Music Video Of the Day: "Rain" by Dragon (1983 or 1984, No. 88 on the Billboard Hot 100)

Great forgotten minor U.S. hit by one of New Zealand's (and Australia's) hottest rock, alternative rock, and New Wave bands. Great stuff.

80's Hit Song Review: "A Million Miles Away" by The Plimsouls (1983)

U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Peak Position No. 82

Backstory: This American New Wave and rock band was formed in Paramount, California in 1978. The group was formed by Peter Case, who was in other bands such as The Nerves. This single, off of their 1983 album, Everywhere At Once, was their first and only hit single, peaking at a really low No. 82 on the Hot 100, although it was a much bigger success on the Mainstream Rock Charts, peaking at No. 11 on that chart. The song got plenty of radio airplay on the Los Angeles based station, KROQ. It was included in the Valley Girl soundtrack. They disbanded that same year, but have reformed every once in a while. They even have an Instagram account that you can definitely follow if you want.

The review: Oh man, I have ALWAYS absolutely LOVED this tune! The upbeat alternative rock and New Wave like rhythms along with Cases's great singing voice make this one a true winner in my book. Not sure why it stalled rather low on the Hot 100, it deserved to be a MUCH bigger success. The video was great as well.

Final rating: 10/10

Music Video of the Day: "It Must Be Love" by Madness (1981, most likely)

80's Hit Song Review: "I Love Women" by Jim Hurt (1980)

U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Peak Position No. 90

Backstory: This singer and songwriter from the Boston area would provide vocals for demos and co-write songs for other artists. This single off of the Scotti Bros. label was the ONE and ONLY record he EVER released. No follow up singles and no albums. It got slight airplay on some radio stations around the country, and that was it for him! Hurt continued to write songs for other artists until he sadly passed away in 2004 from liver cancer.

The review: While I don't think that this song is a masterpiece, I still really love it and think it should have done MUCH better on the charts. Good Hall & Oates and Boz Scaggs like tune. Not sure why it didn't catch on too well. Nice smooth vocals and smooth melodies as well.

Final rating: 8/10

80's Hit Song Review: "The Walls Came Down" by The Call (1983)

U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Peak Position No. 74

Backstory: This alternative rock and (somewhat) New-Wavish band was formed in Santa Cruz in 1980 and disbanded in 2000. This song was their first hit single, released off of their second album, Modern Romans, in 1983. It was a top 20 success on the Mainstream Rock Charts, peaking at No. 17 there, but only made it as high as No. 74 on the actual Hot 100. The music video also got occasional airplay on MTV. They would only have one other Hot 100 chart entry besides this one, a song called, "Let The Day Begin", which peaked at No. 51. Sadly, member Michael Been died in 2010 as the result of a heart attack. The band still occasionally performs today.

The review: Oh man, I have always absolutely LOVED this song! The upbeat alternative rock and New Wave rhythms, cool guitar work, occasional synths, and a nice drum beat, along with somewhat political lyrics about war and social issues, this song is just a classic in my book.

Final rating: 10/10

Music Video of the Day: "Do You Wanna Hold Me?" by Bow Wow Wow (1983)

Stranger Things Season 3 Spoiler-Free Review

The new season of Netflix's critically acclaimed 80's based science fiction series Stranger Things came out on July 4th, and I watched the whole season in only two days. Personally, I loved it. The new characters (both good and evil), new mall setting, and soundtrack and special effects are still all in touch with the first two seasons, though I personally think this is the 2nd best season. My favorite remains the 1st season.

New characters include Mayor Larry Kline, and egotistical and uncaring politician who only really cares about his image and his new mall, Grigori, a Russian hit man, and Alexei, a kind yet somewhat troublesome Russian scientist.

Overall, I just loved this new season. Great stuff.

80's Hit Song Review: "Boy Toy" by Tia (1987)

U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Peak Position No. 97

Backstory: American singer and occasional model Tia Bocker was born somewhere in the New York and grew up there. She was discovered by music producers while she was still in high school. This single was her first and only ever U.S. single, stalling at an incredibly low No. 97 for just one week, but was a Top 10 success on the Dance Charts, peaking as high as No. 6 there. She still performs to this day and occasionally stays active on social media. Ironically, despite being an American singer, she released more singles around Europe than here in the States.

