The Music Of The 80s - Favorites, Classics And Rarities

[hitman531ph]

STEPHEN BISHOP

 

Stephen Bishop's light pop style garnered him a small amount of success as a solo artist in the late '70s and a greater rep*tation as a quality songwriter. After his first group, the Weeds, disbanded following high school, Bishop spent the next seven years looking for a recording contract and was finally discovered by Art Garfunkel in 1976. Bishop had worked in a publishing house, where he wrote songs for Chaka Khan, the Four Tops, and Barbra Streisand. His debut album, Careless, was nominated for a Grammy and produced several chart singles, including "On and On", "Save it for a Rainy Day", "Never Letting Go", "Everybody Needs Love" and "Parked Cars". Guest performers on the first album included Art Garfunkel, Chaka Khan, Gary Brooker, Steve Cropper, and Phil Collins, who later recorded Bishop material on his Face Value album. Bishop achieved his greatest visibility as a composer of movie themes, contributing to Animal House, Roadie, Tootsie (which featured "It Might Be You"), The China Syndrome, Unfaithfully Yours, and a number one duet for Phil Collins and Marilyn Martin from White Nights, "Separate Lives." Bishop also appeared in The Blues Brothers and Kentucky Fried Movie.

Edited November 7, 2005 by hitman531ph

[sickness]

Van Halen, Motley Crue, Skid Row, Poison, Firehouse

[hitman531ph]

Firehouse had their first album in 1991, so that doesn't make them an 80s band. However, I did feature the other bands you mentioned.

 

Thanks for visiting the thread!

[hitman531ph]

ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA

 

The Electric Light Orchestra's ambitious yet irresistible fusion of Beatlesque pop, classical arrangements, and futuristic iconography rocketed the group to massive commercial success throughout the 1970s. ELO was formed in Birmingham, England in the autumn of 1970 from the ashes of the eccentric art-pop combo the Move, reuniting frontman Roy Wood with guitarist/composer Jeff Lynne, bassist Rick Price, and drummer Bev Bevan. Announcing their intentions to "pick up where 'I Am the Walrus' left off," the quartet sought to embellish their engagingly melodic rock with classical flourishes, tapping French horn player Bill Hunt and violinist Steve Woolam to record their self-titled debut LP (issued as No Answer in the U.S.). In the months between the sessions for the album and its eventual release, the Move embarked on their farewell tour, with Woolam exiting the ELO lineup prior to the enlistment of violinist Wilf Gibson, bassist Richard Tandy, and cellists Andy Craig and Hugh McDowell; despite the lengthy delay, Electric Light Orchestra sold strongly, buoyed by the success of the U.K. Top Ten hit "10538 Overture."

However, Wood soon left ELO to form Wizzard, taking Hunt and McDowell with him; Price and Craig were soon out as well, and with the additions of bassist Michael D'Albuquerque, keyboardist Richard Tandy, and cellists Mike Edwards and Colin Walker, Lynne assumed vocal duties, with his Lennonesque tenor proving the ideal complement to his increasingly sophisticated melodies. With 1973's ELO II, the group returned to the Top Ten with their grandiose cover of the Chuck Berry chestnut "Roll Over Beethoven"; the record was also their first American hit, with 1974's Eldorado yielding their first U.S. Top Ten, the lovely "Can't Get It Out of My Head." Despite Electric Light Orchestra's commercial success, the band remained relatively faceless; the lineup changed constantly, with sole mainstays Lynne and Bevan preferring to let their elaborate stage shows and omnipresent spaceship imagery instead serve as the group's public persona. 1975's Face the Music went gold, generating the hits "Evil Woman" and "Strange Magic," while the follow-up, A New World Record, sold five million copies internationally thanks to standouts like "Telephone Line" and "Livin' Thing."

 

The platinum-selling double-LP, Out of the Blue, appeared in 1977, although the record's success was tempered somewhat by a lawsuit filed by Electric Light Orchestra against their former distributor, United Artists, whom the band charged flooded the market with defective copies of the album. Columbia distributed the remainder of the group's output, issued through their own Jet Records imprint, beginning with 1979's Discovery, which notched the Top Ten entries "Shine a Little Love" and "Don't Bring Me Down." In the wake of ELO's best-selling Greatest Hits compilation, Lynne wrote several songs for the soundtrack of the Olivia Newton-John film Xanadu, including the hit title track. The next proper Electric Light Orchestra album, 1981's Time, generated their final Top Ten hit, "Hold on Tight." Following 1983's Secret Messages, Bevan left the group to join Black Sabbath, although he returned to the fold for 1986's Balance of Power, which despite the presence of the Top 20 hit "Calling America" received little interest from fans and media alike.

