastic surgery that he doesn't even look the same, but it is the same guy.
Is this that androgynous British guy (no, not Boy George or David Bowie, who'd given it up just prior to, or early into, the 80's) who had his hair long, straight and black, he wore a long, black coat or outfit, and he's gay? I barely remember him from that time but I saw him on VH1's Where Are They Now, I think it was. He looked awful with all that makeup on.

The reason I liked 80's music so much was because it seemed happier than today's music. Nothing's been the same since that Grunge crappola came along. (Yes, I think Nirvana and Pearl Jam sucked. Got a problem with it?)
Not me. I agree wholeheartedly. PJ doesn't really bother me too much but Nirvana drives me nutsoidal. I'm not glad Kurt's dead but I never missed him, either.

VH1 also premiered Melissa Ethridge's solo performance Friday night. Of course she rocked. Her debut album was in 1988, and her newest one, Skin will soon be in stores, unless it already is. The first video from it has her girlfriend doing a lesbian dance with Jennifer Aniston.

Eddie Grant's "Electric Avenue" is from about 1984, if I recall correctly. I like that song.

Valley Girl, for those not in the know, was done by Frank Zappa's then-14yo daughter, Moon Unit.

Hey! Some of us are trying to forget them!
Then you're on the wrong board, Todd.

The Canadians have already apologised for Bryan Adams many, many times

Well, here's one who's going to speak up in his defence - sort of. His early stuff (Summer of '69, Run to You etc.) holds up as pretty good lite rock, I think. It's only since that ruddy Robin Hood song that he's started believing his own press releases and trying to be a Serious Artist.

But if you want, I'll apologise for Corey Hart, OK? Also Loverboy and Five Man Electrical Band and a good part of Burton Cummings' solo career and The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald. Also, come to think of it, that Seasons in the Sun dude, whose name I can't remember now but I'm pretty sure he was Canadian. I'm really sorry about him.

Uh, Kerrie, I like some of Loverboy's output. I like The Five Man Electrical Band's "Signs" (though the band's name bites). "Stand Tall" by Burton Cummings is an all time favorite. And Gordon Lightfoot's "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" is a classic. Hell, I even like Terry Jack's "Seasons In the Sun".

Does this make me a bad person/ Or Canadian?

Does this make me a bad person/ Or Canadian?

Benn, you had to know this was coming... It makes you both

Seriously, I like "Wreck..." too... "Seasons in the Sun" is a tad too sappy for me, though.

I'll stop the gratuitous Benn bashing... It's getting old, and I apologize for carrying the joke too far.

But you have to admit that someone is going to take advantage when you leave openings that big...

I dunno exactly whether that makes you Canadian, Benn (I do have some ideas on what liking Seasons in the Sun makes you, but that may just be me. ) See how far you can get through the Irish Rovers' Greatest Hits and let me know.

Bear in mind I said most of Burton Cummings' solo career. I like Stand Tall (and Sour Suite) too.

As for the others, I'm going by the learned opinions of American music critics as read in Rolling Stone etc., also Dave Barry's unofficial Bad Songs reader poll.

On the flipside, people I think Canada will never have to apologize for: Blue Rodeo, Alanis Morissette, The Guess Who, Bachman-Turner Overdrive, The Tragically Hip, Rush, Anne Murray, Terri Clark, Gordon Lightfoot (mostly) and of course my beloved Barenaked Ladies.

Oh, yeah - also Neil Young (whose dad, BTW, is Scott Young, respected author and commentator) and Joni Mitchell.

Hey, I feel better already.

Yeah, but Canada has a LOT to apologize for in Celine Dion!!!! I mean, the Titanic song????

Hey, you let her sing God Bless America on that telethon, she's all yours now!

Don't blame *ME*!!!! I also thought they messed up the ending... Willie Nelson singing "America the Beautiful"??? WILLIE NELSON?!?!?!?!

There is exactly ONE person who should sing "America the Beautiful" in that sort of situation... the man himself, Ray Charles!

Mmmmmm...that would've been nice, I agree.

Re: C.Dion, just be grateful you guys don't have to put up with the Canadian media's front-page canonization of Saint Celine, a la the Royal Family coverage in the UK. 'Celine Gets Married!' 'Celine Has a Baby!' 'Celine Sneezes!' Ughhhh.

Celine: "I believe I'll take a bath."

Hobson: "I'll alert the media."


My goodness....

