Infinite MonkeysIt's a strange and funny thing for me to read the recent posts by fellow Monkeys Brad, David, and Robb. They're only a few years older than me, and yet our memories of the '80s are very different. I listened to a bit of New Wave in those years, but it was all very Top 40. Somewhere, I have A Flock of Seagulls' first LP, and The Cars' "Candy O," and Missing Persons' "Spring Session M"... on vinyl.
("Papa, what's vinyl?" "I'll explain later, son...")
But around 1982 or '83, I took a turn toward the dark side. Oh, it started innocently enough. One of the first records I bought, with my own meager allowance, was Rush's "Signals." Not long afterward, though, I suckered my dad into fronting me the money for Black Sabbath's "Live Evil." Before long it was more Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, etc., etc., etc....
The '80s were pretty good years for metal. We tend to think of the very worst examples of hair metal: Bon Jovi, Poison, some other clods, Whitesnake. Gah! My stomach turns just thinking about it. But surely I needn't remind you of a little band called Metallica? I came in late, around 1987, with "Master of Puppets." But "Kill 'Em All" and "Ride the Lightning" are indispensable, too. "...And Justice for All" was a big deal for the headbangers in my circle as we entered our senior year in high school. So was Megadeth's "So Far, So Good, So What?" (Although it doesn't hold up well at all. Politically, very stupid.) Queensryche was huge: before "Operation: Mindcrime," (also stupid politically, but genius musically) there was "Warning." Most of Iron Maiden's best work came out during the '80s: "Piece of Mind," "Powerslave," "Somewhere in Time," and, of course, "Live After Death." And, enormously popular as it became, who could forget Guns and Roses' "Appetite for Destruction?"
I could go on, but that would require digging through CDs and so forth and I don't have the strength at this hour. Perhaps another time. I'm not certain how most of this stuff would sound to the jaded, philistine ears of the average high school kid. For that matter, how would some of the more innovative music of the '70s sound to them?
(I know how it sounds to me: better than ever. Thank you XM!)
(Beyond the scope! -Ed.)
I guess that's a question for another time, then...
Posted by Ben at January 27, 2004 12:26 AM | TrackBack