Moving on with this series it’s time now for 1985. This year was not quite as spectacular as years past. A lot of the acts that cranked out music in 1984 were off cycle for this year, it was touring and live albums and not anything from the studio. And those who were on cycle didn’t necessarily release their best output. Still, there is stuff to be found here so I’ll sift through it and identify five songs I like from the year.
John Mellencamp – Rain On The Scarecrow
1985 might have been a down year for some, but it was a banner year for Mellencamp. Scarecrow remains a high water mark in his catalog and the quasi-title track is an absolute banger that laments the plight of the family farmer. It wasn’t pleasant for the small-time farmer back then and it’s no better now, if there are even any left. This song remains a lament to that way of life and also one of Mellencamp’s best tracks.
Slayer – Hell Awaits
Slayer came out with their second album and it showcased a more honed-in thrash attack compared to the debut. Still evil and sinister as can be, the song lays out what awaits for all of us heathens who headbanged to this over the past forty years. This song in particular is very brutal and fast, perhaps a taste of what was to come on the next record.
Heart – What About Love
The Wilson sisters finished recalibrating themselves for the 1980’s and offered up a self-titled album that conquered the airwaves and reshaped their sound into 80’s rock. Here we have a cover song, though one unused by the group Toronto after they wrote it in ’82. Heart would ride their version to the top ten and this single kicked off their “hair era” in style.
The Cult – She Sells Sanctuary
The Cult were one band who did strike in both 1984 and ’85. Their second album Love hit in ’85 and was the band’s breakout record. It was helped along with this single. The song is mystical, melodic and entrancing. This song also had a life on the dance circuit but it’s the original version I’m concerned with here.
Accept – Metal Heart
Accept also had back to back records in ’84 and ’85. Metal Heart was another in a line of prime German metal albums that ran through the early and mid ’80’s. The band fused a few classical music pieces into the song, both showcasing the link between classical and metal and also playing into the hilarious stereotype of metal showcased by Spinal Tap a year prior.
That wraps up 1985. Next we’ll press on into the later 1980’s and see just how the years play out before the world of music would be turned on its head with the turn of the decade.
Now I’m up to 1978 on my songs by year lists. I turned one that year so I don’t exactly have memories associated with the time, but these songs were pretty easy for me to pick and are timeless ones I’ll always enjoy.
Times were really changing this year I think – three very significant new acts showed up in ’78 that are on this list and would be central to the sounds to come, which was what shaped my musical fandom in my early years. Let’s head in and see what’s up.
Van Halen – Runnin’ With The Devil
Up first is a great cut from the debut album of one of rock music’s most important bands. Van Halen were central in what would happen in the 1980’s and their ’78 debut was red hot. The way Eddie Van Halen played his guitar here, it was almost talking alongside David Lee Roth’s vocals and insane ranting. It’s an ode to living hard and running free, and a massive song.
Heart – Straight On
Another hard rocker from Heart here, as they’d wrap up their first era before transitioning into the next decade. This one has some dance/disco elements to it but still shines through as a Heart classic. It’s an auto-include on any Heart greatest hits or setlist for sure.
Judas Priest – Delivering The Goods
Priest would get in two albums in ’78, and by this time they were truly rounding the corner as heavy metal’s premier act. They would be in prime shape for the total explosion of metal soon to come. Here Priest show their muscle with a song that was composed about how they feel on stage. This was a great way to truly launch the new era of metal.
The Police – Can’t Stand Losing You
Up next is band new to the scene and one that would light the world on fire for the next several years. This chippy, upbeat music stands in contrast to the dismal lyrics about someone ready to off himself over losing his gal pal. The Police were a rock/reggae/punk/new wave machine that would dance across the ears of millions in their time, and all of us who heard them were lucky to have done so.
The Cars – You’re All I’ve Got Tonight
Speaking of new wave, it turns out it blended nicely with hard rock, and The Cars put that into full effect on their debut album. Pretty heavy, very melodic and insanely catchy, this song wasn’t released as a single but wound up all over radio as The Cars became a popular act. Super fun song to bop to.