And of course we should never forget Celine Dion's service for the Eurovision Song Contest - I think she represented Switzerland's entry and won, in 1988 or something. Can anyone confirm or deny this blast from the past?

kerriem, look on the bright side. You have Celine Dion; we in the UK, on the other hand, have Victoria Beckham.

Speaking of the late 80s, there was defnintely a trend for the now old-skool dance music: remember Neneh Cherry's "Buffalo Stance" (the song, that is)? And of course everyone remembers Soul II Soul, Black Box, Coldcut... er hello? Am I on my own again?

And don't forget Bananarama - the girl group with more spice than... er... um... oh you know what I mean! I particularly like their rendition of "Venus" - and its video... nice video - VERY nice indeed.
Mmmmmm... banana splits... [starts drooling]

Yes, Sven, I remember Soul II Soul...primarily because I own a Disney video entitled Simply Mad About the Mouse to which they contributed a singularly uninspired version of Kiss the Girl.

I also remember Neneh Cherry - whatever happened to her, anyway? At the time she was supposed to be the next hot thing in dance/R&B. And yeah, Bananarama's Venus too...albeit apparently we were watching different versions of the same video.

(That's OK, though. I have more or less the same reaction nowadays to Ricky Martin's Livin' la Vida Loca video.)

Neneh Cherry's career got sidetracked when she was diagnosed with Lyme Disease. Last I heard, she released an album in England several years ago, and it tanked.

Eagle-Eye Cherry, who did the song Save Tonight, is her brother. Maybe she'll have a guest appearance on his next album, or something.

The one thing I miss most about `80's, music-wise? Heavy Metal. The stuff called Metal today, with the exception of the stuff churned out by bands that were around back in the 80's, is hardly worthy of the name.

If I'm not mistaken, Neneh Cherry did do a duo with her brother on his latest CD.

...

Ahh, the 80s. lots of music to love... from old bands that are still around (the cure, U2, r.e.m., depeche mode) to the one-hit wonders, to the really weird s--t like jimmyjimmy. and stuff like the alarm and modern english and china crisis. the whole soundtrack of "pretty in pink." yup, even if some of the stuff was remotely pop... it was still great. even tears for fears and spandau ballet had some great songs.

In the early Nineties, Neneh Cherry had a hit with a song called "Trout", a duet she did with R.E.M.'s Michael Stipe. That album, Homebrew, is the only Neneh Cherry disc I own. I supposed eventually I'll get her first album. I do like "Buffalo Stance".

On the flipside, people I think Canada will never have to apologize for: Blue Rodeo, Alanis Morissette, The Guess Who, Bachman-Turner Overdrive, The Tragically Hip, Rush, Anne Murray, Terri Clark, Gordon Lightfoot (mostly) and of course my beloved Barenaked Ladies.
Don't forget the incredibly beautiful, sexy (although rather conceited) country singing new mom, Shania Twain. Or do you apologize for her? Anyway, I didn't know Terri Clark was a Canuck.

Maybe this fits under the "Guilty Pleasures" board but I actually like Celine Dion's Titanic theme song (I have that soundtrack), although I liked hardly any of her songs after her first album that was released here. Her latest stuff is just atrocious and gets waaaaaayy too much airtime.

even tears for fears and spandau ballet had some great songs.
Tears For Fears, yes. Spandex Ballet, uh uh! No frickin' way!

Anyone remember The Flirts? The only song I know of theirs (although I've got a few on Napster on my old computer) is Jukebox (Don't put another dime in the jukebox. I don't wanna hear that song no more.) It's on the "Valley Girl" soundtrack. You can hear it in the background during a party scene, I think it is.

Does anyone know who the heck that chick was in Billy Idol's "Cradle of Love" video? What a babe!

What the hell was Extreme thinking, or more likely smoking, when they did "More Than Words"? Ugh! They should've just stuck to rock. It seems that every hard rock band had to have at least one mellow love song in the 80s, or at least a lot of them did.

Well, the female population of Canada spends a lot of time - not exactly apologising - more 'rolling their eyes at' Shania.
The male population, on the other hand...

Hey, I really liked More Than Words. I hear you about the hard-rock bands going 'mellow', but as far as I can tell Extreme is the only group that actually achieved a memorable ballad.

