Just Can't Get Enough: New Wave Hits Of The '80s, Vol. 10

^^^finger

a lot of artist second or third best song, imo. voting "Our House."

Freedom of Choice - White Flag's fast power pop version of "Wuthering Heights" is a m a z i n g

Eesh, that Freedom of Choice comp is kind of terrible. Much worse, listening now, than I realized at the time. All these distinctive, thrilling, forward-thinking pop songs mashed down to a fuzzy gray slack-rock paste. People these days frequently talk about the unearned indulgence granted to mediocre white guys, but I've rarely encountered such a convincing musical demonstration of the phenomenon in action. The Finger track is one of the worst offenders in this regard (no offense, mookie), along with Das Damen's lazy-ass wallow through The Pretenders' effing brilliant "The Wait". At least White Flag are trying to do something interesting with their tragically misguided "Wuthering Heights" cover, though the result is dead on arrival.

Complaints aside, the assemblers clearly knew what they were doing. The first couple tracks are perhaps the best of a bad lot. Sonic Youth rampage through Plastic Bertrand's "Ca Plane Pour Moi" in 4 Tunna Brix beast mode, producing the rare total pisstake that's not only genuinely funny but enjoyable even on repeat listens. The Muffs, meanwhile, play "Rock N Roll Girl" relatively straight, adding just enough muscle & swagger to make it sting. Kim Shattuck's a much more engaging singer than anyone in The Beat, and the band rip it like they own it. I honestly prefer this version to the original (the gender flip definitely helps). Speaking of which, Red Kross probably could have punched out an acceptable Go-Go's cover in their sleep, but coming up on their Phaseshifter peak, they at least bring a fully developed sound & sensibility to their power pop take on "How Much More". It's a bit undercooked, but worth a listen.

A couple tracks later, Mudhoney turn in a surprisingly faithful and well-mannered rendition of Elvis Costello's "Pump It Up". It's good times, tight and punchy as Arm & co. ever got, but still a pale shadow of the original. At which point we're not quite a third of the way through the collection, with few bright spots left in sight. I do love Big Dipper's ragged stab at Pete Shelley's "Homosapien" (one of my all-time favorite songs to begin with). While they make the same "bold move" as virtually every other artist here, swapping deeply uncool synthesizers out for MOAR BAD GUITAR, the band at least throw themselves into their performance, effectively translating the original's intoxicating blend of righteous anger and joyful exuberance. And like Mudhoney before them, closers Superchunk serve up "Girl U Want" pretty much as they found it. It's a perfectly acceptable cover, nerdy and punk enough to approximate the manic buzz of early Devo, but nowhere near so odd or inspired.

Between those semi-highlights, we get some polite recitation (the two Split Enz covers, Yo La Tengo's "Dreaming"), a potentially good idea stranded in the early stages of development (Polvo's "Mexican Radio"), and a bunch of deliberately cruddy drek (sorry, YLT). The whole thing feels rushed, like they gave the bands a few days notice, grabbed the first or second take of whatever transpired, and stuck a price tag on the result. Honestly, it's hard to think of a better single-serving indictment of ascendant US indie rock's retrograde veneration of "regular dude" rockers propped up by distortion pedals.

Bow Wow Wow no contest for me, though some of these other songs are cute

"Fascination" should (and probably will) win, but there needs to be a vote for "Promises, Promises", so.

i spent a couple days entirely unable to remember or guess what promises promises was, but somehow just now i read the title here,and in my memory heard “YOU MAKE ME...PROMISES PROMISES.” actual lol. thats got to be naked eyes.

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

voted for plimsouls, almost went madness

I love many of these songs but "Promises Promises" is in its own class. I have been toying with the idea of a poll thread just of the excellent things about that song. The Nile-ish guitar? The French horn sample? The big gated snare? The reverb in general? The woody xylophone sound? Specific bits of anguish in the vocal ad libs?

Some strong tracks on here, but this has to be "Our House".

has no one remarked that Naked Eyes' first hit was a cover of a Dionne Warwick song and their second shared a title w/another Bacharach-David song sung by Warwick?

This is between The Human League, Madness and The Plimsouls. "(Keep Feeling) Fascination" gets it.

"(Keep Feeling) Fascination" does that thing that "1999" does, where a different member of the band takes a line of the verse. I had to look up who did it first, Prince beat them by a few months. Might be a good idea for a thread (or not)?

Had to think about this one a bit, as there's some bands here that I really like, but none of the songs here are my favorite anything. A very lukewarm bunch.

Ultimately ended up going with the Human League, because enh, why not?

XP There's that bit in "Tempted" where a few of the Squeeze guys (and Costello) each take a line.

Also Stevie's "You Are The Sunshine of My Life." And lots of Sly Stone.

Yeah I think "Dance to the Music" is the ur-example.

Probably a bunch of Motown ensemble stuff does it, too. Jackson 5, Temptations ...

where a different member of the band takes a line of the verse

I'd have mentioned "I can't get next to you chickabomchickabom next to you chickabombombom"

XP There's that bit in "Tempted" where a few of the Squeeze guys (and Costello) each take a line.

― Making Plans For Sturgill (C. Grisso/McCain), Wednesday, 4 April 2018 03:35 (ten hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Am I the only one that hates that bit? Costello mugging, I call it.

No, you're not. It's unnecessary.

OTOH the Danko verse of "The Weight" is key.

I like the Costello cameo (he produced it, too). I actually hate the third vocal in "Fascination" where the singer repeatedly does some lame fake soul "yeah yeah yeh-eaaaaaaah."

ah, that's Phil going "I'm still here folks"

Voted for Fascination. One of the best and weirdest songs to make the top five.

Our House and Beat Surrender would be the closest competition. Beat Surrender has somehow become my favourite Jam song over the years.

The Adam Ant is *OK* but I had to remind myself how it went even though I played that album quite a bit, probably out of a misplaced sense of duty.

Always loved (KF)F.

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

wtf

it's the dancing:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqqBs6kkzHE

stoked 7 people voted for this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yc8MpqFJhwM

^^^one of those

haha, not exactly.

it would be so weird being British. that is not a mean comment in any way but being a yank and observing all these years, it just seems so much different.

Madness the musical - not in my name!

Songs where it's fun to say HOOS in place of the actual lyrics

I find it absolutely astounding that Taco got more votes than Madness. The only thing I can think of is that Brit voters are just sick of Madness? Because that song is perfect.

I feel like I may have issued a dare with my OP

I find it absolutely astounding that Taco got more votes than Madness.

― Josh in Chicago, Wednesday, April 4, 2018 6:40 PM (twenty minutes ago)

I would have voted for "Fascination" if they'd used real horns; the synth horns really grate on me.

I find it absolutely astounding that Taco got more votes than...

anything really? that video...

I find those warbly synth horns one of the song's odd charms, actually. They sound like a 45 pressed slightly off center. xp

I find that whole song pretty annoying, tbh.

I always think it's going to be "Automatic" by the Pointer Sisters.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNi8aW8Nf6s

I've been following these polls regularly (and occasionally voting). I am pretty shocked at how much ILX top picks also happen to also be tracks from the "Sedated In The Eighties" series.

Volume 11