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

Wow I just posted a song on the music association thread and thought it was from 1982 and just checked and it was 1981 - so a late entry in this year thankfully.

The Creatures had formed, and released an EP that I had on a 2 x 7 inch double gate fold pack called “Wild Things EP”
5 songs that Siouxsie Sioux and The Banshees drummer Budgie had been practicing in rehearsals and they liked them with just percussion and vocals and released them independently from The Banshees.
“But not them”, “Thumb”, a cover of the old Troggs classic “Wild Thing”, “So Unreal” and the lead song that the pair performed on TOTP’s “Mad Eyed Screamer”.
During Banshees gigs, Steve Severin and John McGeogh would leave the stage for a cig break, while Siouxsie and Budgie performed as The Creatures.

Song for the playlist “Mad Eyed Screamer”
 
Lovebitesandeveryfing said:
OK, this is not directly contributing to the music side of this thread — sorry — but now I'll spill the beans on 1981, because it won't come again.
1981 is marked out in my life by two things, one of which I'm very proud of, and one of which I'm incredibly ashamed of.
In 1981 my son was born. I'm very proud of him. No further words necessary, I trust.

I'm not ashamed of many things in life, very, very few. It's not my style to do things I'm going to be ashamed of. But in 1981, I also had a fretless bass hand-made for me by a lute maker in Lyon. The neck — maple, with an ebony fingerboard — goes right through the body. He told me it would be stronger that way. The body is I think walnut. He let the wood sit and dry properly for months before he even touched it. It has two pick-ups: DiMarzio and Bartolini. Again, his suggestion. They make very different sounds, with completely different tones. The DiMarzio is fizzier, funkier. The Bartolini is rich and round, almost plummy. Why did I have it made? I think of myself as a bassist. All my life, I've been singing bass lines, both in my head, and out loud. I can pick out the bass — in fact, I have no choice — on any piece of music you play me. Something I noticed quite late on in life — Bach's bass lines are very, very strong. They are inventive, but they ground his pieces admirably. And what Chopin writes for the left hand is always worth paying very close attention to. In jazz, my admiration goes to Ray Brown, Scott LaFaro, Ron Carter, Stanley Clarke, obviously Mingus, then later people like Alphonso Johnson, and, does it need saying? Jaco, and Marcus Miller. (Although for sheer, pure groove Johnson shades it from Jaco — I know that's heresy in many quarters). In rock I grew up with Entwhistle, and am in awe of the artistry of John Paul Jones. A true rock bassist. There are many others.
I am left-handed, and I wanted a fretless. No such thing available to buy ready-made then (I asked around in music shops). Still probably not now. Here's the terrible admission: I have almost never played that instrument. It sits looking at me reproachfully. As a matter of fact, I dusted off its case just the other day. Sometimes I take it out and cradle it. Tune it up, maybe pick out a few notes. Then I put it back.
The sound it makes when you plug it in to an even half-way decent amp is nectar. (I originally had an HH — you can imagine). Even just acoustically, without amplification, you can hear that it's special. If you hold the note, the natural sustain on it is ridiculous. That thing just wants to sing, but needs a little help from me.
Don't ask me to explain my block on this. I can't.
Even writing this, now, I feel truly lousy about it. In fact, I've got tears in the corners of my eyes. Pathetic, really. It is the one great thing that I should have done, and that I have left undone in life. My son recently suggested that I should let it go. But I can't do that, either. Unthinkable.

This is, incidentally, the first time I've committed this to “paper”. I spent several days thinking about whether to post this.

So… there's my 1981.
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It is obviously just too beautiful and perfect. You would rather own and admire than play it. I fish and guys spend thousands on rods and then seldom if ever use them in anger. They have tackle rooms that they sit in and just look at their collections of gleaming fishing rods. It sounds sad but they get undeniable pleasure from it.
I have no doubt your bass will become a family heirloom and enjoyed by generations. Thanks for sharing.
 
And one last one…




It's personalised. Those are my initials. Followed by the number of basses he'd made at that point. Finally, BG stands for « basse gaucher », i.e. left-handed bass. That bass is for me and no-one else. You can't find it replicated anywhere, in any music shop on earth. That's what so very, very melancholy.

