My wife masters the art of mockery—Le Clown being her target of preference: my passionate, incoherent, rambling excursions into obscure pop culture trivia, my unabashed infatuation with reality TV, and my tiresome insistence that the Eighties had good music (her words). I’m an 80s kid, I grew up watching Family Ties, lending my good looks to Robert Smith and Simon Le Bon, and nurturing a healthy passion for anything Star Wars and Princess Leia… circa Return of the Jedi, obviously.
My decade gets a lot of flack. I mean, granted: it was the Age of Reagan. But Sara, you had George H. W. Bush. And we had hair metal. There would have been no grunge if there hadn’t been bands like Twisted Sister to revolt against. Let’s drop that highbrow attitude on the Eighties: bands like Joy Division left a greater musical legacy than say… Nirvana (Nickelback, anyone?). Not to mention that Kurt Cobain’s primary influence was The Pixies, another great 80s band. Flawless logic, Le Clown. Give yourself a tap on the back.
Beside, we had the best movie ending ever with John Bender thrusting his fist in the air in The Breakfast Club, on Simple Minds’s Don’t You (Forget About Me)… I win.
SELL ME YOUR DECADE
On October 24, 1985, Le Clown used a raw egg to mold his hair à la Robert Smith, and caught The Cure live, his first unchaperoned concert, at the tender age of 14. Le Clown went on to become a great man, but it had nothing to do with the concert. There were songs that helped shape me into the man I am today, and not all of them were seminal 80s songs. Most of them, I connected to on a very strong emotional level, and it would be selfish of me not to share these gems with you… only if you share yours with me. Deal?
Your turn to share with us the songs of your decade that are never going to give you up…
DEXYS MIDNIGHT RUNNERS – COME ON EILEEN
Best song of the 80s. Now how about another grandiloquent statement from yours truly?
TEARS FOR FEARS – SHOUT
The Hurting ended up being the favourite, but mostly, I liked what mainstream told me to…
THE CURE – INBETWEEN DAYS
Just say it: Le Clown would have more street creds had he mentioned Boys Don’t Cry…
SIMPLE MINDS – SPEED YOUR LOVE TO ME
The band would later record the anthem of my teens, but I knew of them back when they were cool (shhhh, listen… the sound my wife’s mockery: Simple Minds? Cool? Really?).
U2 – WITH OR WITHOUT YOU
I was in the living room with my parents when I first saw the video. Bono introduced a new hairdo to the word, and his ego… one that Le Clown would try to emulate from that day on.
THE WATERBOYS – THE WHOLE OF THE MOON
Something about the moon, and canons, and trumpets… something about goosebumps…
Since my life spans 5 decades, how do I pick which one of those decades is mine?
Posted by robincoyle | February 22, 2013, 17:59Robin,
Well… Let me help you…
Yours would be like:
1. 1960: O.C. Smith
2. 1970: Barry Manilow
3. 1980: John Tesh
4. 1990: Kenny G
5. 2000: Céline Dion.
Le Clown
Posted by Le Clown | February 22, 2013, 19:19Wrong-0.
1960 – Beatles, Beach Boys
1970 – ELO, Fleetwood Mac, Elton John,
1980 – Don’t remember the 80s
1990 – Something my kids were listening to
2000 – Keith Urban, Zach Brown Band, Tim McGraw
Posted by robincoyle | February 22, 2013, 19:22Robin,
“Don’t remember the 80s”…
I like you more each day.
Le Clown
Posted by Le Clown | February 22, 2013, 19:25Robin,
And I do think that Brian Wilson is a genius. I’m not using the word “genius” lightly.
Le Clown
Posted by Le Clown | February 22, 2013, 19:26Genius, indeed. “God Only Knows” and “In my Room” are timeless. But, I’m struggling to remember my favorite song. It makes my heart ache. What the hell is it?
Posted by robincoyle | February 22, 2013, 19:39Robin,
David Bowie’s Heroes, of course.
Le Clown
Posted by Le Clown | February 22, 2013, 19:40And that has to do with Brian Wilson, how?
Posted by robincoyle | February 22, 2013, 19:518 decadent decades here … um,
40′s: was there muzik then?
50′s: whatever wuzzawn AM raydeeo, Elvis, blues murmuring in the background
60′s: beetullz, stones
70′s: lissend to everything, shouldn’t have, beatles broke up
80′s: bawbmarlee, later tosh, jacob miller
90′s: lived in the past, but was a brazilian jazz DJ at the local college station, even though i think they hired me cuzz they needed a grandfather figure
00′s: still stunned. vacuous.
10′s: i don’t think there is anything i’d call “music” going on.
Posted by betunada | February 25, 2013, 00:28i know yer a bizzzeee clown, but if yoov gawt, say, 5 or 6 minutes, check baytoonawdazz “kinsey report/bo diddley” blues/reggae jam (title approx)
Posted by betunada | February 25, 2013, 00:36Best moment of the 80s? Dexys Midnight Runners singing Come on Eileen in The Young Ones.
