Here we go. Sorry for the delay. Was busy the last couple of days, and Saturday I spent at the movies and with family.
#80: "Here I Am" by Air Supply
Oh, boy. Air Supply.
The music opens with a light piano ballad line. It's much more focused on the piano than many Air Supply songs. There are synthesizers and some light guitar in the chorus, but the verses are basically just piano and vocals. It actually makes this song a bit more tender and less cheesy than you'd expect from an Air Supply song. Vocally, on the other hand, it is exactly what you'd expect from Air Supply, higher pitched male vocals that can sometimes sound more feminine than masculine. Not that that is a bad thing, persay, but it definitely adds to the 80's factor.
This is also different lyrically than many Air Supply songs. While most of their songs are ephemeral songs about love, this is basically the singer trying to get over a break-up. Every time he thinks he's finally over her, he basically gets overwhelmed by memories of the times they had together, and can't see a way to keep going without her.
This song is a bit of an anomaly, in that it does not sound like what you'd expect out of an Air Supply song. The vocals are the same, but the instruments are much more legitimately heartfelt than cheesy, which puts a sharp focus on the vocals, and the lyrics are basically the opposite of every other Air Supply song. Do I like it? Honestly...I kind of do. This is possibly the most emotional Air Supply song, just because it sounds like a real person singing about real emotions after a real break-up, rather than a real person singing faked emotions about fairy tale love. I hesitate to necessarily call this song "good", but it is the Air Supply song I feel the least guilt about appreciating.
#79: "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" by The Police
Not much I can really say about The Police that you don't already know if you've listened to any early 80's music.
The music starts with a piano and guitar line. The music is a lot more pop than you'd expect from The Police. That doesn't make it bad, but having a more piano-driven song takes away from that Police feel. It's a good piano line, but still. Vocally, on the other hand, there is no confusing Sting for someone else. He has a distinct vocal style, combining a relatively high pitch with a slurred accent. You can still understand what he says, but it makes him stand out from the crowd.
This is, essentially, a love song. There is a part where he sings about being afraid to propose to her, but the majority of the song is singing about, well, look at the title. There are some darker tones to the song, like his statements that his life before her was not a happy one, but it's basically just a love song with a somewhat darker feel.
It's not that I don't like this song, but it just doesn't sound like a song by The Police. It sounds like Sting was loaned out to a new wave band, who happened to be doing a love song, and told to be their guest vocalist. The lyrics are fairly generic, even with Sting trying to put a darker twist on it, and the music, while solid, is not what you expect when you put on The Police. It doesn't make this a bad song, but it's just not what I want out of The Police.
#78: "Crimson and Clover" by Joan Jett and The Blackhearts
Huh. I've heard three songs by this band, but this is not one of them. The ones I've heard are "Bad Reputation" (thank you, Shrek), "I Hate Myself For Loving You", and of course, "I Love Rock and Roll". I should also point out that this is a cover song, with the original being done in 1968 by Tommy James and The Shondells, but as I've not heard the original, I won't be comparing the two versions.
The music mostly is driven by electric guitar, as normal by this band. It's much slower than many of their songs, other than the brief breakdowns/guitar solos, putting much more focus on Joan Jett's voice. Her vocals are surprisingly strong, showing that when she needs to have a slower paced song, she can pull it off. She almost sounds like a cross between Janis Joplin's rasp and pitch, along with the almost bored, slurring tones of Morrisey.
Actually, I have heard this song. This song...yeah, it's about sex. Tommy James claimed that he just liked the color and flower, and decided to write a song using them, but come on. "Crimson and clover, over and over" does not exactly sound like innocent lyrics to me.
OK, so this song is one of the most blatantly sexual, yet metaphorically so, songs ever written. Nothing wrong with that. The music is pretty good, and Joan Jett has a very different approach to this song compared to other Joan Jett songs, making it work somewhat. It's not a deep song, obviously, but as a bit of a trip-out, "what the hell am I listening to" song, this is not a bad place to go. Over and over.
#77: "Yesterday's Songs" by Neil Diamond
I reviewed several Neil Diamond songs for my 1981 list. They ranged from "meh" ("America") to way too bitter and cynical for me ("Love on the Rocks"). We'll see if this one improves on that.
The music is a bit different than the other Neil Diamond songs that I heard. There is a little bit of guitar thrown in, but it's mostly driven by a repetitive, if happy, piano line. Quite clearly, this is not a song that relies on the music to hold interest, even if it might be the only Neil Diamond song with a guitar solo. Vocally, Neil Diamond is not bad, if you are into the crooner style. He has a clean tone of voice, and you can practically picture him on stage a la Sinatra.
