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Ah, sweet memories. Yesterday’s post made me think that I should do a 20 Questions revolving around 80’s music. I love me some 80’s music, but who doesn’t like 80’s music. Anyway… Thanks this week to Lsig, JW, ACW, Lord Pithy, and Wifey for questions today.
On to the questions!
1 Two bands enter, one band leaves...who've you got in a Bangles vs. The Go-Gos cage match?
Go-Gos all the way. The Bangles were never a punk band. ‘Nuff said…. Although, I am pretty sure that Joan Jett could have taken out all 9 of them single handedly (and by that I mean with one hand tied behind her back). She is some ass bad stuff!
2 Was Bon Jovi's "Slippery When Wet" album really as good as I remember it being?
No, no it was not. I never understood the mass appeal of this album or of the band. They were okay, but never that good.
3 Does anyone rival Lionel Richie as the preeminent baladeer of the 80s?
I don’t think so, but Mr. Richie is not someone that I am abundantly knowledgeable about so I will turn this question over to Wifey for final answer. Wifey?
That’s an interesting question. I will firstly admit my bias in that I am a huge Lionel Richie fan; therefore, my stance is that no one ever, in the history of the world is as good at balladeering as Mr. Richie.
That being said, Kenny Rogers did give him a run for his money. If you’ll recall , Lionel wrote Kenny’s big hit, “Lady” and they went on to collaborate a bit.
So in fact, Lionel was responsible for Kenny’s success as a soft sounds crooner, thereby remaining the penultimate love song maverick of the decade.
Thank you, Wifey.
4 The 80s was the era of Michael Jackson as an actual pop musician. What the heck happened?
The whole of the Jackson family is damaged goods. Many people forget that Latoya is also part of the fam. Who knew that MJ was destined to go nuts? I certainly didn’t.
5 So, Madonna. What accounts for her transformation from 80s pop-tart to enduring musical icon? Why her and not...a dozen other chicks from back then?
Madonna, above all else, is a brilliant business person/marketer. She was able to capitalize on trends and re-invent herself in the most opportune moments. She was able to take the slightly passé trends of the avant guard and turn them into pop culture trends for the masses (Like Vogue). Other female musicians of the era, were not as savvy as Madonna and relied almost solely on their musical talents. Many of them still have quite a following and many of them are still producing very high quality music, but none of them became as iconic.
6 Did video REALLY kill the radio star?
Sadly, yes, the Buggles were on to something. Radio was always the medium for talent. It did not matter what that talent looked like. Even today, many a DJ is not a pretty face. Videos almost required the talent to look good too. There are boat lodes of not pretty talented people out there who just aren’t pretty. They will be relegated to the land of “studio singers.”
7 Who's hotter? the go-go's Belinda Carlisle, or the Bangles' Susanna Hoffs?
I am a Belinda fan although Hoffs ain’t no slouch.
8 Who was your favorite "Big Hair Metal" band? (Not that it makes any difference, cuz RATT was the GREATEST!!!)
I could go Round and Round about this all day with many different people. I am going to go with Anthrax.
9 How on earth did Menudo warrant their television program's airing here in the states?
I don’t know. I could see their show making it here today because there is more recognition amongst the TV scheduling people that there is more than a white demographic, but in the 80’s , I just don’t get it.
10 Where is Thomas Dolby?
Looking at his site? I would say California.
11 Why are the 80's the decade of the greatest music known to man?
This is a question that I often ask myself when I can’t sleep. What people think of when they think of 80’s music is the fun associated with that music. People also only remember the good music from the 80’s as well. There was some crap made in the 80’s, but nostalgia stations don’t play that crap.
12 What happened to Tawny Kitaen? She had sooo much promise (especially as the Future Mrs ACW)?
She’s in rehab…
13 Besides Men at Work - what other group are you embarrassed to have enjoyed? Loverboy? Duran Duran? Wham!? Missing Persons? Bow Wow Wow? Dio? Judas Priest? Cyndi Lauper? Christopher Cross? Flock of Seagulls? Human League? Cars? J. Geils Band? White Snake? White Lion? Great White? OMD? The Smiths? Husker Du?...
I think I have to go with Billy Idol. I love me some Vital Idol!
14 Do you have fond memories of going to the corner music store, browsing the rows upon rows of album, looking for the special import (you know the one with the colored vinyl)? Ah, Heaven...
I remember going to Turtles Records and Tapes with my brother while my mom did some at the Woolco and leafing through the 45’s. The first 45 he bought with his own money was Queen’s Another one Bites the Dust. We listened to that song over and over and over again. Good times indeed.
15 Describe the setting (where you were, who you were with, how many law enforcement officers were curently looking for you), the first time you heard "It's Raining Men."
