Grateful Dead - "Reckoning"

Bob Weir, a founding member of the Grateful Dead, died earlier this month.  And since I'm far behind on my posting, I'll just this entry to cover bassist and founding member Phil Lesh, who died just over a year ago, and vocalist and former member Donna Jean Godchaux (1972-1079), who died just a few months ago.  The only original and long-time members still alive are their two drummers Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart (an inverse Spinal Tap, if you will). 

I liked them well enough, even though I was never the biggest Grateful Dead fan, but many of my friends were, and given the time and place of my birth, they were an ever present force in my cultural peer group.  Everyone I knew liked them to some degree or another; it was just a question of "how much" and not "if".  To that end, I have three personal stories from back in the day involving the Grateful Dead.  

The first was in High School (maybe early college? looking at this list, it could be any of the 1986--1989 shows) and involved standing in line at a music store to get wrist bands for the opportunity to stand in line to buy tickets for a Grateful Dead tickets.  Or maybe even a spinoff band, like the Jerry Garcia Band, or a Grateful Dead pseudonym, like The Warlocks.   The whole experience was arranged by someone more in the know than me (Robert Dempster?), but Muriel and I went along with Terry, Drew, and others and got the first stage wristbands.  They were designed so that you could not take them off, but we got them off anyway and were able to sell them for $20 or so.  Again, not for a ticket, but for a wrist band that would allow you the chance to buy a ticket.  Not a bad haul for an evening's work in the mid- or late-80s.  

The second story involves my inability to sync with Drew to see the Grateful Dead for one of their two 1992 shows in Hampton. I was graduated and working at NASA at the time, and Drew, still at UVA, had picked up an extra ticket and called me to say he was coming down and if I was interested in seeing the show.  I was absolutely was, and we made plans by phone several days before the show to meet by the fountain in the Hampton Coliseum parking lot.  We both knew the place and this would be an easy rendezvous point.  Unfortunately, because it was the Grateful Dead, they had "grately" expanded the perimeter with fencing, and the fountain was far inside the and given the crush of people, not in line of sight view.  I arrived at the appointed time, but with no means of communicating with Drew (no cell phones in 1992!), I just walked around the perimeter and then went home -- there really was nothing else that could be done.  I often tell this story to "younger" people who don't remember a time before cell phones -- synchronizing with your friends used to be difficult.  Jerry Garcia died in 1995, and I never had a chance to see the Grateful Dead again.  

The third and final story explains why I chose this LP to mark Bob Weir's passing.  I was at Terry's place at JMU, either late 1991 or early 1992, and we came back after partying all night (it may have been the same evening as the described in the "Cactusland" post).  He put on a tape of "Reckoning" as we drifted to sleep, and it was the perfect late evening listening, and I was touched by the beauty of the songs, especially "It Must Have Been The Roses".  Right before I passed out, I told Terry "I'm going to steal this tape."  And the next morning, I did just that.  I eventually bought the CD and returned the tape a couple of years later (he had completely forgotten the event), but this LP was my go to sleep music nearly every night that I lived in Seaford.  

Released in 1981, "Reckoning" was the acoustic live LP, with "Dead Set" as the electric companion released in the same year.  Judging the quality of Grateful Dead shows and ranking the versions of individual songs is far beyond my Dead expertise, but I've gathered that the 1980 shows that these tracks are selected from are considered exemplars of that era.  The CD version that I own has "Oh Babe, It Ain't No Lie" omitted, which is unfortunate because it's one of the better songs.  

Of course, hardcore fans listen to soundboard recordings of individual shows, not live LPs.  But this is a "grate" starting point for casual fans, and it's perfect for late night listening.  

Standout songs: I have a special affinity for the first five (CD) or six (tape) songs, after which I was generally asleep: "Dire Wolf", "The Race Is On",  "Oh Babe It Ain't No Lie", "It Must Have Been the Roses", "Dark Hollow",  "China Doll"

Skip 'em songs: "Monkey and the Engineer" (for me, this song breaks up the flow of CD/tape)

Final score: 9/10.  You can make this a 10/10 by deleting a couple of songs and adding back "Oh Babe It Ain't No Lie" 

Bonus links:

Merging my professional and personal interests, the Internet Archive hosts the definitive Grateful Dead archive.  Via the Internet Archive, here are some of the shows that were used to make "Reckoning":

• 1980-09-26 Warfield Theatre
• 1980-09-30 Warfield Theatre
• 1980-10-07 Warfield Theatre
• 1980-10-07 Warfield Theatre
• 1980-10-11 Warfield Theatre
• 1980-10-13 Warfield Theatre
• 1980-10-14 Warfield Theatre
• 1980-10-25 Radio City Music Hall
• 1980-10-26 Radio City Music Hall
• 1980-10-27 Radio City Music Hall
• 1980-10-30 Radio City Music Hall

The I would have made if cell phones existed in 1992: Grateful Dead at the Hampton Coliseum: 1992-03-05 (IA), 1992-03-06 (IA)

Pat Benatar - "Promises in the Dark"

 

We saw Pat Benatar at the Beach about two weeks ago at a brand new venue called The Dome.  They had only had the first concert earlier that week.  The facility was nice, if a bit soulless because it was brand new. A lot of our concerts lately have been at places like The Birchmere in Alexandria, and the Warner Theater in DC.  The setlist on May 7, 2025 was pretty similar to the show at the Warner almost a year ago, but at the Beach they did the song "Precious Time", the title track from their 1981 LP.  

