We Don't Need Another Hero

I'm not quite sure how I got to Tina Turner's "We Don't Need Another Hero" on YouTube, but it may have been the result of my browsing through Songfacts, looking at titles by year.  This song is the theme to the 1985 movie Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome -- which, by the way, I never saw.  It's okay, because I was young enough in 1985 that the movie would have scared the daylights out of me.  In fact, the video did at the time, which is why it is so ironic that 28 years later, I can't stop watching it!  Anyway, Tina Turner starred in the movie with Mel Gibson, and wouldn't you know, I never realized that until now.  I just thought the song was all Tina, singing about the movie's plot.  And, might I add, that Ms. Tuner looks fierce in this video.  That's right.  With all due respect, she was fierce long before Beyoncé... 

Taking a closer look at the video and song, they are a perfect match.  The song begins with what sounds like pan flute, accompanied by simple drum and bass guitar lines.  That is really all you need.  It's quite subdued, and as the video begins, we catch a glimpse of Tina Tuner.  I should say THE Tina Tuner.  Her legendary voice begins -- so controlled, focused, and mesmerizingly soulful.  We get through the first verse and onto a chorus which explodes with the power of Ms. Tuner's voice -- but this is only the beginning.  I was sure I heard timpani between her vocal lines in the chorus, too.  The musical fireball builds, and we get to the bridge, where Tina's voice could power an entire village.  "So what do we do with our lives?  We leave only -- a mark.  Will our story shine like a light? Or end in the dark?  Give it all or nothing!"  And boom!  Our of the ruins, a tenor saxophone!!!!!  Tina brings him in, matching his first line - "Doot-do, doot-do, doot-do, doooooo-dooooooo."  One more round of the chorus, and "All the children say -- We don't need another heee-ro."  Harken, there is a chorus of angels.  I mean, it's really the King's House School Choir from South London, but WOW!  Now that is one vocal supernova between the kids and Tina.  And then, the song ends with one last word from Tina, "Thunderdome..."  Well, we don't need another hero.  Nope, it IS Tina Turner!

Everywhere

It's embarrassing that I have been away from Becky's World for so long.  I'm not sure why I took such a long hiatus, but I am back and ready to share more great music with you.

Can you hear me calling -- out your name...  I know that I'm (hum hum), and I don't know what to say...  

Well, that's pretty much how I hear the lyrics to Fleetwood Mac's "Everywhere," but it's okay.  You see, I've always been so entranced by the awesome bass guitar line that I simply didn't pay much attention to the lyrics.  I can remember when the song was released in 1988.  It was okay -- kind of catchy and upbeat, but it was that incredible bass line that always seemed to grab me.  I can't say that I remember the video, so I was a bit perplexed when I revisited it this evening.  It's a bit hard to follow, at least in terms of the song and lyrics.  "Everywhere" is a simple love song about a woman who is in love with a man and, well, she wants to be with him everywhere.  The video is kind of an odd story set in what appears to be the 18th century.  I'm not sure I follow the plot at all, but the video is supposed to follow the poem "The Highwayman" by Alfred Noyes.  Check out the poem if you haven't already.  I actually just took a look, and now it makes sense.  I still think (considering the tinkling of the chimes in the song's intro) that the video calls for more of the band and an air of mystical, magical something.  I can visualize glitter and translucent scarves -- maybe a man and woman in love, with the woman following him around.

Anyway, I found a video of the group performing this song live a few years ago.  Truly amazing!  Oddly enough, it isn't the video that held me in awe as much as the clarity of lines in the recording.  You can really hear Lindsey Buckingham's lead guitar, Steve Nicks harmonizing on back-up vocals, and even Christine McVie playing maracas.  When I watched this, I saw some "suggested videos," including a three part "Master Class" with Stevie on Oprah's Network.  I thought, "Cool!  A masterclass with Stevie Nicks!"  In the classical world, that means that several students play for an artist, and the artist coaches them through their pieces.  This was more of a video interview/retrospective, but boy was it amazing.  Check it out if you have time.  I'm still feeling moved by Stevie's experience.  Touching and incredible.  You can find the three-part video on YouTube.  It's a must-see in my opinion.