1978 is now done and dusted. Just one more post to go from the decade before this turns to the 1980’s and things just go totally insane.
Here is the latest in my songs series, on an unusual day. After the post I’ll have an update on this site over the next few weeks.
And now on this 50 year long musical journey we arrive at 1977. Seems like it was an interesting time in the world, a lot of weird world events and all that. It was a bit of a banner year in entertainment, as the first Star Wars movie hit theaters.
It was a mournful time in music. For one, I’m not sure this was the greatest year in music history. Kind of a whatever vibe with a lot of this stuff. I vaguely recall the 1977 Behind The Music and everyone was just like “fuck that year.” And the King himself Elvis Presley died on a hot August night.
And just three days after Elvis left the building, I was spat into existence. So no more “I wasn’t around for this year” on these posts. I was, in fact, around – though I can’t cop to having any memory of the year, obviously. I think I have one very small, vague memory from ’79 but that’s all I recall of the decade, I was busy filling diapers and crying.
But even if the year was kind of lame, I had no problem selecting five songs from it. Good music is always around.
Fleetwood Mac – Don’t Stop
This single from one of the biggest albums of all time was one of my earliest musical memories. My mom had a carrying spindle thing that held a bunch of jukebox 45’s and this was one of the singles in that set. I used to play through those 45’s a lot, and I whittled it down to the ones I really liked, this being among those. Honestly a somewhat heavy song, by Fleetwood Mac standards anyway, and a great duet between Lindsey Buckingham and Christine McVie.
Judas Priest – Dissident Aggressor
A cut from the band’s third album Sin After Sin and another testament to Priest being the glue that held heavy metal together just before metal kicked off big time. This saw Priest really up the ante with the heaviness and include some real divebombing guitars. The song was a thought piece on the city of Berlin, at the time caught in a Cold War split that was stark and honestly insane.
Heart – Barracuda
This was another of the 45’s in my mom’s tote and this would be the one I’d play over and over and over and over again. This was an aggressive song and with good reason – it was written by Ann and Nancy Wilson after the press grossly speculated on them being involved with each other despite being sisters. And that main riff of Nancy’s offers a very short and straight line to the heavy metal I would get into several years later. Definitely one of my favorite songs of all time.
Rush – Closer To The Heart
This is an all-time Rush song for sure. Well written and arranged, it brings out a sentimental flair while still sounding totally Rush. The song really opened up the world to Rush in terms of radio play, landing them a top 40 UK hit and also getting their foot in the door in the US. Always a good time to hear this one.
Kiss – Love Gun
This last slot was a tough choice – it was between this and Aerosmith’s Kings And Queens. The latter is an awesome song but Love Gun won out in the end. The album was one of my first Kiss albums and also one of my earlier music memories overall, so it’s easy to pick this signature Kiss song. It’s easy to hear why it’s one of Paul Stanley’s favorite songs.
That does it for ’77. Inching closer to the 1980’s, where this whole thing gets insane as far as picking only five songs per year.
And with that, here is a brief update – I am starting my new job next week and I’ve had a hell of a time lately with leaving my old job and getting stuff together for the new one. I am going on a two-week hiatus from this blog in order to get adjusted to my new work. I will be working a lot of hours but I think after I get into the new rhythm I should be able to get back into the swing here. I don’t know what my post frequency will be but I should be able to figure something out. See you all then.
My job has been absolutely kicking my ass this past week or so. Between it and me desperately trying to find a new job, I haven’t had as much time to work on the site. But I can bang out these five songs from 1975 real quick.
Nothing much to note here, I was still two years away from being born so I have no great memories of ’75. Let’s check out the music.
Heart – Crazy On You
I’m altering the timeline again with this one. This song was released on album in 1975 – in Canada. It wasn’t released as a single or in the US until ’76, but here it is on my list for this year anyway because guess what – 1976 is when things get super crowded on these lists.
Anyway – great blast of a song here. Heart were at times part folk, part psychedelic and part heavy metal – this tune fits the first two more. Very groovy guitar and keyboard passages here and Ann Wilson gives a super smooth performance throughout. Plus a great mix of acoustic and electric guitars here, not something you get all the time, at least to this great of effect.
