off:80s hair farmers

[Ted O. Jackson]

Andy opines:

> >The 80's were a pretty bad period for rock music in general, I think
> >(despite the fact that they got off to an absolutely ripping start,
> >with albums like Blizzard of Oz, Heaven and Hell, Fire of Unknown
> >Origin, Blackout, Number of the Beast, Screaming for Vengeance, Back
> >In Black, etc etc etc).  Somehow, that degenerated into a big-hair
> >teeny-bopper metal fest that lasted until the end of the decade.
>
> But in the later '80s we got (arguably better) albums like Master of Puppets,
> Reign in Blood, Among the Living, Danzig, Masters of Reality, Operation:

Allright!  How'd you ever get to hear the Masters on the other side
of the lake?  They're from my hometown, so I got to see them in bars,
and then make it semi-big.  My wife went to high school with Chris
Goss.  Excellent group, though I believe they're in sort of suspended
animation, sadly.  And, of course since Tim left, he took a mighty
big slice of gtr playing with im.  BTW, he has a new indie solo album
out.

> Mindcrime...  OK, Queensryche may be a bit dodgy, but I wouldn't call any of
> the others "big-hair teeny-bopper"!  So I'd maintain that the good stuff was
> there, although maybe the LA sleaze bands like Poison, and the unspeakable
> Ratt and their ilk, dominated the airwaves, especially in America.
>  Personally I blame Kiss.
>
Kiss planted the virus, but, sadly, Van Halen turned it into a
pandemic, which, given Ed's monumental talents, is a crying shame.
If they'd only fired Dave BEFORE they made it big and gotten a real
lyricist...who knows, but, although I like a lot about him, it
appears they've rpeated the mistake with Sammy.  I guess we shouldn't
expect Ed to play BOC songs, if he's happy being a giant party band
theo






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