Amen.
Posted by Monk Monkey | February 22, 2013, 19:42Monk Monkey,
Can’t find it. Found DMR singing Jackie Wilson Said on The Young Ones, though… Sigh.
Le Clown
Posted by Le Clown | February 22, 2013, 19:48Oh frikkin’ crap!!!
My old man memory kicked in. Sorry that’s what they sung oops.
Forgiveth thy servant as he is an arse head.
Posted by Monk Monkey | February 23, 2013, 03:48“Shout”? Over “Everybody Wants to Rule the World”? Really? Maybe it’s a guy thing. Or maybe you just didn’t see Real Genius enough times.
Posted by purplemary54 | February 23, 2013, 01:47Mary,
Yes… Perhaps it was because Curt Smith sang Everybody Wants to Rule the World… Admittedly, I was a biggger Roland Orzabal fan, no matter what the sexy Val Kilmer said in Real Genius!
Le Clown
Posted by Le Clown | February 23, 2013, 07:35I can buy that. Val Kilmer was pretty sexy back then, though.
Posted by purplemary54 | February 25, 2013, 00:42Any post extolling the Pixies and displaying Max Headroom has to be right up there!
Posted by gingerfightback | February 23, 2013, 01:57Ginger,
It wouldn’t be an 80s post without The Pixies… Thanks, man… And what did you listen to?
Le Clown
Posted by Le Clown | February 23, 2013, 07:31All sorts from the Pixies right thru to Beethoven and recently I can’t get enough of Benny Goodman!
Posted by gingerfightback | February 23, 2013, 11:35duh ayteez. 192 wreeplys? there’re a lotta bored listless peepull out there. the whirled endid in 1970 (dec. 5, to be exxxact) so the ayteez were axually a sort of wreecuvvery peeereeeud during which the yooniversal elements (re)coalesced.
axually, yoo gawta point, bawbmarleeraggay wuzz relevant in da ayteez, and
Posted by betunada | February 23, 2013, 02:34Betunada,
192 replies… Le Clown’s carnies keep busy. I have to admit that I didn’t quite know what to make of your first two comments on my previous post, which granted your comments a short stay in SpamVille…
I feel I should come up with a special badge for being the only commenter bringing Bob Marley up… But I won’t. ‘Cause I’m lazy.
Le Clown
Posted by Le Clown | February 23, 2013, 07:26the comment en español was in agreement with your situation, and wished you luck! besigheds making some fun of every day bein’ f*ingly magical!
Posted by betunada | February 23, 2013, 18:12Betunada,
Indeed… My good friend Google Translator was there for you… I believe everything Google says, even the entry “To Lie” on http://www.merriam-webster.com/.
Le Clown
Posted by Le Clown | February 23, 2013, 18:16one rarely sees the espanglisch “f-werd” in print. ah’m gonna help change that. cada dìa es chingando màgico!
Posted by betunada | February 23, 2013, 18:19A fantastic era for music but not so good for unemployment ratios, or inner town\city violence. Plus some miners over here were a bit miffed – but the music washed all those petty problems away
Posted by Bruce Ruston | February 23, 2013, 03:35Bruce,
Agreed. And then there was Oliver North…
Le Clown
Posted by Le Clown | February 23, 2013, 07:29I loved ALL the brat pack movies (Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink, 16 Candles and St. Elmo’s Fire). I just recently caught The Breakfast Club on tv and my 16 yr old daughter watched it with me and loved it. I loved the hair bands of the 80s. I adored Poison and one night my friend and I counted the lewd gestures by Brett Michaels during one music video and it was in the 50s.
Posted by Wendy Reid | February 23, 2013, 18:55My music taste wasn’t cool enough. Up until I was about 14 or 15, I mostly listened to *NSYNC and the Backstreet Boys. It seemed I was the *only* one who liked them both; everyone else thought you had to pick a side, ha. Of course, I wasn’t cool, so I picked the popular music to like so I could at least pretend. You know what was awesome? Justin Timberlake’s mustard yellow hair. Oh, yeah.
Then in high school, I had some pathetic taste in “rock” music. Linkin’ Park and Nickelback . . . the shame . . . they were both being played on the radio for the first time. Then I started to listen to “older” music, like Nirvana. And my younger brother, who is much more a music connoisseur than me, introduced me to other oldies. So I had a period when I listened to only Led Zeppelin, the Beatles, and The Doors.
Needless to say, for the most part, I have much better musical taste now than I did during my boy band days. (Psst–two years ago I *did* go to the NKOTBSB concert . . . )
So I don’t have any decade(s) to sell ya. Sorry.
Posted by Angel Fractured | February 23, 2013, 19:09So glad you’re feeling better! On the question of music I have to admit to being a 70′s girl. I do like quite a lot of the 80′s – especially U2 – but the 70′s will always be my era.
