if it's a half assed effort that sounds like it was just for fun is filler. It doesn't sound like a serious hedgefunding effort that would have saved them if anything else failed.
― ✖✖✖ (Moka), Thursday, 27 August 2015 08:31 (eight years ago) link
Salon weighs in:
"But was it really so urgent to put George Benson’s “Give Me the Night” (just about all of his jazz guitar songs are better and less overplayed), Michael McDonald’s “I Keep Forgettin (Every Time You’re Near),” Tears for Fears’ “Head Over Heels,” Hall and Oates “I Can’t Go For That,” or Phil Collins’ drum machine nightmare “In the Air Tonight”?"
http://www.salon.com/2015/08/27/are_these_really_the_best_songs_of_the_80s_picking_apart_pitchforks_fascinating_frustrating_list/
― The burrito of ennui (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 27 August 2015 21:24 (eight years ago) link
atrociously proofread too
― The burrito of ennui (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 27 August 2015 21:25 (eight years ago) link
All great, stuff
― insufficiently familiar with xgau's work to comment intelligently (BradNelson), Thursday, 27 August 2015 21:29 (eight years ago) link
Thank you, stuff said
― The burrito of ennui (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 27 August 2015 21:34 (eight years ago) link
xpost
isn't something 2 dance 2 Arabian Prince's sole contribution to that record? not sure about hedgebetting, but he, Dre and Yella all had electro roots prior to NWA, so this just seems like their (token?) acknowledgement of them.
― Dominique, Thursday, 27 August 2015 21:35 (eight years ago) link
Man, the '80s were so long ago, and there were just soooo many songs. So many. I can barely remember them all. Like, remember "Bette Davis Eyes?" I think it was the first hit song with a Synare in it. How about Donnie Iris' "Ah Leah"? What happened to that guy!?
― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 27 August 2015 21:41 (eight years ago) link
itt chickenshit points out that excessively calling out NWA for sexism is exasperating― Meta Forksclove-Liebeskind (forksclovetofu), Wednesday, August 26, 2015 10:35 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalinkthis is not at all what happened.― mods = chickenshit idiots (D-40), Thursday, August 27, 2015 6:58 AM (14 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
this is not at all what happened.― mods = chickenshit idiots (D-40), Thursday, August 27, 2015 6:58 AM (14 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
It's too bad that in that one piece of blurb real estate no one directly tackled NWA's sexism, because then it could more accurately reflect every other piece being written about NWA in 2015― mods = chickenshit idiots (D-40), Thursday, August 27, 2015 1
give me a different reading of this sentence
― Meta Forksclove-Liebeskind (forksclovetofu), Thursday, 27 August 2015 21:43 (eight years ago) link
― Dominique, Thursday, August 27, 2015 2:35 PM Bookmark
Yeah, it's the only track AP was involved with. I always kinda looked at the track as those three going "well if this new gangsta thing doesn't work out..." we still have something for the clubs. Like OF COURSE they slapped it on the b-side of "Gangsta, Gangsta". And then there's "Express Yourself" as another trap door, just leading to a different room.
― best beloved george benson (The Reverend), Thursday, 27 August 2015 21:53 (eight years ago) link
I think I've read twenty or so of the blurbs, just kind of going through it and reading ones I was interested in. I'm interested in the extent to which these blurbs (and, in a wider sense, modern pop criticism in general) ends up staying within a formula. The things I see as possibly being formulaic would be:
1) Possibly talk about the narrative of the song or sociological aspects of the lyrics.
2) Maybe talk a little about the performances. (I say a little because I don't know if I'm seeing a lot of this.)
3) Talk about production and technology, reflecting a certain small -in my opinion - pool of interests (who used gated drums, who used a Fairlight, who used certain drum machines, etc.)
― timellison, Thursday, 27 August 2015 23:51 (eight years ago) link
I realize that number one on there can mean a lot of things, so maybe I'm questioning the extent to which it's become formulaic in practice, in execution.
