Thursday, June 6, 2002 -- 09:57 p.m.

QCPM: 1980 - I Don't Wanna Live Forever
What you are about to witness is an experiment. Since I had a confusing and disorienting week involving job weirdness and other things, I decided to cut a few corners and kill two birds with one stone or something to that effect and bring Jody Beth Rosen along for the QCPM ride in a magical mystical futuristic spaceship called AOL IM. As it turns out in a situation like this, she is the "insightful and analytic" type and I am the "goofy, throw ideas at the wall and see what sticks" type. For a really long article we don't go too academic or "deep" or "profound" but what the hell, it's fun. Anyhow: Let's Rokk.

AC/DC, "Hell's Bells"
jbr: all righty...
natepatrin: It's pretty interesting how they managed to find a new lead singer, record and release a blockbuster album the same year their original one died
jbr: i don't have much to say about this song other than that it rawks and that the guitar riff is a rip off of cheap trick's "high roller" (from HEAVEN TONIGHT)
jbr: "jump in my love car..." (that one)
natepatrin: It seems pretty dirge-like when you compare it against your typical AC/DC song
natepatrin: I think it's some sort of "in mourning" thing, even though the lyrics are typical "we ROKK" stuff
jbr: maybe it's them spreading their wings a little and embracing doom-metal in addition to party-metal
natepatrin: It sounds kind of like Alice Cooper, actually
jbr: maybe the BILLION DOLLAR BABIES Alice
jbr: the weird guitar chordings and the implied "dry ice" in the sound
natepatrin: Which brings up the "is AC/DC the lost connection between '70s glam rock swagger and heavy metal thump" question
jbr: i thought gary glitter was!
natepatrin: I thought Poison were, ha ha
jbr: ha ha
jbr: there's plenty of connection between glam rock swagger and heavy metal thundah
jbr: the sweet
jbr: gary glitter
natepatrin: Indeedy
natepatrin: T. Rex maybe
jbr: i was just gonna say
jbr: but bolan was too effeminate
natepatrin: And Robert Plant...?
jbr: plant, glam? i don't see it.
natepatrin: Well, he is effeminate to a point
jbr: he has long hair.
natepatrin: Back on topic: Is it bad taste to include the line "you're only young but you're gonna die" in a situation like this?
jbr: what's bad taste?
jbr: it's rock and roll, and anything's fair game
natepatrin: Well Brian Johnson replacing only-young-and-he-did-die Bon Scott
jbr: well, yes, but i don't think that's tasteless
natepatrin: and then singing that lyric... seems kinda weird
jbr: it's probably some sort of backhanded tribute
natepatrin: Yeah. "Oi Bon, you're in a bad place now but you can tear shit up there all y'like"
natepatrin: Or somesuch
jbr: something like that!
natepatrin: Speaking of hell:
Ozzy Osbourne, "Crazy Train"
jbr: the prince of fookin darkness goes off the rails on a train ride through paranoia and bad craziness
natepatrin: That crazy MTV making Ozzy the biggest rock superstar in America again
jbr: these days he just sits before the mtv cameras whith a bemused smirk
jbr: more spazzed out by senility and defeatism
natepatrin: He doesn't even have to record albums or anything, just yell for his wife
jbr: but maybe "crazy train"'s pop-metal hooks were early warnings of that
jbr: how can a song be so badass and so poppy at the same time?
natepatrin: Maybe. You think in 1972 people would've imagined Ozzy singing "maybe it's not too late/to learn how to love and forget how to hate"?
jbr: forget about that... could they imagine him duetting with lita ford on "close my eyes forever"?
natepatrin: Ha
jbr: "mama i'm comin' hooooome"
natepatrin: The '80s were a mighty weird decade for 'im, weren't they?
jbr: the prince of fookin' hair gel
jbr: the late '80s moreso than the "crazy train" era
jbr: many career artists went through that, though
jbr: they sort of all hit bottom around then
natepatrin: What gets me about this song is the contrast between the "YOUR IMMINENT DOOM IS APPROACHING" intro and the really jaunty riffs that follow
jbr: i thought the same thing.... it really sounds like bowling-alley rock, like something you'd play skee-ball to
natepatrin: Kind of VH-ish
jbr: yeah
jbr: and the lyrics are so fucked up: "mental wounds not healing"
natepatrin: I can't understand half the lyrics actually
jbr: but VH, yeah... put DLR on the vocals, change the lyrics to explicit sex references, and there ya go
natepatrin: I'm going off the rails on a pooty train
jbr: pootie tang
Motorhead, "Ace of Spades"
natepatrin: Which may I add was the song performed during my favorite "Young Ones" episode ever
jbr: as spastic and brain-damaged as ozzy is, lemmy will never back down from his own gale force
natepatrin: I heard somewhere that if Lemmy stops taking speed, he will die
jbr: he's tough, smart, and has a liver of cast iron
jbr: he'll NEVER die
natepatrin: But he doesn't wanna live forever
natepatrin: That's the catch
jbr: gambling's for fools!