What I remember most about the 80's is my brief obsession with techno (Falco, Thomas Dolby, the Thompson Twins...) Also a slightly longer devotion to power ballads. And there's maybe a blush or two in there re: how long it took me to twig to how, uh, realistic Boy George's drag act actually was.
In the end, I'm just aggravated that my mom's music nostalgia consists of the Beatles and Elvis, and mine consists of Duran Duran, Mr. Mister and the Cutting Crew. (Mind you, when she starts rambling on about Herb Alpert and his Tijuana Brass, I feel a little better. )

Let me get this straight, Mark. You like Celine Demon's asinine Titanic song, but you think Spandau Ballet's "True", sux? Dude, that is pure insanity! Period!

Kerriem, "techno" these days refers to a whole other type of music than was exemplified by Falco, Thompson Twins or Thomas Dolby. It nowadays means a beat intensive, repetitive dance music. Think disco on steroids and acid and you get the picture.

The "power ballad" craze ("More Than Words") was really something KISS founded back in the `70's with their hit "Beth". It was only in the Eighties that it became de rigueur for heavy metal bands. Even Seventies hard rockers like Heart and Cheap Trick produced their "power ballads" ("What About Love?" and "The Flame" respectively.)

As far as my nostalgia era is concerned (like anyone cares) that would be the late Seventies (`75-79, primarily). To an extent, I guess I could say the early Eighties is part of it, too, but yeah, it the late `70's.

Yeah, I was thinking of "Beth", too, but was only talking about the 80s bands.

I only mentioned "Beth" to illustrate the poiint that the "power ballad" had its roots in the Seventies. It was popularized in the Eighties.

My favorite 80's music:

Rick Springfield's Jessie's Girl
Phil Collins' Land of Confusion
Jackson Browne's Somebody's Baby
Hall and Oates' Your Kiss
Ice House's Electric Blue
Madonna's Live to Tell
Madonna's Who's That Girl?
Madonna's Open Your Heart
Eddie Murphy's Party All the Time
John Parr's St. Elmo's Fire (Man in Motion)
Patty Smythe's The Warrior
Starship's Nothin's Gonna Stop Us
Rod Stewart's Love Touch
Survivor's Eye of the Tiger
Robert Tepper's No Easy Way Out
Til Tuesday's Voices Carry
Eddie Money's Take Me Home Tonight
Tina Turner's The Best (LOVE that song!)
The Smith's How Soon Is Now?
Van Halen's Girl, You Really Got Me

I wasn't sure which decade thee songs were from. I think they're from the 80s, but I'm not certain. Am I off here? And did I mess up on the ones listed above? (Cut me some slack, I was a kid in the 80s). BTW, anyone know of any reference site on the web to find this stuff out? With movies and TV, you can go to the Internet Movie Database, but I couldn't find anything for music that was reliable, userfriendly or extensive using search engines.

Asia's Heat of the Moment
Heart's Never
Heart's What About Love? (Same question)
Heart's All I Wanna Do
Bob Seager's We've Got Tonite
George Thorgood's Bad to the Bone
Poison's Every Rose Has its Thorn

Most people bristle when they think about the music of the 80's, and bringing up the whole unfortunate "power ballad" thing reminds me of that point of view. I always, however, think of it as a time when some incredible music was made. It may have been below the surface at the time but it did prove to be the foundation of what was to come.

Then again, I was an art school goon at the time.

Nobody had as great an influence as Husker Du, and their music remains timeless... XTC developed from dated new wave to timeless pop... The first waves of Gothic(Bauhaus) and Industrial(Killing Joke) remain watershed moments...Talking Heads showed you could go mainstream without selling out...etc.

The folk, alt-country, and contemporary scenes were also pretty strong.

BTW, anyone know of any reference site on the web to find this stuff out?
Luigi, go to www.allmusic.com, it's got a great search engine. In fact, you could get lost in there for days. And, yes, there were some errors on your list, Phil Collins and Van Halen stick out immediately, but now that you've got the AMG site don't let it happen again .

Luigi, some corrections, mein fruend:

The Hall & Oates' song is "Your Kiss Is On My List".
The Starship song is "Nothin's Gonna Stop Us Now".
The Tina Turner song is "Simply The Best".
The Van Halen song is "You Really Got Me", a cover of The Kinks' classic. This one is from Van Halen's 1978 debut album. On the other hand, in the Eighties they did cover The Kinks' "Where Have All the Good Times Gone".
Your third Heart song is "All I Wanna Do Is Make Love to You".

"Land of Confusion" was recorded by Genesis. But given how Phil went from putting out a solo album one minute, a Genesis album the next (almost literally it seemed), it's easy to see how that error could be made.

My favorite Icehouse songs are "Icehouse", "Sister" and "Crazy".