By the way, sorry to anyone who feels this has been intrusive on this particular thread. But @hallsteve62 did ask. And so he was served.
Back on topic. Promise…
 
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Saddleworth2 said:
It is obviously just too beautiful and perfect. You would rather own and admire than play it. I fish and guys spend thousands on rods and then seldom if ever use them in anger. They have tackle rooms that they sit in and just look at their collections of gleaming fishing rods. It sounds sad but they get undeniable pleasure from it.
I have no doubt your bass will become a family heirloom and enjoyed by generations. Thanks for sharing.
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Thanks, friend. That is some sort of consolation. I can well imagine that there are anglers who dream of catching the fish — THE FISH — the one who swims in streams and rivers and who will never, ever be caught. Perhaps I have dreamt of playing the perfect phrase, the ultimate groove, all these years.
 
OB1 said:
Traffic has quietend down on the 1981 playlist from to I have unapologettically added a shed load of tracks to the coda so you can listen to them or not but almost all of them are mentioned directly in my write-up and many are key songs from the year:
...
REO Speedwagon: Take it on the Run
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There were some great songs you listed there, but pound for pound, note for note, (guitar) lick for lick, the best song from the High Infidelity album (and winner of best cover for me too) wasn't a single.

1759161126095.png

It was co-written by REO guitarist Gary Richrath (RIP) and lyricist Tom Kelly, who went on starting this year to co-write many later hits for rock and pop bands into the 1980s.

Kelly's wiki page doesn't list this track because it wasn't a single, but to me, it was THE BEST song from that album as Richrath's guitar really took the spotlight here. I won't count this as my final track as that is still to come (SOON!), but surely it has to register for OB1?!?

Follow My Heart - REO Speedwagon
 
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Black&White&BlueMoon Town said:
There were some great songs you listed there, but pound for pound, note for note, (guitar) lick for lick, the best song from the High Infidelity album (and winner of best cover for me too) wasn't a single.

View attachment 170919

It was co-written by REO guitarist Gary Richrath (RIP) and lyricist Tom Kelly, who went on starting this year to co-write many later hits for rock and pop bands into the 1980s.

Kelly's wiki page doesn't list this track because it wasn't a single, but to me, it was THE BEST song from that album as Richrath's guitar really took the spotlight here. I won't count this as my final track as that is still to come (SOON!), but surely it has to register for OB1?!?

Follow My Heart - REO Speedwagon
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I'm happy to put it in the coda.
 
So, I have cooked up another batch of songs for the coda. All are songs that I have in my collection. Some were hits in 1981.
The Steve Miller track was something I heard on Annie Nightingale’s evening show (not sure why I was tuned in to it, but I was driving at night) that was apparently a bit of a favourite on there.

The Kinks: Destroyer
Men at Work: Down Under
The Cars: Since Your Gone
The Tubes: Talk to Ya Later
April Wine: Just Between You and Me
Daryl Hall & John Oates: I Can’t go For That
Styx: Best of Times
ZZ Top: Tube Snake Boogie
Kiss: I
Hanoi Rocks: Tragedy
Queen and David Bowie: Under Pressure
Jim Steinman: Bad For Good
Steve Miller Band: Macho City
Tangerine Dream: Exit
 
OB1 said:
1981 Part 2

“Moving Pictures” was the title of Rush’s 1981 album, where they captured prog-rock in a tighter, more riff-driven form that later surveys would dub the band’s most focused and influential work. The besteveralbums.com website, which I have used extensively as we have moved through the years, has it as the top ranked album of 1981, so it is only fair that I repeat my review of it from that other thread, those uninterested or who have seen it before can skip the next few paragraphs.

Moving Pictures is an apt title for the record, given the images that it conjures up so majestically. It kicks-off in impressive fashion with perhaps the band’s best known and most loved song: Tom Sawyer.

The track was inspired by the famous Mark Twain novel and features lyrics that were a co-written by drummer Neil Peart and quirky Canadian poet Pye Dubois, who often collaborated with fellow Maple Leaf rockers Max Webster. Peart took Dubois’ poem “Louie the Lawyer” and produced a slightly autobiographical set of deeply philosophical words about personal independence and free thinking. Musically, the song is relatively short but still complex, featuring more time changes than Pep Guardiola makes formation changes in a match. It springs into life with a burst of synthesiser and a distinctive hard-hitting four on the floor drumbeat. The “main” instrumental section commences with Geddy Lee’s memorable synth line, melds into Alex’s face melting guitar solo and crashes out with the most air drummed break in the history of Rock and Roll (sorry Phil).