Posted by acflory | February 23, 2013, 19:58Eric,
This was a fucking awesome topic. I never got a chance to comment the other day because I had to run out the door for work. But, the ones that stuck out in my mind were groups like Depeche Mode and the Cure and how all that shit transitioned into stuff like Nine Inch Nails and Marilyn Manson. I think New Wave had a tremendous impact on music as a whole. Some don’t appreciate it the way it should be appreciated. I love me some Peter Gabriel too. Although he’s probably considered more of a progressive pop, that guy had some good stuff – a massive talent. \m/.
Posted by Adam S | February 24, 2013, 17:48Late to the party…so late the party is probably over. Sigh. I should be working and instead I’m going down memory lane and like all Boomers, I believe I have been the luckiest person alive when it comes to music I’ve lived through. My first album (vinyl) was the Beatles 1st album. Kudos to my parents for buying it for a 5 year old. I have no recollection of a Raffi-like substance from my childhood. Tween years were a Purple Haze dotted with some Carly Simon. High school was, as you might say, fucking magical. Led Zeppelin, Queen (Yes, we did sing Bohemian Rhapsody in the car exactly the way they do in Wayne’s World). I agree that there are no bad Zeppelin songs (well maybe some on In Through The Out Door) but how can you fault your first joints to Kashmir, Trampled Under Foot, Four Sticks, When the Levee Breaks…..? Then! As if all that weren’t enough! Disco, Punk and New Wave in the college and single adult years! Beat on disco if you like, but Earth, Wind and Fire is the Led Zeppelin of their genre. September never ages for me and The Way of the World is stunningly sad. We moved from pot to coke and poppers, with David Bowie, the Police, Tom Petty, and ohmygod, what all else? The 90s? I had a baby and while he listened to Zeppelin in the womb, we had a real soft spot for Sesame Street music. My children will have no recollection of a Raffi-like substance, I hope, at least not because of me.
Now, I listen to music my son discovers and brings to the table. Nirvana and Foo Fighters are favorites of mine; he favors Sound Garden but there’s also Jack’s Mannequin and Anberlin and a bunch of other tasty stuff I don’t know the names of. I did manage to discover Frances and the Machine and Young The Giant on my own. Love Streetwalker.
Oh, I’ve rambled so…thanks for making me think about all of this.
Posted by jmlindy422 | February 25, 2013, 10:13For a long time Come On Eileen was my favorite song ever! Mostly because it was kind of dirty. Once the Spice Girls broke up (don’t make fun, I was 10 and didn’t know any better, but seriously they were awesome!) I didn’t listen to current music until I was almost out of high school and discovered the White Stripes and the love of my life (Jack White). So my favorite songs were Come on Eileen followed by My Sharona
Posted by travellingmo | February 25, 2013, 14:12Mo,
What do you mean by current music? Were you absorbed by a different genre of music?
Le Clown
Posted by Le Clown | February 25, 2013, 14:17I mean by music that was new and just coming out. For about five years I only listened to music from the ’60′s, ’70′s and ’80′s, not the comparatively shitty music that was coming out. I think it was actually an important stage in my musical life. You have to understand where music’s come from in order to appreciate what’s good that’s happening now, or something like that.
Posted by travellingmo | February 25, 2013, 14:40Mrs. Peel,
Thank you.
Le Clown
Posted by Le Clown | February 25, 2013, 14:41I was born in 1980. Which kind of makes the 80′s my decade too. Much prefer the music from the 80′s, personally.
In the UK, we had Margaret Thatcher. In fact, the 1980′s in the UK were pretty good for women’s lib – Queen Elizabeth II reigning on the throne alongside Margaret Thatcher running Parliament. And yet, somehow, the world forgets that women have power too and are perfectly capable of running the world. (In fact, it’s something that should come up in the argument over women bishops – without women, there’d be no men, and the current constitutional head of the Church of England is very definitely a woman who clearly has gonads of steel because she’s been doing the job for 60 years.)
Posted by faithhopechocolate | February 26, 2013, 05:59I grew up on 80′s and 90′s music. I remember the first time I saw the video for Smells Like Teen Spirit and my mind was blown. But I also love, love, love the “new wave” of the 80′s. That being said, I was born in the wrong decade entirely because I can’t get enough of classic 70′s singer/songwriters and “classic rock” of the 60′s. Did anyone say Ambrosia?!
Are you confused by my answer? I am.
Posted by Adrienne schmadrienne | February 26, 2013, 12:24From what I remember of 80s music, one definitely needs an emotional attachment in order for one boldly to state, ‘This is good.’ I’m generalising of course; there’s bound to be something genuinely good in there, it’s just that I haven’t listened to it all yet. At the moment I’m just happy when I can put something on when the kids are in the car that isn’t Barney or Hickory Dickory Dock; these include The White Stripes, Raconteurs, Kings of Leon, and even occassionally Velvet Underground and Antony and the Johnsons (the last couple being two of the bands that simply had to have existed in the world at some point).
There are many to list, but I’m not going to because I’m late as usual, and tired……I feel I should be ending on a joke…….Barry Manilow?
Posted by TheSeedSaidSo | February 27, 2013, 20:30