Live from Daryl's House - The Remedy

So, I was on the plane back from NAMM, listening to an '80s station on Sirius radio, and this one Daryl Hall and John Oates tune came on -- "Adult Education."  I hadn't heard the song in ages, and quite frankly, I didn't really know what it was about since I didn't know the lyrics.  Anyway, long story short, I checked out the video on YouTube this afternoon and am still trying to figure it out.  I mean, I understand the song, but I didn't quite get the concept behind the video, which kind of had an Indiana Jones feel.  Meanwhile, I stumbled upon a version of the song from "Live From Daryl's House," which is a terrific show that I had no idea was on!  It's a webcast from Daryl Hall's house, which I think is a restored farmhouse out in Dutchess County, NY.  Actually, I read that there were two 18th century houses that he bought, combined, and moved there from CT.

Anyway, once I discovered this show's website, I had to poke around and look through some episodes.  Chances are, I will post more from the show in the future, because there are some terrific clips and episodes.  I watched the episode with Jason Mraz and loved this version of "The Remedy."  It's such an upbeat song to begin with, and this performance looks like they are having so much fun.  I did a bit of research, because I never knew what the song was about.  Turns out it was inspired by a friend of Jason Mraz's who had cancer.  It's definitely a positive song about living your life to the fullest and not worrying.  All I knew was that I was certainly all for a song with the lyrics "this is a dangerous liason..."  Yeah!  It's not everyday that you hear that in a popular song.  In fact, I don't think I have even heard "liason" in a song.  Two thumbs up!  This is a terrific performance, and now that I have discovered the show, I will have to check out more episodes.  I know the songs are not all "80s," but since Daryl Hall was so popular in that decade, well, I think it's alright to include here!

Gypsy

Took me a while to decide on a song this evening.  In fact,  I was watching all these videos and looking through Songfacts to see what I could find of interest.  Clock was ticking, and it was getting later, and later, and so I decided on something kind of mellow.  Plus, it's about time for another Fleetwood Mac tune.  They are one of my favorites, and I've always admired Stevie Nicks.  I hear this song more on the radio now than I did when it first came out in 1982.  I do remember seeing the video several times on MTV.  It didn't scare me, but it did make me feel a bit sad, mostly because Stevie is dancing in the rain -- just kind of spinning and twirling.  It seems o be in some kind of slow motion, too.  For some reason, I found it very saddening at the time, although now it doesn't seem so bad.  Seems kind of nostalgic, actually.

Anyway, I hadn't paid much attention to the lyrics until now.  Turns out the song is about Stevie's close friend who was dying of leukemia.  I think (after reading the lyrics) that you can almost feel the time pass through the woman's illness, death, and to the days afterward.  Still kind of sad, but the guitar, harmonies, and Stevie's vocal quality make the song feel very calming and peaceful.  I suppose that was the point.  I am glad that I've come to discover this song and that it is getting so much airplay even to this day.  It's just a nice, calming song -- and not too depressing if you don't pay attention to the lyrics ;)

I Can't Go for That

 
Well, once again I have come to a tune with a debatable release date.  "I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)" by Daryl Hall and John Oates was released in 1982 according to the Songfacts website, but it was on the album Private Eyes, which was released in 1981.  So, I am going with 1981.  That seems correct to me.  I was pretty young, so I don't remember this song too well from back when it was released.  I think I probably became familiar with it later in the '80s.  It is supposedly one of the top 100 tunes of the 1980s, and I can believe it.

So, this song is pretty much about a man and a woman in a relationship.  She uses her body tand now she wants his soul, but he won't think about it -- say no go.  I'm sitting here wondering what "that" is that he can't go for.  I am thinking it might be cheating and coming back.  That seems to be a hot topic in many '80s songs.  Some people take the cheater back, and some can't go for that, no can do.  I can't be 100% sure that he is talking about cheating, but it seems from the song that she might be the type of woman to go out and cheat and then come back and still want to have a relationship.  Not sure.  In fact, I wasn't even sure that there was an alto sax solo in this, because when I listened to it, it sure sounded like tenor to me.  In the video, there is an alto, but in many live performances, it's tenor.  I, personally, prefer tenor because it has a richer, darker tone.  Meanwhile, this song is supposedly the first to use a drum machine, which I think really gives it it's groove.  I also happen to like the mystical, tinkly synthesized part in the beginning.  You can hear that throughout the song as well.  In fact, this tune has so many musical layers -- it is amazing.  Now, I can go for that!