 

However, as Electric Light Orchestra's career descended, Lynne emerged as a sought-after producer, helming well-received comebacks from George Harrison (1987's Cloud Nine) and Roy Orbison (1989's Mystery Girl) and additionally re-teaming with both rock legends as well as Bob Dylan and Tom Petty in the hit supergroup the Traveling Wilburys. Lynne made his solo debut in 1990 with Armchair Theatre but otherwise spent the decade out of the limelight, instead producing material for Joe Cocker, Tom Jones, and Paul McCartney in addition to working on the Beatles' Anthology project. In 1988, meanwhile, Bevan formed Electric Light Orchestra Part II with vocalist Neil Lockwood, keyboardist Eric Troyer, and bassist Pete Haycock; although Lynne filed suit against the group (hence the "Part II" tag), a self-titled LP followed in 1991, with a live collection recorded with the Moscow Symphony Orchestra appearing a year later. Outside of 1994's Moment of Truth, subsequent ELO II releases have been live efforts as well

Edited November 8, 2005 by hitman531ph

[hitman531ph]

AMBROSIA

 

Los Angeles quartet Ambrosia, whose founding members included guitarist/vocalist David Pack, bassist/vocalist Joe Puerta, keyboardist Christopher North, and drummer Burleigh Drummond, fused symphonic art rock with a slickly produced pop sound. The group was discovered in 1971 by Los Angeles Philharmonic conductor Zubin Mehta, who featured Ambrosia as part of a so-called All-American Dream Concert. However, it took them four more years to get a record contract; Ambrosia was released in 1975 and spawned the chart singles "Holdin' on to Yesterday" and "Nice, Nice, Very Nice." The latter was based on Kurt Vonnegut Jr.'s Cat's Cradle. Ambrosia scored another hit in 1977 with a cover of the Beatles' "Magical Mystery Tour" from the film All This and World War II, which they also appeared in.

North left the group just before their biggest pop breakthrough in 1978 with the number three hit "How Much I Feel." Ambrosia followed this success in 1980 with another number three hit, "Biggest Part of Me," and the number 13 follow-up "You're the Only Woman." Their next album failed, ending their run of chart success, and the group broke up; individual members are still active as session musicians and vocalists, as well as producers

Edited November 8, 2005 by hitman531ph

[hitman531ph]

BOZ SCAGGS

 

After first finding acclaim as a member of the Steve Miller Band, singer/songwriter Boz Scaggs went on to enjoy considerable solo success in the 1970s. Born William Royce Scaggs in Ohio on June 8, 1944, he was raised in Oklahoma and Texas, and while attending prep school in Dallas met guitarist Steve Miller. After joining Miller's group the Marksmen as a vocalist in 1959, the pair later attended the University of Wisconsin together, playing in blues bands like the Ardells and the Fabulous Knight Trains.

In 1963 Scaggs returned to Dallas alone, fronting an R&B unit dubbed the Wigs; after relocating to England, the group promptly disbanded, and two of its members -- John Andrews and Bob Arthur -- soon formed Mother Earth. Scaggs remained in Europe, singing on street corners; in Sweden he recorded a failed solo LP, 1965's Boz, before returning to the U.S. two years later. Upon settling in San Francisco, he reunited with Miller, joining the fledgling Steve Miller Band; after recording two acclaimed albums with the group, Children of the Future and Sailor, Scaggs exited in 1968 to mount a solo career.

 

With the aid of Rolling Stone magazine publisher Jann Wenner, Scaggs secured a contract with Atlantic. Sporting a cameo from Duane Allman, 1968's soulful Boz Scaggs failed to find an audience despite winning critical favor; the track "Loan Me a Dime" later became the subject of a court battle when bluesman Fenton Robinson sued (successfully) for composer credit. After signing to Columbia, Scaggs teamed with producer Glyn Johns to record 1971's Moments, a skillful blend of rock and R&B which, like its predecessor, failed to make much of an impression on the charts.

 

Scaggs remained a critics' darling over the course of LPs like 1972's My Time and 1974's Slow Dancer, but he did not achieve a commercial breakthrough until 1976's Silk Degrees, which reached number two on the album charts while spawning the Top Three single "Lowdown," as well as the smash "Lido Shuffle." 1977's Down Two Then Left was also a success, and 1980's Middle Man reached the Top Ten on the strength of the singles "Breakdown Dead Ahead" and "Jo Jo."