As much of an FM favourite as it is, Tom Sawyer is not for me the best song on the album: that honour belongs to track two, a widescreen mini epic by the name of Red Barchetta. (So it goes on the playlist).

Introduced by Alex Lifeson’s guitar harmonics, the song starts with a gentle wistful air, suggesting a bucolic calm, but soon goes through the gears like Charles Le Clerc exiting La Rascasse, racing along on an adrenaline surge of turbo charged riffage. This is musical equivalent of a Disney roller-coaster. Inspired by Richard S. Foster’s short story “A Nice Morning Drive” this is a cinematic experience, a perfect fusion of words and music that creates moving pictures in your mind as the futuristic tale comes vividly to life.

Musical mastery is to the fore in YYZ, an instrumental piece inspired by the transmitter code for Toronto's Lester B. Pearson International Airport. The composition uses the morse code for YYZ as a motif and features phenomenal bass playing from Geddy that has more twists and turns than Snake Pass.

Side 1 ends with Limelight, a fairly straight-forward radio friendly rock track about Peart’s difficulties dealing with the glare of stardom into which the band had been thrust. It neatly borrows from Shakespeare’s play “As You Like It” with the lines:

All the world’s indeed a stage

And we are merely players

Performers and portrayers

and nods back to Rush’s utterly brilliant first live album (All the World’s A Stage).

Throughout the album, guitarist Alex Lifeson is in superb form but his solo in Limelight is a highlight as he wrings out every ounce of emotion from his whammy bar to produce a sense of isolation befitting of the songs’ theme – it’s his favourite solo to perform live.

Side 2’s lead off is the last track Rush recorded that was over 10 minutes duration, although it doesn’t feel long and musically has quite a sharp focus. The song has two halves lyrically, which are Peart’s musings about walking around two great cities (albeit not the greatest City): New York and London. Again, he paints beautiful pictures – I always imagine these to be in black and white. Rush left the song out of their setlist for nearly three decades, during which it was often the most requested song for the band to perform.

The sounds of a screaming mob usher in the highly produced track that is Witch Hunt. The rest of the album was put together to be played live but this number even featured the band’s album cover artist Hugh Syme on synthesiser and a host of overdubs. Part III of the Fear trilogy of songs, produced out of sequence across three albums, this is a dark number with a grinding heavy riff that has lyrics of enduring relevance and handles issues that go beyond folk in black pointy hats.

Peart’s commentary on technospeak, Vital Signs closes the album on a more uplifting note and signals what is to come sonically on the group’s next three releases as they deviate from their norm with a Police-like intro and a mix of poppy rock and reggae lite.

And that’s it, seven tightly constructed, superbly produced tracks that have garnered multiple accolades over the past forty years.

The Phil that I apologised to in the above review was the famous (on Blue Moon) zombie drummer / vocalist Phil Collins, who introduced his first solo album “Face Value” to an unsuspecting public in early 1981. The album was a big hit on both sides of the Atlantic, selling millions. Its lead off track "In the Air Tonight", released in January, became known for its drum arrangement and use of gated reverb, which proved highly influential on the sounds of the 80’s.

Collins did return (from the dead) to his day job with Genesis, who released their “Abacab” long player in September, a surprisingly concise rock album with hits like “No Reply at All” (which even had a horn section) and “Keep It Dark.” Musically, it blends art rock, pop, and new wave textures — punchy drum machines, bright synths, and leaner arrangements — while still leaving space for longer, more experimental moments like “Dodo/Lurker”.

Reception at the time was mixed among prog purists but commercially it was a triumph, hitting No. 1 in the UK and breaking into the US Top 10 for the first time. It went double‑platinum in America and set the stage for the even bigger pop success Genesis would enjoy later in the decade.

I have selected the tile track for that makes the playlist. This punchy, shape‑shifting piece is built on a sharp guitar riff from Mike Rutherford and Tony Banks’s smooth organ lines, it features Phil Collins’s urgent vocal delivery and an extended synth‑driven coda.

