Midnight Blue

So, it has been forever since my last post, and I apologize.  I moved this month and spent many nights stressing, but you know what?  It's alright, because I'm gonna paint it cherry red.  You're probably thinking "paint what?"  Well, I'm not sure, but I do know that I have those lyrics stuck in my head.  They're from "Midnight Blue" by Lou Gramm, which I am sure you've heard many times.  It is an awesome song, and he released it in 1987 on his first solo album.  For some reason, I've had this song playing through my mind for a long time.  I think it's a great tune to haunt your brain, because believe me, there are many others that I would not want invading my mental space.

I am going to paint everything cherry red!

I looked at the lyrics, and I'm not quite sure I follow.  Well, I guess Lou "used to follow," as he sings in the tune.  He sings about a guy who seems to be a bit of a rebel.  He is in love with a girl, but then at the end of the song, he sings that he will be "back again."  Someday--he'll be back again.  He sings, "I'm saving up my love."  Hmm... So, perhaps the guy has to go away for a spell, but since he says "someday" he'll be back again, it seems a bit undefined and open-ended.  Oh well.  I suppose it doesn't matter.  I just love this tune, especially the whole cherry red thing.  Oh, and there is the whole thing about going into the "midnight blue."  It has a sort of fun, rebellious, endless possibility mystique.  Guitar licks and Lou's voice really drive this one home in my opinion, so enjoy the midnight blue!

Urgent!

Tenor sax with fire in its veins...

Foreigner released the song "Urgent" in 1981, and I never realized until today that it has a huge sax solo in it!  In fact, it's really more than a sax solo.  The saxophone  (tenor by the way) is really an integral part of the song, which is great, because...well...  How can I saw this politely?  I think we all know what "Urgent" is about, and if you're not sure, take a look at the lyrics.  I admit that I not only failed to remember the saxophone part, but I had no idea about the lyrics.  All I remembered from the 80s about this song was, "urgent, urgent--emergency."  Although the lyrics are incredibly clear and straightforward in terms of their meaning, they are also extremely well-written.  Almost paints a picture of someone who is all over the place, which can make the listener feel frantic.  Actually, I think that frantic feeling equals urgency!  And, we are back to square one.  Awesome song with a totally kickin' tenor saxophone part that (thankfully) is not cheesy or "smooth jazz" sounding in the list.  No, folks, it is not a "careless whisper" solo in the least.  It is a rock saxophone solo.  Excellent.  Hope you enjoy this song.  Don't wait--listen now!  IT"S URGENT, URGENT!  EMERGENCY! 

Hot Blooded

Hello fellow bloggers!  Sorry I have been a bit MIA this week.  It has been a bit crazy, and I have been away from my computer for much too long.  That being said, I wanted to make sure to pick an absolute winner for today's 80s song of the day.  One of my very favorite bands from the 80s is Foreigner, and I guess I am cheating once again since they started back in '76 and released "Hot Blooded" in '78.  Nevertheless, they had a huge string of hits throughout the 80s, including Urgent, Juke Box Hero, Feels Like the First Time...and the list goes on and on.  Some of their greatest hits can be found on this page of their website: http://www.foreigneronline.com/music.html?dd_id=22.

So, back to the song.  Kind of hard to misinterpret the meaning of this one. Yup, it is pretty straightforward.  No confusion, no debate of the plot or intention of the lyrics.  "Come on baby, do you do more than dance?"  Uh, well, that line may seem a bit sleazy if you heard it in casual conversation, but I don't think anyone other than an awesomely rockin' group like Foreigner could pull it off with such pizazz.  I have to say, it's also not everyday that you hear the word "rendezvous" in a rock song, so kudos to Foreigner for throwing that into the mix with suave style and panache.  I hope you will enjoy this song as much as I do.  Crank up the volume and enjoy those power chords!  This song is number 59 on the MP3 Player on the right.  If you ever wondered how this tune would sound "unplugged," well I found a version of that, too!  Enjoy!