 

However, Scaggs spent much of the 1980s in retirement, owning and operating the San Francisco nightclub Slim's and limiting his performances primarily to the club's annual black-tie New Year's Eve concerts. Finally, in 1986 he resurfaced with the album Other Roads which brought him back to the Top 20 with a hit called "Heart of Mine", followed five years later by a tour with Donald Fagen's Rock and Soul Revue. The solo Some Change appeared in 1994, with Come on Home released in 1997

Edited November 8, 2005 by hitman531ph

[hitman531ph]

THE ALAN PARSONS PROJECT

 

As indicated by its name, the Alan Parsons Project was not a band so much as a concept overseen by the titular Parsons, a successful producer and engineer. Born in Britain on December 20, 1949, he began his musical career as a staff engineer at EMI Studios, and first garnered significant industry exposure via his work on the Beatles' 1969 masterpiece Abbey Road. Parsons subsequently worked with Paul McCartney on several of Wings' earliest albums; he also oversaw recordings from Al Stewart, Cockney Rebel and Pilot, but solidified his rep*tation by working on Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon.

Influenced by his work on Stewart's concept album Time Passages, Parsons decided to begin creating his own thematic records; along with songwriter Eric Woolfson, he soon founded the Alan Parsons Project. Although Parsons played keyboards and infrequently sang on his records, the Project was designed primarily as a forum for a revolving collection of vocalists and session players -- among them Arthur Brown, ex-Zombie Colin Blunstone, Cockney Rebel's Steve Harley, the Hollies' Allan Clarke and guitarist Ian Bairnson -- to interpret and perform Parsons and Woolfson's conceptually-linked, lushly-synthesized music.

 

The Project debuted in 1975 with Tales of Mystery and Imagination, a collection inspired by the work of Edgar Allen Poe; similarly, the science fiction of Isaac Asimov served as the raw material for 1977's follow-up I Robot. With 1980s The Turn of a Friendly Card, a meditation on gambling, the Alan Parsons Project scored a Top 20 hit, "Games People Play; " 1982's Eye in the Sky, was their most successful effort, and notched a Top Three hit with its title track and a minor hit "Psychobabble". 1984's Ammonia Avenue went gold with two Top 40 hits "Don't Answer Me" and "Prime Time". The Project's subsequent LPs earned little notice, although records like 1985's Vulture Culture, 1987's Gaudi and 1996's On Air found favor with longtime fans. Time Machine followed in 1999

Edited November 8, 2005 by hitman531ph

[hitman531ph]

DAN FOGELBERG

 

Peoria, IL, native Dan Fogelberg has built a devoted following over the years with his laid-back, folky singer/songwriter style. A pianist since 14, Fogelberg switched to guitar and played local coffeehouses while majoring in art at the University of Illinois, where he met ex-student and REO Speedwagon manager Irving Azoff. Fogelberg relocated to Los Angeles and played the folk circuit while doing session work, landing a tour spot with Van Morrison at one point. Fogelberg's 1972 debut, Home Free, didn't make much of an impact, and he was dropped from Columbia. However, Fogelberg's connection with Azoff led to a deal with Epic. Fogelberg's Epic debut, Souvenirs, became his first in a string of seven consecutive platinum albums. He increased his visibility by touring with the Eagles in 1975. Fogelberg's popularity peaked in 1980 with the release of Phoenix, which contained the number two hit single "Longer." His follow-up, The Innocent Age, was a double concept album, and four Top 20 singles were pulled from it. Following the release of a greatest-hits package, Fogelberg's commercial appeal began to evaporate; none of his subsequent albums have gone platinum, but continue to sell well to a core of fans. 1984 saw Dan Fogelberg release an album reflecting a change of style. Not folk-sounding nor ballad type of album. Fogelberg reached #14 with rock-sounding The Language of Love and that was the last of his hits. 1993's River of Souls saw Fogelberg experimenting with worldbeat sounds as a backdrop for his lyrical musings. No Resemblance Whatsoever, a collaboration with Tim Weisberg, followed in 1995, and four years later Fogelberg returned with First Christmas Morning. Live: Something Old New Borrowed and Some Blues appeared in mid-2000

Edited November 8, 2005 by hitman531ph

[hitman531ph]

IRENE CARA

 

Irene Cara is best known as a singer of movie themes, though she worked as an actress since childhood. Raised in New York City, she appeared on Broadway in 1967 in the musical Maggie Flynn at age eight and can be heard on the cast album for the show The Me Nobody Knows. From the age of 16, she was turning up on television and in films, including a part in the TV mini-series Roots 2 in 1979. In 1980, she was catapulted into stardom and a singing career by her appearance in the film Fame, for which she sang the title song, an Oscar-winning Top Ten hit. Also from the film was her Top 40 hit "Out Here on My Own." In 1983, she topped the charts once again with "Flashdance...What a Feelin'" from the movie Flashdance, a song she co-wrote that won another Oscar, and Cara won a couple of Grammys for her contributions to the soundtrack. Her What a Feelin' album included the #11 hit "Why Me?" and she also made the Top 40 with a third movie theme, "The Dream (Hold on to Your Dream)," from DC Cab, reaching #37. Irene Cara never had another chart hit after that.

