OFF: what was it with the 80s...?

[Doug Pearson]

On Thu, 25 Oct 2001 02:19:43 +0100, Nick Medford <nick at HERMIT0.DEMON.CO.UK>
wrote:
>Joy Div- great band IMHO, (although the remnants- i.e. New Order- rapidly
>lost it).
>
>Husker Du- just sort of OK?? Shurely shome mishtake!! I mean, I can see
>why Joy Div might not float your boat, but the Huskers were one of the very
>few truly great bands of that era IMO.

I'm in complete agreement.  These are both great bands, both of whom I
still listen to frequently.  In fact, my personal reaction/therapy to
certain unpleasent events last month was to record a version of "Turn On
The News".  Brilliant song.

I actually think the second half of the 80's were pretty good, musically
(once you got beyond the hair metal and wimpy "alternative" stuff).  The
first half was awful, though, since:

Most classic rock bands had degenerated into oldies acts, self-parody, or
were pathetically "updated" to cater to the MTV crowd ...
70's punk had gone rote hardcore - BORING ...
New Wave bands that had started out interesting & experimental turned into
cheesy disco (the Thompson Twins are a perfect example - their first album,
produced by Mike Howlett of Gong, is actually pretty cool; I agree
wholeheartedly with the assessments here of their later MTV stuff) ...
Most of the underground stuff that made the late 80's much better (Sonic
Youth, Big Black, F/i, Green River, Butthole Surfers) hadn't happened yet
(the bands on SST & L.A.'s "Paisley Underground" scene - Rain Parade/Clay
Allison, Green On Red, and that band I won't mention 'cause someone might
be lurking - being pretty much the only exceptions) ...

Oh well, at least there was FLIPPER (an early-80s band that UTTERLY RULED!).

    -Doug (Sex Bomb Baby, Yeah!)
     jasret at mindspring.com