The name itself came from the lettering of the song’s original arrangement sections — “A‑B‑A‑C‑A‑B” — though the final version no longer followed that pattern, leaving the title as an abstract, meaning‑free hook. It is one of my favourite tracks from the band.

Ladies that punch

Following a fabulous summer, it was time for me to start work and one of the first albums I bought with my newly expanded income was Joan Jett & the Blackhearts “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll”. The title track, a cover of an earlier hit for glam rockers Arrow was a strutting declaration that spent several weeks atop the US charts in the following year. I am putting it on this year’s playlist though as it was an instant hit with me.

Another lady that can rock is Stevie Nicks, who gave ample demonstration of that on her debut solo album “Belladonna”, which featured one of her signature songs “Edge of Seventeen” driven by Waddy Wachtel’s chugging guitar riff and inspired by the deaths of John Lennon and her uncle, as well as a conversation with Tom Petty’s wife about how she and Tom met (“at the age of seventeen,” misheard by Stevie as “edge of seventeen”).

My choice for the playlist is a song that was all over the radio when I was in the States and has been a firm favourite ever since as it also features another of my other favourite acts. “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around” was written by Tom Petty and his lead guitarist Mike Campbell. It was originally intended for the Heartbreakers, but producer Jimmy Iovine suggested Nicks record it as a duet, giving her a gritty, rock‑radio hit.

Another young lady who made a name for herself in 1981 was Kim Wilde, teen daughter of 1960’s star Marty Wilde, who scored a hit with “Kids in America” (No. 23 on UK year-end). She was punkish in leather and eyeshadow, posing like Debbie Harry’s little sister.

Joan Jett had been part of one of the first all-girl rock bands, The Runaways, who had rejected recording “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll”. 1981 saw the release of a debut album from another all-girl rock band. “Beauty and the Beat” is the Go‑Go’s’ sparkling debut and a landmark in pop history: it was the first album written and performed entirely by an all‑female band to hit # 1 on the US Billboard 200, where it stayed for six weeks, although that was eight months after its July 1981 release. It was a blend of new wave, pop rock, and punk energy, polished by producer Richard Gottehrer into something radio‑friendly without losing its edge and went on to go double‑platinum in the US. Hit singles from the l.p. were the jangly, sly, and infectious “Our Lips Are Sealed” and their anthem “We Got the Beat”.

On the rise

Other up and (not necessarily new) comers in 1981 included:

Shakin’ Stevens (a Welsh singer with a Bryan Ferry pompadour) turned out to be Britain’s own Elvis impersonator and scored three of the year’s best sellers: “This Ole House,” “You Drive Me Crazy,” and “Green Door.” All were covers of 1950’s rock’n’roll or novelty songs but polished with modern production, and they took up spots no. 5, no. 11 and no. 20 on the UK year-end chart.

The revival of 50’s style rock was also embodied by Stray Cats, a New York trio of Brian Setzer (guitar), Lee Rocker (upright bass) and Slim Jim Phantom (drums), relocated to London in mid-1980 to immerse themselves in Britain’s interest in Teddy Boy culture. Their self-titled debut reached no. 6 in the UK album chart and generated hits like “Stray Cat Strut” and “Rock This Town,” solidifying rockabilly’s renewed commercial viability. These songs married authentic Gretsch-guitar tones and percussion-slap bass to punk-injected rhythms, reviving the spirit of Sun Records while capturing MTV’s attention with their stylised videos and coiffed quiffs.

Among the plethora of new acts to debut in 1981, several would go on to long-term success. Thomas Dolby’s “She Blinded Me with Science” introduced synthesizer pop’s nerd-chic flair, while Soft Boys, OMD, The Human League and Depeche Mode expanded the UK’s electronic vanguard.

Telegenic Bucks Fizz – assembled for Eurovision glory – captured many British wallets with their winning tune “Making Your Mind Up” (with that infamous skirt rip).

Another soon-to-be star: Prince released his fourth album “Controversy” in October 1981. Prince was still mostly an underground superstar (his style was freaky Minneapolis funk), but he proved black artists could claim the art-rock space too.

Bauhaus (England’s original goth band) released their first full album “Mask” in late ’81.

Punk and new wave goodbye!

Goth in part grew from punk and new wave acts slowing their tempo and deepening the atmosphere of their music.