Edited November 9, 2005 by hitman531ph

[hitman531ph]

SHEENA EASTON

 

1980s pop diva Sheena Easton was born Sheena Shirley Orr in Belshill, Scotland on April 27, 1959. Inspired to pursue a singing career after seeing Barbra Streisand in The Way We Were, she later attended the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama while moonlighting with the group Something Else. Exposure on the BBC television production The Big Time: Pop Singer not only resulted in a record deal with EMI but also pushed Easton's 1980 debut singles, "Modern Girl" and "9 to 5," into the U.K. Top Ten, and she became the first female artist to score two simultaneous Top Ten hits. Her self-titled debut LP followed in 1981, while "9 to 5" was reissued in America under the title "Morning Train" to avoid confusion with Dolly Parton's recent hit of the same name; regardless, the single topped the U.S. pop charts, with "Modern Girl" cracking the Top 20 a few months later. After earning a Grammy as Best New Artist, Easton was tapped to sing the title theme of the latest James Bond film, For Your Eyes Only; in 1983, she duetted with Kenny Rogers on the smash "We've Got Tonight," returning to the Top Ten later that year with "Telefone (Long Distance Love Affair." However, with 1984's A Private Affair, Easton retooled her squeaky clean image, following the sassy "Strut" with the salacious "Sugar Walls," written and produced by one Alexander Nevermind (a.k.a. Prince, to whose "U Got the Look" she contributed vocals in 1987). In 1987, she had a Christmas hit, "It's Christmas All Over the World" from the movie "Santa Claus: The Movie". She followed a stint as Don Johnson's ill-fated TV wife on Miami Vice by scoring the number two smash "The Lover in Me" in 1989; however, 1991's "What Comes Naturally" proved to be Easton's last chart entry, and after starring in a musical revival of Man of La Mancha she spent much of the decade on stage, also appearing in a revival of Grease as well as on the seasonal tour The Colors of Christmas

Edited November 9, 2005 by hitman531ph

[hitman531ph]

THE BEATLES in the 80s??

 

Why, yes! But not all former Beatles had hits in the 80s. Only Ringo Starr had no hits in 80s (even until the 90s), though he had two albums in 1981 and 1983 which met no success.

 

PAUL MCCARTNEY

 

Out of all the former Beatles, Paul McCartney by far had the most successful solo career, maintaining a constant presence in the British and American charts during the '70s and '80s. In America alone, he had nine number one singles and seven number one albums during the first 12 years of his solo career. Although he sold records, McCartney never attained much critical respect, especially when compared to his former partner John Lennon. Then again, he pursued a different path than Lennon, deciding early on that he wanted to be in a rock band. Within a year after the Beatles' breakup, McCartney had formed Wings with his wife Linda, and the group remained active for the next ten years, racking up a string of hit albums, singles, and tours in the meantime. By the late '70s, many critics were taking potshots at McCartney's effortlessly melodic songcraft, but that didn't stop the public from buying his records. His sales didn't slow considerably until the late '80s, and he retaliated with his first full-scale tour since the '70s, which was a considerable success. During the '90s, McCartney recorded less frequently, concentrating on projects like his first classical recording, a techno album, and the Beatles' Anthology.

 

Like Lennon and George Harrison, Paul McCartney began exploring creative avenues outside the Beatles during the late '60s, but where his bandmates released their own experimental records, McCartney confined himself to writing and production for other artists, with the exception of his 1966 soundtrack to The Family Way. Following his marriage to Linda Eastman on March 12, 1969, McCartney began working at his home studio on his first solo album. He released the record, McCartney, in April 1970, two weeks before the Beatles' Let It Be was scheduled to hit the stores. Prior to the album's release, he announced that the Beatles were breaking up, which was against the wishes of the other members. As a result, the tensions between him and the other three members, particularly Harrison and Lennon, increased and he earned the ill will of many critics. Nevertheless, McCartney became a hit, spending three weeks at the top of the American charts. Early in 1971, he returned with "Another Day," which became his first hit single as a solo artist. It was followed several months later by Ram, another home-made collection, this time featuring the contributions of his wife Linda.