It's an excellent song, and not one that they often do, so I was pretty excited to hear that night. I was going to blog about that song, but then realized I blogged about it seven years ago.  Since "Precious Time" was never released as a single, but it was the B-side to the "Promises in the Dark" single, this post is then about the A-side. "Promises in the Dark" is an excellent song, still a concert staple, and the was in high rotation on MTV back in the day. And yes, Neil still counts off "1-2-3-4" coming out of the break.

Pat Benatar - "Promises in the Dark", "Precious Time": both songs feature Neil Giraldo's finest guitar work.

What a terrible pic ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

The marquee changed right as I snapped the pic; we were racing to beat the crowd out of the parking deck and did not pause to wait for "Benatar Giraldo" to cycle back around, 

Iron Maiden - "Killers"

We heard today that Paul Di'Anno, the first singer for Iron Maiden, died recently.  While he had a number of health problems through the years, it was still a surprise ("66" doesn't seem as old as it once did).  Almost 10 years ago, I reviewed their debut LP "Iron Maiden" and detailed my fondness for the first two Iron Maiden LPs over the rest of their extensive discography. By nearly any metric, Bruce Dickinson is a "better" vocalist, but I -- and others, apparently -- just love Di'Anno's raspy, punk growl.  

Their second LP, 1981's "Killers", is an extraordinary LP with no weak moments and several that are simply transcendent.  "Killers" finds them settling into their classic sound: guitarist Dennis Stratton was replaced by Adrian Smith, who combined with Dave Murray to solidify the "Iron Maiden dual harmony" sound that would define their career.  In addition, "Killers" was the first LP to have their long-time producer, Martin Birch, which resulted in a slightly fuller if muddier and heavier sound than their first LP.  

As I said in my review of "Iron Maiden", I enjoy the first two LPs without the crutch of nostalgia or a hint of irony (cf. my recent review of "Too Fast for Love"). They were right to fire Di'Anno in late 1981: he was a troubled addict, and Iron Maiden would never have become "Iron Maiden" had he stayed at the helm.  But the first two Iron Maiden LPs are special. 

Standout songs: "Ides of March / Wrathchild", "Murders in the Rue Morgue", "Killers", "Prodigal Son", "Purgatory" (Full LP)

Skip 'em songs: none. 

Final rating: 10/10.  A NWOBHM masterpiece. 

Bonus link: my review of "Live at the Rainbow", a 1980 concert with Paul Di'Anno. 

Motley Crue - "Too Fast for Love" (LP Review)

I recently watched "The Dirt", the 2019 biopic based on the 2001 book of the same name, which tells the story of Motley Crue.  Although I had not read the book, I was familiar with most parts of the story, since Motley Crue was a contemporary band form my musical education, and was briefly very important to me in early HS.  The cultural context for this LP and Motley Crue itself is important.

Like most people, "Too Fast for Love" wasn't the first Motley Crue LP that I heard.  Originally self-released in late 1991 and then later released on a major label in 1982, this LP was eclipsed by their much larger and more successful 1983 LP "Shout at the Devil".  In 1983 & 1984* (my freshman year of HS), heavy metal was enjoying an unprecedented level of mainstream success and exposure, regularly appearing on the radio and MTV.  I was young, with an insatiable desire for anything loud, angry, and offensive, and Motley Crue's "Shout at the Devil", along with Dio, Twisted Sister, Iron Maiden, Quiet Riot, Ozzy, etc. were a salve for middle class, suburban, teenage ennui. Finding out about new music in the 80s was difficult and expensive, and you needed to have a tape trading network to explore and push the boundaries.  It was Chris Miller, my first HS metal connection, that recorded the first two Motley Crue LPs on tape for me. Even though "Shout at the Devil" is arguably heavier of the two LPs, its imagery was a conflict for me: I dug the satanic trappings, but they glam and camp was off-putting in a way that I could not articulate at the time.  Though it was "Shout at the Devil" that drew me in, it was "Too Fast for Love", with its KISS / Aerosmith sound and attitude that I found myself replaying over and over. 