jbr: what do you think the "ace of spades" signifies?
jbr: it's the only card he needs
natepatrin: It's the coolest-looking card in the deck?
natepatrin: I dunno
natepatrin: Would this song be as cool if it were the Jack of Clubs?
jbr: HAHAHA
jbr: the two of hearts? i foresee a duet with stacy q
natepatrin: This song was actually used as the title song in Zombie Nightmare which was on MST3K
jbr: i think "ace of spades" is a paean to a simple, ascetic, punk-rock kinda life
jbr: everyone around him is so opportunistic and greedy, and he just plays his cards close to the vest and knows how not to get screwed
natepatrin: It's also probably a paean to going total batshit and not bothering to sleep and fucking around even if it means you run the risk of dying horribly (or causing others to die horribly)
natepatrin: "Gambling's for fools/but that's the way I like it baby..."
jbr: "you win some/ lose some/ it's all the same to me" (i think that's right)
natepatrin: Something to that effect, yeah
natepatrin: It's basically about chance and spontanaeity and going with what you're dealt
jbr: he likes to gamble, and knows life's not really that important... but he's not an idiot either
natepatrin: It's also about having THE BESTEST BASS EVER
jbr: fukk yes
natepatrin: When your bass sounds more thunderous than most bands' guitars you're doing something right
jbr: "and don't forget the joker" -- the wild card -- the monkeywrench that always gets thrown into the things you think are totally sealed by fate
X, "Los Angeles"
jbr: "los angeles" is one of the best boy-girl tradeoffs in rock history... there's no romantic preening here, it's simply a pair of enharmonic pitchforks chiming out against each other
natepatrin: I was originally going to use "Nausea" but there were space constraints
jbr: and those billy zoom riffs straight out of the chuck berry songbook
natepatrin: You can imagine Thurston and Kim studying the vocals religiously and muttering "damn, we gotta learn how to do this shit"
jbr: kim doesn't have one third the vocal range exene does
natepatrin: Yeah, she mostly does that "yeah I'm cool" voice
jbr: and kim's singing is very one-dimensional: it's all white-girl sex with her
jbr: some art-school post-rock sex fantasy
natepatrin: Exene can sound like that, or she can sound like she's completely losing it, or like she's going to go nuts and attack you with a straight razor
jbr: and what about john doe's voice?
jbr: it's caustic but it's not gritty
natepatrin: Actually it's better than Thurston's a'la Exene's over Kim's
natepatrin: He sounds at points (especially in the beginning) like he's on the verge of crooning
jbr: he hits all the right emotions without traveling too far outside of the overall dynamic
jbr: sometimes his voice bends up to the note he's holding... that's gorgeous
jbr: bends up, bends down
jbr: cracks a little
jbr: or he'll get breathy on one particular note, and then that moment'll be gone
jbr: maybe it's calculated, maybe it's not. it feels very real.
natepatrin: It makes everything around it sound like it's changing with his voice, even if it's not
jbr: all the instruments and the two lead vocals are feeding off each other
jbr: the drums are the punkest part
jbr: they make everything sound more punk by association
natepatrin: It's sort of a West Coast answer to a few of the songs on the Ramones' first album
natepatrin: Has sort of a "Beat On The Brat" staccato thing to it
jbr: you know, i never associated X and the Ramones, but i've heard that analogy before... someone was listening to the LOS ANGELES LP and saying "Like the Ramones, but not as good."
natepatrin: "but not as good"?
natepatrin: Er
jbr: i disagree there
jbr: i can't compare 'em
natepatrin: Here's what gets me: the Doors influence (supposedly)
jbr: ray manzarek produced the record
jbr: and played organ on it
jbr: it makes sense... two los angeleno bands whose lyrics focus on the darker side of sex and dying in high society
jbr: the mixture of poetry, evil, and american folklore
natepatrin: Oliver Stone shoulda done a movie about them instead
jbr: yeah!!
natepatrin: Or at least the Repo Man soundtrack should've included an X song
jbr: and X could be very sexual without being so cheesily overt about it (pulling down their pants)
jbr: that would have been cool
natepatrin: They embody a lot of what that film was like- the general atmosphere
jbr: i've run out of things to say about X
natepatrin: (I didn't have a ton of things to say in the first place)
U2, "I Will Follow"
jbr: i never cared for U2 as an album band. they've got about a half-dozen singles i like, and a couple i love. "i will follow" isn't one of those, but it's not bad.