 

By the end of 1971, the McCartneys had formed Wings, which was intended to be a full-fledged recording and touring band. Former Moody Blues guitarist Denny Laine and drummer Denny Seiwell became the group's other members, and Wings released their first album, Wild Life, in December 1971. Wild Life was greeted with poor reviews and was a relative flop. McCartney and Wings, which now featured former Grease Band guitarist Henry McCullough, spent 1972 as a working band, releasing three singles -- the protest "Give Ireland Back to the Irish," the reggae-fied "Mary Had a Little Lamb" and the rocking "Hi Hi Hi" -- in England. Red Rose Speedway followed in the spring of 1973, and while it received weak reviews, it became his second American number one album. Later in 1973, Wings embarked on their first British tour, at the conclusion of which McCullough and Seiwell left the band. Prior to their departure, the McCartney's theme to the James Bond movie Live and Let Die became a Top Ten hit in the U.S. and U.K.. That summer, the remaining Wings proceeded to record a new album in Nigeria. Released late in 1973, Band on the Run, was simultaneously McCartney's best-reviewed album and his most successful, spending four weeks at the top of the U.S. charts and eventually going triple platinum.

 

Following the success of Band on the Run, McCartney formed a new version of Wings with guitarist Jimmy McCulloch and drummer Geoff Britton. The new lineup was showcased on the 1974 British single "Junior's Farm" and the 1975 hit album Venus and Mars. At the Speed of Sound followed in 1976, and it was the first Wings record to feature songwriting contributions by the other bandmembers. Nevertheless, the album became a monster success on the basis of two McCartney songs, "Silly Love Songs" and "Let 'Em In." Wings supported the album with their first international tour which broke many attendance records and was captured on the live triple-album Wings Over America (1976). After the tour was completed, Wings rested a bit during 1977, as McCartney released an instrumental version of Ram under the name Thrillington and produced Denny Laine's solo album, Holly Days. Later that year, Wings released "Mull of Kintyre," which became the biggest-selling British single of all time, selling over two million copies. Wings followed "Mull of Kintyre" with London Town in 1978, which became another platinum record. After its release, McCulloch left the band to join the re-formed Small Faces and Wings released Back to the Egg in 1979. Though the record went platinum, it failed to produce any big hits. Early in 1980, McCartney was arrested for marijuana possession at the beginning of a Japanese tour; he was imprisoned for ten days and then released, without any charges being pressed.

 

Wings embarked on a British tour in the spring of 1980 before McCartney recorded McCartney II, which was a one-man band effort like his solo debut. The following year, Denny Laine left Wings because McCartney didn't want to tour in the wake of John Lennon's assassination; in doing so, he effectively broke up Wings. McCartney entered the studio later that year with Beatles producer George Martin to make Tug of War. Released in the spring of 1982, Tug of War received the best reviews of any McCartney record since Band on the Run and spawned the number one single "Ebony and Ivory," a duet with Stevie Wonder that became McCartney's biggest American hit. In 1982, McCartney sang on "The Girl Is Mine," the first single from Michael Jackson's blockbuster album Thriller which was released in 1983. In return, Jackson dueted with McCartney on "Say Say Say," the first single from Paul's 1983 album Pipes of Peace and the last number one single of his career. The relationship between Jackson and McCartney soured considerably when Jackson bought the publishing rights to the Beatles songs from underneath McCartney in 1985.

 

McCartney directed his first feature film in 1984 with Give My Regards to Broad Street. While the soundtrack, which featured new songs and re-recorded Beatles tunes, was a hit, generating the hit single "No More Lonely Nights," the film was a flop, earning terrible reviews. The following year he had his last American Top Ten with the theme to the Chevy Chase/Dan Aykroyd comedy Spies Like Us. Press to Play (1986) received some strong reviews but the album was a flop. In 1988, he recorded a collection of rock & roll oldies called Choba B CCCP for release in the USSR; it was given official release in the US and UK in 1991. For 1989's Flowers in the Dirt, McCartney co-wrote several songs with Elvis Costello; the pair also wrote songs for Costello's Spike, including the hit "Veronica." Flowers in the Dirt received the strongest reviews of any McCartney release since Tug of War and was supported by an extensive international tour, which was captured on the live double-album Tripping the Live Fantastic (1990). For the tour, McCartney hired guitarist Robbie McIntosh and bassist Hamish Stuart, who would form the core of his band through the remainder of the '90s.

 

Early in 1991, McCartney released another live album in the form of Unplugged, which was taken from his appearance on MTV's acoustic concert program of the same name; it was the first Unplugged album to be released. Later that year, he unveiled Liverpool Oratorio, his first classical work. Another pop album, Off the Ground, followed in 1993, but the album failed to generate any big hits, despite McCartney's successful supporting tour. Following the completion of the "New World" tour, he released another live album, Paul Is Live, in December of 1993. In 1994, he released an ambient techno album under the pseudonym the Fireman. McCartney premiered his second classical piece, "The Leaf," early in 1995, and then began hosting a Westwood One radio series called Oobu Joobu. But his primary activity in 1995, as well as 1996, was the Beatles' Anthology, which encompassed a lengthy video documentary of the band and the multi-volume release of Beatles outtakes and rarities. After Anthology was completed, he released Flaming Pie in the summer of 1997. A low-key, largely acoustic affair that had the some of the same charm of his debut, Flaming Pie was given the strongest reviews McCartney had received in years and was a modest commercial success, debuting at number two on the U.S. and U.K. charts; it was his highest American chart placing since he left the Beatles. Flaming Pie certainly benefited from the success of Anthology, as did McCartney himself -- only a few months before the release of the album in 1997, he received a Knightship.