Rock Me Amadeus

There's some debate as to whether Falco's "Rock Me Amadeus" was released in 1985 or 1986, but I seem to remember it being when I was young, so I'm guessing 1985.  Not that there is a big difference, but for me the difference was between age 10 and 11, and this video and song scared the daylights out of me.  For that very reason, I'm guessing I was only 10 when it came out.  At that age, I was just on the cusp of being scared or not scared of things like freaky synthesized pop.  That plus the crazy rainbow wig in the video just threw me over the edge in terms of fright.  Listening to the song today, I think the synthesized ostinato may have contributed subconsciously as well.

It's kind of ironic that I would be afraid of something that would become such an integral part of my life.  At that age, I had just started playing clarinet.  Who would have thought that I would grow-up to become a professional musician, playing Mozart K.191 and 622 over and over and over...  I love Mozart's music, don't get me wrong -- all of it.  His chamber wind music, wind concertos, operas, symphonies -- they are all the foundation from which we learn much of what we need to know as classical musicians.  Anyway, back to the tune.  So, my older brother loved this song and could recite the spoken part verbatim.  He said that was how he remembered all the important dates in Mozart's life.  As for me, well, I had those dates ingrained in my head after many years of music schooling.  Now that I listen to the song again, I realize that that may be the only part we could recite, because the rest of the lyrics are kind of an English-German hybrid.  Of course, we get the gist of it all, and we can certainly understand the chorus and other repeated lines -- "Baby, baby do it to me, rock me, baby, baby do it to me, rock me..."  "Ooooh -- rock me, Amedeus..."  Kind of silly and tongue-in-cheek for sure.  Oddly enough, I never saw the movie, but I will put that on my to-do list!  There are two videos that I found rather interesting -- the movie version and the extended American mix.  They are very different, so I am including them both.  The extended one is certainly, well, you'll see.  Good thing I was so young when this came out and completely unaware of any of the stuff in the extended mix video.  Wow.  Enjoy!

We Didn't Start the Fire

Well, since I wrote about Marconi in my last post, I was inspired to look at another 80s tune with historical names -- lots of historical names.  "We Didn't Start the Fire" was written by Billy Joel in 1989, which is much later than I originally thought.  I guess it works out well since it is a historical retrospective montage, so it makes sense to have it end in the last year of a decade.  Hard to believe that 24 years have gone by since it was written!  Wow.  Anyway, this is not the kind of tune you can easily sing in your car or at karaoke, but nevertheless, it would be a challenge in both cases (especially karaoke).  Have you ever sung karaoke, finding yourself scrambling to get all the words in as they go by the screen?  I admit that I have.  It's pretty fun.

I think we all know that this song is kind of a giant poem with some accompaniment rather than a song in the melodic sense.  Does it have a melody?  Well, only if you count the chorus.  Meanwhile, the video for this tune is awesome.  I was blown away by the quality of the video in terms of direction, acting, etc.  It seems to have a plot as well, since we follow a family through all these decades.  I watched it and thought, "Hey, isn't that Marlee Matlin in there?"  Come to find out, it is!  She was the one burning her bra in the '60s/70s part and thumbing her nose to her family.  I think she may also have been the girl on the table getting her prom dress hemmed just before the bra burning scene, but I can't really confirm this.  Rewinding just a but further, I have to say that I was just a bit bugged that the mom in the 50s/60s part is popping pills because of her child playing violin.  That's not fair!  I guess I never noticed that when I was younger, because back in '89, I had never even seen stringed instruments up close and personal.  It's alright, though.  We'll let that one slide in the name of art.  As for Mr. Joel, well, we know he is a musical genius, and this song is just kind of a neat little anomaly in his catalog.  I'll probably write about more of his songs later, but for now, we can all challenge ourselves to sing along with this!