Though they were a gateway band, Motley Crue was not important to me for long.  Via Matt McClure and Scott Kinkade, I soon learned of Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, Venom, Celtic Frost, and various other "true" metal bands.  They were faster, heavier, darker, and generally more engaging, and "Shout at the Devil" seemed insincere, clumsy, and clownish in comparison.  And in a division that make both the Judean People's Front and the Peoples Front of Judea proud, I saw the metal scene divided between "real metal" and "false metal", played by poseurs.  By my sophomore year in HS I had firmly embraced thrash, black, and death metal... but I kept playing "Too Fast for Love".  

Its production is raw, like a garage band, but still crisp and not muddy like many low budget recordings of the time. There's a youthful urgency to the songs, accentuated by having almost no dead air between the tracks -- as if the band simply could not wait the two seconds normally employed to separate, for example, "Live Wire" and "Public Enemy #1".  There's the commitment to use some combination of a guitar flanger, cowbell, or vocal reverb/echo/delay for every single song.  Vince Neil sings like a chipmunk, and while they're not punk levels of sloppy, unlike most metal bands, there's no real virtuoso.  Mick Mars is a good enough guitarist, but he couldn't play for your average thrash metal band.  However, the song writing is excellent, and what they lack in talent they make up for with energy and attitude.  

Curious as to how it would hold up today, I listened to "Too Fast for Love" all the way through after finishing "The Dirt".  It held up surprisingly well, and even the weaker of the songs ("Merry-Go-Round", "Take Me to the Top", "Piece of Your Action") still had redeeming features.  And the best songs?  They still rawk, still produce a physical reaction, and transport me back to HS. 

By the time "Theatre of Pain" came out in 1985, Motley Crue was unspeakably uncool in my circle, and they became worse with each successive LP.  But even without the veneer of nostalgia, "Too Fast for Love" is a legitimately great LP.  If you can somehow ignore what they'd eventually become, and pretend like it's 1982(-ish), this is still a fun LP.

Standout songs: "Live Wire", "Public Enemy #1", "Starry Eyes", "Too Fast for Love", "On with the Show" (full LP)

Skip 'em songs: The songs from their first single, "Stick to Your Guns" and "Toast of The Town", were included on the 2003 release but left off the 1981 self-release and the 1982 Elektra release, and for good reason.  

Final score: 8/10.  I would have scored it 9/10 back in the day, but I think I can still defend a "8/10" now. 

* Seriously, a lot of good debuts as well as bands at their peak in 1983 & 1984:

Iron Maiden - "Live at the Rainbow"

Today's post is something that I barely remember from back in the day and was only reminded of it when I recently stumbled across it while browsing online: Iron Maiden's 1981 "video LP", "Live at the Rainbow".  I can't remember if Robert had this in HS -- maybe I just saw it for sale in a record store (remember those?) or in a video rental store (remember those too?!).  Even the rectangular (i.e., "portrait") shape of the cover art reflects a VHS orientation.  

I've earlier proclaimed my love for Paul Di'Anno-era Iron Maiden, and since his tenure was brief, you have to appreciate the material you can find.  Recorded at London's historic Rainbow Theatre on December 21, 1980 (during the sessions for Killers), guitarist Adrian Smith had just recently joined the band, replacing Dennis Stratton.  While Stratton was instrumental in the creation of the classic Iron Maiden "harmony guitar" sound, it really became what we know today when Smith joined up with Dave Murray.  Murray and Smith are arguably the best, most influential, and also most recognizable metal guitar duo.  

It turns out that the videos for "Wrathchild" and "Iron Maiden" (I especially remember this one) that populated the early days of MTV were pulled from this concert.  

I've embedded the video as released (~30 min) above, but the full concert (~76 minutes) is also available.  

The only live Di'Anno-era Maiden I had back in HS was their excellent but far-too-short EP "Maiden in Japan", so it was quite the unexpected pleasant surprise to (re-)discover this on Youtube.  

Adam and the Ants - "Christian D'or" (forgotten song)

"I've got a fetish for you

A fetish for me

A fetish for coffee
I've got a fetish for tea
I've got a fetish for Brando
A fetish for cats
A fetish for ladies in Christian Dior hats"

For this year's birthday song for Danette, I'm choosing "Christian D'or", the B-side for Adam and the Ants' 1981 single "Prince Charming".  I'm not entirely sure what it all means, but it certainly fits within Adam Ant's hypersexualized fashionista oeuvre.  Danette was a huge Adam and the Ants fan in HS and college, still enjoys them to this day, and certainly maintains a fetish for hats, Christian Dior or otherwise.