 

On April 17, 1998, Linda McCartney died after a three-year struggle with breast cancer. A grieving Paul kept a low profile in the months to follow, finally returning in the fall of 1999 with Run Devil Run, a collection comprised primarily of cover songs. Liverpool Sound Collage followed a year later

Edited November 9, 2005 by hitman531ph

[hitman531ph]

JOHN LENNON

 

As one-half of the most famous pop songwriting team of all time, John Lennon (b. Oct. 9, 1940, Liverpool, England) will go down in history not only for noting with irony that his band the Beatles was "more popular than Jesus," but for having more than one member of the clergy sadly, if quietly, agree with him. Lennon's songwriting relationship with Paul McCartney may be the most thoroughly examined, well-documented collaboration in musical history. In the course of their momentous career--beginning with the Oct. 5, 1962 U.K. release of debut single "Love Me Do" through the year of McCartney's Apr. 10, 1970 announcement that the group had dissolved--the Beatles released 46 top 40 singles and 26 charting albums, many of which were reissues of earlier material or contained only interview snippets. Because of the massive press attention the Beatles received through the course of their career, and because the eyes of the world were focused on John Lennon's every move until his tragic death in 1980, his music away from the group has taken on that much more importance in retrospect.

The John Lennon who co-wrote "She Loves You" and "Love Me Do" with Paul McCartney was a young and ambitious singer-songwriter who merely wanted to become part of "the Goffin & King of England"; the John Lennon who would pose nude on the cover of Two Virgins with his bride-to-be Yoko Ono was instead one of the world's most famous individuals. His very existence was a statement, his every recording was examined thoroughly, held up against his past work as a Beatle, and dissected: What was its motivation? Is this the music he wanted to do, but the other Beatles wouldn't let him? Did he hate his past work? Did he think listeners wanted to hear him and Yoko Ono grunting, groaning, laughing and screaming? More to the point, did he think fans wanted to pay money for the privilege of hearing it?

 

In fact, most of those questions died down following the release of 1970's Plastic Ono Band, which in many ways marked Lennon's resumption of his Beatles-styled songwriting ways. But the four albums that preceded it, all released within a year, were a far cry from the polished work of Plastic Ono Band or even Let It Be: Between February and December of 1969, Lennon and Ono released Unfinished Music #1: Two Virgins, Unfinished Music #2: Life With The Lions, and Wedding Album--three albums of "experimental music," avant-garde ramblings that tried the patience of most Beatle fans. And when Lennon "returned" to rock in January 1970 with Live Peace In Toronto, 1969, one half of a potentially great live album, featuring Eric Clapton on lead guitar and versions of "Dizzy Miss Lizzy," "Yer Blues," "Blue Suede Shoes," and "Cold Turkey," was marred by the unsettling, screeching yawps of Ono.

 

Still, when Lennon released the comparatively accessible John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band, he came back with a stark rawness he'd never displayed while in the Beatles. His greatest solo work, the album was an intense but rewarding listening experience that contained many of his best-known songs--including "Mother," "Working Class Hero," and "God," the latter two of which include some of his most oft-quoted lyrical passages. The brutal, inward-looking nature of such tunes as the album closer "My Mummy's Dead"--on which Lennon sang "My Mummy's dead/It's hard to explain/So much pain/I could never show it/My Mummy's dead"--offered a revealingly close (some said too close) look at Lennon's inner turmoil; the album is still cited by many as one of rock's finest.

 

Lennon's best-known solo work Imagine followed in 1971; perhaps surprisingly, the title track, now very much a pop standard, peaked at only No. 3 on the pop charts. Still in the introverted mode, Lennon turned his gaze outward long enough to craft what may be one of the meanest songs in pop, directed at former partner McCartney. "How Do You Sleep" took the famous bassist to task for, among other things, his composing skills: "A pretty face may last a year or two," sang Lennon, "But pretty soon they'll see what you can do/The sound you make is muzak to my ears/You must have learned something in all those years." But balancing out that vitriol, and the seeming self-effacement of "Crippled Inside," were such beautiful tracks as "Oh My Love," a simple and elegant love song for which even the era's Yoko-haters could be grateful.