Miko, I guess I'm an oddball, 'cos Eighties music does not make me cringe. There's quite a bit of it I like. Now stuff from the last five years...

Phil Collins' Land of Confusion

Isn't that actually a Genesis song?

Other fun memories from the same era (apologies for repetition from previous posts):

Like a Virgin Madonna; \red}(especially the video. Hey, you go, girl!)}

The Heart of Rock 'n' Roll and If This is It - Huey Lewis and the News

The Power of Love - Jennifer Rush (the first and the best - take that, Celine!)

Tainted Love Soft Cell

(Don't You) Forget About Me - Simple Minds {\red(from the Breakfast Club soundtrack)}

No One is to Blame - Howard Jones

Maniac - Michael (somebody; I wanna say DiBenedetto?)

Life in a Northern Town - the Dream Academy

Method of Modern Love - Hall & Oates (hey, what ever happened to...? I had a MAJOR crush on Daryl Hall)

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, She Bop and Time After Time Cyndi Lauper

Shout Tears for Fears (gotta give these guys props for making depressing message pop years before it was fashionable)

Hello Again and Drive The Cars (first cassette tape I ever bought)

Eternal Flame and Manic Monday - The Bangles

99 Red Balloons - Nena

The Language of Love - Dan Fogelberg

When Doves Cry and 1999 - Prince and the Revolution (anybody else remember the 'Revolution'?)

Ghostbusters (Who Ya Gonna Call) Ray Parker Jr

Human - the Human League \red(this is the one that's basically 20 minutes of a guy begging forgiveness for cheating, only to hear the girl reply} I forgive you/Now I ask the same of you/While we were apart, I was human too! In the 80's music scene, this was what passed for irony.)

West End Girls Pet Shop Boys (...and East End boys)

New Religion, Save a Prayer, Union of the Snake and - especially - Wild Boys Duran Duran (Remember how chic we all thought we were, wailing along with those nonsensical lyrics?)

Private Dancer and What's Love Got to Do With It? Tina Turner (great, great comeback)

Holding Out for a Hero - Bonnie Tyler (honey, here's a tip: stop singing! You're sending Prince Charming in the opposite direction at top speed!)

...and of course The Future's So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades (somebody) (aka Gordon Gekko's theme song).

Ironically, I'm typing this on my lunch hour at work...as 104.5 ChumFM (local station) broadcasts their 'Lost 80's Lunch' show...just as True by Spandau Ballet comes on. And I have to say, it's still a very pretty song. I have no more idea what they're talking about than I did at the time, but it is a nice little bit of musicianship.

Ahem. Sorry for the messy formatting, there. Didn't realize this thing had a self-correcting function.

Billy Idol recently covered "(Don't You) Forget About Me". His version illustrates just how powerful that song really is.

"Maniac" was recorded by Michael Sembello.

I love "Life in a Northern Town", too. Great nostalgia song.

Hall & Oates have reformed and are currently touring. They are either due to play in, or have already performed in the D/FW area soon (recently?).

My favorite Dan Fogelberg songs were "Longer" and "Run For the Roses"

My favorite Human League song was "Don't You want Me". I also liked "Mirror Man".

My favorite Duran Duran song was, naturally, "Hungry Like the Wolf". I also liked "Rio". (I was so turned on by the girl in that video).

Bonnie Tyler's best song was "Total Eclipse of the Heart". Her worst was her version of Blue Oyster Cult's "Goin' Through the Motions". I assume Eric Bloom and Ian Hunter took the royalty money and ran on that one.

"The Future's So Bright (I Gotta Wear Shades)" was performed by Pat McDonald and his wife, Babara K, as Timbuk3. At the time, they were based in Austin, TX. I got to meet them after a show they did in the West End Market Place in Dallas. They were very nice. Eventually, TB3 became a fullfledged band (originally, it was just Pat and Babara and their boombox). By the time, they were going rapidly downhill. Pity. They really were a good band. Currently they are divorced and pursuing solo careers.

I've always thought Spandau Ballet's "True" was a love song. And I agree, Kerriem, it is a very pretty song. (And it's really weird that I would like it. I'm not much for such mellow pop songs.)

Oh, mah gawd, I'm gonna absolutely go pukeazoidal with all this good talk about "True". It's a "True" piece of garbage, no offense meant to Shirley Manson's group. But ok, you're all entitled to your opinion. Hey, I like Celine's "Titanic" theme and you don't so I guess we're even.