jbr: u2 were a watered-down echo and the bunnymen, or a very simplistic version of the clash
jbr: a disneyland version of the clash
natepatrin: More like Six Flags
jbr: and the riff to this song owes a lot to "public image"
jbr: other than that, i have no more to say on the issue
natepatrin: Yeah, really stripped-down vaugely Krautrocky
jbr: ehhhh
jbr: i don't quite hear krautrock
natepatrin: Well by proxy at least (since PiL had that influence)
jbr: PiL had the Neu! influence, but they also had heavy dub influence
natepatrin: This also sounds sort of like Wire's "The 15th" on 45 and backwards
jbr: heh
jbr: good call on Wire
natepatrin: What the hell's up with all the bottle-kicking noises halfway through?
natepatrin: OH NO BROKEN GLASS BONO IS DANGEROUS
jbr: the question remains: were U2 hip enough to be into these bands back then? they started out as a christian rock act.
jbr: bono is as dangerous as michael jackson
natepatrin: They had Christian Rock back then?
jbr: they had CHRISTIANS?
natepatrin: Ha
natepatrin: Yes, the Doobie Brothers sang "Jesus Is Just All Right With me"
natepatrin: This song tricks you into thinking the percussion is more complex than it really is
jbr: the, uh, velvet underground had a song or two about jesus
jbr: there's not much that's complex about this song
natepatrin: Nah, it's just that there's a lot of things going on at the same time and some of them are very repetitive which can lead to disorientation
jbr: the parts themselves are simple... put together they sound complicated because there's so much to listen to
natepatrin: Like how the guitar plays against the little tinkly... uh, what is that, a triangle? Chimes?
jbr: triangle? those BAND GEEKS!
natepatrin: Bottles? (Maybe they knocked them over in the studio)
natepatrin: (After heavily drinking their contents)
jbr: those nutty irishmen!
natepatrin: And their Homer-pummeling ways
Soft Boys, "I Wanna Destroy You"
jbr: what totally knocks me out about "i wanna destroy you" is how dylanesque the whole thing is in lyric, melody, and cadence
natepatrin: YES
natepatrin: I can completely imagine him singing this
jbr: "a pox upon the media and everything you read / they tell you your opinions and they're very good indeed"
jbr: it's funny to hear these nihilistic lyrics coming out of robyn hitchcock's mouth
jbr: he can be pretty cynical sometimes, but he's not mr. "destroy everything"
natepatrin: The way he sings "you're just dyin' to get killed" is WAY Dylan.
natepatrin: Maybe this was sort of a joke
jbr: i'd love to hear an alternate take
jbr: to see if i'm right
natepatrin: Like a satire of punk
jbr: every punk cover i've heard of this has been a complete rave-up
jbr: the folk influence ignored entirely
natepatrin: Yeah, there is a similarity (forgive me) with the Byrds to an extent
jbr: another robyn hitchcock song this sounds like: "the man who invented himself"
natepatrin: All the guitar noise
jbr: hmm, i can see that
jbr: taking acoustic folk and giving it a blast of feedback
natepatrin: Or even Buffalo Springfield (a'la "Mr. Soul")
jbr: yes
jbr: although i'm not that conversant about buff springfield
natepatrin: This is like malevolent '60s folk-rock-pop, pretty much
natepatrin: With the harmonies and the aforementioned guitar sound/Dylan influence
jbr: malevolent with a social conscience.
jbr: like dylan's "masters of war"
natepatrin: "And you won't have a single atom left to call your own"
natepatrin: Yes
jbr: "i hope that you die and your death will come soon/i will follow your casket/in the pale afternoon"
natepatrin: Exactly
jbr: that song gives me chills. it's from 1963. you wouldn't think pop music from that time could be so mean.
natepatrin: Well considering what was going on back then maybe it had to
jbr: on the other hand, 19th century opera was just as mean... but it was in a foreign language, so it didn't count
natepatrin: Heh
natepatrin: Wagner was a straight-up thug
natepatrin: Bling Bling of the Nibelung
jbr: dylan was the only one who had the cojones to sing anything like "masters of war"
jbr: haha
jbr: he was geto
jbr: also sprach biggie.