 

Yoko's presence was felt on Lennon's most disposable effort, 1972's Sometime In New York City, which was jointly credited to John & Yoko/ Plastic Ono Band and came wrapped in a mock New York Times cover. The album, which peaked at No. 48 and was Lennon's lowest-charting release since his 1969 "experimental" phase, was a mostly strident diatribe that was, appropriately, very newspaperish in tone. Though it contains the infamous Lennon/Ono composition "Woman Is The Nigger Of The World"--which was actually released as a single, and peaked at No. 57--the album's songs about Angela Davis, the prison riots at Attica, and the imprisoned John Sinclair now inevitably seem dated and slight.

 

When Lennon returned to his more normal pop mode with 1973's Mind Games, it seemed a strangely empty gesture. Though he had a hit with the title track--a minor one, it peaked at No. 18--many of the songs had little focus and even less melody; for the first time it became acutely evident Lennon would have derived great benefit from a helping of McCartney's skill at making so-called "muzak." The album's ascent to the top 10 now seems much more a function of Lennon's ex-Beatle status than its inherent worth; with the exception of its title track, Mind Games may be the least-heard in Lennon's entire pop canon.

 

Even more disturbingly, while the singer's 1974 set Walls And Bridges seemed something of a return to form--it did, after all, reach No. 1--its popularity generally stemmed from two singles, one of which ("Whatever Gets You Through The Night") featured conspicuous backing vocals from the '70s hottest superstar, Elton John, and the other ("#9 Dream") which was a self-consciously Beatle-esque track that almost seemed an artistic retreat of sorts. Where was the intensity of Plastic Ono Band or Imagine? Following the even further artistic retreat of 1975's Rock 'N' Roll, Lennon's interesting but minor retreading of rock classics such as "Be-Bop-A-Lula," "Stand By Me," and "Peggy Sue," and greatest hits compilation Shaved Fish, the singer dropped out of the business for five years to raise his young son Sean.

 

Lennon returned with what would win a Grammy as 1981's album of the year, Double Fantasy, his long-awaited comeback and one very much worth waiting for. Divided into two parts--one half Lennon songs, one half Ono songs--the album was an inspired work that was rapturously received by fans. Featuring three top 10 hits--including the No. 1 "(Just Like) Starting Over," "Woman," and "Watching The Wheels," the album was in some ways as introverted as ever; this time, however, Lennon seemed a much happier man, filled with love for Ono and, as documented wonderfully on "Beautiful Boy," his young son Sean. But as "(Just Like) Starting Over" made its way to the top of the charts, Lennon's triumphant return horrendously ended on Dec. 8, 1980, when he was shot in front of the Dakota apartment building in New York's Upper West Side; he died en route to Roosevelt Hospital.

 

Lennon's tragic death was eventually followed by the inevitable release of several albums of unfinished songs, outtakes, and live performances on such albums as 1984's Milk And Honey and 1986's Live In New York City and Menlove Avenue; his last charting album was the soundtrack to Andrew Solt's 1988 film Imagine: John Lennon. Though the albums may continue to come, there will never, obviously, be any new music from John Lennon ever again. The finality of his death remains a gruesome reminder for an entire generation that the brightest lights in pop music and elsewhere can be unexpectedly extinguished at any time

Edited November 9, 2005 by hitman531ph

[hitman531ph]

GEORGE HARRISON

 

As lead guitarist for the Beatles, George Harrison provided the band with a lyrical style of playing in which every note mattered. Harrison was one of millions of young Britons inspired to take up the guitar by British skiffle king Lonnie Donegan's recording of "Rock Island Line." But he had more dedication than most, and with the encouragement of a slightly older school friend -- Paul McCartney -- he advanced quickly in his technique and command of the instrument. Harrison developed his style and technique slowly and painstakingly over the several years, learning everything he could from the records of Carl Perkins, Duane Eddy, Chet Atkins, Buddy Holly, and Eddie Cochran. By age 15, he was allowed to sit in with the Quarry Men, the Liverpool group founded by John Lennon, of which McCartney was a member; by 16, he was a full-fledged member of the group.

The Beatles finally coalesced around Lennon, McCartney, Harrison, and drummer Ringo Starr in 1962, with Harrison established on lead guitar. The Beatlemania years, from 1963 through 1966, were a mixed blessing for Harrison. The Beatles' studio sound was generally characterized by very prominent rhythm guitar parts, and on many of the Beatles' early songs, Harrison's lead guitar was buried beneath the chiming chords of Lennon's instrument. Additionally, he was thwarted as a songwriter by the presence of Lennon and McCartney; the quality and proliferation of their output left very little room on the group's albums for songs by anyone else. Despite these problems, Harrison grew markedly as a musician between 1963 and 1966, writing a handful of good songs and one classic ("If I Needed Someone"), and also making his first acquaintance of the sitar, an Indian instrument whose sound fascinated him.

