MTV in the 80s Song of the Day

[DebraKadabra]

Bah! We can't all love every 80s tune, riiiight?

Correct.
 

solid pick, although my fave Fixx song is "Deeper and Deeper."

Deeper And Deeper is my favorite too.

[Sir GuitarCozmo]

:beavisandbutthead:

You said "deeper".

[Jaq]

I liked The Fixx.  I thought they had a cool sound, and maybe a little more going on musically than most 80's bands.

My girlfriend didn't like the song because in the video, a horse keeps falling down, and she likes horses so much that it bothered her.  She's a wimp.

My lasting memory of this video was my sister lamenting how they made the horse fall down so many times to make the video, and my mom pointing out that they used the same shot over and over again, and me thinking "yeah, but what if they did a lot of takes just to get the one shot." Odd how so many people seem to have focused on the horse in that video.

[Orbert]

women, horses

[KevShmev]

Bruce Hornsby & the Range - The Valley Road

I love a lot of the songs on his first two albums, and this is definitely a favorite.  The biggest hit from Scenes from the Southside, this features the classic piano-playing by Hornsby, not to mention a rhythm that is impossible to tap your toe to.  This was one of the more fun, upbeat songs of 1988, and the band looked like they had a blast making the video, shots of which are intertwined with random clips of people moving to the rhythm of the song.  This is a great song by any measure.

[DebraKadabra]

Oh wow, I haven't heard that song in forever - so much so that I had to pull up the video for it, and instantly remembered the song once it started.
 
You're right too - those first two albums have some damn fine music on them.

[Orbert]

Bruce Hornsby & The Range were awesome.  Catchy, well-produced pop music with some kind of folksy/jazzy side to it, from what I could tell.

[Jaq]

Bruce Hornsby is from Williamsburg, Virginia, right up the road from where I live. It's worth noting that he made exactly zero impression on the local music scene until his first album came out, years after he left the area, where local writers elbowed each other aside to proclaim him a local hero. As a funny aside, my best friend from high school, once he got through the wild, zany adventures we used to have, became a member of the Williamsburg police department, and was known for years around there as "the guy who gave Bruce Hornsby a speeding ticket." 

Musically, I was never much of a fan, but he had such a distinctive sound that it took me-and anyone who listened to rock and roll in that time frame-maybe 3 seconds to realize that he was playing on Don Henley's song The End of the Innocence. Hornsby did carve out a rather unique niche for himself at the end of the 80s, I'll give him that.

[Sir GuitarCozmo]

RIght up the road?  I have an aunt and uncle that live in Williamsburg.  I spent several years living just outside Langley Air Force Base in the early 80's.

[Jaq]

My god, you were in my neck of the woods during a lot of the silly adventures I talk about in this thread. I live in Hampton, right down on the beach. 

[Sir GuitarCozmo]

  Outstanding.  I was in 3rd grade when we moved away to Roanoke, 1984.  We lived in a little community called Bethel Manor a few miles outside the main AFB gate.

[KevShmev]

Musically, I was never much of a fan, but he had such a distinctive sound that it took me-and anyone who listened to rock and roll in that time frame-maybe 3 seconds to realize that he was playing on Don Henley's song The End of the Innocence. Hornsby did carve out a rather unique niche for himself at the end of the 80s, I'll give him that.

So true, regarding The End of the Innocence.  I remember when that song came out, I immediately thought, "Ah, a new Bruce Hornsby song," and then the little thing at the bottom showed that it was by Don Henley, and I was like, "Wait, what?"  So yeah, I was not shocked at all when I found out that Hornsby played the piano in that song.  His style and sound was so distinctive.

[Jaq]

  Outstanding.  I was in 3rd grade when we moved away to Roanoke, 1984.  We lived in a little community called Bethel Manor a few miles outside the main AFB gate.

I may have had an adventure or two in that neighborhood in my youth, but after you moved away 

[Sir GuitarCozmo]

Freakin' small world.

[KevShmev]

Def Leppard - Foolin'

This wasn't as big as Photograph, but I always thought it was much better, and definitely the best of the hits from Pyromania.  Plus, the video had a very dreamlike feel during the verses that just make it that much more enjoyable. 

[DebraKadabra]

DEFINITELY liked Foolin' more than Photograph - Photograph was WAY overplayed.

[black_biff_stadler]

Good rocker. Very 80s in a good way. I also sometimes sing "St-st-st-stoooolaaan!!" to myself when I'm backed up on the john. Even when it doesn't help things along, I still get a good laugh to myself.

[KevShmev]

Robert Plant - Tall Cool One

I loved most of the Now and Zen album, and I know it's a cliche to say it, but Tall Cool One, the biggest hit from it, was my least favorite song from the record.  It's not the awful song that some make it out to be, but it isn't that great either.  A friend from years ago used to aggravate another friend of ours, who was a huge LZ fan and quite the hothead, by telling him that Tall Cool One was the best song Robert Plant ever sang.  It never failed to get a reaction.