Another reason why this is a fitting tribute is that Adam Ant, like many British artists of the period,  always had a significant focus on non-LP singles and high-quality B-sides.  In 1982 he released the "B-Sides" EP, and in 1994 he collected his B-sides and unreleased tracks into "B-Side Babies".  In fact, the Wikipedia article claims that "B-Sides" was the name of the band that would later become "The Ants".  This article claims that "Christian D'or", then "Christian Dior", was originally written in 1978. 

Danette and I both have a collector's focus on the rare and unreleased, so it's fitting that B-sides like "Christian D'or" are still featured prominently in concert.  In 2012 (!), Adam Ant played the Norva, and we also got a picture of his set list to prove it!  It was a great concert and we'd definitely see him again if given the chance.

Hats?  Well, Danette and I enjoy going to the Kentucky Derby, which we've done a handful of times.  I think a big part of the appeal is Danette gets to play dress up and wear outrageous hats, hats in which she looks absolutely smashing.

Happy Birthday Danette!!!

Adam and the Ants - "Christian D'or" (studio) 

Adam and the Ants - "Christian D'or" (live 1981) 

Bonus link: Adam and the Ants - "Prince Charming"

 

Kentucky Oaks, 2015-05-01

 

 

Kentucky Derby, 2015-05-02

Kentucky Oaks, 2016-05-01

Kentucky Oaks, 2016-05-01

Kentucky Oaks, 2016-05-01

Kentucky Derby, 2016-05-02

Kentucky Derby, 2017-05-06

Bonnie inspecting the hats, since you're not allowed to choose your hats before arriving in KY (zoomed in from prior pic)

2012-10-03, Norfolk VA

I've got a fetish for black
A fetish for green
A fetish for those arty magazines
I've got a fetish for blondes
I've got a fetish for blondes
I've got a fetish for blondes
A fetish for blonde haired girls
I've got a fetish for blondes
I've got a fetish for blondes
I've got a fetish for blondes
A fetish for brown haired girls

Previous birthday songs:

2020: Walk Off The Earth - "A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall"
2019: Nicki Minaj - "Monster"
2018: Bear Hands - "Giants"
2017: Alvvays - "Archie, Marry Me"
2016: Molly Hatchet - "Flirtin' With Disaster"
2015: Avett Brothers - "Kick Drum Heart"
2014: Ani DiFranco - "32 Flavors"
2013: The Green Pajamas - "Kim the Waitress"
2012: The Cure - "High"
2011: Blink 182 - "Josie"
2010:  Dead Milkmen - "Punk Rock Girl"  

 

The Cars - "Since You're Gone" (forgotten song)

Ric Ocasek, best known as the main creative force behind The Cars, died last month.  Although associated with the late 70s / early 80s new wave movement, it's hard to overstate the influence that The Cars had on modern music.  Much like the Beatles, the reason why The Cars do not sound dated today is because they directly and indirectly influenced everyone who came after them.  I will not attempt to replicate the many memorials that followed his death (for example: Weezer's tribute and this retrospective in Rolling Stone), but instead I'll offer my own perspective.

The Cars hit their peak popularity right at the time I was hitting the age where one really becomes aware of music.  I always liked what I heard on the radio (and at the time, you heard it a lot), but "Shake It Up", their fourth LP from 1981, is the first one I remember coming out as a "new" LP; prior to that their previous three LPs had always existed, represented both on the radio and in the record store bins that I would browse but seldom have the cash for purchasing.  I did get "Shake It Up" on cassette tape shortly after it came out.

This is also the LP that corresponds with the debut of MTV in 1981, and while they probably had videos prior to MTV, they were one of the bands that quickly embraced the medium and went beyond simple concert footage.  While the title track had a good video, my personal favorite was the melancholy "Since You're Gone".  I'm not 100% sure, but I believe those were the only two singles that received videos and radio airplay.  "Shake It Up" is not necessarily considered one of their "classic" LPs, but it's the first one that I bought and thus remains special to me.

Of course, one has to note that Ric Ocasek's contributions to music were not just through The Cars; his production credits alone would guarantee him a place in the hall of fame.  Although the list is a who's-who of alternative bands, I'm especially fond of his work on my two favorite Weezer LPs, "Blue" and "Green"; imagine how much better "Pinkerton" would have been if they had worked with Ocasek on that one as well.

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention one of my middle school crushes, Julie, who was a huge fan of The Cars (as well as The Police, well before they were popular) who even at the time could articulately explain the significance of The Cars and their impact on music. She was a year ahead of me, exotic, and infinitely cooler than I was (or indeed, cooler than entire neighborhood we shared).  She would later be a member of one of the many alternative bands our high school would produce. I would have eventually formed the same opinion of The Cars on my own, but I am indebted to her precocious insight and tutelage about which bands are truly innovative and why.


