Q: Was there good music in the 1980s? A: YES.

[LMNO]

Youre just saying that to make me do this another 10 times, arent you?

[Anna Mae Bollocks]

Youre just saying that to make me do this another 10 times, arent you?

Busted. 

ETA: 90's radio really sucked, though.

[hooplala]

Youre just saying that to make me do this another 10 times, arent you?

Busted. 

ETA: 90's radio really sucked, though.

I think it's fair to say the vast majority of radio music, in general, sucks.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

Don't underestimate "Eye Of The Tiger" until you've driven slowly behind a jogger with it blasting from your car.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

I hate Captain Beefheart.

[P3nT4gR4m]

I hate Captain Beefheart.

Everybody does. It's just some of them refuse to admit it

[hooplala]

I hate Captain Beefheart.

Everybody does. It's just some of them refuse to admit it

Bah.

[LMNO]

Which now makes me want to compile the most accessible Beefheart tracks.   Or, just revisit "Safe as Milk".

[hooplala]

Which now makes me want to compile the most accessible Beefheart tracks.   Or, just revisit "Safe as Milk".

The song or the album?  And yeah, everyone thinks Trout Mask Replica is the entire catalogue.

[PopeTom]

Devo decided to be through being cool.

I may have gone with Beautiful World myself as the DEVO song as I think it made perfect use of the emerging music video medium.

Also curious as to who remebers this:



As Night Flight gave me my first exposure to DEVO beyond the song Whip It as well as The Church of the SubGenius.

[LMNO]

1983

Ok, fine.  83 mostly sucked as far as new music.  Sonic Youth released Confusion is Sex, but it honestly wasn't that great.  Minor Threat had Out of Step, but even at that time, it was starting to sound tired.  Hüsker Dü was stepping out with Metal Circus, but they hadn't hit their stride yet.  Minutemen kept rolling along with What Makes a Man Start Fires? and Buzz or Howl Under the Influence of Heat, which are pretty damn great, but do you all really want this to be the "Minutemen are the awesomest" thread, or do you want something new?

Fine.  Neubauten released Zeichnungen des Patienten O. T., which is just about as fucked up as you'd think, but if you listen closely, they're starting to reconstruct music in their own image, although it will take another album or so for that to emerge fully.

But you know what was wonderful about 1983?  A crooner, who had previously worked the lounge scene style with strings and all the rest, got weird.  That's right kids, Tom Waits generously gave us all Swordfishtrombones.  From the opening track, you can tell something's going on here.  All that unusual music that's been bubbling up the last few years seems to be getting processed through a mad scientist who has an unusual sense of songwriting and aesthetics.  And then he brings the groove, and that's it.  He's won everything.  His rhythms are created from some random assortment of leather, wood, and steel, and the harmonies are just off enough to keep things unstable.  And then, when it just can't get any better, he starts riffing and ranting, and you're not sure if you're in the past or the future.  Just to finish you off, he throws in a drunken ballad that's as beautiful as it is sorrowful.

Honestly, if an album like that gets made, I'm good for the rest of the year.  See you all in 1984.

[hooplala]

RAH!

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

Which now makes me want to compile the most accessible Beefheart tracks.   Or, just revisit "Safe as Milk".

I won't listen to them.

I had a boyfriend (still a good friend) who LOVES Captain Beefheart. He has absolutely everything by them ever. I have heard just about enough.

[LMNO]

Ok, fair enough. Saves me the effort.

[Anna Mae Bollocks]

Youre just saying that to make me do this another 10 times, arent you?

Busted. 

ETA: 90's radio really sucked, though.

I think it's fair to say the vast majority of radio music, in general, sucks.

The 90's was when the rock stations (BCN, yeah, you're in this) went to this thing that rivals "Muskrat Love" for sheer tedium and making me want to smash things and conservative talk radio.