This is another love song. Neil Diamond is basically saying that while some things change over time, and don't apply consistently, like news and songs changing from day to day, the good things never change, like him saying "I love you".
This is probably my favorite out of the Neil Diamond songs I've heard, but I'm not sure if I'd listen to it again. The lyrics are what really push this song up, simply by being heartwarming and sincere rather than incredibly cynical. That said, Neil Diamond is a bit too "Sinatra Lite" for me, and the music isn't enough to hold my interest and make me want to listen to it again. Just not my thing.
76: "Empty Garden (Hey Hey Johnny)" by Elton John
Oh, boy! Elton John! I actually like him a fair bit, although he's had some rocky periods.
This is an Elton John song. I'm sure I'm not going to blow anyone's mind by saying that the music is piano driven. I'm probably also not going to shock anyone by saying that the piano line is pretty good. It's a bit simple to start, but it sounds pretty, gets more complex over time, and accompanies Elton John pretty well. Speaking of Elton John, his vocals here are pretty solid. He doesn't show a ton of range, although he is capable of a pretty wide range. He more than makes up for it with the emotion in voice.
This is not a very happy song. It was written by Bernie Taupin as a tribute to John Lennon. The "empty garden" is a reference to Madison Square Garden, the location of the last live show John Lennon held. Despite being a good friend of John Lennon, as well as being the godfather of Sean Lennon, Elton John felt a tribute to John Lennon would be "clumsy". Obviously, once he saw the lyrics, he changed his mind.
I'm happy that he did. This is not a happy song, but it packs an emotional punch, and is a very sweet tribute to not just John Lennon himself, but to his legacy. You can tell, listening to the lyrics, that Elton John truly felt that the world was worse off having lost John Lennon. Combine that with the emotion in Elton John's voice and some rather heartfelt piano, and you have a great tribute to a...well, John Lennon wasn't a great man, but his death is saddening nonetheless.
That was a pretty good list. Only one song I didn't really enjoy, and that was followed up by a fantastic song.
Previously: #85-81 [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.857440-1982-Billboard-Top-100-85-81]
Next: #75-71 [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.858121-1982-Billboard-Top-100-75-71]
#80: "Here I Am" by Air Supply
Oh, boy. Air Supply.
The music opens with a light piano ballad line. It's much more focused on the piano than many Air Supply songs. There are synthesizers and some light guitar in the chorus, but the verses are basically just piano and vocals. It actually makes this song a bit more tender and less cheesy than you'd expect from an Air Supply song. Vocally, on the other hand, it is exactly what you'd expect from Air Supply, higher pitched male vocals that can sometimes sound more feminine than masculine. Not that that is a bad thing, persay, but it definitely adds to the 80's factor.
This is also different lyrically than many Air Supply songs. While most of their songs are ephemeral songs about love, this is basically the singer trying to get over a break-up. Every time he thinks he's finally over her, he basically gets overwhelmed by memories of the times they had together, and can't see a way to keep going without her.
This song is a bit of an anomaly, in that it does not sound like what you'd expect out of an Air Supply song. The vocals are the same, but the instruments are much more legitimately heartfelt than cheesy, which puts a sharp focus on the vocals, and the lyrics are basically the opposite of every other Air Supply song. Do I like it? Honestly...I kind of do. This is possibly the most emotional Air Supply song, just because it sounds like a real person singing about real emotions after a real break-up, rather than a real person singing faked emotions about fairy tale love. I hesitate to necessarily call this song "good", but it is the Air Supply song I feel the least guilt about appreciating.
#79: "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" by The Police
Not much I can really say about The Police that you don't already know if you've listened to any early 80's music.
The music starts with a piano and guitar line. The music is a lot more pop than you'd expect from The Police. That doesn't make it bad, but having a more piano-driven song takes away from that Police feel. It's a good piano line, but still. Vocally, on the other hand, there is no confusing Sting for someone else. He has a distinct vocal style, combining a relatively high pitch with a slurred accent. You can still understand what he says, but it makes him stand out from the crowd.
This is, essentially, a love song. There is a part where he sings about being afraid to propose to her, but the majority of the song is singing about, well, look at the title. There are some darker tones to the song, like his statements that his life before her was not a happy one, but it's basically just a love song with a somewhat darker feel.
