Rock Evolution – The History of Rock & Roll - 1984 - (page 198)

My son did the 15 min recap and I rewatched S1 given it had been 2+ years.

After the questions of "who is that?" or "why are they there?", I said "you need more than that recap after all."

I highly recommend a rewatch. It had been too long that is was simply needed. Rewatching Rogue One right after Andor S2 was another bonus that paid off even more too given it had been years since I watched that too. Seeing Andy Serkis again with all that dialog with Diego Luna was another bonus the recap was never going to get.

Some great tunes thus far, was surprised to see "Sultans of Swing" still on the menu, especially given a debut band. I'll thank you for that too.
I saw Andy Serkis a few years ago shopping in the M&S in a village near us (one we used to live in FWIW). He was driving a big Black Tesla.
 
Unless you lived in that there London no-one saw Star Wars until 78.

I must have seen it sometime in Feb 78 because for some reason I had one of the new fangled £1 notes and it aroused sufficient curiosity that it got passed up the queue a bit for people to look. Not sure what it says about the times that it also eventually got passed back to me!
 
In my review of 1977 I included the Heart song Barracuda. It lead to comments about how different the bands music was “pre-MTV”.
I am going to dare the same with Foreigner who are primarily known for their slushy ballads.
My track comes from the brilliant “Double Vision” album.
Hot Blooded -Foreigner
 
My first pick may surprise some given comments already made about this year as it is not some heavy rock monster but a moody mini prog pop epic from our old friends Genesis, who were now down to a three piece. From the album "And Then There Were Three": Burning Rope.

Why this particular track? ATTWT was the first Genesis album that I felt inclined to buy, altough it would be some five years later that I really became a fan. Burning Rope features one of my absolute favourite guitar solos, a rather short one too from Mike Rutherford. It's also a track that always takes me back to a time and place that I have very fond memories of.
 
As Magazine and my favourite Kraftwerk album have already been picked my last one will be this.

Led by Poly Styrene, who formed the band after watching the Sex Pistols live. Styrene was one of the most distinctive personalities in the British punk movement, because of her singing style and atypical and unorthodox appearance, taking influences from reggae as well as punk. Her lyrics primarily dealt with anti-consumerism and anti-capitalism, and were an influence on the 1990s riot grrrl movement. The line-up also included saxophone, which was little used by other punk bands.

From their debut album of the same name

X-ray Spex - Germ Free Adolescents
 
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I saw Andy Serkis a few years ago shopping in the M&S in a village near us (one we used to live in FWIW). He was driving a big Black Tesla.
Must be a bloody big M&S to be driving a Tesla in there !!!

Anyway I’m going to keep on the track with Genesis ATTWT.
I always thought this song was their “Wondrous Stories” moment. A very well crafted four minute radio friendly song sprinkled with a great keyboard solo.

Genesis - Follow you, follow me.
 
Following the success of her debut album, Kate Bush’s record company EMI were eager to get another out. She had composed many songs throughout her teens (she was at this time 19 years old) and the majority of the tracks used for Lionheart were compositions from before her debut. Recorded entirely at Super Bear Studios in Berre-les-Alpes on the French Riviera, this was to be her only album recorded outside the UK. Of the ten tracks, only “Symphony in Blue,” “Fullhouse,” and “Coffee Homeground” were newly composed songs, although the other songs had been reworked by Bush in preparation for the recording. The album was produced, like her first, by Andrew Powell, with Bush feeling that she was at this stage too inexperienced to produce it herself (she would go on to produce all her following albums). Many Kate Bush fans cite this as their favourite album. Its not mine although there are some good songs on it it does feel a little like they didn't make it onto TKI. She herself has said she wasn't altogether happy with it and that she had felt rushed into releasing it so quickly after her debut. Nonetheless it remains an important recording and some of the songs would feature in her debut Tour in 1979.

Lionheart was the first Kate Bush album to feature Del Palmer, who played bass and had previously been in the KT Bush Band. Palmer went on to play bass, or to engineer and record on every subsequent Kate Bush album up to and including 50 Words for Snow (2011). Del sadly died in January 2024 at the age of 71. He was a crucial musical influence for most of her career.