Visage, "Malpaso Man"
natepatrin: This shit is weird
natepatrin: This features Midge Ure who went on to more or less take over Ultravox a little while later
natepatrin: And it's crazy how they get their synthesizer sounds to turn out vaguely Dick Dale-ish
jbr: yes. midge ure did some crazy shit before he went soft later in the '80s
natepatrin: This is like a twisted version of Mexi-cali pop
jbr: this is euro-fruit disco-rock... the sort of song that would prove influential to garbage like ST. ELMO'S FIRE later on in the decade
jbr: very synthy and pompous
natepatrin: But I like the guitar
jbr: gary numan sans the introspection and whining
jbr: i like it too
natepatrin: The lyrics are... there
jbr: actually, it reminds me of sparks
jbr: that album they did produced by giorgio moroder
jbr: kinda tongue-in-cheek, but legitimately danceable
natepatrin: The percussion in this is totally bonkers- it's simultaneously dancefloor-oriented and crammed with all these weird drum rolls and shit
natepatrin: Like Disco Keith Moon
jbr: it's the percussion on this track that really keeps it interesting, and moving forward
jbr: midge ure had another great song around this time... a duet with phil lynott of thin lizzy... synths and vocoders and cryptic lyrics... it was called "yellow pearl"
natepatrin: Vocoders!
natepatrin: That's what this song needs.
natepatrin: The synths don't add much to this, actually. They sound a little reedy.
jbr: yellow pearl's chorus goes "attack... attack... attack... that's what we LIKE"
natepatrin: OH YEAH
jbr: you take any early '80s synth work for granted
jbr: because you expect it
natepatrin: Well in this case some of them sound a bit weak (at least compared to what else is going on)
jbr: i didn't pick that up, but i can see what you mean
natepatrin: Though maybe that's the point
Suicide, "Diamonds, Fur Coat, Champagne"
jbr: suicide weren't quite as influential as critics insist
natepatrin: Lazy Critical Analogy: Punk Kraftwerk
jbr: and they weren't that great (although this song is pretty good)
jbr: much of their musical success is in their studio work, because they were geeks who couldn't play very well live
natepatrin: I don't think they could be influential since Kraftwerk were already influencing people before and after Suicide
natepatrin: Didn't Ocasek produce this?
jbr: suicide were generally considered an early precursor to better no-wave acts like DNA and Tuxedomoon
jbr: it sounds similar to kraftwerk, but it also has a heavy velvet underground vibe
jbr: and the velvets were doing this shit in the MID '60s without the synths
natepatrin: I really like this song, though I wouldn't be surprised if this quality was atypical
natepatrin: It sounds like Droog Lou Reed
natepatrin: Satellite of Ultraviolence
jbr: hahaha
jbr: lou reed could beat these cats up with both hands tied behind his back!
jbr: he could head-butt them!
natepatrin: He'd shoot lasers out of his magic aviator shades
jbr: this music is ALL John Cale
jbr: that's all it is
jbr: but suicide did do one thing...
jbr: they were among the couple of bands that got the '70s new york punk scene a bad reputation for being too academic and frou-frou
jbr: cuz they hung out with jean michel basquiat and shit
natepatrin: I feel like I should be in a dark room lit only by neon seeping through the shadows of venetian blinds while listening to this
jbr: that sounds like an REO Speedwagon album cover
natepatrin: I was thinking more a Vangelis Blade Runner thing but hey
jbr: hey, why not?
natepatrin: This is what those pedestrians in mohawks and funny glasses were listening to on their Walkmen as Deckard ran past 'em
jbr: if only Suicide were as good as Vangelis' early psych band, Aphrodite's Child
Devo, "Girl U Want"
jbr: i could talk about devo for HOURS
natepatrin: Uhoh
jbr: what i love about "girl u want" is how it melds the cerebral and the downright FILTHY
natepatrin: YES
jbr: the funky and the non-funky
natepatrin: Robo-sex
jbr: big diff between this and the talking heads is that...
jbr: the heads used sexual metaphors, but they were very cagey and allusive about it
jbr: devo are just sophomoric pranksters
natepatrin: While Devo actually sings about women sending out aromas
jbr: these lyrics are really graphic: "she sends out an aroma of undefined lust/she drifts on down in a mist from above"
jbr: drips? drifts? i don't remember
natepatrin: Look at you with your mouth waterin'
jbr: the robosex thing is vital, though: their whole joke was that they were devolved to the point where their very essence was "brainwashed working stiff who goes home and fucks and cranks out babies"
natepatrin: Yes, and here is mechanical music to accompany your nuclear-world ugly-bumping
natepatrin: (Only said mechanical music is mighty damn catchy)
jbr: like kraftwerk!
jbr: gaaah!
natepatrin: It all comes back to Kraftwerk
jbr: have we mentioned kraftwerk for EVERY song?
natepatrin: I think we left them out in our mention of "Ace of Spades"
jbr: WHAT???
jbr: that's impossible!
jbr: ralf hutter is ALL OVER that track!