Siouxsie and the Banshees’ “Juju” with its tribal percussion, spidery guitar, and surreal menace was a landmark in defining goth’s sonic palette. “Faith” from The Cure was sparse, mournful, and steeped in existential dread.

1981 was a turbulent but creatively explosive year for punk, a moment when the original late‑’70s wave was splintering, hardcore was surging, and post‑punk/new wave were pulling some bands in new directions.

In the US, bands like Black Flag (Damaged), D.O.A. (Hardcore ’81), Adolescents, T.S.O.L., and Dead Kennedys pushed faster, heavier, and more aggressive sounds.

While in the UK, The Exploited (Punk’s Not Dead), Discharge (Why), and Crass (Penis Envy) defined the raw, politically charged edge of the British scene.

Hair today gone tomorrow

Punk was famous for its spiky hairdos. Naturally, I never indulged in such a coiffure and 1981 was a year of hair loss in more ways than one on a personal front. My longish hair had begun to prematurely thin and needed to be cut much shorter anyway as I had to don suit and tie to start work – how times change: I now don’t own a lounge suit, and my head is kept shaved – just as whole genre of metal with bouffant hairdos was about to emerge.

In November 1981, a young LA band self‑released their debut album “Too Fast for Love” on Leathür Records. The band was Mötley Crüe, featuring a core lineup: Vince Neil, Nikki Sixx, Mick Mars and Tommy Lee. Only 900 discs were initially pressed and although I do not own one of those, the vinyl copy I own is the most valuable record in my collection as it is a Leathür pressing. The album was quickly picked up by Elektra Records, who re-released it in August 1982, remixed by Roy Thomas Baker and partially re‑recorded, with a revised track order. They surely did grab a Piece of the Action.

For all the musical trends that were witnessed, and diverse acts emerged, in 1981, it was the Sunset Strip metal merchants that ultimately had the career longevity, global sales, superstardom and enduring name recognition to give them a serious claim on 1981’s rookies of the year title.

Legendary bands like Queen enlisted help (their partnership with David Bowie on “Under Pressure” landed at #39 on the UK year-end best-sellers list).

Ironically, only one pure metal album showed up on Britain’s official 1981 year-end charts: Rainbow’s, ranking around #45. This Ritchie Blackmore–led guitar extravaganza represented the older generation’s idea of metal, whereas the new kids (Maiden, Saxon, Tiger, etc.) were all on indie labels until ‘82. Still, diehard fans in places like Sheffield and Birmingham made rock shops richer that year, and Kerrang! magazine was launched in June 1981 (with Angus Young of AC/DC on the cover but Barton wanted it to be Silverwing and was overruled by the editor -in-chief, T’ Wing do get a full page photo inside) to chronicle the chaos of axe-worshipping youth.

Objects in the rear-view mirror

So, looking back how does one summarise 1981? If 1979 and 1980 were punk’s wild adolescence, 1981 was pop’s awkward teenage phase: self-conscious, experimenting with style, but not far from maturity. Synthpop was no longer a fad, increasing use of tech was an established trend. New romantic and two-tone scenes signified a yearning for both glamour and groove against a troubled socioeconomic backdrop. Hardcore and goth quietly took note of punk’s anger and turned it into something else. Traditional rock and metal still ruled many rosters, even as some of its pioneers either reinvented themselves (e.g. Genesis) or took a hiatus (Thin Lizzy, Pink Floyd).

One could say 1981 planted seeds. In the UK, the stage was being set for the second British Invasion of the US (just a couple years down the line) fuelled by camera-ready, synth-laden bands. Across the Atlantic, MTV’s birth changed the game for how music was consumed; soon videos would make or break a hit in America (Bon Jovi got a massive boost from MTV a few years later, for instance). Of course, none of that had fully bloomed in 1981 but the shoots were there.

People who lived through it might remember the fashion best: hair teased higher than a dope fiend, skinny ties knotted below the navel, safety pins mingling with sequins. The sound was similarly extreme: from the sugar rush of “Tainted Love” to the thunderclap of “In the Air Tonight”, all dialled up to 11. We had diva ballads and deadpan synth tracks side by side on the radio. We had Bruce Springsteen playing sweaty rock clubs while The Human League performed in matching silver suits and Simon & Garfunkel reunited for a free concert in New York’s Central Park, an event so vast (half a million attendees) but so out of step with what was going on around it. It was, in a word, eclectic.