I was sitting in a car with my brother, my uncle and 2 dozen puppies. We had just killed a snoring security guard so the puppies could have something to eat. It was a seven state manhunt involving the FBI, Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, and Connecticut.
16 Tiiiiiiiiiiiiin roof?
Rusted
17 Aside from Swing, has there ever been a decade of happier music than the 80s?
I really don’t think so.
18 Describe your ideal 80s cover. (For instance, Anna Nicole singing "Take On Me.")
Hmmmm… I would love to hear the Cure’s Killing an Arab done by the newly re-united Rage Against the Machine. It is a political enough song that it could be in the realm of possibility. The absolutely ludicrous cover would be RATM covering the B-52’s Rock Lobster. Can you imagine Zach de la Rocha belting out:
Oh that is the stuff dreams are made of.
19 Who was hotter and wore trash better: Pat Benatar in "We Are Young" or Cyndi Lauper in "Girls Just Want to Have Fun"?
Benatar wore it better, because that was not her “typical” look.
20. Did anyone every actually “park on the dance floor” or was Midnight Star simply making a pre-emptive public service announcement?
I believe, as this picture illustrates, someone, indeed, did park on the dance floor. Oddly enough, if my eyes do not decieve me, it was Midnight Star.
To recap:
I am jonesing for some 80’s music now
What’s you favorite color, baby?
Living Colour!
Bangkok, Oriental setting
And the city don't know what the city is getting
The crème de la crème of the chess world in a
Show with everything but Yul Brynner
Anything U2
Actually, RATM covering some U2 would be nice as well
I have Johnny Cash’s version of U2’s One, that is a pretty good cover too
Johnny Cash would not be good at a Cover 2 though
That’s a zone defense for American football, and well, Johnny Cash is dead
On to the questions!
1 Two bands enter, one band leaves...who've you got in a Bangles vs. The Go-Gos cage match?
Go-Gos all the way. The Bangles were never a punk band. ‘Nuff said…. Although, I am pretty sure that Joan Jett could have taken out all 9 of them single handedly (and by that I mean with one hand tied behind her back). She is some ass bad stuff!
2 Was Bon Jovi's "Slippery When Wet" album really as good as I remember it being?
No, no it was not. I never understood the mass appeal of this album or of the band. They were okay, but never that good.
3 Does anyone rival Lionel Richie as the preeminent baladeer of the 80s?
I don’t think so, but Mr. Richie is not someone that I am abundantly knowledgeable about so I will turn this question over to Wifey for final answer. Wifey?
That’s an interesting question. I will firstly admit my bias in that I am a huge Lionel Richie fan; therefore, my stance is that no one ever, in the history of the world is as good at balladeering as Mr. Richie.
That being said, Kenny Rogers did give him a run for his money. If you’ll recall , Lionel wrote Kenny’s big hit, “Lady” and they went on to collaborate a bit.
So in fact, Lionel was responsible for Kenny’s success as a soft sounds crooner, thereby remaining the penultimate love song maverick of the decade.
Thank you, Wifey.
4 The 80s was the era of Michael Jackson as an actual pop musician. What the heck happened?
The whole of the Jackson family is damaged goods. Many people forget that Latoya is also part of the fam. Who knew that MJ was destined to go nuts? I certainly didn’t.
5 So, Madonna. What accounts for her transformation from 80s pop-tart to enduring musical icon? Why her and not...a dozen other chicks from back then?
Madonna, above all else, is a brilliant business person/marketer. She was able to capitalize on trends and re-invent herself in the most opportune moments. She was able to take the slightly passé trends of the avant guard and turn them into pop culture trends for the masses (Like Vogue). Other female musicians of the era, were not as savvy as Madonna and relied almost solely on their musical talents. Many of them still have quite a following and many of them are still producing very high quality music, but none of them became as iconic.
6 Did video REALLY kill the radio star?
Sadly, yes, the Buggles were on to something. Radio was always the medium for talent. It did not matter what that talent looked like. Even today, many a DJ is not a pretty face. Videos almost required the talent to look good too. There are boat lodes of not pretty talented people out there who just aren’t pretty. They will be relegated to the land of “studio singers.”
7 Who's hotter? the go-go's Belinda Carlisle, or the Bangles' Susanna Hoffs?
I am a Belinda fan although Hoffs ain’t no slouch.
8 Who was your favorite "Big Hair Metal" band? (Not that it makes any difference, cuz RATT was the GREATEST!!!)
I could go Round and Round about this all day with many different people. I am going to go with Anthrax.
9 How on earth did Menudo warrant their television program's airing here in the states?
I don’t know. I could see their show making it here today because there is more recognition amongst the TV scheduling people that there is more than a white demographic, but in the 80’s , I just don’t get it.
10 Where is Thomas Dolby?
Looking at his site? I would say California.