The Cars - "Since You're Gone"

Joan Jett - "Crimson and Clover" (the song remains the same)

In honor of Pride Month, I'm featuring Joan Jett's 1981 cover of "Crimson and Clover" (from her second LP).  Joan hasn't actually come out, but she's an LGBTQ icon regardless.  Even though I didn't know about that in 1981 (who did?), I remember liking this song immediately.  I'm pretty sure I heard her version before the original, 1968 version from Tommy James and Shondells but I'm not certain.  And, sure I like the "underwater" / psychedelic original too, but Joan's version rawks, with those delicious power chords.

Why this song for Pride Month instead of others from her?  First, unlike in her cover of "I Love Rock and Roll"*, she does not change the gender of the love interest ("Ah, now I don't hardly know her / But I think I can love her).  Why did she keep the gender in one cover song but not the other? In retrospect, perhaps this was a clue.

Second, it's not like she was a purist; she did change the lyrics in C&C, and in the process made it 100X better.  Tommy James and The Shondells:

Yeah, my mind's such a sweet thing
I wanna do everything

What a beautiful feeling
Crimson and clover, over and over

Joan Jett and The Blackhearts:

Yeah, I'm not such a sweet thing
I wanna do everything
What a beautiful feeling
Crimson and clover, over and over

Perhaps TJ&TS couldn't get away with that line in 1968, but can we all agree that Joan's change of that one improves the rest of the stanza?

Tommy James and The Shondells - studio LP version, studio single version, live 1995,

Joan Jett and The Blackhearts - studio version, 1983 (live?, probably lip-synched), 2007(?) live version




* As per my previous post, "I Love Rock & Roll" is still a stupid song that even Joan can't redeem.


Bonus images: quick, name a rock artist other than Joan Jett who looks better, and not just by a little bit, some 25+ years after they first made it big.  Swapping the big hair for a buzz cut and ditching the one-piece coverall is a big part of it, but still...

Joan ca. 1983, as New York Dolls refugee:

Joan ca. 2007, as punk matriarch:

Any questions?

Grandmaster Flash - "The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel" (forgotten song)

This post goes out to Terry as well as Drew's wife, Lian.  Terry and Drew had a 30 year class reunion (they are class of 88, I'm class of 87) on August 4, and Terry noticed that later that night at the Boathouse in Newport News, very near the reunion hotel, Grandmaster Flash was giving a concert.  Not missing a chance for a complete 80s weekend, Terry organized a post-reunion sortie to see this hip hop legend.  I have to admit that before this show I did not realize he was still touring!  Thanks to Terry for setting this up.

This post also goes out to Lian because, owing to being a few years younger than us, she did not know who Grandmaster Flash is.  Of course, she was raised on classical music and show tunes and knows more about those genres than me, Terry and Drew put together, but, well... "Flash is fast, Flash is cool".  Once we had conveyed the cultural significance of the night's show she was as pumped as we were.

Flash did not disappoint.  The entire show was given in the style of a history lecture, with a backing video helping him convey the origins, history, geography, and key figures of hip hop and turntablism.  I was unable to find the backing video online but GMF's Youtube channel has several other items worth checking out, including this letter to Kool Herc.

Flash did elements of "The Message" in his set, and I'm pretty sure he did not do "The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel", but I'm including it here because 1) I remember when it came out in 1981, and 2) this single was notable because it featured only Flash and not the Furious Five (as did last week's show).  While "Wheels of Steel" might seem straight-forward today, it is hard to overstate its significance in mainstreaming the role of DJing and mixing.  Zoom in on the label pictured above and you can see the "Special Thanks" and the source material listed.  Some of those songs were on the same label (Sugar Hill Records), but the prohibition against sampling had yet to catch up with the state of the art.

I'm really glad I had the opportunity to see GMF, catch up with Terry and Drew again, and that Lian filled in a gap in her musical knowledge!

Grandmaster Flash - "The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel"

Terry's text message about the August 4, 2018 show.

A still from one of Terry's videos.

Bonus link: The "Boathouse" in Newport News?!  It's a nice venue, but it's not the real Boathouse.

2019-07-27 update: Like the "real" Boathouse, the Newport New Boathouse is now closed.

Joan Jett - "Bad Reputation" (forgotten song)

In my previous post I mentioned Pat Benatar being the most prominent female AOR rock stars of the late 70s / early 80s, and while that's probably true, I would be remiss to not mention Joan Jett as well.  Her big breakthrough came in 1982 with the single "I love Rock-n-Roll", from the LP of the same name.  Despite a lengthy and successful career, that song is still probably her most popular.   And while I can't say I dislike it, I never really liked it that much either.  I get the whole feminist reclamation of a cock rock song (the original version was released in 1976 by Arrows, and it's kinda stupid*, even for a boom-boom-chop song), but I can't get past "meh". 