Anyway, I like pretty much all those 80s songs mentioned above. Well, except for Eddie Murphy's Party All the Time, which, to me, is so laughably bad. I'm also not a Prince fan, but I can listen to his stuff sometimes. Shout is my favorite Tears for Fears song. It's one of those that you've just got to crank up. Peter Gabriel's 80's stuff was pretty good. I have his greatest hits CD and was surprised to hear Don't Give Up, his duet with Kate Bush. I didn't know it was his. I just knew it from a runaway hotline TV ad. Anyone else remember that ad?

Some 80's highlights:

How about some Squeeze? Pulling Mussels, Tempted, Black Coffee in Bed.

Marshall Crenshaw's debut album. Someday, Someway.

ZZ Top's Eliminator album, especially Legs and Sharp Dressed Man.

The Plimsouls! Especially Zero Hour and Everywhere at Once.

Michael Hedges.

Stevie Ray Vaughan.

Hey, I remember ZZ Top's Legs video - the one where the mousy girl dresses up and gets revenge. Kinda silly and cool at the same time.

Yeah, Party All the Time was pretty generic dance/pop. But hey...Eddie Murphy sings! And he's not bad! Easily the most elaborate novelty record ever.

Which reminds me - the 80's were also the Decade of the Soundtrack. (Remember Footloose?Somewhere at the bottom of my tape collection - next to Ghostbusters - is, believe it or not, Music from Miami Vice.
Glenn Frey, Jan Hammer, Maestro Somebody-or-Other, they're all there...and they actually hold up OK. I still play it occasionally.

ZZ Top ROCKS! Anyone else here old enough to remember the St. Elsewhere episode, where Luther has the ZZ Top dream (to "Legs", of course), and wakes up with a ZZTop keychain?

Benn: The Tina Turner song is "Simply The Best",

Luigi Novi: That's not what it says on the album, mein herr. It says "The Best".

Ach, mein fruend, sie haben Recht. Mein Schlechtes. I must've been thinking of the album title. That, and getting a little carried away with the corrections... Folgendes Mal, kontrolliere ich mein Tatsachen doppelt.

Uh...yeah, well, of course. That's precisely what I was thinking, buddy. ;)

Thought it would be, mate.

VH-1 is running '80s week this week.

I've been watching it, Scott. Pretty good and full of nostalgia for those of us old enough to remember the decade.

Just got back from Toronto's annual Daily Bread (Food Bank) Feedback Festival. Great show, really rocked. Also stirred up some uniquely Canuck 80's memories:

New Orleans is Sinking - the Tragically Hip (...And I don't wanna swim...)

Doesn't Really Matter Platinum Blonde (a Canadian hard-rock 'hair' band. Scary, huh?)

Sunglasses at Night - Corey Hart

Run to You, Somebody and Summer of '69 - Bryan Adams (wish he'd just stuck with that straight-ahead rock sound...)

Patio Lanterns - Kim Mitchell (gentle teenage nostalgia: Who was gonna be/Who would be the first to dance/Who was gonna be/Who would be the first to kiss/Under the patio lanterns...)

You Needed Me Anne Murray (I'm not a huge fan of hers in general, but this one has one remarkable verse: You put me high/Upon a pedestal/So high that I could almost see eternity...)

Glass Tiger and Honeymoon Suite (whose songs were so generically '80's I don't even remember their individual titles...just that I danced to them a lot in high school.)

Tears Are Not Enough (the Canuck 'We Are the World'. 'Nuff said.)

I hated "Sunglasses At Night" when it first came out. I actually like it now.

Bryan Adams was always too generic a rocker for my tastes. I think "Cuts Like Knife" may be the only one of his songs I like.

The only Kim Mitchell song I remember hearing getting any airplay was "Go For Soda". As a matter of fact, I even have the CD that has that song on it - Akimbo Alogo.

Never got into Anne Murray. "Snowbird" is a song I almost like. But not quite.

The only hit I remember by Glass Tiger was "Don't Forget Me", which was extremely bland and pedestrian. Honeymoon Suite had the better song, "I've Got a New Girl Now". I've seen Honeymoon Suite in concert - twice. The first time they opened for The Kinks on the Kinks' Word of Mouth tour. The second time was when the Suite opened for That Little Ol' Band From Texas, ZZ Top on ZZ's Afterburner tour. Seems like Honeymoon Suite had another hit, but I can't recall it off hand.

Tragically Hip and Platinum Blonde are two bands I don't think I ever heard any of their songs. I've probably have heard "Tears Are Not Enough", but don't remember it.