11 Why are the 80's the decade of the greatest music known to man?
This is a question that I often ask myself when I can’t sleep. What people think of when they think of 80’s music is the fun associated with that music. People also only remember the good music from the 80’s as well. There was some crap made in the 80’s, but nostalgia stations don’t play that crap.
12 What happened to Tawny Kitaen? She had sooo much promise (especially as the Future Mrs ACW)?
She’s in rehab…
13 Besides Men at Work - what other group are you embarrassed to have enjoyed? Loverboy? Duran Duran? Wham!? Missing Persons? Bow Wow Wow? Dio? Judas Priest? Cyndi Lauper? Christopher Cross? Flock of Seagulls? Human League? Cars? J. Geils Band? White Snake? White Lion? Great White? OMD? The Smiths? Husker Du?...
I think I have to go with Billy Idol. I love me some Vital Idol!
14 Do you have fond memories of going to the corner music store, browsing the rows upon rows of album, looking for the special import (you know the one with the colored vinyl)? Ah, Heaven...
I remember going to Turtles Records and Tapes with my brother while my mom did some at the Woolco and leafing through the 45’s. The first 45 he bought with his own money was Queen’s Another one Bites the Dust. We listened to that song over and over and over again. Good times indeed.
15 Describe the setting (where you were, who you were with, how many law enforcement officers were curently looking for you), the first time you heard "It's Raining Men."
I was sitting in a car with my brother, my uncle and 2 dozen puppies. We had just killed a snoring security guard so the puppies could have something to eat. It was a seven state manhunt involving the FBI, Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, and Connecticut.
16 Tiiiiiiiiiiiiin roof?
Rusted
17 Aside from Swing, has there ever been a decade of happier music than the 80s?
I really don’t think so.
18 Describe your ideal 80s cover. (For instance, Anna Nicole singing "Take On Me.")
Hmmmm… I would love to hear the Cure’s Killing an Arab done by the newly re-united Rage Against the Machine. It is a political enough song that it could be in the realm of possibility. The absolutely ludicrous cover would be RATM covering the B-52’s Rock Lobster. Can you imagine Zach de la Rocha belting out:
We were at the beach
Everybody had matching towels
Somebody went under a dock
And there they saw a rock
It wasn't a rock
It was a rock lobster
Oh that is the stuff dreams are made of.
19 Who was hotter and wore trash better: Pat Benatar in "We Are Young" or Cyndi Lauper in "Girls Just Want to Have Fun"?
Benatar wore it better, because that was not her “typical” look.
20. Did anyone every actually “park on the dance floor” or was Midnight Star simply making a pre-emptive public service announcement?
I believe, as this picture illustrates, someone, indeed, did park on the dance floor. Oddly enough, if my eyes do not decieve me, it was Midnight Star.
To recap:
I am jonesing for some 80’s music now
What’s you favorite color, baby?
Living Colour!
Bangkok, Oriental setting
And the city don't know what the city is getting
The crème de la crème of the chess world in a
Show with everything but Yul Brynner
Anything U2
Actually, RATM covering some U2 would be nice as well
I have Johnny Cash’s version of U2’s One, that is a pretty good cover too
Johnny Cash would not be good at a Cover 2 though
That’s a zone defense for American football, and well, Johnny Cash is dead
Labels: 20 Questions
5 Comments:
I like the selection of favorite metal band. As I recall when I started listening to metal theirs was one of the first cd's I bought. But, I have to say the best metal from the 80's was Metallica. And yes, Joan Jett would destroy any of the other 80's women, and some of the men.
Der Kiesel:
I thought Metallica made their music needlessly complex in the 80's. They were alway trying to prove that they were "real" musicians and not just "heavy metal." When they stopped worrying about how they would fit within the metal community or within the music industry at large is when they became more popular. It started with One and continued with their black album.
Joan Jett really is kick ass.
Thomas Dolbey was a great concert I saw last year at the hOuse of Blues... I think he is even better than before. Quite edgey..
Tawny Kitaen owns a store down the street from my house here in the county of oranges.... she looks worse for the wear..
Colin Haye lead singer of Men at Work has had great success since the bands heyday and still tours. Actually saw him tour WITH Thomas Dolby, one of the best shows I have ever been to. Highly recommend you seek out his stuff.
Aint NOTHIN' like a reference to One Night in Bangkok... I guess I should see the play to really understand the song.
"There are boat lodes of not pretty talented people out there who just aren’t pretty."
Touche'.
I just saw "The Pick of Destiny" with Jack Black and Kyle Gass. Oh man.
Atmikha
Anna:
Dolby and Haye in one concert? Add Murray Haed and one would be in Nirvana... not the band Nirvana though.
Atmikha:
It was a little redundant of a sentence, even if it was mildly repetitive.
Also, I am not sure anyone should admit to seeing "Pick of Destiny"
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