Tag Archives: 80s

Bryan Adams and Pee-wee Herman and reggae

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I was doing a search for rock-ish versions of Christmas songs, and found this pretty comprehensive list. I’ve also got a few random Christmas songs by bands I like in my library. I didn’t listen to all the songs on the page, but generally – meh (and to be clear, I have a serious addiction problem to collecting Christmas music). Give me my favorite band doing a Christmas song and I will still pick Bing Crosby or John Denver and the Muppets any day.

At the very end of this list, however, was this gem, which is new to me. I don’t know why Bryan Adams was the person picked to sing about “Reggae Christmas”, but what I do know is that Pee-Wee Herman has dreadlocks, and so all is right in the world.

November Five-Star Shuffle: “The Promise”

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When In Rome
When In Rome

“The Promise”
by When In Rome
from the album When In Rome
1988
Buy the album on Amazon

Aaah, one of my favorite songs ever, and a must-sing entry in the Chris/Chrance karaoke playlist. This is a song I listen to when I need a pick me up, and a song I sing when I need an ego boost and want to get the crowd in a good mood. Most people don’t know it by name, but as soon as that intro piano tinkle comes on, everyone of at least a certain age has their synapses fire with happy recognition.

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Album of the Month: Violent Femmes

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Violent FemmesViolent Femmes
by Violent Femmes
1983
Buy the album on Amazon

I was planning on a different Album of the Month, but then my friend new Kelsey and I were talking about our top 5 bands. I had mostly not heard of hers (because I’m old) and she had mostly not heard of mine (also because I’m old). Violent Femmes were on my list, and though my main thought was trying to hold back from screaming out on the subway “how do you not know who the Violent Femmes are?!”, my other thought was “if their first album is not a perfect album, then brother, I don’t know what the hell is.” So Kelsey, this is for you.

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November Five-Star Shuffle: “The Wrong Child”

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Green“The Wrong Child”
by R.E.M.
from the album Green
1998
Buy the album on Amazon

Sorry to disappointment our adoring fans, because I know I am one day late on my 5-star entry for last week, so getting it in now. And what a punch in the gut depressing entry it is. I think I’ve mentioned before that I was a big R.E.M. fan in my youth, probably up until around Automatic for the People. I don’t remember if Green was their first album I had, and I might argue that Document or Life’s Rich Pageant are better albums, but Green is still the pinnacle of their albums for me. The one that had the most impact and stuck with me the most. In fact, thinking about it now, I should probably do it as an Album of the Month at some point, so let’s get to the song.

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November Five-Star Shuffle: “Lake Shore Driving”

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Okay, here are the rules for the November theme, Chris.  Open up iTunes (it has to be a fresh open).  Go to your 5-Star playlist and hit shuffle.  Write about the first song that comes up.  No skips allowed, unless by some crazy circumstance, you hit the same song on your next post.  So here goes.  Wow…

Big Thing
Big Thing

“Lake Shore Driving”
by Duran Duran
from the album Big Thing
1988
Buy the album on Amazon

I’ve been in love with Duran Duran for years.  I came a bit late to the party, missing their early-80s works when they were crazy popular.  Big Thing was probably the album that first got me into them but I quickly added their more popular and poppier albums to my collection.  Big Thing is kind of an odd album coming off the pretty funky turn they took with 1985’s Notorious which saw the once quintet reduced to a trio.  If Big Thing is odd, then “LSD” is an accurate acronym for this weird-ass, but wonderful track. Continue reading November Five-Star Shuffle: “Lake Shore Driving” →

Album of the Month: Kick

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Kick
Kick

Kick by INXS
1987
Buy the album on Amazon

Kick by Beck’s Record Club
2010
Download the album

Lance recently posted a full length cover version of this for #CoverFriday. Courtney Barnett’s version was respectable and a cool effort, but honestly didn’t do much for me. I finally finished listening to most of the rest of it this past weekend, and was watching it on YouTube, and then noticed the Beck’s Record Club full album cover version in the related videos. I liked it enough that I was considering just featuring it, but then decided it may be overkill to still do the real Kick later, so here we are. I also just learned on the Slicing Up Eyeballs Facebook page that the album was released yesterday in 1987, so the timing is fortuitous.

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October Soundtracks: Dream a Little Dream

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Dream A Little Dream
Dream A Little Dream

Dream a Little Dream Original Soundtrack
1989
Buy the album on Amazon

This one popped into my head because of a conversation Chris and I just had about Meredith Salenger.  I don’t even remember what the conversation was, but good lord, did I have a crush on her in high school.  In fact, this stupid little movie (and it is dumb, no doubt) is maybe one of my favorite films of all time.  Let it be known, I have a crush on this movie.  It might feature the Coreys and the main single from the soundtrack might be a cover done by a soap opera star, but dang it, this movie has a hold on me.

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Cover: “House of Pain”

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Californication: Happy Endings“House of Pain”
by The White Buffalo (originally by Faster Pussycat)
from the album Happy Endings: Music from the Showtime Series Californication)
2014
Buy the album on Amazon

I got here in a roundabout way. I was watching an episode of Californication this morning and it ended with a different song which I was going to post, but looking into it opened a Pandora’s Box, so I’ll save that for another time. Looking into that got me to this EP, and this song stuck out for me as well.

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October Soundtracks: Back to the Future

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Back To The Future: Music From The Motion Picture Soundtrack
Back To The Future: Music From The Motion Picture Soundtrack

Back To The Future: Music From The Motion Picture Soundtrack
1985
Buy the album on Amazon

I had planned on going with something a little more alternative and a little more 90s for my first soundtracks post this month, but as I was glancing at my collection this guy really caught my eye.  I’m pretty sure that this was the first “rock” album I ever owned.  And I gotta say, it was a great choice for a kid who was drifting away from his country and orchestral music roots.

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Cover Friday: Kick (Album)

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Kick
Kick

Kick
by Courtney Barnett (originally by INXS)
from Pure Pop Records’ “Summer Of Classic Albums” concert series
2012
Buy the original album on Amazon

When Chris posted his “Jackson” karaoke post, he included a cover that INXS did, which got me to wondering who has covered INXS? Just as that thought popped into my head, I remembered stumbling across this video of Courtney Barnett performing the Kick album in its entirety.

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