Author Topic: MTV in the 80s Song of the Day (Read 305205 times)

Orbert · « **Reply #105 on:** March 22, 2012, 11:32:35 AM »

Quote from: KevShmev on March 22, 2012, 09:02:47 AM

Yeah, picking one of their more popular hits probably would have been best, but oh well.

Talking Heads - Burning Down the House

Great tune by a great band, a band whose music has aged extremely well. This was one of my favorites at the time when I was 10. In particular, I found the end of the song and video completely hypnotizing, with that creepy keyboard underneath that awesome drum beat. This is a great song to listen to loud, and when my brother and I saw David Byrne play it at a solo show a few years back, it brought the house down; it didn't burn it down.

Yeah, the end of the video is so cool. The music is cool enough, but you've also got David making faces at you, projected on the road, as you cruise along. Great effect.

This is one of those songs that starts off so quietly that if it comes up while you're shuffling, you have to crank the volume and start it again. Then when the drums come in... YEAH BABY!

KevShmev · « **Reply #106 on:** March 22, 2012, 11:35:03 AM »

Great stuff.

bosk1 · « **Reply #107 on:** March 22, 2012, 12:09:07 PM »

For no reason I can possibly discern other than the fact that YouTube is sentient and knew I had been looking at this thread, Photograph (official video) just showed up in my "recommended" bar.

KevShmev · « **Reply #108 on:** March 22, 2012, 12:24:54 PM »

Ha!

Ideally, I'd like to link the video for each song I put up every time, but since many are not official, I figured it is best to not. Besides, anyone who wants to see or revisit said videos, I think they know where to go find them.

bosk1 · « **Reply #109 on:** March 22, 2012, 12:29:15 PM »

I'm fine with you linking to videos, even if posted by third parties. Most bands haven't put out commercially available DVD's with their "official videos" on them, so I'm fine with it. If it is something that you know is commercially available, that's a different story. But your call.

Jaq · « **Reply #110 on:** March 22, 2012, 01:09:51 PM »

Comments on songs I missed:

Hall and Oates-Family Man.

Thing that always amuses me about this song is that it's a cover of a Mike Oldfield song. Yes, the Tubular Bells Mike Oldfield. Vaguely remember the video, and also remember that after it had been out a few months a new version of it showed up with a longer edit to the song.

Talking Heads-Burning Down The House.

Oh yeahhhh, we're talking 80s here. I remember going to see the Talking Heads concert film, Stop Making Sense, waaaay back when as a midnight show, in an old fashioned theater with a stage in front of the screen. We took that as an excuse to treat it like a general admission concert and stood up and rocked out. Damn good night.

King Postwhore · « **Reply #111 on:** March 22, 2012, 03:16:47 PM »

Family man is a very good song. I saw Hall & Oats open for Chicago in the early 2000's and they were great.

Burning Down The House. I LOVE the video but OD'd in this song. But when it came out it was very unique for it's time.

KevShmev · « **Reply #112 on:** March 22, 2012, 07:59:50 PM »

Mötley Crüe - Girls, Girls, Girls

Well, given that I was 14 when this video came out, I pretty much thought it was one of the best things ever at the time.

I'M OUT! /Kramer

bosk1 · « **Reply #113 on:** March 22, 2012, 08:07:52 PM »

For the first time in the thread, you lost me. Oh well. I'll wait for the next one.

Ravenheart · « **Reply #114 on:** March 22, 2012, 08:24:01 PM »

Motlol Crue.

That's my contribution to this current installment of 80s discussion.

*Still eagerly awaits new wave/goth/industrial song*

Cool Chris · « **Reply #115 on:** March 22, 2012, 08:44:07 PM »

Definitely one of my first experiences with the power of the music video. Wasn't a Crue fan, but saw this video and thought the song was awesome.

jingle.boy · « **Reply #116 on:** March 22, 2012, 09:13:35 PM »

I didn't get into the Crue until Dr. Feelgood. When I did get to their back catalogue, everything was a notch down from Feelgood. Girls, Girls, Girls was a pretty weak track, on a pretty weak album. Wild Side is the only redeeming track to that album.

jjrock88 · « **Reply #117 on:** March 23, 2012, 02:22:19 AM »

I agree with Jingle, Girls Girls Girls was a pretty weak album. The title track was a decent enough 80's pop metal tune and had a good video. For me, nothing tops Shout at the Devil and the 94 self titled for the Crue; those two kick serious ass.

BlobVanDam · « **Reply #118 on:** March 23, 2012, 02:40:03 AM »

Not one of my absolute favourite Crue songs, but still a great Crue song, and that music video is classic 80s sleaze.