The last track I have chosen for 78 is Wow which gave Kate a good chance to show off more of her dance moves in the video. This is how the lady herself described the song:

‘Wow’ is a song about the music business, not just rock music but show business in general, including acting and theatre. People say that the music business is about ripoffs, the rat race, competition, strain, people trying to cut you down, and so on, and though that’s all there, there’s also the magic. It was sparked off when I sat down to try and write a Pink Floyd song, something spacey; Though I’m not surprised no-one has picked that up, it’s not really recognisable as that, in the same way as people haven’t noticed that ‘Kite’ is a Bob Marley song, and ‘Don’t Push Your Foot On The Heartbrake’ is a Patti Smith song. When I wrote it I didn’t envisage performing it – the performance when it happened was an interpretation of the words I’d already written. I first made up the visuals in a hotel room in New Zealand, when I had half an hour to make up a routine and prepare for a TV show. I sat down and listened to the song through once, and the whirling seemed to fit the music. Those who were at the last concert of the tour at Hammersmith must have noticed a frogman appear through the dry ice it was one of the crew’s many last night ‘pranks’ and was really amazing. I’d have liked to have had it in every show.

Wow - Kate Bush
 
Must be a bloody big M&S to be driving a Tesla in there !!!

Anyway I’m going to keep on the track with Genesis ATTWT.
I always thought this song was their “Wondrous Stories” moment. A very well crafted four minute radio friendly song sprinkled with a great keyboard solo.

Genesis - Follow you, follow me.

LOL. They’d run out of shopping baskets.

Good choice, my second favourite song on ATTWT.

Good analogy too.
 
Following the success of her debut album, Kate Bush’s record company EMI were eager to get another out. She had composed many songs throughout her teens (she was at this time 19 years old) and the majority of the tracks used for Lionheart were compositions from before her debut. Recorded entirely at Super Bear Studios in Berre-les-Alpes on the French Riviera, this was to be her only album recorded outside the UK. Of the ten tracks, only “Symphony in Blue,” “Fullhouse,” and “Coffee Homeground” were newly composed songs, although the other songs had been reworked by Bush in preparation for the recording. The album was produced, like her first, by Andrew Powell, with Bush feeling that she was at this stage too inexperienced to produce it herself (she would go on to produce all her following albums). Many Kate Bush fans cite this as their favourite album. Its not mine although there are some good songs on it it does feel a little like they didn't make it onto TKI. She herself has said she wasn't altogether happy with it and that she had felt rushed into releasing it so quickly after her debut. Nonetheless it remains an important recording and some of the songs would feature in her debut Tour in 1979.

Lionheart was the first Kate Bush album to feature Del Palmer, who played bass and had previously been in the KT Bush Band. Palmer went on to play bass, or to engineer and record on every subsequent Kate Bush album up to and including 50 Words for Snow (2011). Del sadly died in January 2024 at the age of 71. He was a crucial musical influence for most of her career.

The last track I have chosen for 78 is Wow which gave Kate a good chance to show off more of her dance moves in the video. This is how the lady herself described the song:

‘Wow’ is a song about the music business, not just rock music but show business in general, including acting and theatre. People say that the music business is about ripoffs, the rat race, competition, strain, people trying to cut you down, and so on, and though that’s all there, there’s also the magic. It was sparked off when I sat down to try and write a Pink Floyd song, something spacey; Though I’m not surprised no-one has picked that up, it’s not really recognisable as that, in the same way as people haven’t noticed that ‘Kite’ is a Bob Marley song, and ‘Don’t Push Your Foot On The Heartbrake’ is a Patti Smith song. When I wrote it I didn’t envisage performing it – the performance when it happened was an interpretation of the words I’d already written. I first made up the visuals in a hotel room in New Zealand, when I had half an hour to make up a routine and prepare for a TV show. I sat down and listened to the song through once, and the whirling seemed to fit the music. Those who were at the last concert of the tour at Hammersmith must have noticed a frogman appear through the dry ice it was one of the crew’s many last night ‘pranks’ and was really amazing. I’d have liked to have had it in every show.

Wow - Kate Bush

I’ve not seen her but apparently Kate has been seen at the Health Centre where our GP’s work. I believe she has (or had) a home a few miles from there.
 
