Well, it's Friday and you know what that means. Yes, my Oriental manual catharsis specialist Fah Lo Suee and I are off to...well, actually, truth is we're not going anywhere due to a bizarre picture-hanging accident that I'd really rather not get into, except to say "If you drink, don't drill."
In any case, things are still probably going to be quiet around here for the duration of the weekend, so until Monday rolls around, here's a fun little project to help us wile away the idle hours:
Favorite or Least Favorite Pop-Rock Single or Album Cut of the Skinny Tie Band Era
No arbitrary rules, although we're obviously talking about the immediate post-First Generation Punk period, roughly from the late 70s to 1983 or '84.
And my totally top of my head Top Eight is/are:
8. The Brains -- Money Changes Everything
The original indie single, not the remake on the Brains' album. I'm not a huge fan of Cyndi Lauper's more familiar version, but she knew a great song when she heard one.
7. Tommy Tutone -- Angel Say No
The greatest song those guys recorded that doesn't have a phone number in its title.
6. Bram Tchaikovsky -- Girl of My Dreams
That 12-string riff! Those harmonies!!!
5. Spandau Ballet -- True
The worst 60s frat party band song ever.
4. The Thompson Twins -- Hold Me Now
The second worst 60s frat party band song ever.
3. Nick Lowe -- She Don't Love Nobody
BUDDY HOLLY LIVES!!
2. Gary U.S Bonds -- Out of Work
You know, that Bruce Springsteen guy is a heck of a songwriter.
And the absolute fucking worst song to pollute the airwaves in the early 80s unquestionably was....
1. Quarterflash -- Harden My Heart.
What an utter piece of shit. I should add that lead singer Rindy Ross is also without question the worst saxophone player in the history of music.
Okay, what would YOUR choices be?
Have a great weekend, everybody!!!
6 comments:
Favorites:
any of Joe Jackson's singles (Is She Really Going Out With Him?, Fools In Love, Sunday Papers)
Pretenders - Precious (or Stop Your Sobbing or Message of Love)
Dwight Twilley Band - Looking For The Magic
Cringe-worthy:
Culture Club
REO Speedwagon - Keep On Loving You
- Paul in DK
On that Tommy Tutone record, I really like "Am I Supposed To Lie For You?" I only wish the fast part after the climax were longer. Because moar.
I’m not a big Scandal fan but Goodby to You strikes a positive note to me
I gather we’re leaving out the like of The Records and and later day Searchers…..
But. I’ll offer The Kings. The Beat / Switchin to Glide. Great pop or overproduction by Ezrin. I like it.
“Angel Say No” is great, but for my money, TT’s top song is “Cheap Date” - one of the finest invocations of inarticulate teenage romantic frustration since “I Can’t Explain”.
Dwight Twilley’s “I’m On Fire” might be slightly early for the skinny tie era, but so what - killer song, killer hook, killer performance.
Joe Jackson’s “Look Sharp” is the epitome of skinny tie rock and grooves like a mofo. ZZ Top’s “Sharp Dressed Man” is a Leiber & Stoller inspired blues-based rocker that grooves like a mofo. And the antidote for Spandau Ballet is ABC, especially “Look of Love”, “Poison Arrow”, and “(How To Be A) Millionaire”, every one of which grooves like a mofo. Finally, there’s Bryan Ferry’s marvelous 1986 album Bête Noire, which has a bunch of great songs but none stronger than “Kiss and Tell”, with Johnny Marr on guitar, a vocal performance for the ages from Ferry, and an incredibly hot band that…grooves like a mofo.
I try to forget the crap stuff from this era, so instead I’ll give you a couple of guilty pleasures - Falco’s “Der Kommisar” and “Rock Me Amadeus”. Yup, they groove too.
I could name 44 Dwight Twilley songs that deserve this acclaim, but I will second 'Looking for the Magic.' If there is a Power Pop Ballad category, I'll nominate 'Touchin' the Wind.'
The Donnie Iris one-hit wonder 'Ah, Leah' is perfect, as is 'Too Late' by the Shoes and 'Cheri' by 20/20. Cheap Trick's 'Surrender' may have been omitted from your readers' lists because it has basically become a standard.
As for worsts, I tended to turn the radio off in the 80s. But I will say that REO Speedwagon never met a trite cliche they couldn't turn into sales.
a worse saxophonist than Mike Love?
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