― timellison, Friday, 28 August 2015 00:00 (eight years ago) link
4) talk about how the song functioned in a film which may or may not have actually been made in the 80s, or talk about the MTV video.
― sctttnnnt (pgwp), Friday, 28 August 2015 00:48 (eight years ago) link
5) display results of whosampled.com search.
― Vernon Locke, Friday, 28 August 2015 01:28 (eight years ago) link
That Salon article is so useless.
― Tim F, Friday, 28 August 2015 02:01 (eight years ago) link
there are really only so many ways to write a blurb like this for something other than your personal blog
― for sale: baby shoes, never worn your ass (katherine), Friday, 28 August 2015 04:28 (eight years ago) link
I don't agree. I'm not sure why that's any different from saying that there are only so many ways to write a song or do some other creative act. And why writing for Pitchfork, in particular, necessitates these things is something I'm also unclear about.
― timellison, Friday, 28 August 2015 04:38 (eight years ago) link
(or some other venue that's something other than a blog)
― timellison, Friday, 28 August 2015 04:39 (eight years ago) link
I just realized they snubbed Peter Schilling - Major Tom it would have been a better addition than those two Bowie songs. It's kind of the unofficial sequel to Ashes to Ashes and Space Oddity.
― ✖✖✖ (Moka), Friday, 28 August 2015 06:17 (eight years ago) link
Or if you're going to have a Bowie single from the 80's Ashes to Ashes is the right one.
― ✖✖✖ (Moka), Friday, 28 August 2015 06:19 (eight years ago) link
re: Salon; there are a lot of things to say about how weird some of the list choices are, but "WHERE IS UNCLE TUPELO?" is definitely not something that would come to mind
― jamiesummerz, Friday, 28 August 2015 10:06 (eight years ago) link
Damn, the 80s were great. You could totally make a Top 10,000 Songs of the 80s list and it would all be great stuff. I don't think you could do that for any other decade.
― Mr. Snrub, Friday, 28 August 2015 13:15 (eight years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3MXiTeH_Pg
― AdamVania (Adam Bruneau), Friday, 28 August 2015 22:36 (eight years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p00Cf1-tABo
1982 version superior for inclusion of the word "hobo" in the chorus.
― Johnny Fever, Friday, 28 August 2015 22:41 (eight years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-diB65scQU
HOW IS THIS NOT ON THE LIST?
― AdamVania (Adam Bruneau), Friday, 28 August 2015 22:44 (eight years ago) link
srsly!
― how's life, Friday, 28 August 2015 22:55 (eight years ago) link
ha I'm skimming through their 90s list and found the answer to "Where's George Michael?"
― best beloved george benson (The Reverend), Friday, 28 August 2015 23:38 (eight years ago) link
still discussing the '80s list...
Another two notable "re-writing of canon" omissions that would have been included 10-20 years ago are "Take On Me" and "Don't You Forget About Me."
― billstevejim, Monday, 31 August 2015 04:48 (eight years ago) link
seems like a lot of big well respected MTV staples missed out. i mean, "Come On Eileen," shit.
― some dude, Monday, 31 August 2015 05:01 (eight years ago) link
Yeah, that was the other one that surprised me earlier along with "Don't Stop Believing."
― billstevejim, Monday, 31 August 2015 05:03 (eight years ago) link
They probably could've dumped something in favor of one of the singles from Pyromania or Hysteria. Even one of the GNR placements.
