Cool VU article.

Homme Fatale · Post by **Homme Fatale** » 12 Oct 2004 08:59

Here's an article about getting into the VU in the '80s, Up-Tight, the Quine Tapes, etc... pretty cool stuff.

simonm · Post by **simonm** » 12 Oct 2004 12:11

I knew this guy well in the early-mid 80s, he's a great writer I think - we both did fanzines and traded tapes of VU, Modern Lovers, early Primal Scream demos & other Creation scene bands.
It was an exciting time, although I don't think much of the music stands up. We were lucky enough to see the JAMC on their first London gigs - I loved the noise and chaos of band at that time, we both saw them 4 times in one week in October '84 and thougt they were the greatest band ever!

MJG196 · Post by **MJG196** » 12 Oct 2004 18:58

Yeah, 80's music does NOT stand up very well. With few exceptions, anything that hit MTV (or attempted to do so) is so polished and so miserably synthetic that I can't be bothered to pull it out of my attic.

Chance · Post by **Chance** » 13 Oct 2004 04:07

I disagree, I think the eighties were the only time MTV ever had any value at all. The best videos back then truly were attempting to create and define a new way of experiencing contemporary music. And there was alot of musical experimentation going on then, especially in the wake of punk/new wave, where the barriers of what was acceptable had been stretched a bit, most noticeably on what was once called "college radio". I prefer alot of it to most of what went on in the nineties or what's happening now. Unlike today, even highly popular/commercial groups were doing great stuff. Off the top of my head; Blondie, The Clash, Tears For Fears, Kid Creole, The Smiths, The Bluebells, REM, Prince, U2, Simple Minds, Culture Club (second album was great) Joy Division/New Order, The Dream Academy, Aztec Camera, Husker Du, The Dream Syndicate, The Rain Parade, The Go-Betweens, Marine Girls, The Three O' Clock, Robin Hitchcock, Tom Waits, The Sugarcubes, PiL, The Alarm. All had their contributions.

Mind you, I'm not saying things have been empty since then. There will always be a fair abundance of inspired musicians making worthwhile music, it's just that the places to find it are constantly shifting and as time goes on it feels like they're sometimes intentionally buried/ignored by the people who pretend to be working in an industry that values artistic expression.

Anyway, rant over. Thanks for the article, I quite enjoyed it!

Homme Fatale · Post by **Homme Fatale** » 13 Oct 2004 07:45

simonm wrote:We were lucky enough to see the JAMC on their first London gigs - I loved the noise and chaos of band at that time, we both saw them 4 times in one week in October '84 and thougt they were the greatest band ever!

You bastard! Wow... There are no words for how envious I am of that! I still think they were the greatest band ever!

MJG196 · Post by **MJG196** » 13 Oct 2004 12:59

Hey Chance, most of the groups you listed didnt really get much MTV play at all. Naturally, U2, Prince, REM and Culture CLub were MTV smash hitters, but most of the others were not. Sure, Blondie had "Rapture" and the Clash had "Rock the Casbah" (why not play Radio Clash more!!), Simple Minds had a couple and The Alarm got a little bit of play, but the MAJOR MTV players were disposable crap like Thompson Twins, Richard Marx, Lionel Ritchie...music that IMHO is painfully dated.

I know, I know, it's all opinion and very subjective!! Here is a huge example: Marvin Gaye's song "Sexual Healing." Now, I dont think there is a single live instrument on that song! It sounds horrible. Compare it to the music on "What's Going On?" and there is absolutely no comparison. Same with Aretha and her crappy Pink Cadillac song. What seemed to happen in the 80's was the REPLACEMENT of live instruments with synthesizers all over the radio-dial. Of course I am not talking about New Order/Depeche Mode groups who took synthesizers and drum machines to new levels.

Lou's MISTRIAL suffers from this, too! I cant listen to much of his mid-80's live stuff that includes Peter Wood on keys. Replacing the "Wild Side" saxophones with overly dramatic synths? PUKE!

And The Smiths? Well, they are in a category by themselves. From what I understand, Morrissey will live forever because God does not want to lose his seat.