We Built This City

So, the other night I was listening to Pandora radio on my computer, and "We Built This City" came on.  It's not surprising since I listen to "80s Radio" on there 100 percent of the time.  I have to say that I believe my perspective has changed over the years, and I guess I hadn't noticed until I heard this song again.  It was a HUGE hit in the '80s, specifically in 1985 when it was released.  I remember thinking it was so cool because it had a radio announcer in it.  Turns out that was an MTV exec playing a radio announcer, but nevertheless, it was awesome.  The song seemed to be a rock anthem in many respects -- not really like a hard rock song that is so popular it becomes an anthem, but rather a song supporting rock music.  It's upbeat, and kind of a "hey, we're not going anywhere" type of song.

The lyrics are pretty interesting, and not really complicated or elaborate, but just very thorough for a rock tune.  I guess it's more of a pop tune.  Well, maybe it's best classified as "Top 40" for the day.  Anyway, I thought for years they were singing "My Coney plays the mamba..."  My Coney?  Like Coney Island?  I wasn't sure, and I certainly couldn't understand why those would be the lyrics, but that's what I thought!  Much later, I discovered simply from listening, that it was "Marconi plays the mamba...."  AHA!  Okay, that makes much more sense.  Marconi, father/inventor of the radio.  Yup.  Got it.  There are a couple of other lines I misheard, but that was the funniest.  I did hear "corporation games," though, which makes me say "right on!" especially since I can understand that now.  "Someone's always playing corporation games...who cares they're always changing corporation names."  I can certainly hear and relate to those lyrics very well today.

This tune does make me smile, and it is pretty "fun," but I've discovered "Somebody to Love" by listening to Nights with Alice Cooper.  I think I probably heard it a few times in my youth (I seem to remember my parents having that record), but now I can really appreciate it from a musical and lyrical standpoint.  I think it's a better representation of the root of Starship -- Jefferson Airplane.  I'm not sure of the whole evolution, but I do like this one so much more now.  So, I've included them both.  Hope you enjoy the retrospective.

Something Happened on the Way to Heaven

I have to admit that I wasn't a huge Phil Collins/Genesis fan in the 80s, but there were a couple of songs that sparked my attention back then.  Now that I am older, I can certainly appreciate his music and unyielding talent.  He is a true master of the musical craft.

So, something happened on the way to heaven, and the story unfolds through the lyrics.  Actually, it's quite simple -- he had a love, lost her, and now he wants her back.  How many times can he say he's sorry?!  Well, just a couple, and we hear it in the chorus -- which is also where Phil Collins is supported by the harmonies of his back-up singers.  Ah yes, the back-up singers...  Back in the day, many stars broke onto the scene via that route.  There certainly was no shame in that gig, because it either led to a solo career or the simple joy of joining forces with great singers day after day.  In addition to the supporting vocalists in this song, there is an amazing brass section that I just could not miss as an instrumentalist myself.  Wow.  That is some terrific trumpet and a really tight section.  Blows my mind that they make it seem so easy...  And speaking of easy, the intro of this song sounds quite similar to "Easy Lover," giving you the feeling that something of epic proportions is about to happen.  Will it be Phil Collins flying in on a plane with Phillip Bailey like in the "Easy Lover" video?  No, but it is something better -- song writing of epic proportions with a dynamite instrumental and vocal ensemble to support Mr. Collins.  Kudos big time here.   I don't quite get the whole dog thing in the video, although s/he is pretty cute.  I think the live performance element in the video would have been just fine by itself, but maybe something happened on the way to production, and the dog's role was born.  I'm not sure, but I certainly am curious...

Couldn't help thinking of Rowlf when the dog played the piano in this video.