King Postwhore · « **Reply #119 on:** March 23, 2012, 07:36:58 AM »

Perfect video for Crue. The Song is good but there ar other I like much better. Good sleazy fun song.

Sir GuitarCozmo · « **Reply #120 on:** March 23, 2012, 07:40:42 AM »

Girls x3 has never once failed to pack the dance floor with chicks when one of my bands has played it. It gets nothing but

from me.

KevShmev · « **Reply #121 on:** March 23, 2012, 01:10:25 PM »

I hope this makes Ravenheart a little happy.

The Cure - Just Like Heaven

I was never much of a fan of this band or song, but I know a lot of people were, so go nuts.

bosk1 · « **Reply #122 on:** March 23, 2012, 01:14:35 PM »

Steeee-rike two!

brb vomiting

Would watch the video just to make sure, but can't take the risk.

Ravenheart · « **Reply #123 on:** March 23, 2012, 01:23:14 PM »

I love this song. It's simple and poppy, but also whimsical and beautiful. The synth always puts a smile on my face. It's also a good example of The Cure's happier side.

The album it was taken off of is also fantastic and one of the best albums of the 80s.

The music video is nothing to write home about, but I'm not really a fan of music videos in general, so yeah.

KevShmev · « **Reply #124 on:** March 23, 2012, 01:33:24 PM »

Quote from: bosk1 on March 23, 2012, 01:14:35 PM

Steeee-rike two!

I had to throw Ravenheart a bone, given that he is such a fan of stuff like that, and he talked it up a lot in the Pet Shop Boys/Erasure thread a while back.

Sir GuitarCozmo · « **Reply #125 on:** March 23, 2012, 01:34:40 PM »

Never heard it.

Ravenheart · « **Reply #126 on:** March 23, 2012, 01:41:08 PM »

Thank you for said bone, Kev.

bosk1 · « **Reply #127 on:** March 23, 2012, 01:42:15 PM »

Quote from: KevShmev on March 23, 2012, 01:33:24 PM

Quote from: bosk1 on March 23, 2012, 01:14:35 PM
Steeee-rike two!

I had to throw Ravenheart a bone, given that he is such a fan of stuff like that, and he talked it up a lot in the Pet Shop Boys/Erasure thread a while back.

Oh, I know. I just didn't want to not post just because I don't like a song, because if everyone does that, you'll think the thread isn't generating interest, which might lead you to stop posting in it.

KevShmev · « **Reply #128 on:** March 23, 2012, 02:01:57 PM »

I figured.

And now that we've made Ravenheart happy for now...

Journey - Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)

One of the most awesomely bad videos ever. Air keyboarding? I mean, come on.

But the song itself is still a very good one.

bosk1 · « **Reply #129 on:** March 23, 2012, 02:04:19 PM »

Ahh, that's better.

Yeah, ridiculous video, but terrific song. Captures everything that is good about Journey.

Sir GuitarCozmo · « **Reply #130 on:** March 23, 2012, 02:08:23 PM »

My play-by-play of the video, for the 1 or 2 people who didn't see it yet:

Quote from: Sir GuitarCozmo on January 14, 2011, 09:28:33 AM

The following video - Separate Ways (Worlds Apart) - is 80's cheese at its most heinous and I f*cking love it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LatorN4P9aA&ob=av2el

Several points of interest:

Steve Perry = Demi Moore
0:35, 0:49 - no instruments
0:52 - Jon Cain bear-pawing his air keyboard
1:07 - awkward zoom-in
1:25 - keyboard on the wall
2:11 - slow-mo marching band "ABOUT FACE!" move
2:16 - advertisement for Steve Perry's dentist
2:18 - why are they in a dockyard full of shipping skids?
2:29-2:36 - sequences like this are what make 80's videos so excellent
2:44 - 2nd from left: Ross Valory = Jeff Foxworthy
2:56 - Oops! Almost lost my balance!
3:01 - 55-gallon drumset
3:06 - HURRR-STOMPA-STOMPA *follows camera*
3:11 - Pulls out just in time to avoid inevitable Jon Cain collision
3:12 - Jon Cain's patented "Camera Bitch-Slap"
3:17 - Check out how awesome I am. I may have tried to kick Santana out of the band, but at least the afro's gone!
3:22 - guitar face
3:26 - weird slow-mo
3:49 - more wall keyboard
4:01 - Brigitte Nielsen look-alike approaches: "You guys are still at this??"

Okay, so though I make fun of it, it's still f*cking awesome. Enjoy.

theseoafs · « **Reply #131 on:** March 23, 2012, 02:11:49 PM »

You guys just don't get it. Jonathan Cain's air-keyboarding for a moment, but that's just because his keyboard didn't materialize as quickly as he did.

