The History of Pop Part 5 aka What is wrong in my life that I must get drunk every night?

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

So, yeah, you know when I said in the last Now Poll that Now 5 was tons better than Now 4? Erm, well...that was before I typed it out. And also I remember this particular 'era' (first half of 85) with especial sharpness so my judgements may well be softer than yours. There are a few big hitters though - by now of course we're into the period where the success of Now had spawned rivals, and the brand's compilation predominance wasn't assured, so there was a hard fight for the good tracks. Things get gradually better from about Now 7 onwards (I think). As ever, "go for it" in the comments box.

Note a particularly annoying Now syndrome where the follow-up hit shows up on a comp and the better, bigger hit doesn't. PETE BURNS wuz ROBBED in other words.

Note the first thought given to actual sequencing w/the 'soul section' on disc 2!

RESULTS of Now 4 - a comfortable, perhaps too comfortable, win for "Together In Electric Dreams" over "Ghostbusters" and the Pointer Sisters. Nool Pwah to Eugene Wilde, though Limahl seems to have fared the worst in the write-in votes.


[Poll #622466]

Comments

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Sadly we can't discern exactly which of the 14 different versions of Kayleign this is.

[friedslice.livejournal.com]

10 year-old me didn't find pop music terribly interesting in the mid-80s but I can't pick out any particular year as being particularly awful.

Dredged-up memory: my mum listening to the radio, singing "Everytime you go away/you take a piece of meat with you..."

[zenith.livejournal.com]

I see that barrysarll holds that DANCE! INTO THE FI-YUH! is the key line, rather than the subsequent danceintothe:FI-YUH! - controversial.

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Some thoughts:

- Is "Black Man Ray" defensible? (NB I am the only person who has given it a tick so far so I should be answering this not asking it)

- "The Unforgettable Fire" is U2's best song, isn't it? I almost put it as the best thing on the comp.

- I came quite close to giving J Nail a mark, even though it's very horrible, I think the mark - which I did not give! - was because it built my character.

- What's the current 'line' on 80s soul, I wonder? With some honourable exceptions, i.e. The Nipper, it seems to get very little attention let alone love.

[zenith.livejournal.com]

I think 'The Unforgettable Fire' is the U2 song most likely to appeal to people who dislike many of the things strongly associated with U2 (stadium-sized belters, hopeless attempts to keep up with the kids, so-thinly-veiled-you-wonder-who-Bonio-thinks-he's-kidding allusions to Jebus, etc).

[dubdobdee.livejournal.com]

nail v.nearly broke my contrariometer!

[boyofbadgers.livejournal.com]

- China Crisis played in our local pub-based music festival when I was a medium sized RickyT. This was generally regarded as a good thing, tho I can't remember anything about them at all.

- Yes, by MILES. Album of that name also their best, and only one I actually enjoyed when I went through my old tapes. If only it didn't have blooming Pride on it.

- Crocodile Shoes wz better.

- There isn't one, as far as I can tell. Ripe for revival/reconsideration, maybe?

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

I did give Jimmy Nail a tick.

I'm not sure why. I like the man.

[dorsalstop.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I like The Unforgettable Fire a lot too. The whole album, in fact, skipping 'Pride' every time tho. The rest is this Eno/Lanois underwater-feeling production thing, and sounds great.

I JUDGE THAT...

[dubdobdee.livejournal.com]

from an uk perspective 80s soul got real bad (critical) deal trapped behind the firewall of MM-sanctioned anti-"soulcalist" hostility to warmed-over 70s (and indeed 60s) soul: the likes of s.arrington, frankie beverly's MAZE, kashif (i think gone quiet by 85?), even late doors EWF were totally off-radar, despite substantial presence in the actual real charts (and pro forma respect at best from the soulcialist faction)

Re: I JUDGE THAT...

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

In 1984 tho Bobby Womack got NME's album of the year!! Why such a turnaround? (If there was one)

Re: I JUDGE THAT...

[boyofbadgers.livejournal.com]

Were the soulcialists actually the boring-authenticity-obsessed-dull-as-ditchwater-Wellerfan-proto-Hornbys that they seemed to my late 80's MM reading self?

[umlauts.livejournal.com]

I know nearly every song from the earlier NOW polls even though I was only born in 1981. I am not familiar with many, many of these. This would support the assertion that 1985 was shit, or maybe that radio stations in my neck of the woods in my youth had an axe to grind and scratched all the records as soon as January 1, 1986 came around.

[braisedbywolves.livejournal.com]

U&K Question: N-n-nineteen not out is a p1sstake of yon Paul Hardcastle record, yes? We'd clearly have to hear it before we can determine whether it's good or not. (I'm fooling no-one, but the prespect of hearing a carcrash like this has me drooling).