Armageddon It

Well, I am long, long overdue for a post here at Becky's World.  I took a bit of a hiatus over the holidays and will try to get back into the swing of daily posts.  Meanwhile, since we all made it to 2013, I thought it would be the perfect chance to talk about one of my favorite Def Leppard tunes, "Armageddon It."  Yes, it is a play on words (Are you gettin' it?  Yes, Armageddon it).  Pretty cool, and with this awesomely guitar-saturated rock anthem, "Armageddon It" is the perfect phrase to have fun with in this tune.  In fact, it seems pretty clear as to what the song references (in terms of "gettin' it), so why not take charge of the opportunity to play around with words?  If you read the lyrics, it seems to be an overture to someone who seems all fired up and ready but then hesitates to "trigger the gun."  So, nothing left to do at this point but cut to the chase:

Gimme all of your lovin', ev'ry little bit
Gimme all that you got, ev'ry bit of it
Ev'ry bit of your lovin', oh, c'mon live a bit
Never want it to stop

Pretty '80s looking jacks here

Makes perfect sense to me!  And you just have to love a song that uses the term "lovin'."  Yeah, only in rock lyrics can one be so creative.  I mean, I don't think that would be realistic in casual conversation...  So, it's great to hear it in this tune.  I must admit that I never realized that "jumpin' jack" was part of the lyrics, though.  Kind of reminds me of playing jacks back in the '80s.  Anyway, I hope you'll enjoy this tune and video as much as I do.  Gotta love the big bear slippers on Joe Elliott at the end of the video, too.  I think I may have bought those for my dad or brother back in the day.  I'm definitely gettin' every bit of the nostalgia from this video...  Thank you, Def Leppard -- rock on!

Bad Reputation

I wasn't sure what to write about this evening, so I started browsing through some tunes from 1980.  Have to say that I wasn't too excited about any one of them in particular tonight.  In fact, I think I found some of them to be a little on the cheesy side.  It's no fault to the singers, though, because even someone like Diana Ross can get stuck with a tune that is just downright silly.  Sometimes, it just happens...

Anyway, somehow I came across Joan Jett's "Bad Reputation," which was written just one year later in 1981.  Now, this is a classic tune that just about sums it up for me.  Yeah, I don't give a d@mn 'bout my reputation either, so this is perfect!  I'm just a clarinet player and not anywhere near as rockingly awesome as Joan Jett, but this message is probably shared by more than you'd think.  I noticed recently that Miley Cyrus covered this tune, and I even saw a video of her performing with Joan Jett.  Poor Joan.  No offense to anyone's creativity or artistic freedom, but Miley Cyrus?  Come on.  All I can think about is bubble gum and popcorn.  I just don't see Miley coming anywhere close to the renegade spirit of Joan Jett.  Teenaged rebellion just isn't the same, and I don't think Miley's hairdos or tattoos really are all that shockingly rebellious.  Anyway, back to Joan Jett.  SHE ROCKS!  Yup -- that about says it all.  The song was inspired by her search for a record company and the advice given to her by her producer Kenny Laguna.  She wasn't going to change for anyone, regardless of how many companies wouldn't sign her because of her "bad reputation."  Yeah -- right on, Joan.  I hear you loud and clear.  That message is so meaningful today -- and probably shared by even more than it was in 1981.  Let's face it, there is so much nonsense in the world today, and so many people talking about what is politically correct or not. Sometimes, you just have to say, "I don't give a d@mn" about what people think.  "A girl can do what she wants to do, and that's what I'm gonna do!"  You can, too -- just turn this tune on and crank it up!

Pat Benatar Live in NH

Finishing up with the series of concert videos here.  Pat Benatar was actually the second act to go on for the concert with Loverboy and Journey.  There was quite a long intermission to change the stage set after Loverboy and before Pat Benatar, yet oddly enough, she did not have an elaborate stage set at all.  Nope -- just Pat and her husband Neil Giraldo (on guitar) as the main focus.  When she came out on stage, it was quite thrilling.  Such a tiny lady with a huge voice -- and so much mystique and rock and roll power!  I remember seeing an interview with her, and the interviewer asked, "So how can we be as cool as you?"  She said, "it's all in the pointing," and proceeded to demonstrate her famous awesomely cool pointing technique.  I believe she said that it "makes you look tough."  Works for me!  I'm going to practice that now.  In the meantime, I hope you enjoy these videos.  I am so glad I saw her -- finally!