I've probably have heard "Tears Are Not Enough", but don't remember it.

It's kinda cute...in a Canadian (ie. painfully earnest) sort of way: If we could bridge the distance/Only we can make the difference/Don't you know that tears are not enough...

I'd definitely recommend you look into the Hip and (more) Kim Mitchell, Benn. Deeply cool rock.

Platinum Blonde, on the other hand...only hair band I ever came across where the hair was colour-coordinated to the band name. They've actually got a pretty decent sound, but if you're looking at them at the same time they're impossible to take seriously.

Oh, and hey, thanks for reminding me of that Honeymoon Suite song. It was actually pretty clever and sarcastic - sorta the anti-Air Supply: I've got a new girl now/And she's a lot like you...

I've got Akimbo Alogo pulled out to listen to again. But yeah, I'll see about checking out more of his work and giving the Hip a try.

As far as Platinum Blonde is concerned, I'll stick with listening to Concrete Blonde.

Oh, and Kerrie, you're welcome for the reminder. It really was a pretty decent tune.

Does anyone remember Berlin? They had three albums (four if you include their 'best of' collection). Most people remember them for that awful "Take My Breath Away" crud that appeared in the film "Top Gun," but that song really was not indicative of the band's sound (which changed over the years, but overall was pretty good, in my opinion).

Other random artists/groups popular in the 1980's:
Ratt
Journey (I know, technically they were '70's, but so were Talking Heads and The Cars, which have been mentioned in other postings.)
Joan Jett
Robert Plant (post-Led Zepellin, and not just that one Honeydrippers song)

So, when is the retro-60's & -70's thing going to fade away? I can't WAIT to start wearing 80's fashion again!

Technically, Craig, Berlin had two albums - Love Life and Count Three and Pray. The Pleasure Victim, their first release, was an e.p. A few years back, when the band reunited under Terri Nunn (but without John Crawford or any other original band member), they released a live album. In '92, Terri put out a solo album, Moment of Truth, which wasn't bad. It just doesn't have anything as memorable as the songs she did with Berlin.

"Take My Breath Away" aside, Count Three and Pray is probably Berlin's best album. I love the songs "Hideaway", "Heart Strings" and "Pink and Velvet". The last song has Pink Floyd's David Gilmour on lead guitar playing some killer riffs (even if they are leftovers from "Comfortably Numb"). The best Berlin songs, though, are "Masquerade", "Sex (I'm A)" and "The Metro" from the Pleasure Victim e.p.

Ratt's two best songs are "Round and Round" and "Way Cool, Jr." To me, though, they weren't that distinguishable from any of the other hair metal bands of the '80s. Ratt has also in recent years reunited and has been touring with other hair metal bands.

Journey released about as many albums in the '80s as they did in the '70s (five each decade, not counting the Captured Live album ['81]). Escape is probably the best of the Eighties lot. I particular like "Don't Stop Believin'", "Still They Ride" and "Stone In Love". These days, the band tours with a Steve Perry lookalike/soundalike.

I saw Joan Jett in concert last year. She opened for Pat Benater. I've got some great pictures from the show. Joan is now bald-headed and her band still dress like the punk revolution is still in effect. It was still a good show, though. She's appeared in Rocky Horror Show play as Magenta, I believe. They performed a punk version of "Science Fiction/Double Feature" that day. Of course, Joan's version of "Love Is All Around" (the theme to The Mary Tyler Moore) is something you'd have to hear to believe.

Bob Zeppelin, er Robert Plant. I've played his Now and Zen disc here recently. I've still got "Heaven Knows" stuck in my brain. With his solo albums, Plant managed to distance himself from the Led Zeppelin sound. Though with "Tall, Cool One" from Now and Zen, he began to embrace the sound again. "Big Log", "In the Mood", "Too Loud" - all great songs.

"So, when is the retro-60's & -70's thing going to fade away? I can't WAIT to start wearing 80's fashion again!" - Craig Rohloff

Why wait? If you're wanting to wear those clothes that badly, why not do it? At any rate, I suppose you can hope that That 80s Show sparks the fashion revival you're hoping for.

