All over the world - oh, and Xanadu too
I always knew, since the first posting I did on Sucky CD Sunday, that this post was inevitable so I figure, why prolonged the inevitable? Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you - the Electric Light Orchestra.
There has been a lot of tribute paid to music of the 70's and much credit for that should go to
Hotwire, who has really put that much maligned decade back into the black (oh, yeah, didn't Back in Black come out in the 70's too?) but ELO was one of my first introductions into the decade's music when little Pog and her 27-year-old mother would go every weekend to the roller disco. Pog's fav song to take those corners under the disco lights was "Don't Bring Me Down". It was way better than "My Sharona" by the Knack or "I Can't Smile without You" by Manillo - thank God they saved that for couples skate. It was knocked out only by "Hey 19" by Steely Dan, some years later (again, thanks for the memories Hotwire!)
ELO's angle was that the band was supposed to be this science-fiction based band whose music and look and everything was supposed to be futuristic. The problem with that is that they never really sounded "futuristic" just "over-engineered" and they were dated about 2 days after they launched their records. It reminds me of those movies made in the 70's that were set in 2000-something which were so indicative of the 1970's that it is worth watching them for the laugh - Like the James Caan version of
Roller Ball. I bet everyone reading this likes, sort of, at least one ELO song, whether is be "Evil Woman" or "Livin' Thing". It's ok, we are not here to judge. I bet everyone reading this hates one too - like, will-not-even-let-it-stay-on-the-car-radio-if-you-are-underneath-it-and-have-to-wheel- yourself-from-under-the-chassie hate. Songs like "Xanadu" and "Telephone Line" spring to mind. But keep this in mind whether you are secretly digging an ELO song or scrambling to turn them off - they had an undeniable influence in the culture of the 1970s. They provided a vision of the future which would permeate into every aspect of our lives.
Remember this?
Tell me you don't see the ELO album cover influence.
May the force be with you.
Purify yourself in the waters of Lake Minnetonka
I want to go on record as saying that I think that Prince, formerly known as the Artist formerly known as Prince, is a musical genius. The guy is a natural talent with skills that rival any musician and certainly an ability that well exceeds his contemporaries. If you don't believe me, look at his unplugged sessions where he performs the most heavily studio engineered of his songs on one acoustic guitar without letting his audiance feeling that miss any of the track overlays.
I have included this album on this blog because, well, it defined a moment in time that was so specific, so over-the-top-1980's that it is dated. Because it is dated, it is open to that half-admiration and half-deprecation that is the nucleus of this site. Don't get me wrong, I love it. I still love it. "Let's go Crazy" with its electric piano opening ("Dearly Beloved, we gather here today to get through this thing called life") was played at EVERY grade school dance I attended. "Darling Nicky" was borderline porno in my young mind ("you know he is talking about masturbation" we whispered in 8th grade home room) and "Take me with you" - there is a boy who has a special place in my heart when I think about that song. I wonder if he is shaving yet? "Beautiful People" - my God, this was the most anguished song ever written by anyone - ever! And of course, "Purple Rain" the prom song coda dance itself! We dreamed of being teenagers to that song!
I saw the movie with 6 other of my teenie-bopper friends in the theater when it came out. It was a life changing experience. Prince oozed his very greasy, slightly distasteful but very watchable sexuality on a big screen amongst 5 stories of glitter eyeshadow and hair with it's own scaffolding. Brilliant. The Revolution was just creepy. Everything was opulant. Everything was like pirate pillage (especially the clothes). Everything was purple.
When I think back on that time, as buddingly sexual as it all was, it was all so innocent - or maybe it was just because I was looking at it from innocent eyes. I am not sure but, whichever, I remember this movie, this music, this time with great fondess. I guess I was in no need of the purification of Lake Minnetonka. For those of you who do not understand the
allusion, please go and rent Purple Rain, listen to some great but dated tunes and laugh at Prince, the Revolution, Morris Day and the Time (oh we oh we oh), the entire decade of the 1980s and if you are old enough, yourself and your skinny piano key tie (male) or vertically stripped miniskirt with matching plastic bangles (female).
If you won't waste one of your netflix choices on Purple Rain (cheap bastards), then take a look at this ... 'cause in this life, things are much harder than in the afterlife, in this life, you're on your own.
