January: 80's Pop/Rock Playlist

When most acquaintance and friends think of me, they think of music (due to the fact that most of my day is spend praising or complaining about it). Most of them closely associate 80's metal with me, but the real close few associate me with nearly every old genre of music under the sun (metal just happens to be the one i have the longest and most illustrious history with). The obvious roots of my varied taste in music lye with what my parents raised me on. My father raised me on a healthy dose of 70's hard rock (B.T.O., Boston, Alice Cooper...) and my mother raised me on mainly cheesy 80's pop and christmas music (Dire Straights, Yaz, Bing Crosby...). While these bands quickly were moved on the back burner of my listening priority list. But every once and a while the uncontrollable urge to binge on them takes over.

This month has easily been a very Introspective/Retrospective month for me. Iv gone out less and have focused a lot more energy into music, trying to better my bass playing all around, better my guitar solos and diversify my song writing more (This has all taken place while also recording with two bands, who I'm sure will be spoken about in great detail in the future). So due to the fact that I have been looking into myself, as well as the past (and being somewhat of a very productive hermit) I have spent the bulk of this month not discovering new music so much as rediscovering songs from artists I liked but often overlooked or didn't appreciate as much. This goes for 80's pop and 80's metal, some albums and songs I never payed as much attention to are now my favourite by the bands. So heres my list from the softer half of my January. My Top Ten 80's Pop/Rock Songs For January:

10. Red Rider- Human Race (1983): It was inevitable that a Canadian band would wind up on the list. When i was younger i loved Lunatic Fringe and knew Tom Cochranes solo work (was never a fan, lets be honest, Life Is A Highway is a shit song) but I wasn't familiar with anything else by Red Rider. It wasn't until recently I stumbled across this song again and had one of those 'Oh fuck this song is by them?' moments. The walking bassline and warm ambient guitar and key board sound help conjure up images of speed boats, high waisted bikinis and mountains of cocaine, which is what a good 80's pop song should do. 

9. Johnny Clegg & Juluka - African Litany (1981): I first stumbled across Johnny Clegg a few ago, either at the end of my last year of highschool or the beginning of college when I was trying to get into world music (Note: this is not world music). I was pretty into the song Scatterlings Of Africa by Johnny Clegg & Savuka for a while, but unfortunately his music didn't have a lasting effect on me like Paul Simons Graceland did (another sort of South African pop album i got heavy into around the same time, and haven't stopped listening to since). I was always more into Savuka, but recently I decided to give Juluka more of a chance, and I'm glad i did. This song in particular has managed to stick a little more then anything else iv heard by Johnny Clegg thus far. Its like a shittier South African version of a Men At Work song, and I mean that in the nicest way. Not overly drenched with synth, pretty tasteful for the time, my only gripe is that the production is a little thin. 

8. Def Leppard - Armageddon It (1987): For years I avoided this band on the basis of only having only heard Pour Some Sugar On Me (Which i still think is a totally cheesy shitty song), but by grade 11 I stumbled across a tape of On Through The Night for 40 cents and gave it a chance. I then found that they wrote kick ass catchy songs that still had enough balls to keep my attention. But I always maintained that only On Through The Night and High N' Dry were worth listening to. Once again this year I stumbled across Hysteria on tape for pocket change and decided id finally give it a chance.  While its pretty sappy and over produced, there are some undeniable catchy songs on it, none more catchy then Armageddon It. Don't let the stupid song title fool you, its as catchy as they come. 

7. Grace Jones - Use Me (1981): First off, I have a slight bias toward Grace Jones. I knew her first from James Bond and Conan, so she can almost do no wrong in my eyes and is an instant badass. Sometime last year I found out about her music and once i heard it I cant say I was surprised. Its about as weird and she is, though from how tough I was still hoping it'd be more like The Plasmatics. But I still wasn't disappointed. The reggae tinged new wave rendition of the classic Bill Withers song somehow strikes a chord. I normally hate cover that largely deviate from the original, and even though this one does that (on top of stripping away most of its groove and soul) its still oddly badass for reasons unknown (just like Grace Jones herself). 

