Tears for Fears straddle that line of 80s band and band I like. Both are and can be true at the same time, but I guess what I’m trying to say is they had more songs that I liked than just one or two which applies more to other 80s artists I’ll post.
Not their biggest hit perhaps, but still a memorable single. Watching the video, hearing the track and thinking of how big they felt back in the day is sort of at odds with the small studio they recorded at. We drove by it in England back in the day as the coach driver pointed it out and it was in the middle of nowhere.
I’m cheating since my internet was down last night and I missed a day. Similar to Tears for Fears , Hall & Oates have their fair share of good tracks. Indeed, they are the most successful duet in history with regards to #1s or something like that. Much to my surprise, even surpassing second place favorites of mine The Everly Brothers. And while I didn’t really like them back in the day, I like plenty of their tracks now and appreciate their legacy. This one is a big more 80s and somewhat different than their sound if you ask me. Great track though.
This one is totally 80s even though the “sound” if you will isn’t entirely. I like some dancehall, reggae, etc and while a purist probably wouldn’t cite this one, I love it. I knew it and loved it in the 80s, but had a comeback with it in the 90s. A good friend of mine in High School introduced it at a party in the early 90s and it played at the party all night.
Duran Duran is another band that for me goes beyond the 80s with arguably their best work coming from the 90s. That said, they are prime 80s for me and Hungry Like The Wolf feels more 1985 than 1982 for me. Either way, the band, their look, the sound and even the video are just peak 80s.
Last track for 80s week and I’ll go with Simple Minds’ “Don’t You Forget About Me”. Arguably the seminal track of the 80s, it also featured at the end of the one the decade’s best films The Breakfast Club.
Probably not the song you’d expect to follow up a week of 80s music, but this track for all intents and purposes followed up the 80s. Not muy favorite by the band, but I still definitely like and the band. I was in High School when it came out. I picked up the album right away even though nobody else seemed to be listening to it straight away. My friends had me turned on to Classic Rock, so I didn’t listen to it so much in the moment even though I liked it. Anyway, the sound and the video speak volumes ushering in the 90s after what the 80s were.
Los Kjarkas is a Bolivian band from Capinota, Cochabamba. It is one of the most popular Andean folk music bands in the country’s history. Among the styles they play are saya, caporal, tuntuna, huayno, and carnavales. The instruments the band uses include the charango, quena, zampoña, ronroco, guitar, and bombo.
I’ve been thinking of some anti-war anthems lately and then tonight I watched Spike Lee’s Da Five Bloods and this song came on. It was big back during the Vietnam, just one of many US military actions that led to no good. Not sure what they originally intended for the track, but I suspect it because something else and is one of many great songs to come from that era. Anyway, too much bad shit in this World that maybe it is indeed time for the reign of man to come to an end.
I recently rewatched T2: Trainspotting as I believe it goes by, or the decades later sequel to Trainspotting. Good film and while I think some works should just be left alone (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood for example, but I’ll reserve judgement and either way that will stand on it’s own), this was a fine “conclusion”.
Trainspotting was never my favorite film, quite frankly too gritty for me to “love” it, but it was quite good and I have a copy of it. The soundtrack for it was quite big back when the film came out such that they did a second soundtrack that had tracks that weren’t even in the film.
I’ll cheat today and do a “two for Tuesday” both from Trainspotting. First is probably really predictable, but I’ll go with Iggy Pop’s “Lust for Life”. I’ll put the opening sequence of the film in it and then the track. Wouldn’t say I have a “lust for life” right now, but I’m not one who ever gets depressed and generally have a glass half full mindset. This song definitely can get me up though.
I need to explore more of Iggy and The Stooges. I’ll just add that I saw an interview with him years ago where he said he saw The Doors live and how big an influence Jim Morrison was. Different sound, but you can see some of the influence in him as a performer if you ask me.
Moving on to another track that is in some ways quite opposite. So imperfect it might just be perfect? Lou Reed’s “Perfect Day”.
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