Dr. DTVT · « **Reply #132 on:** March 23, 2012, 02:16:21 PM »

This might be the biggest discrepencey between the awesomeness of the song and the badness of the video ever. Yet I can't not watch.

Also, I want to request my favorite video from when I was a kid: I Can't Drive 55 by Sammy Hagar. What male kid DOESN'T like fast cars?

jingle.boy · « **Reply #133 on:** March 23, 2012, 02:57:48 PM »

Awesome song. Never saw the video until Nem's roulette. Full of win and fail at the same time. It's a paradox. I refuse to watch it a 2nd time, lest a black hole open up and swallow me hole.

Lowdz · « **Reply #134 on:** March 23, 2012, 03:12:35 PM »

Quote from: KevShmev on March 23, 2012, 02:01:57 PM

I figured.

And now that we've made Ravenheart happy for now...

Journey - Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)

One of the most awesomely bad videos ever. Air keyboarding? I mean, come on. But the song itself is still a very good one.

So bad it's great video, no doubting the quality of the song though.

Motley- GGG- great video

not a great Motley song. First two albums and Dr feelgood were very good, the rest of the catalogue gets a thumbs down from me.

The new romantic-y stuff Ravenheart likes- has no interest to me so no point commenting..

Orbert · « **Reply #135 on:** March 23, 2012, 03:34:56 PM »

We play "Separate Ways" and our lead singer John likes to air-keyboard some parts. I think it looks pretty stupid. For some reason, air-guitar is acceptable (I do it and I don't even play guitar) but air-keyboards is lame.

jjrock88 · « **Reply #136 on:** March 23, 2012, 03:47:39 PM »

This is one of my favorite rock songs of all time. Perry has a great voice.

King Postwhore · « **Reply #137 on:** March 23, 2012, 03:59:10 PM »

I've never been a Cure fan but I admire them for really forging a style in music and style and concept. I did like a bunch of songs off Disintegration. I've always been more of a fan of Simple Minds myself.

Journey - Separate Ways (Worlds Apart) Great, great song. Just like that girl in the video that I couldn't get away from it playing on MTV either.

DebraKadabra · « **Reply #138 on:** March 23, 2012, 10:51:14 PM »

Wow, I get sick and miss about 11dy6 songs...

Okay, so to catch up:

Photograph - Ok, I admit it, I LOVED this song and the whole album. Rock Of Ages was a bit more of a favorite, but there wasn't a bad track on the album. Good "set the wayback machine" song.

Street of Dreams - Good song, and I admit that I had a HUGE crush on JLT at the time.

Let's Dance - I LOVE THIS SONG. I don't care who knows it either. I will admit that this song reminds me a lot of Frank Zappa's song "Be In My Video", especially the line I'll make you wear red shoes!

I also liked Blue Jean, China Girl, Modern Love and Cat People (Putting Out Fire). The album was not only a huge push for Stevie Ray Vaughan (RIP) but it put Bowie back on the map too. Hah--jamming on this song right now!

If This Is It - This one was a bit overplayed when it was a hit. I'm more of a fan of The Heart Of Rock And Roll and Bad Is Bad.

Family Man - Good song, but Maneater blows this one out of the water. Hell, Sara Smile blows BOTH of them out of the water. BUT--I've always loved their harmonies.

Burning Down The House - OMG OMG OMG!! Ok, sorry. This song and video are just. SO. DAMN. COOL! It also helps that a good friend of mine in high school made a parody of this one, Burning Down The School.

Good memories right here with this one.

Uptown Girl - Never one of my favorites. It IS better live though. BUT--I'd rather have Captain Jack, Scenes From An Italian Restaurant or Big Shot over this one.

Girls Girls Girls -

This doesn't hold a candle to the Shout At The Devil album. NEXT...

Just Like Heaven - Didn't like The Cure at first, same with Depeche Mode, The Psychedelic Furs and Tears For Fears, but I gained an appreciation for all of them later. Great song. Video's ok too.

Separate Ways (Worlds Apart) - NO. Just... no. Anything from Escape back is great, much past Escape is sketchy IMO. Next...

OH, I'm caught up again.

BlobVanDam · « **Reply #139 on:** March 23, 2012, 11:26:48 PM »

Quote from: DTVT on March 23, 2012, 02:16:21 PM

This might be the biggest discrepencey between the awesomeness of the song and the badness of the video ever. Yet I can't not watch.

This is actually my favourite Journey song. It's got that great heavy DUN DUN DUNDUN chug to it, plus that intro keyboard riff (I love sawtooth synths), and a catchy as hell chorus.
The music video is so bad that it's almost good, but not quite. It's still awful. On the plus side, I did figure out a few of the keyboard arrangements from watching the air keyboarding!

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Author Topic: MTV in the 80s Song of the Day (Read 305205 times)