6. Billy Squire - Emotions In Motion (1982): Ever since i watched Billy Madison as a kid, iv had a soft spot for Billy Squire (though maybe its been developed over time after being told I look like Adam Sandler when he pulls up to his first day of highschool while The Stroke is playing on multiple occasions)... Moving on, this was another impulse thrift store buy. I didn't know what to expect, but judging from the cover I hoped it was a more synth drenched 80's version of Billy Squire. While it does have some synth, its stylistically no departure from his earlier work. Upon first listen I was a little bummed it wasn't as cheesy as I hoped, but by the second listen this song caught my ear in a serious way. The simple bass groove carries this song for what seems to be a lifetime, but when it finally ends you find your self lifting the needle and starting it all over again. On top of that Freddie Mercury apparently makes a guest appearance on back up vocals for this song, further perpetuating the cool factor this song has. 

5. Gary Numan - Warriors (1983): Every one loves Cars, but if you care to look deeper into Gary Numans dense discography, you will find some gems (particularly the first 5 albums after The Pleasure Principle). The funky basslines dominated this era for Numan and this is easily most evident on the track Warriors. The deep moody synth intro perfectly opens the song up for its its smooth and funky verse and choruses, which wont exactly get stuck in your head, but will plant a seed in your mind. This seed will eventually bud and someday in the near future you will wake up with a sudden fully grown urge to crank the funky bass driven sound of Warriors, then follow it up with a quick viewing of Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome. 

4. Platinum Blonde - Red Light (1985): Take everything good about Duran Duran and The Police, add a little bit more punch and you've got Canada's own Platinum Blonde. The album this song comes off of (Alien Shores) is one of the best kept secrets. It doesn't get enough attention in AOR or New Wave circles. The only ones paying heavy attention of Platinum Blonde these days are metal heads, and even then they favour Standing In The Dark. This song is a perfect example of what the band has to offer, funky, heavy, catchy with some pretty thick production. An oddity for the band seeing as its one of few songs that seems to be led by a keyboard lick, but don't let that turn you off this song if your not a fan of heavy keyboard driven music. Im a firm believer that Platinum Blonde has something to offer for everyone. 

3. Level 42 - 43 (1981): While some would put Level 42 under the dreaded dad rock category, I certainly would not. Known more for their later Pop/New Wave material, Level 42s early works often go unnoticed (and its a god damn shame). This instrumental is a pure mixture of Jazz, Funk and New Wave (and in my opinion a perfect transition from the 70's to the 80's). The first half of this song is the manifestation of Howard Moons (from The Mighty Boosh) ideal sound. The middle section after around the 3 minute mark is like a funkier loading menu song for Wave Race. 43 is nothing short of a shining example of letting the music do all the talking, and if i could, id listen to it talk for hours. 

2. The Police - O My God (1983): This band, album and song about about as cool as they come. Some time ago I decided to dig through my mother and fathers record collection and pulled out Synchronicity. I spun it pretty heavily during the spring of 2012, but when i came back to it recently I found my self in awe of this track. From the second this song starts and you hear the light saxophone and wind like guitar sound, you know its going to be a treat. The lyrics and atmosphere of this song almost equate to an outer-bodily experience, like some how you've been mentally transported to a desert oasis where your sitting in the shade drinking apple cinnamon tea. The lyrics, the production value, the individual performances on this song are all perfect. For me there is nothing to dislike about this song. If you want a good way to start a day, don't have a coffee, listen to this track while your getting dressed or brushing your teeth. 

1. Men At Work - Overkill (1982): The only reason I played this song way more then O My God is simple, the lyrics to this song are perfect. I rarely get caught up in the lyrics to a song, as a guitar and bass player I'm all about the music (not to say lyrics aren't important, they are usually the last thing I pay attention to). Overkill is about a man who suffers from insomnia due to anxiety (presumably a personal account from Colin Hay). Due to my frequent inability to sleep, I suppose I 'get it' for once. The earnest journal entry like lyrical approach and honest vocal delivery lead me to not just like the song but respect it above all. Its a simple, straight forward, catchy pop rock song. But if you've ever had insomnia, you'll definitely have a greater appreciation for the song.