[identity profile] freakytigger.livejournal.com posting in [community profile] poptimists
Reveals and reviews for the four Eighties entries in the Pop Open. Good voting turnout in this group - the decade has you motivated! Voting still open until Monday lunchtime and the poll is below a cut:

Tracks are here: http://freakytrigger.co.uk/ft/2007/10/pop-open-week-12/ (I never did the zipfile - does anyone actually mind this?)

TRACK ONE: Roman Holiday - "Don't Try To Stop It": a Smash Hits track if ever there was one - positive pop with a hint of skiffle! Today's equivalent would sadly be Jack Penate, but he wouldn't have all the twinkly production touches on it and might even eschew the brass section. Leaves a slightly sickly taste but still a contender.

TRACK TWO: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - "Straight Into Darkness": superior 'cut' of FM 'radio rock' by Mr 'Petty', who actually I know very little about, I sort of think of him as the View to Brooce's Libertines though. This is OK, might conceivably edge a second place vote. His lugubrious voice works for the material but its strain repels me slightly. Seems to have a gloomy outlook on the decade.

TRACK THREE: Berlin - "The Metro": I knew Berlin had a synthpop past but I'd never actually encountered it. The particular synth sounds they're using were also the staple sound of Ultravox, whose early Midge Ure period tapped the same vibe of Mitteleuropan alienation. Berlin are more convincing than Midge but somehow less fun. A bit too "eighties" to pick up a vote from me.

TRACK FOUR: Geier Sturzflug - "Bruttosozialprodukt": When I got this I thought from the title it might be a slab of Test Dept. style metalbanging. But noes! It's the German Bad Manners! Who knew German consonants would sound so great with ska - I dunno what the word "geschpukt" means but it sounds like toffee feels. Easy winner.

[Poll #1072847]

Date: 2007-10-19 11:47 am (UTC)
credoimprobus: hand holding cigarette with flame background, text (in Finnish): you can always get a light in hell (Default)
From: [personal profile] credoimprobus
A-ha! I now know where #3 is so familiar from -- I think I have a mash-up that uses it lying around somewhere.

(I will still say I Did Not Know It, otherwise I wouldn't have anything to vote for, haha! And surely a mash-up doesn't count the same way a remix doesn't count, yes?)

Date: 2007-10-19 11:59 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] atommickbrane.livejournal.com
Oops forgot to vote, didn't look at the ids before I submitted (okay, I forgot to vote every OTHER week too)...

Date: 2007-10-19 12:00 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] atommickbrane.livejournal.com
Who doesn't know Roman Holiday?! DUDES!

Date: 2007-10-19 04:00 pm (UTC)
koganbot: (Default)
From: [personal profile] koganbot
It indeed is dudes who do not know Roman Holiday. And Murricans.

Date: 2007-10-19 04:05 pm (UTC)
koganbot: (Default)
From: [personal profile] koganbot
In the last thread I claimed that track two's Pettyoid Dylan vocals were quite a cliché by now. I stand by this statement.

Tracks i nearly submitted:

Date: 2007-10-20 09:54 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] carsmilesteve.livejournal.com
stakker: stakker humanoid. awesome track, but surely too well known

modern romance: queen of the rapping scene. contains possibly the only french rap to get into the uk charts (ok, apart from mc solaar), also actually a bit rubbish.

then jericho: the motive. couldn't find it!

Date: 2007-10-20 10:08 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] anatol-merklich.livejournal.com
"Gespuckt" = "spit" (perfect participle by itself, in this context present tense passive):

"Jetzt wird wieder in die Hände Gespuckt,
Wir steigen das Bruttosozialprodukt"
=

"Now it again is being spit into hands:
We are increasing the gross national product!"

From the lyrics here (http://www.hadiko.de/uploads/media/singstar80s_lyrics.pdf) (PDF) it appears to be AN SATIRE of sorts upon work ethics*, the race for economic growth** and rampant consumerism***. Agree with Tom about the consonants, and also how all the multisyllables fit in: "und der Gabelstaplerführer mit der Staplergabel prahlt" is quite the tongue-twister! (transl: "and the fork-lift driver brags about his lift-fork" or close).

Also it appears to be featured on the German version of Singstar 80's.

*) Grandpa is sneaking into the factory on a Sunday!
**) the chorus obv
***) what's on the opulent Christmas gift table is wheeled off by the waste disposal services the following Wednesday

Date: 2007-10-20 10:12 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] anatol-merklich.livejournal.com
btw: according to Wikipedia it was #1 in Germany, Switzerland and Austria in 1983, spending 22 weeks in total on the former chart.

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