For the football fans on our forum assembling the 1981 playlist, expect this: plenty of basslines (real or programmed), anthems for the discos and pubs alike, and just enough guitar solos to keep macho male rock fans nodding. Laugh if you want at the big video-haired bands or the kid dancing like a funky chicken to the “Birdie Song”, but 1981 worked. It held a mirror to both its punk past and the looming MTV future.

In the end, 1981’s music scene wasn’t just about one “major event” (though MTV’s launch is hard to top), but about an atmosphere of change. By Christmas, Americans had discovered (or rediscovered) heartland rock and moody synth ballads, while the British had their own crop of chart-toppers and underground tremors. The charts on both sides were crowded with new sounds and old voices.

If you closed your eyes to listen in December 1981, you might have heard Phil Collins’ reverberating drum solo, the last gasp of a two-tone sax line, and the distant whoosh of a video satellite heading skyward. And above it all, blasting through your car radio or transistor, the simple answer to “Don’t you want me?”: an emphatic YES.

So, here’s to 1981, a year in rock and pop that knew where it had been and was already nudging toward everywhere it could go next.

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i only now have had the time to read this properly. Its an evocative and comprehensive review of the years music, a fascinating read stuffed full of your own anecdotes and memories of the year. It must have taken you some time to put together. I know that we don't agree on some stuff on here but I couldn't let this go without saying it is quite magnificent.
 
Tomorrow starts the month of October.

Fitting for me then that my final track should reference the album that almost broke up the band in 1981, before most anywhere had even heard (of) them. Their second album received mixed reviews and limited radio play, which also helps explains why I hadn't yet heard them at the time, until the next album, where I became a fan of the band and came back to enjoy their first two releases.

This song addresses both the death and funeral day of Bono’s mother and is also one of U2’s most overtly Christian songs. The latter subject nearly tore the band apart while making this album, and if not for the guidance of manager Paul McGuinness, they might have never stayed together to become the band they did.

The music in this song echoes the very personal words that Bono authored. This song begins with the uilleann pipes provided by Vincent Kilduff. This was the first song that U2 had incorporated traditional Irish music into their sound. The tempo in this track starts off much slower than most of the songs they had recorded up to that point, and the music in the first half is both quiet and subdued. When the electric guitar and drums kick in 2:42, the timing lines up with Bono singing about his acceptance of his mother’s death. The track ends with the more traditional faster tempo with Edge's guitar taking center stage with Bono's singing relating his faith to his recent loss.

Next to the title track of the album, this one is my favourite, and in recent years due to similar circumstances of a mother's loss and her proud Irish heritage over the years, is one I very much relate to.

Tomorrow - U2

Won't you be back tomorrow?
Will you be back tomorrow?
 
Saddleworth2 said:
i only now have had the time to read this properly. Its an evocative and comprehensive review of the years music, a fascinating read stuffed full of your own anecdotes and memories of the year. It must have taken you some time to put together. I know that we don't agree on some stuff on here but I couldn't let this go without saying it is quite magnificent.
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Thank you. Much appreciated.

P.S. It was a lot of work to prepare; over a fairly long period. I very recently offered to do 1984 as it had not been taken and that does not allow me as much time as I would ideally like.
 
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The History of Rock & Roll - 1981
Don't let it kill you baby, don't let it get to you
I'll be your bleedin' heart, I'll be your cryin' fool
Don't let this go too far, don't let it get to you

One of my favourite parts of an @OB1 year is now most of our songs are lining up and he's hitting most of the songs I was listening to at the time, despite our age difference. I first must say I thoroughly enjoyed his "roadie trip across the USA", and I can only think back to my meager life of school and being a paperboy at that time, reading the newspaper each afternoon before I delivered them, most likely coming across tours and events he was partaking in. Ah, the life!!

