Tuesday, July 24, 2007

You Know, Some Days I Don't Miss the 80s

Case in point: Here's Scandal featuring Patty Smyth and their highly irksome hit video The Warrior.



I mean, granted, I haven't seen the thing since 1984, but I swear I don't remember it being so screamingly hilariously gay.

On a personal note, I should mention that Smyth's pre-stardom band (forget what it was called then -- might have been Scandal, but I'm not sure) used to play all the time at the same Greenwich Village dive where my own skinny tie band had a lengthy residency; I think we shared a bill with them at least once or twice. Smyth was, of course, real easy on the eyes and possessed of a great voice, so everybody kind of assumed she was gonna make it big. But she was also charmingly goofy and unpretentious onstage and off, and as a result all of us on the scene who otherwise would have been jealous were rooting for her to succeed. You can imagine our surprise, then, when she turned up on MTV carrying on like she does in the above clip -- we regulars were stunned at how totally she'd been transformed by (one assumes) the evil record company weasels. Goodbye, adorable gamin -- hello, obnoxious New Wave Diva.

Soon after that, of course, she was firing the guys in her band, shooting heroin with Richard Hell, marrying John McEnroe and singing power ballads with Don Henley. Sad, really.

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

I swear I don't remember it being so screamingly hilariously gay.

Oof. That was awfully gay. Reminds of a bit from Mr. Show with Bob & Dave:

"WARNING: Tonight's feature has been re-edited to make it more gay. In fact, it may be too gay for some gay people."

I'm so glad I starting going out and about in 1987, as the music started getting better.

dave™© said...

...singing power ballads with Don Henley.

Now that's crossing the line!

steve simels said...

Seriously -- are those the worst fucking lyrics you've ever heard in your life?

"Beating down the walls of heartache...

Bang bang! I am the warrior!"

Jesus mary and joe pepitone, that's appalling...
:-)

Kid Charlemagne said...

This sounds like a case for VH1's "Bands Reunited" show!

steve simels said...

Just checked Wiki -- Scandal did "Bands Reunited" in 2004.

TMink said...

Blech. Hated it then, but evidently not enough. That was really appalling. Who came up with the concept? It sucks. And then the casting, and the acting. Really quite bad.

And they try to make it better by editing it fast.

I really wish I had not seen this so close to lunch.

Trey

Kid Charlemagne said...

Creeping Jesus, I just watched the video. As Dan Aykroyd used to say as his character Leonard Pinth-Garnell: "Awful, horrible, really sucks!"

TMink said...

Kid Charlemagne, that was exactly who I was trying to channel after watching this drek!

(shudders)

Trey

Anonymous said...

OT heads-up, should you listen to Fresh Air on NPR

Nick Lowe today, including live performance. He semi-renounced rock'n'roll a decade ago, saying something like "I don't want to be ridiculous"

He made allussions to the Stones, how black Americans were slightly less prone to mockery. He specified Spandex

He wanted zero mockery. But I think he's rocking a bit more today, judging from the clip

Did Nick L ever wear Spandex, post- his Brinslet Schwraz (sp?) career?

--Space

Anonymous said...

Speaking of gay--

I finally watched Brokeback Mountain, having resisted a romantic melodrama. Firstt rate movie to my surprise

Found out the comments at Netflix had been freepeed, subtly, all 2 stars. As, per marching orders:
*What's all the hype--Political correctness for tripe?
*Very slow paced, boring
*Heath Ledger mumbles--Had to use the English subtitles
*No story--Who'd pay attention with a straight couple?
*Don't care they're gay, but they cheated on their wives, neglected their kids
*I'm open minded--nice scenery, like Michelle Williams

On and on--big patches of 2 stars, all identical formula. Funny

steve simels said...

I keep having the fantasy that before the next thread goes up, either Patty Smyth or the guy who directed that clip is going to post an angry comment here.

I think blogging is going to my head...
:-)

steve simels said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
steve simels said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

That anonymous on Brokeback was I, Space

Just thought it was semi-relevant, hunorous that formulaic denouncements of the movie should be sent out, others following

Ace movie, if you can stand how damaged the Heath Ledger character, Ennis, is. Bad to all he meets, and they all want to fix him, uncover some inner good. Plausible in context

--Space