The song that should be her most popular is her auto-biographical, pop-punk anthem "Bad Reputation".  The story behind this song and video is a little bit complicated: she released a self-funded, self-titled LP in 1980.  In 1981, the same LP was reissued by Boardwalk Records, but this time the title was changed to "Bad Reputation", with the same cover art and only mild reshuffling of tracks.  The song "Bad Reputation" was first the b-side to the "Jezebel" single from the LP "Joan Jett", and then it was later released as an a-side single from "Bad Reputation".

After the success of "I Love Rock-n-Roll", she made a video for "Bad Reputation" in 1982 and the subject of the video is her ultimate triumph over the record labels that had nothing to do with her first LP, due in part because of her "bad reputation" as a former member of the Runaways.  I remember Bill Glidden had both "Bad Reputation" and "I Love Rock-n-Roll", and presumably I still have a copy of both on a cassette somewhere.

Anyway, much respect for Joan Jett and her setting the template for riot grrrls to follow.  She did not  soften her sound like Pat Benatar, nor did she tart it up like fellow former-Runaway Lita Ford, instead opting for a timeless "Joan Ramone" look.  For someone that made her career on smart choices for cover songs, this original should be the canonical Joan Jett song -- it's still awesome some 37+ years later...

Joan Jett - "Bad Reputation"




* Perhaps I can't get over its self-referential nature; I harbor a special distaste for rock-n-roll songs that are "about" rock-n-roll, but that's a topic for another time...

Pat Benatar - "Precious Time" (forgotten song)

For my next post in recognition of Women's History Month, let's go back to 1981 and the title track from Pat Benatar's third LP, "Precious Time".  It was not released as a single and as such, I don't recall it getting radio airplay at the time.  But it did have a video that was played on MTV a good bit at the time, and at 5:29 for the video (6:03 on the LP) it might have been a bit too long for a typical radio single.

I always liked Pat Benatar, but she was particularly important for Danette while growing up.  Pat Benatar certainly wasn't the first female rocker but she arguably was the most prominent in the US during the late 70s / early 80s, and as such served as a role model for Danette in an otherwise male-dominated genre.  Unfortunately, this is the last Pat Benatar LP that rawks...  starting in 1982 she married her guitarist, Neil Giraldo, swapped her second guitarist for a keyboardist, and shortly afterwards started a family; the sum total of which might have been good for her personally but it took a toll on her music.  I liked a lot of her songs that followed, but they no longer rawked.

We saw Pat Benatar at the NorVa (was it really 10 years ago?) and she gave a great show, and we'd definitely see her again if given the chance.  In the meantime, enjoy the slow heaviness of "Precious Time", the last heavy song she released before happiness, children, and keyboards arrived at the Benatar / Giraldo household.

Pat Benatar - "Precious Time"

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - "A Woman in Love (It's Not Me)" (forgotten song)

After a confusing period of statements and retractions, late last night it was confirmed that Tom Petty, songwriter par excellence, had died.  A staple on AOR and then classic rock stations, Petty's extensive discography provides many songs that I could feature; just this weekend while driving to Blacksburg and back Danette and I heard many Tom Petty songs on the radio.  Unfortunately, they were mostly my least favorite of his songs, which seem to get the most airplay (many of which appear on 1989's "Full Moon Fever").  They're not necessarily bad songs, it's just that when compared to the many great songs he has, well... I just don't see the point of playing a song like "I Won't Back Down".

While searching for once popular but now obscure songs of his, I thought about "Change of Heart" or "Even the Losers", but finally decided on "A Woman in Love (It's Not Me)", the second single from 1981's "Hard Promises".  Structurally similar to "Breakdown", it's a great song that received airplay back in the day but is unfortunately eclipsed today.  The final deciding point is the video which, while simple, is rather high quality compared to most videos ca. 1981. 

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers -  "A Woman in Love (It's Not Me)"

Dead Kennedys - "Nazi Punks Fuck Off" (forgotten song)

Still trying to come to terms with the 2016 election...  I find that some songs from my youth are unfortunately relevant again. 

"Nazi Punks Fuck Off" is a single from the Dead Kennedys's 1981 LP "In God We Trust, Inc." 

"In a real Fourth Reich you'll be the first to go" -- I guess we'll soon see.

Dead Kennedys (1981), Napalm Death (from their 1993 EP), Napalm Death + Jello Biafra - "Nazi Trumps Fuck Off" (2016)

Split Enz - "History Never Repeats" (forgotten song)

Danette and I went to the 2015 Kentucky Derby last week (Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday) and to avoid putting the 1700+ miles on our car we rented a car.  The car's best feature was the satellite radio and probably 90% of our time was spent on the alternative 80s channel "1st wave".  We heard a lot of songs that we hadn't heard in a while (including some that are probably better left in the 80s), but there was truly one "forgotten song" that we heard: Split Enz's "History Never Repeats", a single off their 1981 LP "Waiata".  The video received a little airplay in the early days of MTV, but mostly I remember songs like "I Got You", "Six Months in a Leaky Boat", and the various Crowded House videos.  It's a good song, but one that I just barely remember.