Re: I JUDGE THAT...

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

dorsalstop claims to have all these on mp3 - can this possibly be true?? Time to find out!

[thenipper.livejournal.com]

It was by Rory Bremner, wasn't it? That's all you need to know.

NB: Paul Hardcastle directly responsible for Simon Fuller, Spice Girls, S Club, Pop Idol etc. How does history judge him?

[jauntyalan.livejournal.com]

is there REALLY a connectioon between Hardcastle 19, and the 19 group of Simon Fuller et al. i was first told this by petebaran, and hence never been sure.

also, if so, i'm in favour obv.

[jauntyalan.livejournal.com]

the jimmy nail option somehow skated across my eyeball when it came to name the worst. ok, so bryan ferry not worst in some category for the first time ever.

commentators - classic

[jeff-worrell.livejournal.com]

Oh dear. My anti-rockist credentials take a knock with the revelation that, of these, I own Dame Dave & Pat, Phil & Gary and U2 (and possibly Dame B. Ferry too) - all of those except the U2 on 'best of' CD comps mind.

[jeff-worrell.livejournal.com]

Oh wait, I own the Scritti too. Or 'have owned' - my bought copy mysteriously vanished into thin air one day and I've made do with a pirate copy ever since.

[zenith.livejournal.com]

Gah I somehow did not tick 'Axel F'. That's very any good, obviously.

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

If you click on the poll link and go to "fill in poll" as an option you can change/add to yr answers!

Conclusive proof that 1985 was not particularly a bad year for pop

[chezghost.livejournal.com]

Strong Hulington's CDR compilation for 1985 (http://ilx.wh3rd.net/thread.php?msgid=3857166)

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

1997 = worst year. Just look at Now 1997:

1. Beautiful South - Don't Marry Her
2. Texas - Say What You Want
3. Cardigans - Love Fool (ok this is good)
4. White Town - Your Woman (TOO SLOW)
5. Hot Chocolate Remix - You Sexy Thing
6. Spice Girls - Who Do You Think You Are (ok 2 good ones so far)
7. Boyzone - Picture of You (LAME)
8. Eternal and That Bloke - I Wanna Be The Only One (urrrgh plus Louise had left by then)
9. Backstreet Boys - As Long As You Love Me (off the boil)
10. Bee Gees - Alone (SUPER LAME)
11. Coolio - See You When You Get There (WHAT)
12. R Kelly - I Believe I Can Fly (vomit!)
13. Gabrielle - Walk On By (Travesty!)
14. Louise - Arms Around The World (is this the one where she had weird contact lenses in?)
15. 911 - Bodyshaking
16. Hansen - Mmmmbop (ok 3 out of 16 so far)
17. Steps - 5678 (ok 4)
18. Aqua - Barbie Girl (nice idea but mediocre execution)

Side 2
1. All Saints - I Know Where Its At (the rubbish first single)
2. Robbie Williams - Let Me Entertain You (I hate this song)
3. U2 - Discoteque (nuff said)
4. Ocean Colour Scene - 100 Mile High City (!!!!)
5. Supergrass - Richard III (good but not pop!)
6. Oasis - Dyou Know What I Mean
7. Radiohead - Karma Police (could this side BE any more indie?)
8. Blur - Beetlebum (YES YES IT CAN)
9. Meredith Brooks - Bitch (you're no Alanis, luv)
10. Chumbawumba - Thumbtappping (whatevr)
11. Bellini - Samba De Janeiro (rub)
12. Sash! - Ecuador (not as good as encore un fois)
13. DJ Quicksilver - Bellisima (at least it's not indie)
14. Ultra Nate - Free (ok this is good. What's that? 5?)
15. Todd Terry & Jocelyn Brown - Somethin Going On (don't remember this)
16. Chemical Brothers - Block rockin beats (I bought this. but it's not pop)
17. Monaco - What Do You Want From Me (HAHAHAHAH MONACO)
18. Cast - Free Me (bored now)


OK FIVE SONGS OUT OF 36 DOES NOT A GOOD YEAR MAKE

[zenith.livejournal.com]

It all seems very "let's vote New Labour!" now.

[thenipper.livejournal.com]

Dear God, Katrina and her Waves are going to win this, aren't they?

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Could still be any of 4 or 5 songs.

[carsmilesteve.livejournal.com]

seemingly no one but i remembers that "get it on" by that power station ACTUALLY IS an cover of the TREX song, and it really is very very bad, worse than kayliegh!!!

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

I remembered AND STILL VOTED FOR IT out of respect for Other Taylor.

Next Prog: Arcadia!