OFF: what was it with the 80s...?

[John Majka]

Now now...
There were so many amazingly brilliant bands in the 80's!  My favorites
include the already mentioned Husker Du, to whom so many bands owe their
musical heritage...  This band remains one of my all-time favorites and I
can't tolerate a single bad word spoken against the Huskers, as they are
sacred and beyond all reproach.  And what of that incredibly surreal and
beautiful band the Cocteau Twins?  Never again will anyone hear such
other-worldly and sadly beautiful soundscapes as those of the Cocteau Twins!
Let's not forget Dinosaur Jr. either.  I think "You're Living All Over Me"
has to be among my top ten albums by anyone ever.  J. Mascis is the only
true guitar hero born from the underground.  And of course there is  R.E.M.
who were fantastic until only the last few albums... throughout the 80's
though, they were unstoppable geniuses... "Fables of the Reconstruction"
remains a personal favorite.  Sonic Youth is certainly a band that can't be
ignored either.  Big Black was quite a sonic experience, as was Naked
Raygun.  Near the end of the 80's we had the Pixies and Stone Roses and Pale
Saints.  Oh, and there was Thin White Rope which has to be one of the
greatest American psychedelic guitar bands ever.  No, I think I would have
to conclude that the 1980's spawned dozens of bands that deeply affected
me....
John Majka
jmajka2 at home.com


> In message <200110242111.RAA22217 at mail5.uts.ohio-state.edu>, K
> Henderson <henderson.120 at OSU.EDU> writes
>
> I agreed with nearly all of this, except...
>
> >(Joy Division I tried out awhile back - had never heard before.  Omigod!
>
> and...
>
> > Husker
> >Du,        who were just sort of 'ok'
> >anyway).
>
> Joy Div- great band IMHO, (although the remnants- i.e. New Order- rapidly
> lost it). But check out "Exercise One", "A Means To An End", "Dead
> Souls", "New Dawn Fades"... these songs are icy forbidding works of art
each
> one... IMHO of course. However they were not an 80s band- Ian Curtis did
> the deed in 1978.
>
> Husker Du- just sort of OK?? Shurely shome mishtake!! I mean, I can see
> why Joy Div might not float your boat, but the Huskers were one of the
very
> few truly great bands of that era IMO. At least listen to the "Warehouse"
> album, or "The Living End" live one, except now you'll say you already
> have, so I guess it's just not your thang. Fair enough. I saw them live
once,
> they were incendiary.
> --
> Nick Medford