natepatrin: I always got a weirdo '50s vibe from Devo
jbr: an early space-age vibe
natepatrin: Like the pastel Motorama Society Of The Future gone a bit sinister
natepatrin: A smartass kind of sinister though
jbr: i think it's a combination of that '50s space-age sinisterism and the usual 1984 stuff
jbr: satire of life in a brainwashed vacuum
natepatrin: The Dead Kennedys sort of did that, only without synths
jbr: "is my cock big enough, is my brain small enough..."
natepatrin: Or as much science/futurism
jbr: sure
jbr: what devo did was smart, though: their satire only went up to a certain point
jbr: because in songs like "thru being cool" you have a pretty explicit message to think for yourself and rebel
Blondie, "Call Me"
natepatrin: Debbie Harry is SEX QUEEN
jbr: here's what i love about debbie harry:
jbr: obviously a looker. obviously a fantastic singer.
jbr: but her vocal delivery is SO underrated.
jbr: here's a woman who puts every ounce of herself into what she's singing.
natepatrin: She does manage to sing a couple different ways in this- she's lilting one minute, forceful the next
jbr: even when she's singing about sex, she's not bimbo-ish about it
natepatrin: "Anytime anyplace etc." vs. the actual chorus
jbr: she knows damn well how irresistible she sounds when she's moaning "roll me in designer sheets"
natepatrin: OH YES
jbr: any coyness on her part is played up for effect
jbr: but WHAT ABOUT THE TUNE, MAN?
natepatrin: She sounds like she's in it to get herself off, not get the (male) listener off
natepatrin: Ah yes
natepatrin: Synth solo=RAD
jbr: ja
natepatrin: It's sort of interesting to consider for a while in the '80s the possibility of the synth solo replacing the guitar solo
jbr: this is '80s TOP GUN music at its apotheosis
jbr: as in the van halen "jump" solo!
natepatrin: YES
jbr: bands can't have synth solos anymore... too ironic.
jbr: and when people did it in the '80s, it was a sign of the decline of western civilization.
natepatrin: Yeah, god forbid people use something ELECTRONIC
jbr: have you even HEARD a solo in a rock song in the past ten years?
natepatrin: The funny thing is the guitar in this song is REALLY bombastic
jbr: it manages to be a giorgio moroder bombastic synth thing and a kickass rock song
natepatrin: Yeah, not unlike "Hot Stuff"
jbr: and debbie has so much power in that voice of hers
jbr: better than "hot stuff"
jbr: hot stuff is the theory, "call me" is the practice
natepatrin: Also: LOVE LOVE LOVE the drum intro
jbr: many bands have stolen that
jbr: wait... i stand corrected... many bands have USED that... before and after "call me"
natepatrin: I'm pretty sure it's the reason Girls Against Boys' "Kill the Sexplayer" sounds the way it does
natepatrin: Same sort of shuffling rumble
jbr: there's foreigner's "love on the telephone," blue oyster cult's "the revenge of vera gemini"
jbr: and a few black sabbath songs, believe it or not
natepatrin: I believe it
jbr: which chuck eddy mentions in STAIRWAY TO HELL
jbr: the disco/metal connection
natepatrin: "Call Me" actually seems rhytmically a bit more like rockabilly or jazz than disco
jbr: i don't hear rockabilly
jbr: it's too straightforward
jbr: it doesn't have that kick
natepatrin: Well, vaguely, maybe.
jbr: it doesn't bounce. it moves straight ahead
jbr: there aren't any highs or lows to the song... it stays at the same volume (LOUD)
natepatrin: Maybe my ears are broken
jbr: fix em!
natepatrin: (WHAP)
natepatrin: better
jbr: yay
natepatrin: And just in time to talk about Freddie Mercury
Queen, "Another One Bites the Dust"
jbr: love that sugar hill gang bassline!
natepatrin: Yes, this is one of the great basslines of like ever
jbr: this was the least "queen" song they'd ever done to this point, and by saying that, i mean that it's perhaps the MOST "queen" song they'd ever done
natepatrin: Say what?
jbr: shedding their fey image and playing dressup in tight leather and macho swagger
jbr: (it's SO GAY!)
natepatrin: Exactly
natepatrin: From one side of gay-dom to the other, maybe
natepatrin: From bitch to butch, har har
jbr: see, everyone talks about "bites the dust" as a crossover song, but they're getting the crossover wrong!
jbr: how come no one talks about what a great rock band the village people were!?
natepatrin: Because they value their rep? (ducks)
jbr: yes, but WHO are THEY?
natepatrin: Some guys
jbr: well, FUCK 'em
jbr: can we talk about james brown now?