The review: This is a really good yet slightly cheesy dance and pop tune. Dunno why it stalled so early on the Hot 100. Definitely at least deserved a Top 40 showing.

Final rating: 8/10

80's Hit Song Review: "Living in the Background" by Baltimora (1986)

U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Peak Position No. 87

Backstory: This short lived Italian group from Milan only lasted from '85-'87 and mainly consisted of singer Jimmy McShane, who was born in Northern Ireland in 1957. In the U.S. and the U.K., they are best known for their No. 13 Billboard Hot 100 and No. 3 U.K. hit, "Tarzan Boy", which was also a huge success all around Europe and in their native Italy. This song was their only other Hot 100 Chart entry, peaking at a low No. 87. It was also a really minor blip on the Canadian Singles Chart, peaking at just No. 96 over there. Other Italian hits for them include: "Woody Boogie" (a bizarre Woody Woodpecker inspired New Wave and dance song), and "Juke Box Boy". Their "Tarzan Boy" single also made a surprise reappearance on the Hot 100 in 1993 due to some success with a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie, in which a remix of the song was included on the soundtrack. The remix version peaked at No. 51. Sadly, in 1995, McShane died of an AIDS related illness, aged just 37.

The review: This is a really good, catchy, and upbeat tune with a couple of slightly slow parts that are just as good. I wouldn't peg it for a Top 10, but it definitely deserved at least a minor Top 40 showing. Good tune. (Also, despite being only a minor hit, McShane lip-synched the song on one or two episodes of American Bandstand during its last years.)

Final rating: 7/10

60's Hit Song Review: "I Want My Baby Back" by Jimmy Cross (1965)

U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Peak Position No. 92 (Released in December of 1964, didn't peak until in February of '65)

Backstory: Cross was born on November 17th, 1938 in Dothan, Alabama. This single was his only single to chart on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking near the bottom of the Hot 100. It's a rather shocking and tasteless novelty song, making fun of teenage tragedy songs such as, "The Leader of the Pack", which is even mentioned in this song's lyrics. The song also includes realistic sound effects, and overall tells the story of a man who goes crazy over the death of his girlfriend and decides to join her in her grave. Cross would later release some more singles off of the Tollie Records label, and short lived ones, such as Chicken, a sub-label of Tollie. He also released songs such as "Super Duper Man" and "Hey Little Girl" off of the Red Bird label. Cross sadly died in 1978, just a month short of celebrating his 40th birthday as the result of a heart attack.

The review: This is hilarious over the top tastelessness at its best! Love this crazy novelty tune! Obviously, I am not surprised it stalled so low, but I could just imagine the reaction of all of the listeners of this tune on the radio at the time! Cross's legacy will definitely live on here! Just crazy tasteless brilliance! And since it's meant to be bad and godawful, it wouldn't be fair to give it a "bad" rating, so...

Final rating :10/10

80's Hit Song Review: "Just Got Lucky" by JoBoxers (1983)

U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Peak Position No. 36

Backstory: This British pub inspired New Wave band was formed in London in 1982, and disbanded in 1985. Their first single, "Boxerbeat", went all the way to No. 3 on the U.K. Singles Chart. Their 2nd single, this following tune above, was their only U.S. hit, breaking into the Top 40 and peaked as high as No. 7 on the U.K. Singles Chart. They had two other U.K. hit singles which weren't as big, and soon disbanded two years later. Some members have gone on to play with other music acts, such as The The and The Style Council.

The review: Oh man, have I always absolutely LOVED this song! The upbeat rhythms, pub-like pianos, and fun singing style is just so awesome! Should've been a Top 10 hit here in the States.

Final rating: 10/10

80's Hit Song Review: "I Think You'll Remember Tonight" by Axe (1983)

U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Peak Position No. 94

Backstory: This American hard rock band was formed in Gainesville, Florida, in 1979 and disbanded in 2012. They released their self titled debut album in 1979, and in 1982 had their first hit single, "Now Or Never", off of their Offering album, which peaked at No. 64 on the Hot 100. This following single was their only other Hot 100 Chart entry, which peaked at an incredibly low No. 94 for only a total of two weeks. It was, however, a much bigger success on the Mainstream Rock Charts, where it peaked as high as No. 36 there. Sadly, member Michael Osborne was killed in a car accident in 1984, although a badly injured Bobby Barth (another band member) escaped and survived the accident. The band disbanded after that tragedy, but reformed soon after.