As we go through these, you’re going to find out that Heart is one of my favorite bands, in all their phases. We’re just getting started here.
Led Zeppelin – Kashmir
So Robert Plant drove through the desert in Morocco and was inspired to write this song about a disputed region between India and Pakistan. Regardless of the geographic blasphemy, it helped Zep record one of their most epic movements. This song is totally majestic and awe-inspiring. Not much else for me to say about it.
Pink Floyd – Wish You Were Here
While this song is full of subtle twists, especially the full album version (which should be posted below), this one is actually pretty straightforward for a Pink Floyd track. It is a somber affair looking back on lost dreams, set against minimal acoustic passages. The song is popularly regarded as being about troubled former bandmate Syd Barrett, though Roger Waters has discounted that idea before. Regardless, it’s a masterpiece of a song.
Aerosmith – Sweet Emotion
We’ll just ignore all of the things this song could possibly be about and focus instead on how kick ass of a tune it is. Aerosmith added a few psychedelic elements to their hard rock groove and came out big winners for it. An electric jam all the way through.
What I posted is the 1991 remix video, which brought Aerosmith up straight up against grunge, and Aerosmith won that unlikely battle.
Waylon Jennings – Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way?
Every genre of music has its formulas for success and acts that were herded into the spotlight, used for a hit, then discarded for the next. But no music scene had its formula down quite like Nashville and country. While that machine keeps plugging away today, it was a group of artists in the ’70’s, spearheaded by Waylon and the creative freedom afforded to him contractually, that sparked a whole new movement in country. The outlaws were riding, and they would reshape country through the decade.
Here Waylon pokes fun at the establishment and highlights how far they’ve drifted from the spiritual father of their genre, Hank Williams. It’s not a comedy tune but some of the lyrics are low key pretty funny, like the one about the five piece band looking at his backside. But the song does carry its weight and then some, directly targeting the tired old formula of Nashville and offering a refreshing change.
That’s all for 1975. Next week will be ’76 so I’ll have to pick some really patriotic stuff to celebrate the bicentennial of my great nation. I’ll get right on that.
For this week I’m pulling out one of rock music’s greatest transformation albums – a band shifting their sound to fit with the times. Some call that selling out, others call it the smart play. In the case of Heart it was very much the latter, and the group would land the biggest success of their career by fully embracing the glitz of 1980’s hair and glam rock.
Heart – self-titled
Released June 21, 1985 via Capitol Records
My Favorite Tracks – What About Love?, If Looks Could Kill, The Wolf
Heart began in the 1970’s and released a string of renowned albums that resided in the hard rock/folk rock realm, an interesting combination not heard every day. The band gained notice with their unique blend of music and also for their front-line sisters, guitarist Nancy Wilson and lead vocalist Ann Wilson.
Then the 1980’s came and rock music changed. Heart entered the decade well enough but had two dud albums through the early ’80’s. It could be said that Heart’s musical transition was started on those albums, though the true fruits of the change would arrive with this self-titled record in 1985, just as hair metal and its associated sounds were becoming the music of the day.
The songwriting on Heart is its own tale, as some of the songs were shaped by the Wilson sisters and several others were done by outside songwriters. I won’t be running down each individual one, just a few of the more notable ones, because it would make this post 10,000 words long. Credits are available in the album’s liner notes and in many places on the Internet for those curious. The album was produced by Ron Nevison, who was one of the go-to producers of the 1980’s.
Heart boasts 10 songs in 39 minutes so not an overly stuffed album, but half of these songs were singles and a few were major hits so there’s plenty to talk about here.
If Looks Could Kill
The album opens with a cover tune of a song also done in 1985 as a dance song. Heart took a more rock approach and fashioned a pretty cool song out of it. It’s very synth heavy, which would figure since it came from the dance/disco world but it’s translated well to the melodic rock environment. The song sees a cheating lover being the object of scorn.
If Looks Could Kill was the album’s fifth and final single, and also the only one not hit the Billboard 100’s top 10.
What About Love?
Another cover song, this time from Canadian band Toronto and one that group did not release originally. Heart would up with the song and would make hay with it, hitting the top 10 of the Billboard 100.