 

In 1966, Harrison finally seemed to find his voice with two of his songs on the Revolver album, "Taxman" and "Love You Too." In the wake of the group's decision to stop touring, Harrison's playing and songwriting grew exponentially. The period from 1968 onward was Harrison's richest with the Beatles. He displayed a smooth, elegant slide guitar technique that showed up on their last three albums; and he contributed two classic songs, "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" and "Here Comes the Sun," along with "Something," which became the first Harrison song on the A-side of a Beatles single.

 

Although never known as a strong singer, Harrison's vocals were always distinctive, especially when placed in the right setting; for his first solo record following the group's 1970 breakup, All Things Must Pass, Harrison collaborated with producer Phil Spector, whose so-called "Wall of Sound" technique adapted well to Harrison's voice. All Things Must Pass and the accompanying single "My Sweet Lord" had the distinction of being the first solo recordings by any of the Beatles to top the charts following their breakup. Unfortunately, Harrison was later successfully sued by the publisher of the 1962 Chiffons hit "He's So Fine," which bore a striking resemblance to "My Sweet Lord."

 

Harrison followed All Things Must Pass with rock's first major charity event, The Concert for Bangladesh, which was staged as two shows at New York's Madison Square Garden in 1971 to help raise money for aid to that famine-ravaged nation. The second of the two all-star shows was released as a movie and a live triple album. Harrison's next studio album, Living in the Material World, initially sold well, but its leaner, less opulent production lacked the majestic force of All Things Must Pass, and it lacked the earlier album's mass appeal. Subsequent Harrison albums from the 1970s into the '80s always had an audience, but -- except for Somewhere in England (1981), released in the wake of the murder of John Lennon with the memorial song "All Those Years Ago" -- none seemed terribly well-crafted or -executed. During this same period, Harrison embarked on a successful career as a movie producer with the founding of Handmade Films.

 

In 1987, Harrison made a return to the top of the charts with his album Cloud Nine, which featured his most inspired work in years, most notably a cover of an old Rudy Clark gospel number called "Got My Mind Set on You," which reached number one on the charts. In 1988, Harrison, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne, and Roy Orbison formed the Traveling Wilburys, who released two very successful albums. It was also around this time that Harrison appeared with his former bandmate Ringo Starr, Dave Edmunds, Rosanne Cash, and the Stray Cats' Lee Rocker (who was born the year the Beatles made their first recordings) in a superb live-in-front-of-the-cameras rockabilly performance accompanying Harrison's one-time idol Carl Perkins; which was subsequently released on video cassette and laser disc. All of this success heralded a short-lived re-emergence for the musician out of private life, resulting in a 1991 tour of Japan that yielded a live album (Live in Japan). Harrison had hated concertizing since the harrowing days of the Beatles' international career, and had done one poorly received concert tour in the mid-'70s; he seemed more comfortable in 1991, and the album performed moderately well, driven by the presence of his then-recent hits.

 

He withdrew into private life after that, devoting himself to his life with his second wife and their son, and only re-emerged before the public when necessary, such as defending the Beatles' copyrights in court cases.

 

In 1999, Harrison was assaulted in his home and seriously injured by a deranged fan, but he recovered and in 2000 he began work on remastering and expanding his classic All Things Must Pass album. The reissue of that album at the outset of 2001 heralded an unusually public publicity campaign by Harrison, who accompanied its re-release with an interview record that anticipated the eventual reissue of the rest of his catalog. Harrison had been treated for throat cancer in the late '90s, but in 2001 it was revealed that he was suffering from an inoperable form of brain cancer. At the time of his death on November 29, 2001, The Concert for Bangladesh album had been announced for upgraded reissue in January of 2002, and a DVD of the film was in release internationally

Edited November 9, 2005 by hitman531ph

[cruesome]

my neighbors gonna hate me tonite. just got this dvd off amazon.ca. i'm playing it loud and crushed a few blue cans

 

i missed this boys.

 

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00076YPE4.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

[pepejoe]

My favorite from the 80s (not necessarily in order):

 

1. Billy Joel

2. Huey Lewis and the News

3. Carrs

4. Wang Chung

5. Police

6. Duran duran

7. Spandau Ballet

8. Cyndi Lauper

9. New Order

10. Depeche Mode

11. Hall and Oates

12. Madonna

13. Wham

14. B-52

15. The Cure

16. David Bowie

17. China Crisis

18. Vitamin C

19. U2

20. Tears for Fears