Journey Live in NH

Well, somehow time has escaped me again, and I am ashamed that it has been a month since I went to see Journey, Loverboy, and Pat Benatar in Manchester, NH.  I took several short videos with my Blackberry but had trouble uploading them directly from my computer -- so I added them to my YouTube channel.  I know they aren't the clearest or the best quality, but I think they certainly capture the excitement and general essence of the concert.  I can't tell you how blown away I was when Journey took the stage.  They basically exploded onto the stage with "Anyway You Want It."  I honestly felt like I was going to pop out of my seat - which I did!  I stood for their whole set, just mesmerized in a Journey trance.  The new lead singer is so full of energy, and the veteran band members are nothing short of amazing.  I hope you enjoy the videos!

Loverboy Live!

So -- it has again been much too long since my last post.  I apologize and have something special to post now!  Last night, I went to hear Journey, Pat Benatar, and Loverboy.  I have about 8 videos total, so here is the one of Loverboy's "Turn Me Loose."  I thought I had recorded "Working for the Weekend," but it didn't record.  Oh well.  It was really my first try at recording anything in length with the Blackberry.  It was a GREAT show.  Go see them if you can!

Time (Clock of the Heart)

This evening I was looking for an '80s song with a saxophone solo -- only because I just felt like hearing some good ol' '80s style pop sax.  Seems like every song in the decade had saxophone, but when I looked up a list on Songfacts, I was quite disappointed.  Seemed like the list was way too short.  Somehow, I stumbled on to Time (Clock of the Heart) by Culture Club.  This tune has a huge sax solo which I had forgotten about, so bingo -- I fulfilled my wish.  I had guesstimated that the song was released in 1985, but boy was I off.  It was released in 1982, which meant I was pretty young.  In fact, it was my pre-clarinet time, and I think I was in the third grade.  That all may seem inconsequential, but it helps make sense of my perspective.  I remember when Culture Club came out in the U.S., and they seemed really different.  Boy George was a guy?  Woman?  We didn't really know.  Funny thing was, it didn't seem to matter back then.  There were plenty of male rock and pop singers wearing make-up, and that was alright.  They looked good.  Boy George wore a bit more color, and I guess we knew he was a guy, but he was a pop singer, so really, rules didn't exactly apply.

Anyway, I listened to the song this evening and couldn't believe how awesome the bass guitar line was in this.  How could I have missed this all these years?  Well, as mentioned, the song came out before my clarinet playing, so I wasn't really keen on things like that.  In fact, a "bass line" would have been completely foreign to my ears and musical knowledge at that time.  Now, it is certainly prominent, and it's a darn good one.  I also like the synthesized strings in the beginning with a touch of bells.  I bet Culture Club could perform with a live orchestra, and this would sound terrific.  It's hard to put your finger on just what makes British music from this time so distinctive, but I think it's difficult because the music seems to have a mix of so many stylistic elements.  The vocal harmonies (complete with back-up singers) seem to hint at R&B style, and the relaxed strings are almost reminiscent of '70s dance music.  And, of course, the saxophone solo definitely gives it a Top 40, pop feel.  I really like this song, regardless of everything that one might think about the group now -- and Boy George.  The lyrics are pretty straightforward, too.  Sounds like it's about a relationship that didn't work out, but the cool bass line makes it seem all okay.  "And time makes lovers feel, like they've got somethin' real..."  Yeah!  You know how much I love when song lyrics include words like "lovers" and "romance" or "romancing."  It's all so glamorous and unrealistic for regular speech.  Thank goodness for the '80s...  Gotta love those clocks in the video, too.  Swatch watch, anyone?  Let me grab my three and put them all on the same arm ;)

These little plastic watches were so expensive, but we had to have them!