I won't be so obvious as to choose another Van Halen track, tempting as it is!

1978 saw the release of Journey's first album with Steve Perry on vocals. It was produced by Roy Thomas Baker of Queen fame, hence the liberal use of layered harmonies which were the blueprint for the success that followed.

Infinity is my favourite album by my favourite band - this is one of their less well known songs, but it's a personal favourite.

Winds of March - Journey

 
I won't be so obvious as to choose another Van Halen track, tempting as it is!

1978 saw the release of Journey's first album with Steve Perry on vocals. It was produced by Roy Thomas Baker of Queen fame, hence the liberal use of layered harmonies which were the blueprint for the success that followed.

Infinity is my favourite album by my favourite band - this is one of their less well known songs, but it's a personal favourite.

Winds of March - Journey


Love that album although that is not the track I had been thinking of putting forward.
 
I have made a call on my second nomination and it is Blondie: Hanging on the Telephone.

A great piece of pop rock from an album I played a lot in my room at Uni I took my old record player down and a case full of albums. The album was released shortly before I went to Uni so had to make the trip. I think it particularly reminds me of my hall there because there was a phone booth down the hall from my room; not quite across but hey.
 
Still struggling to narrow down my picks, which I will admit is very frustrating when I think there’s been a lack of nominations for last year’s list and, so far for this one. Not a big deal because I will make my own but still…

I guess I have to choose a song that I previously put on my list of 20 favourite songs that I gave to BH, which basically means I like it as much as almost every other song in that 20. So my next pick is Life’s Been Good by Joe Walsh (The full length version).

Walsh is a big favourite of mine. I consider him the best slide guitarist ever or at least the man with the best slide guitar sound - although this track was not picked for the slide guitar. What is was picked for is the wonderful opening riffery, the breezy tune and possibly the greatest set of lyrics about rock stardom. Walsh is a lyricist who can be both humorous and poignant. I also love the sound of Walsh’s mid-western drawl vocals and he is a stellar axe man.

The Eagles often perform the song live and it is one of the highlights of their gigs. The lyrics by the way are largely true e.g. Walsh liked to stay in suites on tour and if one wasn’t available he’d get two adjacent rooms and “tear out the walls”. He did lose his licence, but not for speeding in his Maserati: he just misplaced his wallet.
 
Still struggling to narrow down my picks, which I will admit is very frustrating when I think there’s been a lack of nominations for last year’s list and, so far for this one. Not a big deal because I will make my own but still…

I guess I have to choose a song that I previously put on my list of 20 favourite songs that I gave to BH, which basically means I like it as much as almost every other song in that 20. So my next pick is Life’s Been Good by Joe Walsh (The full length version).

Walsh is a big favourite of mine. I consider him the best slide guitarist ever or at least the man with the best slide guitar sound - although this track was not picked for the slide guitar. What is was picked for is the wonderful opening riffery, the breezy tune and possibly the greatest set of lyrics about rock stardom. Walsh is a lyricist who can be both humorous and poignant. I also love the sound of Walsh’s mid-western drawl vocals and he is a stellar axe man.

The Eagles often perform the song live and it is one of the highlights of their gigs. The lyrics by the way are largely true e.g. Walsh liked to stay in suites on tour and if one wasn’t available he’d get two adjacent rooms and “tear out the walls”. He did lose his licence, but not for speeding in his Maserati: he just misplaced his wallet.
Given that I'm in the control room for this week, and the playlist is still less than 3 hours, and I know that this is an era that you know a lot about, you have my full permission to gives us 10 songs for 1978.
 
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Given that I'm in the control room for this week, and the playlist is still less than 3 hours, and I know that this is an era that you know a lot about, you have my full permission to gives us 10 songs for 1978.
What a star you are. Thank you.

In that case, I can add my fourth pick very easily. You might have been expecting this one.

La Villa Strangiato by Rush

I am on record multiple times saying this is the greatest instrumental track by a rock band. Inspired by guitarist Alex Lifeson's dreams, it's a wonderful example of the powerhouse trio's composition skills and musicianship. The musical equivalent of a dark Disney ride.
 

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