80s – Zonker.net

February 22, 2023

“Major Tom (Coming Home)” – Peter Schilling

Still from Major Tom (Coming Home) video by Peter Schilling

I get songs stuck in my head all the time, but usually it’s because I heard a snippet of the song or something that reminded me of the song recently. Other times, a song pops into my head for no reason I can fathom and demands that I give it a few spins before my brain moves on to the next earworm. Such is the case with this cut from Peter Schilling, “Major Tom (Coming Home).”

Yesterday I was minding my own business and it just wedged itself into my my head. Clearly that means I should share it on my blog so that it can go on to infect others.

It’s hard to believe, and perhaps a bit unsettling, that “Major Tom” was released more than 40 years ago. Despite its age, it sounds just as fresh and exciting to me today as it did the first time I stumbled on the video on MTV. Score one for the Internet that you can just dial up the video any time you want rather than waiting around for it to show up again on MTV or pop up on the radio.

If we haven’t put this one on a gold disc on its way out of the solar system, we really ought to get to it.

January 12, 2023

“Close (To The Edit)” – Art of Noise

Who's Afraid of the Art of Noise album cover

A discussion on Metafilter today about interviews with J.J. Jeczalik from Art of Noise tickled my brain and put this song back in heavy rotation. Continue reading ““Close (To The Edit)” – Art of Noise”

March 4, 2021

“It’s a Mistake” by Men at Work: pop at the height of the cold war

There’s not a bad song on Cargo (1983), but “It’s a Mistake” is one of the standout cuts on the album. Written by Colin Hay, it was the third single off Cargo and did pretty well on the charts.

If I remember correctly, the video was in heavy rotation on MTV for a while, but it didn’t get anything like the airplay that “Down Under” or “Who Can It Be Now?” got on the cable channel.

[youtube https://youtu.be/I0AxrOUJ62E]

I’ve loved Hay’s vocals since I was a youngster, but this is (still) one his best performances IMO. He builds up some really believable intensity on the final chorus and then brings it back down for the outro. The track also has some sparkling guitar work and great bass.

The cold war message in the song isn’t particularly subtle but what do you expect from a four-minute pop song? If you weren’t fortunate enough to grow up with 80s music, give it a listen. If you did but haven’t checked in with Men at Work for a while, give it a spin as well. Despite its age, the song still sounds fresh and is still in heavy rotation around these parts.

October 7, 2016

“Disintegration” by The Cure (No. 4)

Disintegration is the album that really sold me on The Cure. Yes, I know, I was a bit late to the party.

Some of the singles off Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me were too good to ignore, but I wasn’t a big fan of Robert Smith’s voice initially. And then Disintegration came out, with “Fascination Street” released as the first U.S. single. I was hooked, no two ways about it.

Where Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me was warm and open, Disintegration is the album that launched a thousand Shoegazer bands. “Plainsong” opens the album with a slow, majestic swell of synthesizers and drums. It’s almost funereal, but also entrancing. Two and half minutes into “Plainsong” pass before Smith’s vocals begin, and he’s talking softly and calmly.

Continue reading ““Disintegration” by The Cure (No. 4)”

September 22, 2016

“Document” by R.E.M. (No. 19)

For Document R.E.M. picked up a much harder edge than previous albums. Sure, Life’s Rich Pageant dabbled a bit with more aggressive guitar, but Document has a much harsher sound throughout. And it sounds so, so good.

Document practically kicks you in the face with the opening track, “Finest Worksong.” A whip-crack snare and then Peter Buck is off to the races with an almost metal guitar intro that sets the rhythm.

There’s more than a little The Who influence here. And Michael Stipe’s voice, once again, is crisp and clear at the forefront. This is, by the way, true to its title. If “Finest Worksong” doesn’t motivate you to get shit done, seek medical care.

Continue reading ““Document” by R.E.M. (No. 19)”

September 21, 2016

“Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me” by The Cure (No. 20)

"Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me " album cover by The Cure

Most of The Cure‘s albums are outstanding, but Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me is simply magical. Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me shows The Cure delivering perfect, joyful pop right alongside languid and extended jams that don’t give a damn about radio play.

I have to be honest, I was a bit put off by Robert Smith’s voice at first. Almost despite myself, I loved some of the singles off this album, but I initially found his delivery just a little off-putting. It eventually grew on me, but that’s a story for later.

Even so, I couldn’t deny the strength of the singles from Kiss Me.

Continue reading ““Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me” by The Cure (No. 20)”

September 20, 2016

“Queen Elvis” by Robyn Hitchcock ‘n’ The Egyptians (No. 21)

Album cover: "Queen Elvis" by Robyn Hitchcock & The Egyptians

Watching “alternative” bands like The Cure, R.E.M., and U2 punch through to mainstream success, I had high hopes that Robyn Hitchcock would break through with Queen Elvis.

Released in March 1989, Hitchcock was opening for R.E.M. on the Green tour. Queen Elvis, by Robyn Hitchcock ‘n the Egyptians, was on a major label and they were putting money into videos for MTV. It seemed to me that the rest of the world would surely notice what they’d been missing so far.

By rights, Queen Elvis should have garnered more attention than it did. Musically, it’s phenomenal, and it’s one of Hitchcock’s most accessible (read: there are no songs about “furry green atom bowls,” or men with lightbulb heads) albums.

Continue reading ““Queen Elvis” by Robyn Hitchcock ‘n’ The Egyptians (No. 21)”

September 18, 2016

“The Joshua Tree” by U2 (No. 23)

It’s a little daunting to try to find something original to say about an album like The Joshua Tree. Released in 1987, The Joshua Tree sold something like 25 million copies, While it’s no Rumors or Thriller, The Joshua Tree has been rather thoroughly reviewed many times over.

I was aware of U2 before The Joshua Tree, but I couldn’t say that I was a major fan of the band. But when The Joshua Tree came out in ’87, it really couldn’t be ignored. It was all over the radio, MTV, and appealed to kids my age as well as aging boomers trying to keep up with current music. (Boomers who were probably younger than I am today, I might add. Sigh.)

Continue reading ““The Joshua Tree” by U2 (No. 23)”

September 17, 2016

“The Game” by Queen (No. 24)

Queen‘s The Game will probably be best remembered for two things, “Another One Bites the Dust,” and the first album from the band that featured the use of a synthesizer. I remember it best because my family had the album on 8-Track and I played it incessantly.

I’m not sure when we got a copy of The Game or whether it was my mother or father who brought it into the house. But I loved “Another One Bites the Dust” from the radio, and absorbed the entire album once I could play it at will. The “nice” thing about 8-Tracks compared to records was that they would play forever until you hit “stop.” My parents might not have viewed this as a feature.

It was also a musical clue that I didn’t quite understand at the time. On the cover of the tape it had a one-liner about this being Queen’s first use of a synthesizer. I spent a lot of time trying to puzzle out the importance of this, but given that the band had used some of the very limited real estate on the cover to proclaim (or disclaim) this, it must have been important.

Continue reading ““The Game” by Queen (No. 24)”

September 12, 2016

“Starfish” by The Church (No. 29)

If it weren’t for lucking into a few decent mix tapes and dubs of entire albums, I’m not sure what my musical tastes would be like today. Case in point, Starfish by The Church.

Starfish landed on my radar thanks to a guy named Kent who loaned me a mixtape with “Under the Milky Way,” “Reptile,” and one or two other songs off the album. (Not the entire thing, though, I had to dig that up myself shortly after.) Continue reading ““Starfish” by The Church (No. 29)”