natepatrin: Great thing about this song: about a minute in when that guitar kicks in and Freddie's all "OW"
jbr: that's awesome
jbr: like he's been DYING to go disco
natepatrin: Where it all comes together (and apart at the same time)
jbr: love that bit of metallic effects-pedal guitar shwoosh towards the end
natepatrin: Simultaneous order and chaos, or some bullshit I'm grasping at
natepatrin: Yes. VROOM WHOOSH
jbr: uhhhhh
jbr: vroom whoosh exactly
James Brown, "Rapp Payback"
natepatrin: I think there's some parentheses in there, like (Ware Iz Moses) or something
jbr: a HELLA funky tune combining the past and (then) present of R&B styles -- the '60s soul, the freaky '70s bass-inflected funk, the early '80s minimalist hip-hop groove
jbr: and it all spells p-a-r-t-y
natepatrin: He takes one of his great '70s funk songs and sorta discofies it and Sugarhillulates it, and it works
jbr: yes yes yes
jbr: and maybe it works partially retroactively because in a few years he'd be doing "living in america"
natepatrin: It's basically a self-cover, but it sounds more badass when it's uptempo
jbr: i dig it
natepatrin: More urgent, more "I'm about to go wild on your ass"
natepatrin: "I don't know karate but I know ka-razy!"
natepatrin: Favorite line ever
jbr: i fucking love that, dood
natepatrin: And then they throw in those disco woop-woops
jbr: a great example of when "updating your music for tha times" actually works
natepatrin: Well James Brown was usually the one people had to update their music to catch up with
jbr: it worked for the stones in '78... it even sorta worked for zeppelin towards the end (I think so)
jbr: you're right
jbr: i think '70s funk is still way ahead of its time
natepatrin: They've got those weird Nike ads with Snoop and Bootsy and George Clinton so it's still relevant, yeah
natepatrin: It worked for Bowie (so well that Brown actually stole a riff from "Fame")
jbr: it worked for bowie, but bowie doesn't count
jbr: bowie is a cultural fashion plate
jbr: and george clinton STILL looks like a martian
jbr: but genre-adapting breeds some interesting results: look what it did for dylan and the stones
jbr: "their satanic majesties request"
natepatrin: Yeah, but it doesn't always work (see Stewart, Rod)
jbr: how fucking different was that from their blues covers?
natepatrin: WAY different
jbr: eh, he's a no-talent
natepatrin: Digression
jbr: blondie and devo did it too
jbr: but they were always forward-thinking
natepatrin: It's more impressive when older more well-established bands do it
jbr: even lydon did it after the sex pistols broke up
natepatrin: And Brown did it here
jbr: yes
Kurtis Blow, "The Breaks"
natepatrin: Ah, when rap songs regularly pushed the 7-minute mark
natepatrin: And the MCs all sounded kinda ultra-enunciating and cartoonish
jbr: funny factoid: vh1 classic has these promo spots for their "we are the eighties" video block... and the voiceover is a rapper guy saying "we... ahhh. thu... eighties" just like "these are the breaks"
natepatrin: Oh geez
jbr: it's kinda cute
jbr: the guitar on this one reminds me of roxy music
jbr: funky but progressive
natepatrin: Or Ian Dury
jbr: the bass should be familiar to any "jammin' oldies" radio listener
jbr: it's one of those "pull up to my bumper" bass lines
jbr: very prevalent in early '80s urban music
natepatrin: And the piano
jbr: lyrics are also pretty representative -- bare-bones and funny, a fat albert stoner thing
natepatrin: There's some weird lines in this. "If your woman steps out with another man/and she runs off with him to Japan/and the IRS says they wanna chat/and you can't explain why you claimed your cat"
natepatrin: 18 phone calls to Brazil
jbr: it wasn't about the rhymes, really, it was about the butt! this stuff wasn't played on the radio, but kids up in the bronx shook their booty to it at house parties
natepatrin: This song's got it all, man. Bumper bass, disco-new-wave guitar, funky piano, steel drums, yeah
jbr: what really gets me is that this shit is NOT TOUGH AT ALL... but these cats could fucking kill you if you crossed them
jbr: it's got everything
natepatrin: Yes
jbr: it's the WEST SIDE STORY syndrome
natepatrin: Party people
Treacherous Three, "The Body Rock"
jbr: another one of those cuts that could be a kris kross song
natepatrin: I'm wondering if this was one of if not the first attempt by rap to incorporate rock themes (i.e. THAT GUITAR)
jbr: again, the bass is very progressive.... like rush's "limelight" or yes' "owner of a lonely heart" (which came out a little later)
natepatrin: It sounds like a snippet from something ZZ Top would do
jbr: not dissimilar
jbr: the actual rapping is a little thin-sounding
jbr: but everything else going on... that's what's worth paying attention to
natepatrin: The chorus is great but the actual lyrics are definitely old-school
jbr: the bass, the hint of blues guitar
jbr: it's old school the way the tom tom club's attempts at hip hop were old school
natepatrin: Kool Moe Dee's in this and he's all right, but LL would pretty much usurp him more or less
jbr: i mean, it really sounds like music i would have made in my OLD SCHOOL (first grade)
jbr: well, it does what it proclaims to: rocks the body
natepatrin: There's some good back and forth in this, but it pales in comparison to what RUN-DMC would do a few years later
jbr: it's very rudimentary for this sort of thing
natepatrin: In other words it probably sounded a lot better in 1980
natepatrin: Hell, in 1980 terms this is probably like Outkast
jbr: yeah, this was innovative
jbr: was anything better going on in rock and roll, in terms of vocal-trading and complex rhymes?