[Orbert]

I thought it was a cool song.  The chorus has that almost-rap thing going on, and the beat is really catchy.  I haven't heard it in a while, but isn't this the one with all the Led Zeppelin quotes at the end?  Kinda cheesy now I guess, but at the time it was really cool, and they're well incorporated.

[KevShmev]

Yes.

[King Postwhore]

Def Leppard - Foolin'

This wasn't as big as Photograph, but I always thought it was much better, and definitely the best of the hits from Pyromania.  Plus, the video had a very dreamlike feel during the verses that just make it that much more enjoyable.

The Def Leppard I love.

Robert Plant - Tall Cool One

I loved most of the Now and Zen album, and I know it's a cliche to say it, but Tall Cool One, the biggest hit from it, was my least favorite song from the record.  It's not the awful song that some make it out to be, but it isn't that great either.  A friend from years ago used to aggravate another friend of ours, who was a huge LZ fan and quite the hothead, by telling him that Tall Cool One was the best song Robert Plant ever sang.  It never failed to get a reaction.

I absolutely love Tall Cool One and the whole album.

[jjrock88]

Foolin is a standout track from DL for me. Great tune.

[Jaq]

I just dug out Now And Zen recently, having been on a Zep related kick since Celebration Day came out, and my opinion of Tall Cool One hasn't changed in years. It's a bit of a gimmicky song, but it's an exceptionally done gimmick song. It is a bit funny how it was seen as embracing and looking back on the Zeppelin legacy, what, eight years after they broke up? 

[DebraKadabra]

I had a weird fascination with Tall Cool One after it came out, but looking back... eh, that was a bit dodgy.

[KevShmev]

I absolutely love Tall Cool One and the whole album.

The three hits aside, I was always partial to The Way I Feel, Helen of Troy and White, Clean & Neat.  Now and Zen still holds up as an outstanding record.

[King Postwhore]

The Way I Feel my favorite and I also love Billy's Revenge

[jingle.boy]

I like how Plant embraced the Zeppelin legacy, rather than the Honeydrippers crap he did to ignore it.  Great album.  Liked it so much that in my work softball league, I chose the number 1, and had "Tall Cool" as the name on the jersey.

[KevShmev]

The Way I Feel my favorite and I also love Billy's Revenge

 

I like how Plant embraced the Zeppelin legacy, rather than the Honeydrippers crap he did to ignore it.  Great album.  Liked it so much that in my work softball league, I chose the number 1, and had "Tall Cool" as the name on the jersey.

Haha, nice.

[KevShmev]

Van Halen - Best of Both Worlds

The live version of this from the Live Without a Net video was played like crazy on MTV, and I liked it quite a bit.  I never heard the studio version until years later, and when I did, it was a massive letdown; very sterile and lifeless in comparison, IMO.  To this day, Best of Both Worlds isn't close to being a favorite of mine, even from the Van Hagar era, but when I do listen to it, I go for the live version every single time.

[BlobVanDam]

I don't believe I've heard the Live Without a Net version, although I know the Right Here, Right Now version. I love the song, although there are plenty more on the album I prefer, being such a great album.

[Orbert]

I chose the number 1, and had "Tall Cool" as the name on the jersey.

That's pretty cool.

the Honeydrippers crap

I don't see why anyone, singer or musician or whatever, can't try other genres.  I thought The Honeydrippers had some good stuff.  Zep was gone, there was no intention of bringing them back.  He'd done some solo stuff, he wanted to try out some other stuff he liked.  I have no problem with that.  Steve Stevens' first solo album was Flemenco, and I heard it was pretty kickass.

[DebraKadabra]

Van Halen - Best of Both Worlds

Not a bad song from the Van Hagar days, but not the best either.

[jjrock88]

Van Halen - Best of Both Worlds

Not a bad song from the Van Hagar days, but not the best either.

[jingle.boy]

the Honeydrippers crap

I don't see why anyone, singer or musician or whatever, can't try other genres.  I thought The Honeydrippers had some good stuff.  Zep was gone, there was no intention of bringing them back.  He'd done some solo stuff, he wanted to try out some other stuff he liked.  I have no problem with that.  Steve Stevens' first solo album was Flemenco, and I heard it was pretty kickass.

I guess I don't have a problem with him trying other stuff, I just didn't like it.

Van Halen - Best of Both Worlds

Not the best on 5150, but I too lean towards the live version, and can't hear that main melody without picturing Eddie, Sammy and Michael doing that strut on stage.  I've got that DVD... it's a pretty sweet concert... even if Hagar's hair makes him look like a dork.  Man, those baggie pants 

[DebraKadabra]

Yeah, the live version SLAYS the studio version for sure.