Wow, Benn, you DO remember Berlin! I forgot about the E.P. thing with 'Pleasure Victim.' As for 'Count Three and Pray," (cool title) I was going to mention the David Gilmour spot in my post, but I thought I'd wait and see what kind of response I got. The first time I heard that song, I thought "Boy, does that sound like Pink Floyd!" At any rate, to everyone else, Berlin is worth checking out; there's a good progression of 80's sounds contained in their releases, without sounding generic. Listen to them in release order to get a sense of the band's (and the decade's) progression. I didn't mention Terri Nunn's solo album in my post, since it was a 90's release, but if you can find it, it also has some good stuff (a little different than Berlin, though).
I'd heard a radio spot a year or two ago advertizing Ratt touring with other bands, which is why I remembered to mention them.
I've heard the Joan Jett cover of "Love Is All Around" on 1997's 'Fit To Be Tied' greatest hits release...it certainly is not the MTM theme we remember! I'm sure it's even better live.
I was being a little sarcastic with my fashion comments, by the way, but I must admit there is some 80's fashion that I miss. I think I still have some of my stuff from then, though I doubt it still fits! Time to clean out the attic...

Don't forget "Sex", and "The Metro". Don't know which albums they were on.

"Wow, Benn, you DO remember Berlin!" - Craig Rohloff

Are you kidding? I still have crush on Terri Nunn!

"As for 'Count Three and Pray," (cool title) I was going to mention the David Gilmour spot in my post, but I thought I'd wait and see what kind of response I got. The first time I heard that song, I thought 'Boy, does that sound like Pink Floyd!'" - Craig Rohloff

I believe the Cars' Ric Ocasek and (I know) Ted Nugent also appear on that album. Ted, I think, is the guitarist on "Sex Me (Talk Me)". Judging by the guitar style. (Gilmour is so distinctive, he's easier to spot.)

"At any rate, to everyone else, Berlin is worth checking out; there's a good progression of 80's sounds contained in their releases, without sounding generic. Listen to them in release order to get a sense of the band's (and the decade's) progression." - Craig Rohloff again

Yeah, I think I'd have to agree with that assessment. I'm not sure, however, if I would consider them the best representatives of how Eighties music progressed. But from Pleasure Victim to Count Three and Pray (yeah, it is a great title), the band does adopt - and adapt - the changing musical styles.

"I'd heard a radio spot a year or two ago advertizing Ratt touring with other bands, which is why I remembered to mention them." - C.R.

I know Vixen ("I've been standing on the edge of a broken heart.") was one of the bands. I think they were touting themselves as the "Voices of the Eighties" or something like that.

"I've heard the Joan Jett cover of "Love Is All Around" on 1997's 'Fit To Be Tied' greatest hits release...it certainly is not the MTM theme we remember! I'm sure it's even better live." - C.R.

It took me a moment to recognize the song, I'll admit. I mean, I had heard it before. (I've got on a compilation disc called Alternative Summer.) But "Science Fiction/Double Feature" was the one that was the most unrecognizable tune they played that day. I may be the only person at the show who recognized it, though. I gotta admit their rendition of "Crimson and Clover" was great. They were actually able to duplicate the guitar solo in it in a reasonably accurate manner.

"I was being a little sarcastic with my fashion comments, by the way, but I must admit there is some 80's fashion that I miss. I think I still have some of my stuff from then, though I doubt it still fits! Time to clean out the attic..." - (Oh never mind!)

I dunno, I still think lot of the fashions for women in those days were pretty sexy. I wouldn't mind seeing that come back.

"Don't forget "Sex", and "The Metro". Don't know which albums they were on." - ScottN

I didn't forget them, Scott. My exact words were, "The best Berlin songs, though, are 'Masquerade', 'Sex (I'm A)' and 'The Metro' from the Pleasure Victim e.p."

Missed it. Got to get new glasses, I guess.

Speaking of fashion and music (and still tying in with the Berlin stuff I started)...Terri Nunn looks REALLY HOT in that dress on the back cover photo of 'Count Three & Pray!' Where can I get a poster of that?

By the way, I didn't see Ric Ocasek listed on the 'CT&P' liner notes, but Ted Nugent is there.

Another by the way... I saw a girl in fishnet stockings a few days ago! Unfortuantely, she was literally a girl, maybe 11 years old at the most. Kind of turned me off of wanting fishnet stockings to make a comeback, if that's the age group that going to wear them. (And no, I don't look at minors; I just haven't seen that bit of apparel in so long, it caught my eye.)

Sorry, it was Eliot Easton I was thinking of. I knew it was someone from the Cars. Kane Roberts is the only other guitarist I recognize. He worked with Alice Cooper for awhile in the Eighties.

I can't remember if they sold a poster of the back cover of Count Three and Pray at the concert or not. It's been too many years. All I remember is that they sold a poster.