"History Never Repeats" - 1981 video, 2007 reunion

Ultravox - "Vienna" (forgotten song)

I helped Danette pick up a rental car yesterday and it had satellite radio (her favorite car feature and one we don't have on our daily drivers).  As I bounced around the stations, Ultravox's 1981 single "Vienna", the title track from their 1980 LP, came on 1st wave which is one of our favorite satellite radio stations because it features alternative 80s songs.

I have only the vaguest memory of "Vienna" from the early MTV period and I'm almost certain it did not receive radio airplay.  I can't remember the last time I heard this song -- it must have been 30+ years.  It sounds just a bit dated (sort of a synth pop version of Joy Division's "Atmosphere"), but altogether has held up surprisingly well.  I don't really know that much about Ultravox other than 1) they exist and 2) their European success never really crossed over to the US like their contemporaries such as The Furs and Modern English.

"This means nothing to me..."

Ultravox - "Vienna" (studio, live)

Queen & David Bowie - "Under Pressure" (the song remains the same)

With arguably the world's most recognizable bass line (somewhat unfortunately), the 1981 David Bowie & Queen collaboration "Under Pressure" might be my personal favorite song from Queen or David Bowie.  Although I respect both, I've never been a huge fan of either, and on this song I think the balance each other out and the result works, musically and lyrically.  Even the video was a welcome break from de rigueur lip synced, faux-concert videos of the time.

So imagine my surprise when I stumbled across this 2011 version by The Cribs, live in the studio.  To the best of my knowledge, it isn't on any of their official releases and is just a knockabout version they did for a music web site.  There is no shortage of cover versions of this song, but it does seem like a bit of a departure for The Cribs, who favor more obscure covers by cult bands like The Replacements, The Kaiser Chiefs, Comet Gain, etc.

Queen & David Bowie: "Under Pressure" (a cappella version)
The Cribs: "Under Pressure"

2020-11-01 update: Karen O and Willie Nelson have just released a beautiful duet: "Under Pressure"

Mission of Burma - "Signals, Calls, and Marches" (LP Review)

For my 200th post on F-Measure, I'm covering something simultaneously new, old, and timeless.  One of the pleasant finds from my recent reading of "Our Band Could Be Your Life" was Boston's Mission of Burma.  I have a vague memory of Terry talking about them while we were in college, and I knew a band by that name existed, but I don't remember actually listening to them at the time.  Part of the problem is they essentially broke up in 1983 after two landmark releases, a result of guitarist Roger Miller's tinnitus.  They reformed in 2002, but had largely missed out on the scene they so heavily influenced.  In doing so, they nicely illustrate the difference between "popular" and "influential".  Example: Pearl Jam's 1993's LP "Vs." is named in honor to Mission of Burma's 1982 LP "Vs.". 

As influential as "Vs." was, my personal favorite is their 1981 debut EP "Signals, Calls, and Marches".  Keep in mind that I discovered it some 30 years after its debut, but it still sounds fresh and relevant today.  It occupies the transitional space between early 80s "punk" and "college alternative" in a way that contemporaries like Sonic Youth, Dead Kennedys, Minor Threat, Black Flag, and other candidates simply don't.  Part of it is their strong song writing (with hooks!), without compromising their heaviness and anger, and intelligent lyrics.  Another dimension is member Martin Swope, credited as "tape manipulator/sound engineer", who used techniques you'd associate more with early 70s Pink Floyd to add a rich but subtle extra dimension to an otherwise sparse, angular punk sound.

So while this is over 30 years old, I just "discovered" it within the last year.   Give it a listen: it will sound both new and familiar.

Standout songs: "That's When I Reach For My Revolver", "Fame and Fortune", "This Is Not a Photograph", "All World Cowboy Romance", "Academy Fight Song"

Skip 'em songs: none.

Final Score: 9/10 

Bonus link: the entire, original six song EP

Bonus links to covers: Moby - "That's When I Reach For My Revolver", R.E.M. - "Academy Fight Song".  While: 1) I have much respect for both Moby and R.E.M., and 2) I love covers... -- let's just say these versions underscore how good the originals are.

Note: my copy of the CD is the 1997 Ryko re-release which adds their 1980 7" single "Academy Fight Song" to the end of the original EP, so that's what I review here. 

Red Rider - "Lunatic Fringe" (forgotten song)

In recognition of an entire week of government furlough, I'm reaching back to 1981 with Red Rider's "Lunatic Fringe", their single from the LP "From Here to Siam".  I loved this song when it came out in 1981 and still enjoy it. 