Of the ones listed in the original 10, a whopping 5 were top of my list of great songs and albums that year, so in this order, I'll second their inclusion:
  1. “Red Barchetta” - Rush, I just love the bass on this song. Two consecutive top favourite albums from this band including the prior one, and they would be a Top 5 throughout the 80's for me
  2. "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" - The Police, might be my favourite album from them and is seldom mentioned as their best, but I love this song and others (A great first girlfriend song)
  3. "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around" - Stevie Nicks, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, it was hard to beat a Stevie Nicks duet in the 80's, and this one started it all. Lyric delivery of the song courtesy of TP: I know you really want to tell me goodbye, I know you really want to be your own girl (A very ominous first girlfriend song)
  4. "Unchained" - Van Halen, from their heaviest album, and one I enjoyed immensely at the time. Very underrated overall from looking back on the DLR period. Others in a few years would sell more, but this one beats that one for me.
  5. "Flying High Again" - Ozzy Osbourne, it was hard to miss Ozzy's second album that year, and thanks to my best friend into harder music than me, I was on board the Crazy Train by then too.
The Big Winner
“Harden My Heart” – Quarterflash, I've already posted on how much I loved this song, and nothing I heard from the list, even what I nominated, beats how I feel about this song. The sax, the vocals, it was just something I loved the first time I heard it. Interesting low budget video too, but most made back then during the early days of MTV were like that.

Top Songs I Knew Quite Well (and yes, I know some are from the Coda)
  1. "Let's Groove" - Earth, Wind & Fire, loved those horns and another skating rink classic
  2. "The Waiting" - Tom Petty, was the hardest part on some hard promises from a woman in love...
  3. "Destroyer" - The Kinks, led me to explore much of their back catalogue at the time
  4. "Just Between You and Me" - April Wine, a great year of output from Canadian bands indeed
  5. "Since You're Gone" - The Cars, another favourite band from that year, never could deliver live
  6. "Vienna" - Ultravox, still a haunting song with the organ and piano
  7. "Jole Blon" - Gary US Bonds, if you are going to have Bruce guest vocal, always a good idea to give him the "sha la la" chorus
Still a nod to Tommy Tutone, who suffered badly from both radio overplay and the lack of an area code.

Top New Songs
  1. "Frame By Frame" - King Crimson, given the lineup of this band, an album I should probably take in
  2. "Sketch For Summer" - The Durutti Column, fantastic instrumental chill song made in Manchester
  3. "Seven Year Ache" - Roseanne Cash, a fantastic song from MCD that I don't remember, so now I think I need to go back to hear more of RC's back catalogue
  4. "Canton" - Japan, led by the drums, a final output from this new wave English band I should also check out more
  5. "Primary" - The Cure, not familiar with their early 80's output, but enjoyed this new wave track
  6. "Like Leila Khaled Said" - The Teardrop Express, hmm, I'm sensing both a theme and locale on these songs I didn't know...
  7. "Ceremony (Version 1)" - New Order, another band just not on my music radar at the time and not heard on US FM radio
  8. "I'll Find My Way Home" - Jon & Vangelis, often read about, just not as much heard on this successful collaboration over the years
  9. "Friday Night, Saturday Morning" - The Specials, a nice humorous ska song and sound from the land of the Binley Mega Chippy
  10. "Georgia" - OMD, I did mention prior that I didn't hear as much of this band until mid-80s...
On Second Thought
This one goes to “(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thing” from Heaven 17, another 80's compilation track I know, that I would typically skip, but this sat well with me with a very nice musical synths background and new wave sound. I am still not a fan of She Blinded Me With Science and likely never will be.
 
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threespires said:
That's not the first time I've heard that but I didn't know that was the proposed song. It would have been entirely in keeping with rest of the album. Though given how mild mannered Martyn Ware and Ian Craig Marsh have always struck me I suspect they dodged a bullet there!
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Martyn, although a lovely man, would have matched him. He's very forthright when he needs to be. Ian would have folded though.
 
Black&White&BlueMoon Town said:
The History of Rock & Roll - 1981
Don't let it kill you baby, don't let it get to you
I'll be your bleedin' heart, I'll be your cryin' fool
Don't let this go too far, don't let it get to you

One of my favourite parts of an @OB1 year is now most of our songs are lining up and he's hitting most of the songs I was listening to at the time, despite our age difference. I first must say I thoroughly enjoyed his "roadie trip across the USA", and I can only think back to my meager life of school and being a paperboy at that time, reading the newspaper each afternoon before I delivered them, most likely coming across tours and events he was partaking in. Ah, the life!!