While unfortunate that Toronto did not get to enjoy the original fruits of their labor, this song fits the Heart album like a glove. It is a defining power ballad of the ’80’s and was the keys to the car for Heart’s comeback. It is a song that reminds people who are chasing their “way to the top” that love is still out there and is a more important force than whatever comes at the end of the rat race.
Two notable guests appear to help with backing vocals – Grace Slick and Mickey Thomas from Starship.
Never
Another album single and one that would get to the 4 position on the Billboard 100. This is an upbeat, very poppy melodic rock offering about being disgruntled by love but being ready to give it another go.
These Dreams
Up next is another single and Heart’s first chart-topping hit. The song was originally written by the songwriting duo of Bernie Taupin and Martin Page, two folks who’ve had hands in countless hits. The pair offered the song to Stevie Nicks, who turned it down. Heart were more receptive to it and the rest is history.
Heart switched tack on this song as Nancy Wilson handled the vocals. Nancy had been ill during recording and the production team was quite happy with her raspy take, so much so that she’d be asked in the future to “get sick again” to emulate her style here.
These Dreams is an atmospheric track with the lyrical concept of going to a different world while sleeping and getting away from the issues of regular life. The album’s liner notes dedicate the song to Sharon Hess, a fan who was battling leukemia and met the Wilson sisters during the recording of the song. Hess died just before the album’s release.
The Wolf
Here we hit the first of a few songs that weren’t singles. This is a very nice track that’s all rock and deals with a man out on the prowl who isn’t worth the trouble he brings. This song didn’t get the attention of the hit singles obviously, but it’s well worth a listen as it’s a great ’80’s rock song.
All Eyes
Its 2 for 2 on album deep cuts here with another good rock song. It’s a nice song about hooking up, pretty standard fare for the time. So far the album’s deep cuts compliment the singles well and make for a nice album listening experience.
Nobody Home
This one is a slow ballad that also kind of throws things off for a moment. It is very keyboard driven, which is not a problem in and of itself but the key part sounds like the soundtrack bits of a Final Fantasy video game. FF didn’t exist when this song was recorded but it’s the vibe I get from the song.
The song doesn’t pick up much steam as it goes along even with other instruments coming in. It’s a nice enough sentiment about someone finding no one around when they inevitably fall, but the song doesn’t do a lot for me.
Nothin’ At All
This was the album’s fourth single and also the fourth straight to hit the Billboard 100’s hallowed top 10, hitting exactly that position. This is a very easy-going rock track about how sometimes love just happens super easy without any fuss or drama. The video for this one was pretty popular and features the band simply goofing around.
What He Don’t Know
It’s back to the rock, this one is a fairly tame number but it does pick things back up after that last song. This one puts the shoe on the other foot in contrast to the opening song, as this time a couple is cheating while the singer’s significant other is unaware. It was fairly scandalous song material for the day as adultery and cheating was a huge deal back then, but no one gives a damn today. I don’t recall this song catching any actual grief though.
Shell Shock
The album closes on one more really cool song, it’s a straight ahead rock song. Ann Wilson is going a bit rapid fire in the verses here, it’s a neat way to wrap up the record.
Heart was not only a return to commercial success for the band, this was the peak of their album success. The record topped the Billboard 200 and was on the charts for 78 weeks. It has been certified 5 times platinum in the US and 6 times in Canada. Along with four straight singles in the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100, and this was a massive win for Heart’s ’80’s glam makeover.
Heart were successful in updating for the times and re-energizing their career, though for some it was too drastic of a move away from the classic sound that made them popular in the first place. I personally have no issue with it at all – while I think their ’70’s output is spectacular, I also love their ’80’s hair era. The songs were there and the band rode the wave of big hair and power rock/pop, usually doing it better than many others in the same era.
This would mark the start of a three-album run that saw Heart churn out more hits, including the biggest single of their run in 1987. After the “big hair” era ended, the Wilson sisters would return to their roots and explore more of the work that put them on the map in the first place. But they certainly left their mark on the 1980’s.
The Crooked Wanderer 