We Interrupt This Blog...

So when I write I find I need music. Sometimes the choices are obvious - when writing about Damien Dempsey I was listening to him, of course, and only the Sex Pistols would do when writing about the Union Jack. At other times, though, I listen to whatever is catching my fancy at that point. Recently I've been going through an 80's phase. I thank you in advance for not referring to this as "retro" - for those of us that were there to listen when this stuff was brand new that term is mildly (okay, highly!) offensive.

Let's start here:

 Men Without Hats - Safety Dance

                                                                                                             

If you're a Canadian of a certain age you know Men Without Hats. They were from Montreal and briefly lit the Canadian scene on fire in the 80's. I saw them play live at a gig at the Centennial Auditorium in Saskatoon in 1984. Ridiculous place for them to play as there was nowhere to dance. My date and I led the charge to dance in the orchestra pit, which had security panicking. They would pull us all out, send us back to our seats, and we would climb over the seats and back into the pit. Absolute mayhem! After the gig we headed behind the auditorium to meet the band. Lead singer Ivan invited me to spend the rest of the night with him on their tour bus, much to the dismay of my date. Only three of us know how that evening ended...and I'm not telling. Moving on...

Eurythmics - Love Is A Stranger

Annie Lennox. This woman is a goddess in every sense. The most incredible voice in 80's music, and possibly ever. Sexy as hell, too. Angelina Jolie has nothing on Annie. And the lyrics!

"Love is a stranger in an open car

To tempt you in and drive you far away"
Lennox/Stewart

Bloody brilliant. One of these days I'm sitting my daughter down to listen to the gospel according to Annie. The woman knows of what she sings....forward we go...

                                            U2 - Sunday Bloody Sunday

This band is iconic, of course. In later years I wasn't as keen on some of U2's stuff, although they've managed to stay remarkably current. This song, though, is almost emblematic of the 80's to me, and probably to many others. I'll always remember the first time I heard it, and every time I hear it it reminds me of those years. And finally, saving the very best for last....

Crowded House - World Where You Live

Crowded House are a completely amazing band. Easy to listen to, musically intricate, and lyrically perfect. Finn's writing is nothing short of poetry. Again, an individual who knows of what he sings:

"Tell me I don't know where you go

 Do you climb into space

 To the world where you live?"
Neil Finn

How often have you wanted to ask someone that question? I have, frequently, but fear the answer.

And that, my friends, is what I've been spinning the past couple of weeks. Perhaps it's nostalgia, or perhaps it's a yearning for younger days - but it's definitely NOT retro!