Sister Christian

This Night Ranger tune from 1983 is undoubtedly one of THE absolute best '80s anthems.  I can't believe I haven't already posted about it, but there's no time like the present -- especially since it's late at night and the song is by Night Ranger ;)  Anyway, this song was written by the band's drummer, Kelly Keagy, about his younger sister. She was 10 years younger, and so he wrote about how she was growing up so fast -- just like the lyrics say.  Yeah, I can understand this since I have two siblings who are much younger.  So, this particular tune is poignant and sweet, or maybe bittersweet.  It's hard to watch your little sister or brother grow up, but hey, what better way to express yourself than in song, right?  This song has such a beautiful piano intro, and the vocals are strong and clear.  As we get further along toward the chorus, the guitar comes in with a kind of "motoring" pulse accompanied by the drums, and then bam!  "You're motoring...what's your price for flight...in finding Mister Right...you'll be alright tonight."  I have to say, that is right on.  It gets everyone up and rocking, but I have to say that this part of the song was kind of ruined for me with "Boogie Nights."  You know the scene I'm talking about?  The drugged up crazy dude playing air guitar and singing to this?  Well, I am going to listen to this song over and over and push that image further and further away!

The video for this tune is also nicely produced and goes well with the song's lyrics.  I always wonder, though, why is it that high school always looks so much cooler on film?  Whether it's a movie, television show, or music video, I tell you -- high school in those arenas looks so much more exciting and glamorous than mine ever was.  Oh well.  I guess if I really use my imagination, I can think of my high school days in slow motion or some other cinematic way to make it better.  Well, no motoring for me when I was that age.  I took the bus and spent my nights at home playing clarinet -- oh, and listening to '80s music :)

The Search is Over

Okay, I realize I am delinquent again in my blogging.  Bad, bad Becky...  I have no excuse.  In fact, I blog for my company every week -- four blogs in fact.  I think that's why I get so pooped out by the time I get home.  What's funny is that I started that part of my job because of this blog, so...  I better get back to this!

Anyway, I have wanted to write about Survivor's "The Search is Over" for quite some time.  It is truly a beautiful song, and the more I listen to it, the more I like it.  I thought the lead singer had written it, but it turns out that Jim Peterik did.  I didn't know much about Jim, so I did a bit of research.  Of course, I came across his Facebook page and several photos with Mindi Abair, which made me very jealous.  I am a single reed player, too, but I will probably never have the chance to hob-nob with rock royalty like she does now.  Alas, I will get over my jealousy.  There's still time.  Ann Wilson plays flute, and I work for a flute company, so...

Anyway, back to the song.  Can you believe that for the longest time, I had the wrong lyrics in my head?  Yeah, amazing, I know.  Just kidding.  I think by now we all know that this often times happens to me.  In this tune, I always thought at the chorus Jamison sang, "I was living for Audrey...."  I thought, "Well, who's Audrey?"  Then, I realized it was, "I was living for a dream..."  A ha!  The search was over for the lyrics!  Now it all made sense.  The song is about a man who is searching for love just about all over the place when it really was in front of him the whole time.  Yup, he had a very good female friend whose love and devotion he took for granted so to say.  He really considered her to be "just a friend" and not a "girlfriend."  Finally, he realized she was "the one," and the search was over!  Just like that!  And, even to this very moment in time, I find myself correcting another lyric.  Yup -- "taking on the world...that was just my style."  I always thought the lyric was "taking our love away...that was just my style."  Wow.  Living for Audrey and taking our love away?  Sheesh.  I'm glad I listened to this a few more bazillion times.  I hope, at least, that I have listened to it more times than the man in the song searched for love...

Rock of Ages

Somehow time has escaped me again, and it has been two weeks since my last post.  Yikes.  Well, at least I can say that this evening I have found a timeless '80s rock anthem to remedy my bad sense of time as of late.  "Rock of Ages"was released by Def Leppard in 1983 and has always been one of my favorites.  "I'm burnin', burnin', I got the fever -- I know for sure, there ain't no cure."  Indeed!  Rock on, Def Leppard!  I have to say that that is my favorite line from the whole song.  The video for this is also pretty interesting and is full of all kinds of religious and mythological symbols.  Yup, we've got monks, a reverse time-lapse broken chalice of wine, a sword in a stone, and well, I think Joan of Ark (I can't really tell).  It's all cool and very fun, although Joe Elliott wrote retrospectively that he found the video to be rather silly.  I disagree.  Well, maybe it is kind of silly, but it still rocks.