I remember Terri Nunn as a TV actress before I had ever heard of Berlin. One of her memorable performances was as a teenage murderer in a "Lou Grant" episode. She took my breath away.

Pun intended, Adam Bomb?

Indubitably.

Indubitabababably!

80's fashions. Whoa. Guess I'll have to haul out my huge ol' hot-pink-neon-sloganed sweatshirt, rip up a few t-shirts and see if anybody still sells jelly sandals.

Seriously...some friends had an "80's retro" party a few months back. We had some surreal fun watching Saint Elmo's Fire while Tainted Love blared in the background...but then a guest showed up in full-bore Cyndi Lauper-wear and I just had to go off and whimper in the corner for awhile. (Until another girl showed me her neon sneaker laces. Those were cool.)

I reallyreally liked Take My Breath Away- at the time, anyway. It's one of those songs you think are Deeply Meaningful when you're a teen but then you hear (on 'oldies' radio, yet!) as an adult and just sorta cringe a little.

Come to think of it, put Journey in that category, too: Steve Perry...feh. I am officially old enough to consider him a merely mediocre pop balladeer. (Though I should point out that my not-much-younger sister still thinks he's wonderful.)

The Cars, on the other hand, will always be cool to me. In a way, Heartbeat City represented my first foray into sophisticated adult rock. Even looking at the album cover, I realized my Duran Duran-appreciating days were numbered.

"Take My Breath Away" really isn't that bad of a song. The real problem with it is where it was sequenced on the Count Three and Pray album. It tends to interrupt the flow of the album. I'm not sure if it's because Giorgio Moroder produced the song, while the rest of the album was produced by Bob Ezrin, but "Take My Breath Away" just sounds out of place. It's a misfit.

I have a couple of Journey's discs. I still enjoy listening to them. They're not necessarily a great band, but they have their moments.

I like The Cars. But my problem with them is that their music often seems a bit distant and passionless. Certainly, they're not the worst offenders for that (Talking Heads springs immediately to mind). But it is something I feel works against them.

Journey's most recent vocalist, Steve Augieri, has a voice that is almost a dead ringer for Steve Perry's. On the song they did for "Armageddon" ("Remember Me"), I could not tell the difference.

I like The Cars. But my problem with them is that their music often seems a bit distant and passionless.

Well, yeah, but you gotta realize that that was the appeal at the time. Up 'till then I was living on a steady diet of (pace Paul McCartney) silly love songs.

Thus Ric Ocasek and Co. were my first intro to the notion that music could be offbeat, bold and adventurous. (Well, OK, it could be argued that The Reflex was maybe my real first inkling in that direction...but I refuse to admit to myself that I once swooned over anyone named Simon le Bon.)

That raises an interesting question in my mind. I started seriously listening to Rock in about '75 or '76. While I liked a large number of the Top Forty hits, the acts I was primarily a fan of were the Electric Light Orchestra and (Paul McCartney and) Wings. When I first heard the Cars' "Let's Go", the Police's "Roxanne" or Talking Head's "Take Me to the River", I took it all in stride. It wasn't a major revelation - "Hey rock can sound like this! It can have all these strange rhythms and attitudes." I dunno. I've always been fairly eclectic in my tastes. I mean, hearing the Bee Gees playing after Led Zeppelin has always seemed normal to me.

So the question is, what song/album/act really shook up my sense of what is Rock? It might have been "God Save the Queen" by the Sex Pistols. I remember hearing all these horror stories about this punk band. How they spit on their audiences and cut themselves and didn't take baths. Then Channel 4, our local CBS affiliate, ran a special - The Hype of Glory. On it was a segment on the Pistols and I heard one of their songs for the first time - "God Save the Queen". It was very different. I mean, even what I'd heard of KISS' music and other metal bands wasn't that violent. The song stuck with me. But it wasn't until the mid-to-late Eighties that I even bought a copy of their album, Never Mind the Bullocks, Here's the Sex Pistols. It was love at first sonic blast. I still love that album.

The only other candidate would be the Easter album by the Patti Smith Group. Sure, I'd heard and fell in love with their hit, "Because the Night". But I never heard the album until about 1980-81. This is probably the one that really opened my ears to the possibilities in Rock. For the longest time, Easter was a scary (there's no other way to describe it) album for me. Over the years I've not only grown accustomed to it, but have come to like it and several other Patti Smith's albums.

n.p. - Too Hot to Handle - Heatwave

Derf, this is up to 130k. I think it's time for part 2.

Whatever you say, bro ...