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| Pat Benatar - Crimes of Passion |
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| The Police - Ghost in the Machine |
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| Bangles - Different Light |
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| Yes - 90125 |
Sunday, 14 October 2012
Eighties for a Sunday Afternoon
Saturday, 13 October 2012
1984: The Raspy Show-down. Head-to-Head Bonnie Tyler vs. Laura Branigan
“I’m Holding Out
for a Hero” by Bonnie Tyler (1984)
“Self Control” by
Laura Branigan (1984)
In retrospect the ‘80’s looks all carefree and colorful,
but it was likely still difficult for female artists. Things were still not as
progressive as maybe one might think. Were they bimbette airheads? Or, under the
multi-colored ultra-teased hair, leg warmers and spandex were they artists?
Where were all the pioneering women of rock and what had
they accomplished? The forgotten singer-songwriters like Joni Mitchell and
Carole King soldiered on in ‘80s – very much out of style. How things had
changed - so much but so little.
MTV drove a male definition of what feminism should have
been in the 1980’s. MTV drove fantasy, not reality. Who needs that?
Capitalizing on the appearance of female artists like Pat Benatar, Kate Bush,
and Deborah Harry of Blondie was standard for record companies in the early ‘80’s.
Sex symbols were alive and well – it sold records. Would Big Mama Thornton who
died alone and impoverished in 1984 tell them not to do it? No Mam!
Like Lena Lovich1 and Souxsie Sioux (the
Banshees) from the punk movement of the late ‘70’s it was trendy for women to
be exclusively singers – it was hard to drum and strut around in a video in the
latest fashions. They were to appear wandering down the street or rolling on a
bed not playing a guitar like would later happen in the ‘80’s.
Was the pop song “Watch Her Strut” by Sheena Easton a
response to Prince who she once dated? Some women embraced the use of their
femininity. Did Deborah Harry know what she was doing? Damn right she did.
Tuesday, 12 June 2012
Sunday, 3 June 2012
We don't need no education. We don’t need no thought control. No dark sarcasm in the classroom. Teachers leave them kids alone
School Songs
“Good Morning
School Girl” by Sonny Boy Williamson (1937)
“I Don’t Like
Mondays” by The Boomtown Rats (1979)
“Another Brick in
the Wall” Pink Floyd (1979)
School has such a huge impact on our lives that it is no
wonder there are many, many songs about school and teachers. The songs vary,
from hatred of school to love of school. It is a very formative emotional time
so again, no surprise on the spectrum of emotions expressed over the years.
We seem to think that school should be a certain way –
proper, orderly, rule-based. When it isn’t we seem to think that is bad or
somehow a breaking of a taboo. Are we corrupted by that? Are they brain-washing
us to think a certain way to fit into society? Does it really work? Do we have
minds of our own?
Friday, 25 May 2012
If you change your mind, I'm the first in line. Honey I'm still free. Take a chance on me
Hip to be
Square
“Take a Chance on
Me” by Abba (1977)
Back in the day, I would sometimes buy
albums on spec. I had maybe heard one song on the album; not really knowing
what it was. Sometimes you were pleasantly surprised. This was one of those
times.
Peeling it out of its cellophane the album cover showed (to me) a more mature set of two couples enjoying some
champagne in the back of a limo....So I threw on the album (o.k. gingerly
placed), not expecting a lot really.
A funky piano intro and this weird sound
on the stereo leading into this punchy bass beat and this exotic euro sound floating
around on top of it with those voices. Those voices – controlled yet somehow
evocatively emotional. What was going on? Who the hell was this band? ‘Mamma
Mia’ what the hell is that? Some Italian thing?
Thursday, 24 May 2012
I'm goin' to Memphis, Memphis, Memphis Tennessee...
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| Johnny Cash - Behind Prison Walls |
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| Chris Isaak - Memphis Recordings |
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| Elvis Presley - The Memphis Recordings |
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| Otis Redding - The Dock of the Bay |
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