OWWW -- or owl?

The video ads quite a bit to the song, too, especially when you watch the whole band chanting the chorus.  I'm also completely jealous of the lead guitarist's ability to lip sync along with his guitar solo.  Now, that is something that is just not possible with wind instruments.  Anyway, I really do enjoy this video, and there's a whole lot of hub-ub out there about the introductory four words.  I think the words really are gibberish, so I won't debate, dissect, or split hairs about what is going on with that intro.  Sometimes, you just need some nonsensical line to keep people guessing.  But, I do wonder it Joe Elliott is really singing "owwwww" in the beginning or "owl" -- especially since the image of an owl appears right before this exclamation.  Hmm.... Now that is something I will ponder...

I Can't Wait - Nu Shooz

Well, it's getting pretty late, and I wanted to write about something this evening.  I guess I got distracted chatting on the phone with friends, but that is always a nice distraction in my opinion!  I thought about a couple of songs but still had the Stevie Nicks "I Can't Wait" on my mind, so I thought I would take a look at the Nu Shooz version.  Somehow, I thought the group was international (from Sweden or something) but in actuality, they are from Portland, Oregon.  I read that they were picked up by a Dutch record label, who did a re-mix and then helped them top the charts in the U.S. and around the world.

This song was released in 1986 -- when I was in middle school.  I was probably in 6th grade, and I loved this tune.  Listening to it always makes me smile and think of school dances.  Watching the video today was a bit sad though, because I found myself becoming bored about two-thirds of the way through.  The dog with goggles in the beginning of the video is neat, but that's about it.  The rest of the video is a bit odd and disjunct, with magnets floating around and so forth.  The lead singer did have some amazing shoulder pads in her jacket, though.  I guess all in all this song is best on the radio.  It's the kind of tune you have to enjoy without a video.  It has some very interesting sonic elements -- chimes, bells, all kinds of synthesizers, interjections of an awesome brass and sax section, and a pretty groovy guitar ostimato (with a nice little bass guitar bit thrown in the mix).  Not much else I can say other than I think it must have been fun to mix this all up in the studio!

I Can't Wait - Stevie Nicks

I had to make sure to put "Stevie Nicks" after the title of this song, because there is another song with the same title which was released around the same time by the group Nu Shooz.  Stevie's song was released in 1985 just four weeks before the Nu Shooz tune (in 1986).  In fact, I hate to say it, but the Nu Shooz song comes to mind when I hear the title.  I happened to find the Stevie Nicks song on YouTube courtesy of YouTube's shuffle o' suggested videos based on my browsing.  I couldn't believe that I had forgotten about this song.  I think I may have heard it once before in 1985 -- maybe twice.  It was definitely familiar, although I don't recall it being in heavy rotation on MTV.

So, if you do not know this song -- check it out.  It is electrifying.  In fact, I would consider it "Stevie Nicks plugged in" -- as opposed to "unplugged."  It is pretty heavy on the synthesizers and drum machines, but it still seems to work for her.  I wonder how it would sound in an acoustic performance with lots of percussion and just a guitar and keyboard.  I know that's not really truly acoustic, but it would be interesting.  Stevie has such a powerful voice, and it doesn't get lost here, but I think it would be great to hear it leading the instrumentals.  In this version, her voice is truly electric -- powerful and exciting, as if it was amplified by some magic electricity.  The synthesizers added to her vocals make the song burst with energy.  Meanwhile, the lyrics are very classic for Ms. Nicks.  She sings about a man she can't wait to see.  She's sitting there thinking about him -- talking to him in her dreams.  The tempo of the song coupled with the lyrics makes the listener feel just as full of anticipation as the singer.  I think my favorite part is when she sings, "she wonders how many more hours her heart will feel broken."  It's interesting, because the song is so upbeat -- that lyric just kind of sneaks in.  Anyway, check out this tune -- not much more I can say other than WOW.  If you like "Stand Back," this video is like that times 10.  In fact, I think she may have on the same dress that she wore in the "Stand Back" video.  So, stand back and get ready to be blown away by the electrical fire of Stevie Nicks in this tune!