― Johnny Fever, Monday, 31 August 2015 05:13 (eight years ago) link
as someone who wasn't around for "Come On Eileen" the fact that anyone thinks it's anything but utter and complete shit is mind-boggling
― for sale: baby shoes, never worn your ass (katherine), Monday, 31 August 2015 05:16 (eight years ago) link
like, I'm half-convinced everyone is collectively trolling, that's how bad it is
― for sale: baby shoes, never worn your ass (katherine), Monday, 31 August 2015 05:18 (eight years ago) link
as someone who wasn't around for "Come On Eileen" the fact that anyone thinks it's anything but utter and complete shit is mind-boggling --for sale: baby shoes, never worn your ass (katherine)
I like "Come on Eileen," but it's a real dumb pole to hang your "but white people made music too flag on"
― Now Dom Go Suggbanizer Way (Why?) (Whiney G. Weingarten), Monday, 31 August 2015 05:23 (eight years ago) link
Dexys were a fine band, and Come on Eileen was a pretty good single, but the way some people ride or die for them doesn't make any sense to me.
― Johnny Fever, Monday, 31 August 2015 05:28 (eight years ago) link
Like at least start with the lack of Police and Devo before working your way down to DEXYS MIDNIGHT RUNNERS TURALORLALALAY
― Now Dom Go Suggbanizer Way (Why?) (Whiney G. Weingarten), Monday, 31 August 2015 05:29 (eight years ago) link
overreacting to the supposed overreaction nobody actually had is so fun
― some dude, Monday, 31 August 2015 06:31 (eight years ago) link
is the veneration of Dexys/Kevin Rowland as a godlike genius mostly a UK thing? I get the impression that they are largely seen a one hit wonder in North America?
― soref, Monday, 31 August 2015 08:38 (eight years ago) link
I'd venture a guess that most people in the US who know Come on Eileen don't even know the name of the band who recorded it.
― Johnny Fever, Monday, 31 August 2015 08:41 (eight years ago) link
the veneration of Dexys hasn't got much to do with "Come On Eileen"
― MC Whistler (Noodle Vague), Monday, 31 August 2015 08:43 (eight years ago) link
Fuck The Police
― nashwan, Monday, 31 August 2015 08:48 (eight years ago) link
Save Ferris, duh
― how's life, Monday, 31 August 2015 09:03 (eight years ago) link
Tom Ewing gave "Come On Eileen" a rare perfect ten in that review-every-number-one-single-ever blog.
― Mr. Snrub, Monday, 31 August 2015 10:38 (eight years ago) link
there are about 20 B-52s songs i would put on a list before come on eileen. and i liked come on eileen! i even bought the 45 when it came out. it began and ended my interest in that band. i'd vote for safety dance over come on eileen too.
― scott seward, Monday, 31 August 2015 12:26 (eight years ago) link
Searching For the Young Soul Rebels rules u yank wankers
― Ma$e-en-scène (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Monday, 31 August 2015 12:29 (eight years ago) link
we know brits love that one. it's okay. we have actual soul music here though...
― scott seward, Monday, 31 August 2015 12:57 (eight years ago) link
we gave lots of money to brits when they honored our aretha franklin and smokey robinson though. we really appreciated that. and of course our beloved johnny ray.
― scott seward, Monday, 31 August 2015 13:04 (eight years ago) link
(psst skot i know i'm from the usa, the real usa too not the east coast)i still think it's a good new wave soul record, not everything has to be authentic
― Ma$e-en-scène (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Monday, 31 August 2015 13:37 (eight years ago) link
i mean i'm sure out there u guys are like "dexy's? pish posh, someone have my butler send a sternly worded telegram to the great gatsby, i'll be in my drawing room smoking a pipe" but out here we like em
― Ma$e-en-scène (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Monday, 31 August 2015 13:41 (eight years ago) link
― for sale: baby shoes, never worn your ass (katherine), Monday, August 31, 2015 1:16 AM (8 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
― for sale: baby shoes, never worn your ass (katherine), Monday, August 31, 2015 1:18 AM (8 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
yea I am with you, that song is total garbage
― marcos, Monday, 31 August 2015 13:49 (eight years ago) link
people ask me for pogues records a lot.
― scott seward, Monday, 31 August 2015 13:51 (eight years ago) link