Of the ones listed in the original 10, a whopping 5 were top of my list of great songs and albums that year, so in this order, I'll second their inclusion:
  1. “Red Barchetta” - Rush, I just love the bass on this song. Two consecutive top favourite albums from this band including the prior one, and they would be a Top 5 throughout the 80's for me
  2. "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" - The Police, might be my favourite album from them and is seldom mentioned as their best, but I love this song and others (A great first girlfriend song)
  3. "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around" - Stevie Nicks, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, it was hard to beat a Stevie Nicks duet in the 80's, and this one started it all. Lyric delivery of the song courtesy of TP: I know you really want to tell me goodbye, I know you really want to be your own girl (A very ominous first girlfriend song)
  4. "Unchained" - Van Halen, from their heaviest album, and one I enjoyed immensely at the time. Very underrated overall from looking back on the DLR period. Others in a few years would sell more, but this one beats that one for me.
  5. "Flying High Again" - Ozzy Osbourne, it was hard to miss Ozzy's second album that year, and thanks to my best friend into harder music than me, I was on board the Crazy Train by then too.
The Big Winner
“Harden My Heart” – Quarterflash, I've already posted on how much I loved this song, and nothing I heard from the list, even what I nominated, beats how I feel about this song. The sax, the vocals, it was just something I loved the first time I heard it. Interesting low budget video too, but most made back then during the early days of MTV were like that.

Top Songs I Knew Quite Well (and yes, I know some are from the Coda)
  1. "Let's Groove" - Earth, Wind & Fire, loved those horns and another skating rink classic
  2. "The Waiting" - Tom Petty, was the hardest part on some hard promises from a woman in love...
  3. "Destroyer" - The Kinks, led me to explore much of their back catalogue at the time
  4. "Just Between You and Me" - April Wine, a great year of output from Canadian bands indeed
  5. "Since You're Gone" - The Cars, another favourite band from that year, never could deliver live
  6. "Vienna" - Ultravox, still a haunting song with the organ and piano
  7. "Jole Blon" - Gary US Bonds, if you are going to have Bruce guest vocal, always a good idea to give him the "sha la la" chorus
Still a nod to Tommy Tutone, who suffered badly from both radio overplay and the lack of an area code.

Top New Songs
  1. "Frame By Frame" - King Crimson, given the lineup of this band, an album I should probably take in
  2. "Sketch For Summer" - The Durutti Column, fantastic instrumental chill song made in Manchester
  3. "Seven Year Ache" - Roseanne Cash, a fantastic song from MCD that I don't remember, so now I think I need to go back to hear more of RC's back catalogue
  4. "Canton" - Japan, led by the drums, a final output from this new wave English band I should also check out more
  5. "Primary" - The Cure, not familiar with their early 80's output, but enjoyed this new wave track
  6. "Like Leila Khaled Said" - The Teardrop Express, hmm, I'm sensing both a theme and locale on these songs I didn't know...
  7. "Ceremony (Version 1)" - New Order, another band just not on my music radar at the time and not heard on US FM radio
  8. "I'll Find My Way Home" - Jon & Vangelis, often read about, just not as much heard on this successful collaboration over the years
  9. "Friday Night, Saturday Morning" - The Specials, a nice humorous ska song and sound from the land of the Binley Mega Chippy
  10. "Georgia" - OMD, I did mention prior that I didn't hear as much of this band until mid-80s...
On Second Thought
This one goes to “(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thing” from Heaven 17, another 80's compilation track I know, that I would typically skip, but this sat well with me with a very nice musical synths background and new wave sound. I am still not a fan of She Blinded Me With Science and likely never will be.
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That's OK. She Blinded wasn't a hit over here, got to number 49 in the charts, Hyperactive knocked it out of the park chart wise.

Dolby's first album, The Golden Age Of The Wireless, is up in '82 and I'm surely going to mention it.
 
Black&White&BlueMoon Town said:
"Flying High Again" - Ozzy Osbourne, it was hard to miss Ozzy's second album that year, and thanks to my best friend into harder music than me, I was on board the Crazy Train by then too.
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Just watched the BBC doc on Ozzy and Sharon tonight. It was very poignant, nicely made and my god, what a life he lead and how influential was he and Sabbath. RIP Ozzy.
 
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