jbr: maybe in post-punk?
natepatrin: Maybe, but nothing immediately comes to mind
jbr: X?
natepatrin: Probably, yeah
natepatrin: "Nausea" or something
jbr: i always thought that "homosexuals and the idle rich" line in "los angeles" had a fantastic rhythm
jbr: and the "get out"/"get out" part is classic call/response
natepatrin: Taking Sides: X vs. NWA
jbr: then there's a pretty jarring break in the beat between the chorus and the bridge
jbr: oh, X... totally
Stevie Wonder, "Master Blaster (Jammin')"
jbr: three words: "watching the detectives"
natepatrin: Stevie does reggae
natepatrin: HA
jbr: the beginnings of both songs are criminally similar
natepatrin: First James Brown rips off Bowie, then this
jbr: no dis to stevie for experimenting with reggae, but this isn't his best work
natepatrin: Well considering his body of work that's faint, uh... non-praise
jbr: the rhythm is slammin' but his voice doesn't sound that strong up against it
natepatrin: Though this isn't all that great, it is better than oh say I don't know "I Just Called To Say I Love You"
natepatrin: Yeah, he sounds overwhelmed in the whole bass/drums/keyboards
jbr: yeah, another "retroactive" case here... a marginally good song that sounds better in light of what he'd do a few years later
natepatrin: He brings in backup singers, but they don't quite do enough
jbr: it's forgettable, yet it's not
jbr: the song was a hit, and that melody's etched into my brain from childhood
natepatrin: There's some cool bits, mostly in the chorus. The sort of dare I say near-Zappa-like guitar chords
jbr: i actually hadn't heard this in years until i downloaded it last night
jbr: so i don't remember the little details that well
natepatrin: It also goes on a bit long
jbr: a little long, yeah
jbr: not too bad
natepatrin: Is this a tribute to Marley? Did he die before this song was released?
jbr: i think it was a tribute to marley, but i believe marley died shortly after this was released
natepatrin: Stevie actually starts going off on this amazing delivery about 30 seconds before the song ends
jbr: that's when he's at his best. when he lets the cannon loose.
natepatrin: Where he actually sounds like he's singing at the same pace as the rhythm- it's pretty invigorating
jbr: with his '70s soul/funk... the atmospherics were nice, but i always wanted him to push the vocal energy further
natepatrin: He just about got there on "Superstition"
jbr: and parts of "livin for the city"
natepatrin: He hasn't done much lately, has he?
jbr: i haven't heard anything from him for a while
natepatrin: And that GWB-waving-at-him story was fake, so we can't bring up that
jbr: no
jbr: funny though
The Selecter, "Too Much Pressure"
jbr: fun song
natepatrin: Yeah, definitely
jbr: fake-ska with a thudding bottom end and a shimmering pretenders-esque guitar part
natepatrin: Really, really, really basic rhythm at the core, for pure skanking action
jbr: buoyant and enthusiastic
natepatrin: I wouldn't go so far as to call it "fake"
jbr: new-wave party ska
natepatrin: 2nd-gen 2-Tone
jbr: that sounds more musically substantial than any of the '90s fratboy revisionism
natepatrin: Yes
natepatrin: EAT IT BOSSTONES
jbr: thass right
natepatrin: This rhythm's just nuts. The simplest thing in the world but you can not help but shake your hinder-region
jbr: it's almost as cool as fucking MADNESS
natepatrin: YES
natepatrin: Actually this is weird for a ska song because unless my ears deceive me there are no horns whatsoever.
jbr: and the chorus is the catchiest thing alive
natepatrin: Dig how it veers dangerously close to dub on those drums 3/4 of the way in
jbr: sneaky gits!
natepatrin: And they throw in that guitar just for kicks
jbr: like you said, you can't not dance
jbr: or bob your head
natepatrin: Unless you have some form of spinal injury
natepatrin: Or you are morbidly obese
jbr: like, if you were at the PROCTOLOGIST and this came on, you'd sing along
natepatrin: TOO MUCH PRESSURE indeed
jbr: HAHAHAHAHA
natepatrin: Oh I'm childish
Jonathan Richman, "I'm Straight"
jbr: brilliant.