It's not that I don't like this song, but it just doesn't sound like a song by The Police. It sounds like Sting was loaned out to a new wave band, who happened to be doing a love song, and told to be their guest vocalist. The lyrics are fairly generic, even with Sting trying to put a darker twist on it, and the music, while solid, is not what you expect when you put on The Police. It doesn't make this a bad song, but it's just not what I want out of The Police.
#78: "Crimson and Clover" by Joan Jett and The Blackhearts
Huh. I've heard three songs by this band, but this is not one of them. The ones I've heard are "Bad Reputation" (thank you, Shrek), "I Hate Myself For Loving You", and of course, "I Love Rock and Roll". I should also point out that this is a cover song, with the original being done in 1968 by Tommy James and The Shondells, but as I've not heard the original, I won't be comparing the two versions.
The music mostly is driven by electric guitar, as normal by this band. It's much slower than many of their songs, other than the brief breakdowns/guitar solos, putting much more focus on Joan Jett's voice. Her vocals are surprisingly strong, showing that when she needs to have a slower paced song, she can pull it off. She almost sounds like a cross between Janis Joplin's rasp and pitch, along with the almost bored, slurring tones of Morrisey.
Actually, I have heard this song. This song...yeah, it's about sex. Tommy James claimed that he just liked the color and flower, and decided to write a song using them, but come on. "Crimson and clover, over and over" does not exactly sound like innocent lyrics to me.
OK, so this song is one of the most blatantly sexual, yet metaphorically so, songs ever written. Nothing wrong with that. The music is pretty good, and Joan Jett has a very different approach to this song compared to other Joan Jett songs, making it work somewhat. It's not a deep song, obviously, but as a bit of a trip-out, "what the hell am I listening to" song, this is not a bad place to go. Over and over.
#77: "Yesterday's Songs" by Neil Diamond
I reviewed several Neil Diamond songs for my 1981 list. They ranged from "meh" ("America") to way too bitter and cynical for me ("Love on the Rocks"). We'll see if this one improves on that.
The music is a bit different than the other Neil Diamond songs that I heard. There is a little bit of guitar thrown in, but it's mostly driven by a repetitive, if happy, piano line. Quite clearly, this is not a song that relies on the music to hold interest, even if it might be the only Neil Diamond song with a guitar solo. Vocally, Neil Diamond is not bad, if you are into the crooner style. He has a clean tone of voice, and you can practically picture him on stage a la Sinatra.
This is another love song. Neil Diamond is basically saying that while some things change over time, and don't apply consistently, like news and songs changing from day to day, the good things never change, like him saying "I love you".
This is probably my favorite out of the Neil Diamond songs I've heard, but I'm not sure if I'd listen to it again. The lyrics are what really push this song up, simply by being heartwarming and sincere rather than incredibly cynical. That said, Neil Diamond is a bit too "Sinatra Lite" for me, and the music isn't enough to hold my interest and make me want to listen to it again. Just not my thing.
76: "Empty Garden (Hey Hey Johnny)" by Elton John
Oh, boy! Elton John! I actually like him a fair bit, although he's had some rocky periods.
This is an Elton John song. I'm sure I'm not going to blow anyone's mind by saying that the music is piano driven. I'm probably also not going to shock anyone by saying that the piano line is pretty good. It's a bit simple to start, but it sounds pretty, gets more complex over time, and accompanies Elton John pretty well. Speaking of Elton John, his vocals here are pretty solid. He doesn't show a ton of range, although he is capable of a pretty wide range. He more than makes up for it with the emotion in voice.
This is not a very happy song. It was written by Bernie Taupin as a tribute to John Lennon. The "empty garden" is a reference to Madison Square Garden, the location of the last live show John Lennon held. Despite being a good friend of John Lennon, as well as being the godfather of Sean Lennon, Elton John felt a tribute to John Lennon would be "clumsy". Obviously, once he saw the lyrics, he changed his mind.
I'm happy that he did. This is not a happy song, but it packs an emotional punch, and is a very sweet tribute to not just John Lennon himself, but to his legacy. You can tell, listening to the lyrics, that Elton John truly felt that the world was worse off having lost John Lennon. Combine that with the emotion in Elton John's voice and some rather heartfelt piano, and you have a great tribute to a...well, John Lennon wasn't a great man, but his death is saddening nonetheless.
That was a pretty good list. Only one song I didn't really enjoy, and that was followed up by a fantastic song.
Previously: #85-81 [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.857440-1982-Billboard-Top-100-85-81]
Next: #75-71 [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.858121-1982-Billboard-Top-100-75-71]