The review: This is a really good and slightly emotional sounding hard rock song with a few soft parts, great guitar and vocal work, and awesome organ solo. I'm not sure why this stalled so low on the Hot 100. I actually like this better than "Now Or Never". Should've been a MUCH bigger hit.

Final rating: 8/10

80's Hit Song Review: "The Kid's American" by Matthew Wilder (1983)

U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Peak Position No. 33

Backstory: Wilder was born as Matthew Weiner in New York City in January of 1953. During the 70's, he was part of the musical duo Matthew and Peter. In 1978, he moved to L.A. and sang in television commercials and was even a backing vocalist for Rickie Lee Jones and Bette Midler for a short period of time. His 1983 debut album, I Don't Speak the Language, included two singles: his biggest hit: "Break My Stride", which peaked as high as No. 5 on the Hot 100 and this tune, which was another Top 40 hit for him, although not as big as "Break My Stride" was. His third and final single to chart was the title track of his Bouncin' Off the Walls album, which only made it as high as No. 52 on the Hot 100. After his solo career ended, he became a producer for successful artists such as No Doubt, Kelly Clarkson, and (sadly and horribly) enough, even worked a bit with Miley Cyrus. He even sang songs as the character of Ling in Disney's 1998 film, Mulan. He still produces and makes music to this very day.

The review: Although I don't think this tune is as great as "Break My Stride", I still really like this fun and bouncy little happy upbeat tune with a fun hand-clap chorus. Good production and keyboards as well. I think No. 33 was a fair enough chart showing for it.

Final rating: 7/10

Is "Trout Mask Replica" the Most Creative Album of the 60's?

People often say that Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band's Trout Mask Replica album is one of the strangest but most unique and creative albums to come out of the 60's, and I definitely agree with them there. With bizarre, nonsensical, Dada-esque and Beck, Bob Dylan like lyrics and off key and off rhythm song beats, instruments and rhythms and a very particular sense of humor, this is an album that is truly unique and one of a kind! With help from Beefheart's high school friend, Frank Zappa, who produced this album, it just sets up a whole kind of creative one of a kind avant-garde like force and attitude.

Take the following track above for example, "Pena". You'll see what I definitely mean by both creative and highly bizarre! Perhaps The Residents were inspired by him?

80's Hit Song Review: "Breaking Up is Hard On You (AKA Don't Take Ma Bell Away From Me)" by The American Comedy Network (1984)

U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Peak Position No. 70

Backstory: The American Comedy Network was a group of former radio deejays who provided comedic skits, songs, and parodies for airplay in the States and in Canada. Andy Goodman founded the group, but the main member was Bob Rivers, who is still a successful radio deejay to this day. This was the ONLY single that the ACN EVER released, becoming a minor hit and was even a surprise minor success on the Adult Contemporary Charts, peaking as high as No. 47 on that chart. The song was a parody of Neil Sedaka's classic No. 1 hit, "Breaking Up is Hard On You" from 1962. The group kept on releasing material until they closed up in February of 2013. Other parodies by them include "Osama Under the Sea" and a censored profanity laced version of "On the Road Again".

The Review: I know I'm probably crazy for saying this, but I absolutely LOVE this parody. This honestly should've been a Top 40 in my eyes. The AT&T phone breakup topic of the parody is definitely somewhat different, and I just love the spoken word skit at the end. It's well recorded as well and just as catchy as the original tune, just a bit in a different key. Love this one!

Final rating: 10/10

80's Hit Song Review: "Breakaway" by Big Pig (1988)

U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Peak Position No. 60

Backstory: This Australian band which had a total of 7 members formed in 1985 in Melbourne. They had success in their country with singles such as "Hungry Town", "Big Hotel", and this one, "Breakaway", their only ever U.S. hit single. "Breakaway" was a cover of a song that was written by Mitchell Bottler and Gary Zekley. Lead singer Sherine Abeyratne previously sang backup vocals for many other Australian groups, including INXS. This following single was off of their debut Bonk album, and was even included in the classic 1989 comedy film, Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure.

The review: This is a great dance and funk tune with awesome production and a great beat. The lyrics and vocal work from both Abeyratne and the male backup vocalists are great as well. And that drum banging and loudness of this tune is just too cool! Should've been a much bigger hit here in the States. I think this one's honestly just brilliant.

Final rating: 10/10