natepatrin: Sort of a comedown from the previous song but it uses keyboards in a similarly awesome way
jbr: okay... long paragraph coming up here
natepatrin: This is my big cheaty-pants moment because technically this is a '70s song but it was released (finally) in '80
natepatrin: (sits in rapt anticipation)
jbr: Richman: playing the educated everybozo -- a bit of a dreamer, a bit revolutionary, a dumbass in a B.U. sweatshirt, in love with the dorky ethos and romance of rock but way too smart-ass/jewish/white to really be part of it on any level other than purely ironic. he does this SO WELL.
natepatrin: Also a reclamation of what rock is- making out, not getting stoned and staring at nothing
natepatrin: Though "I like him too"
jbr: "i like... hippie johnny"
natepatrin: That's great
jbr: he sounds so snotty
jbr: "i'm certainly NOT STONED!"
natepatrin: Snotty yet sad and maybe confused
jbr: can anyone be drunk ironically?
natepatrin: He does sound like the drunken jilted PLEASETAKEMEBACKPLEASE lover but on the other hand it's the usual Richman voice so hrm
natepatrin: Then again it's a lot more downtempo and bare-naked than the typical Richman song of that era
jbr: it's no "government center"!
natepatrin: The "I" rivals the "I" from "Good Vibrations" as far first lines go
jbr: yeah, the tunelessness of it is very affecting!
jbr: also: "i put it back in place (i put my PHONE back in place)"
jbr: and the way he rhymes that line with "place" in the next line
natepatrin: Yes, the clarification
natepatrin: He rhymes lots of lines with "place" in the next line
natepatrin: Like "I must use each definition for the word in this song"
jbr: but all in all, this reminds me of one of those early '60s shangri-las story songs
jbr: like "leader of the pack"
natepatrin: Yes
jbr: it's usually the girl that's jilted in these things
natepatrin: The repeated usage of Hippie Johnny's name and such
jbr: and "johnny" being the classic rock-boy name
natepatrin: And "don't go out with him, he's bad for you"
jbr: which is a better jilted-male song, this or "jilted john"?
natepatrin: This, probably
natepatrin: Better range of emotions- sad, frustrated, pissed, snotty, hopeful, wistful
natepatrin: and JEALOUS
jbr: it takes a while to warm up to this song if you're not hip to what richman's all about
jbr: it's funny as hell, but it's so goddamn poignant too
natepatrin: I love the way this song builds. Everything eventually starts to get really epic in a low-budget unpretentious way and soon everybody's yelling with him. Great moment.
jbr: you can write a little video in your head with his brothers-in-arms walking behind him yelling "i'm straight"
jbr: and marching in time
natepatrin: This couldn't be done by a power-pop band. Cheap Trick would probably sound mighty weird doing it
jbr: no... trick were too macho
natepatrin: Weezer couldn't do this either, probably
jbr: naw, it would be lame
jbr: they don't have the self-introspection necessary for something like "i'm straight"
jbr: they play the "geek" role so cartoonishly
John Lennon, "(Just Like) Starting Over"
natepatrin: Which is the worst possible comeback single for someone who will wind up being shot and killed
jbr: totally
jbr: musically, though...
natepatrin: This is totally doo-wop
jbr: it sounds more like ELO than anything the Beatles ever did
natepatrin: The piano is what does it, I'm guessing
jbr: or XTC.... or any of those very lush, melodic invasion-redux '70s bands
natepatrin: The piano and the sorta synth-sounding choir
jbr: of any artist that actually came out of the '60s, this is most like a friggin NEIL DIAMOND tune
natepatrin: !
jbr: it's kitchy and vegas all the way
jbr: if this song was a beatles song, it wouldn't be by john, it'd be by ringo
natepatrin: Yeah, the retro '50s thing is sorta camp
natepatrin: But Ringo's voice couldn't carry the melody, probably jbr: lennon circa '80 was so much more mellow than his "working class hero" of yore. like he knew he was getting old and facing his mortality.
natepatrin: Like he just wants to make a goddamned pop record, finally

Well, as you can see, my thoughts and ruminations usually read better when they've stewed for a while and then edited into coherence. But I figured this'd be an interesting change of pace. Next week I will probably have 1981 up (probably as in "will finish it" as opposed to "will skip ahead to 1994"), and unless I can think of another wacky gimmick to keep myself interested in this I'll be back to the usual format. Hang tight for Human League and Blue Oyster Cult and Mission of Burma and The Specials and Joan Jett and so on and so forth. Whoo!

-Nate