Why "Lunatic Fringe"?  Because about 30 people are holding hostage the function of our government, cowing those who should know better.  

Lunatic Fringe
I know you're out there
You're in hiding
And you hold your meetings
...
Cause you gotta blame someone
For your own confusion

Yes, I know the song is a rebuke of neo-Nazis, and yes I know about Godwin's Law but Ted Cruz went there first.  I'm not saying the Tea Party should be compared to Nazis, I'm just saying their minority ideology is a cancerous fifth column that threatens the Republic.  How?  Let's review:

1.  The legislative branch passed the ACA.
2.  The executive branch signed it into law.
3.  The judicial branch upheld it as constitutional.

That's a constitutional hat trick, and it's the law of the land*. 

Red Rider - "Lunatic Fringe"
 


* For those who are unclear about this, I invite you to recall the Schoolhouse Rock videos "I'm just a Bill" and "Three Ring Circus".

Hank Williams Jr. - "All My Rowdy Friends (Have Settled Down)" (forgotten song)

I wasn't planning to post today, but in the space of an hour:

1.  I received an email from Drew that the usual suspects from HS were planning a get together in early June.

2.  I read that country music legend George Jones died today. 

Put those together, and you get Hank William Jr's 1981 hit "All My Rowdy Friends (Have Settled Down)". 

We had a great time last year at Drew's wedding & bachelor party, although for the latter starting the festivities in the early afternoon made it a bit of challenge to stay out to last call @ 2am:

All my rowdy friends have settled down
And they seem to be more into laid back songs
Nobody wants to get drunk and get loud
Everybody just wants to go back home

We did manage it, but perhaps we should start later in the day this year (quitting before last call would just be shameful).  Of course, that's the way of things -- what chance do we stand if the epic benders of George Jones and other friends of Bocephus come to an end:

And I think I know what my father meant when he sang about a lost highway
and old George Jones I'm glad to see he's finally getting straight,
and Waylon staying home and loving Jesse more these days,
and nobody wants to get drunk and get loud and all my rowdy friends have settled down.

Yeah I think I know what my father meant when he sang about his lost highway
and Johnny Cash don't act like he did back in '68
and Kris he is a movie star and he's moved off to L.A.
and nobody wants to get drunk and get loud and all my rowdy friends have settled down

"All My Rowdy Friends (Have Settled Down)": studio version, live version (ca. 1985?)

Obligatory George Jones song: "White Lightning"




P.S.  Hank, I love your paens about the lovable, self-destructive man-child archetype, but when it comes to political commentary, please STFU.

Saxon - "Princess of the Night" (forgotten song)

An early 1980s metal band, a song titled "Princess of the Night", and ... it's about a train.  Because who hasn't asked themselves "why aren't there more love songs about trains?"

Saxon was a central figure in the NWOBHM movement of the late 70s and early 80s, however they are all but forgotten today.  I have a handful of their LPs on vinyl stashed away somewhere, but aruably the best was their 1981 LP "Denim and Leather", from which "Princess of the Night" was a single.  I remember being enthralled by their video (and the NWOBHM sound) in the early days of MTV, but only now (nearly 30 years later) do I realize the visual similarities between this video and Spinal Tap (yikes!).

And while the 8-year old in me still likes steam trains (who doesn't?), I've transposed the song to a more personally applicable setting: every time I walk through a computer machine room, the second verse comes to me:

She used to be an iron horse
Twenty years ago
Used to bring the mail to me
Through the ice and snow
I've sat alone and watched her
Steaming through the night
Ninety tons of thunder
Lighting up the sky

Speeding smokestack lightning
Engine working hard
Furnace and the footplate
Shining in the night
Iron striking metal
The sound of racing steel
It's all I ever want to hear
It's music to my ears

Ninety tons of thunder
Lighting up the sky                                       
Steaming red hot pistons
See the wheels flash by                                    
Hear the whistle blowing                              
Streaking down the track                     
If I ever have my way
I'll bring the princess back one day    

Well, realize that connection was made for me in the late 80s when first working at NASA and walking through the machine room complete with a Cray-2 and Cray-YMP.  In 1989, I saw the Crays as beautiful, purposeful, behemoth "engines working hard".  Now they, especially the Cray-2, are revered but obsolete museum pieces like steam engines.

Until there is a NWOBHM song about machine rooms, this love song about a train will have to do...

Princess of the Night: official video, regular video

Bonus link: Does the pre-solo break in the song sound familiar?  Metallica, who were heavily influenced by the NWOBHM, would borrow it for "Seek and Destroy" two years later: listen to this comparison.

Bonus images:

Chesapeake & Ohio RR #2756 located in Huntington Park, Newport News.  An obvious landmark for those growing up in the area. 

The NASA LaRC Cray-2, "Voyager".  Named after the Rutan/Yeager Voyager, not that Voyager.