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 ;)

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!

Hurts So Good

Yeah, I think we all know this John Cougar Mellencamp song from 1982.  I mean, how could you not have heard this at least a few dozen times?  It's got an excitingly naughty title and... well, is it really what we think?  I'm not so sure.  In fact, when I think about the tune and remember hearing it back in the day, I can't really say that I paid much attention to the lyrics.  As usual, I was distracted by the amazing guitar playing and John's voice.  "When I was a young boy..."  is basically all I hear, and then I stop listening to the lyrics.  His voice is really quite unique and seems to capture the American sound.  Yeah, he pretty much is the voice of America, or at least the "Heartland" as they say.  Anyway, back to the song.  So, I can think back to the chorus and note "sometimes love don't feel like it should." and it still doesn't convince me that this song is about what people might speculate.  In fact, I always thought it was a bit tongue-in-cheek and almost a parody.  I read some background information on the song, and it seems as though the song really was a joke.  It was kind of a dare from a friend -- a joking suggestion to write a tune with that title.  Well, in the end, the song came out quite well.  I always forget that so many of Mellencamp's songs have hand clapping, which really makes it cool.  Makes you want to get up and sing your heart out with him!  I know people have commented that the song is terrific and the video is "awful," but even the video is comical and a bit of a parody in my mind.  I say, "Kudos, Mr. Mellencamp,"  It is awful-ly funny in my opinion.

Only Time Will Tell

I realized that I had not posted at all in August, which is very unlike me.  Not sure why I have been so absent, since that is pretty much the opposite of my mission with this blog.  So, I've decided to get up off my posterior and write!  Actually, I am sitting as I type, so I am not really off my derrière.  Anyway, I've heard this one tune on Nights with Alice Cooper several times, and I had no idea of the title or the group.  I just knew that I liked the song and seemed to have the lyric "your insincerity" stuck in my head.  I did a bit of searching and discovered that the song was by Asia, and the title was "Only Time Will Tell."  Hmm...  I don't think I ever realized that!  I watched the video and sort of vaguely remembered it.  It came out in 1982, and I suppose I may have seen it once or twice.  The television sets in the video seemed familiar, but I don't think the video received much airplay back in the day.  Watching it this evening, I'm not sure I completely follow the concept, but early videos didn't always have a theme/concept/plot that matched the song's lyrics or message.  Nope.  I think this one was merely a "hey, this new music video thing is cool and modern" -- hence the many televisions.  I think it was pretty new technology to have one image spread over the multiple t.v. sets, which was pretty cool.  I'm not sure I follow the gymnast idea, either, but I think there were a few videos with gymnasts in the '80s.  It does kind of give a sense of perpetual motion, and hey, only time will tell...

So, what will time tell?  Well, the song is about a man who was in a relationship with a woman who just used him and pretended to be in love.  It was all a lie.  Her insincerity is the part of the lyric I remember!  I guess only time will tell what happens with this woman.  I have no idea.  Sounds like it was a good thing that the man discovered "the lie" and ended this thing.  Or maybe she did.  I don't know.  It doesn't really matter, anyway, because it's just a good tune.  It may be one of few songs I can remember where the guitar has a really melodic line that sort of echos the singer.  Now that is cool.  Cooler than television sets and gymnasts...

Pressure, Anxiety, and Robots

The '80s were filled with so many love songs, which are typically my favorite, but I thought it would be interesting to look at some other styles this evening.  The dawn of music videos peeked everyone's interest and seemed sort of "other-worldly" at times.  There are so many videos with themes are references to space, technology, and well -- some things that are just plane scary.  I think back to 1982, when Billy Joel's "Pressure" was written, and as I watch the video,  I am reminded of the film "Poltergist."  Boy did that movie scare me.  There were so many others, too, and I think we were all a bit enthralled by horror and the paranormal back then. 

Anyway, the three songs and videos that scared me the most back in the day were (1) "Pressure" by Bill Joel (2) "Anxiety" by Pat Benatar, and (3) "Mr. Roboto" by Styx.  I'll probably take a look at numbers 2 and 3 a bit later, but I felt like hearing some Billy Joel this evening.  He really is a master songwriter and extremely gifted musician.  The nice thing about this tune is that it is all keyboards and vocals -- and it can still scare the daylights out of you.  I listen to it now and kind of imagine how creepy it would sound on harpsichord... just a thought.  If you listen to the song, the lyrics are clearly about a man who is, well, having trouble dealing with the pressures in life.  He's discovering that everything is not all roses and sunshine or "peachy keen," and it is piling up.  My favorite line from the song is "you turned the tap dance into your crusade, now here you are with your faith, and your Peter Pan advice."  Yup -- Peter Pan advice.  Touché!  I have no idea why I like that part so much, but it is awesome.  I should use that line more often. 

In the video, you will notice all kinds of strange, semi-paranormal things -- like people sinking into floors and being pulled sideways into walls.  Coffee spills by itself, water is pouring out or a song man's desk at school.  Kind of creepy and out of control!  Nothing like being stuck in a maze, either.  I guess this video is probably better for Halloween or something, but, the song is just so well-composed that I couldn't resist.  Nice to visit something different every now and then.