My Kinda Lover
This album is one of my guilty little secrets. I am ready to confess. "Forgive me Father for I have sinned. I upgraded by cassette to CD and listen to it on a regular basis"
When "the Stroke" was popular, Freddy Mercury was still alive and Queen was putting out hits. We were just getting over the Journey/Foreigner/Styx hangover (keep watching this space for those) although Styx had the bright idea of "Mr. Roboto." I hated it to much to even listen to it to poke fun. Billy Squire was slightly ahead of my discovery of David Bowie, the Talking Heads and all that "art rock" of the 80's that I signed up to without a second thought. He was pre-MTV - obviously by the looks of him.
"The Stroke", "My Kinda Lover", "Lonely is the Night" ... this is good stuff! I used to listen to this stuff on an illegal transitor radio at a summer camp in the Berkshires who only encouraged "the music that we made with our own voices." Hippy nazis is what they were. The only thing I remember about the place is doing chores...oh, and making blueberry jam from berries we picked in a graveyard, from trees growing out of the graves. Ugh.
I am not sure why Billy Squire remained squarely on the grade b rock star list. Ozzy's "Crazy Train" and Aldo Nova (remember him? his skintight leapord print pants) were churning out hits as well. To my naive, certainly not a musician's ear, all his songs are sort of clunky and crude - but hey, isn't that what rock and roll is all about?
Another thought I had about Squire while I was thinking about this post was that he was uncool. As much as he tried, as much as he grew his hair, greased it up, failed to button his shirts - all those "cool guy" trappings never worked for him. I think this is why is has a special place in my Sucky CD collection. He was good, he was solid, he was steady - oh, and I just found out he was a Berklee School of Music student - a boy who did his time in Boston! My favorites. I knew there was something about him. And his attempts to be cool just left him vulnerable and that vulnerability makes him human and it is the human side that is the most attractive.
Have you seen
Billy now?
He is kind of a hottie, as the kids say. I am much more attracted to him now - now that he is decidingly not even on the cusp of being cool and playing gigs at the Mohegan Sun. Hmmm. I wonder if he is single?
I don't belong to you and you don't belong to me
This blog comes via Simone, making a very special guest appearance here at Sucky CD Sunday! Please join me in welcoming her! Album - Listen Without Prejudice, Vol. 1
Artist - George Michael
Produced By - George Michael
Released - 1990
Listen without prejudice? Sure, I can.
Forget Careless Whisper or Wake me Up Before You GoGo! George Michael's follow up cd to his successful "Faith" album was
"Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1" is one of the Best Sucky cds ever! No one really followed the Vol 2. It was a flop. Vol. 1
album made it bigger in the US - as a #8 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 in the USA, but only #28 on the UK singles chart.
Devoted mostly to ballads, the one song that should be played at the at high volume levels is the classic "Freedom `90" (#8
Pop, #27 Adult Contemporary, #16 Dance). Freedom 90 is six and half minutes long! The other club classic on the album is
"Soul Free." Perfect examples of 90's club music at its best. Both still are great to listen to on the Ipod. I was never a
fan of club music but when I hear "Freedom '90"- it makes me move, dance, rock, run... I'm sure you do too. Admit it!
By George, he's got... his set of problems. We all know. The drugs, the bathroom issues in public parks, he's got the right
stuff for a rock star. How'd he know his cd titled "Listen without Prejudice" would have so much meaning now?
How did I get attached to this cheesy brit pop post-Wham's cd? Hearing this song blasted in 1990 at a sound check over and
over again. Long story short, our sound guy was a Canadian rocker. A masculine, rugged, husky, Canadian man. And he blasted
George Michael before every show! Freedom 90!To hear the beginning of the song from the tambourine, symbols, into the piano
intro...god it rumbles in your core! You want to get up off your ass and you just want to dance!! The piano repeats and
repeats the same phrase over and over again --- like every pop song should. Sweet as candy.
Don't you also remember that great sexy video that accompanied Freedom? It featured hot supermodels (including Naomi
Campbell, Linda Evangelista, Christy Turlington, Tatjana Patitz and Cindy Crawford) lip syncing to his song. And no Michael
at all in the video.
The heartache he sings about on the other songs....lamenting...sorrowful lyrics and cracking voice...You feel his pain. A little too sad after hearing happy "Freedom 90". But
he's pouring his heart out! And that's life. you take the good with the bad...
But, it's George Michael!
Side Note: For those Arrested Development fans...isn't great that one of the main character is name and called George
Michael? I crack up every time I hear it!
Where is he now?
George is still in the news. Whether he's being busted for drugs or sueing a photographer. He's still making the news. Blah
Blah if you want to read more go here: http://launch.yahoo.com/read/news/34638663
God, I still love it though!
Tell me you don't see the ELO album cover influence.
