Hello everyone and welcome back to the Rum And Drum Music Podcast. In episode 7 we're going to start to get into the nuts and bolts of what it is that makes an album 'Great' by looking back to an era that unearthed massive changes to the music industry.
The 1980's brought us the mainstream acceptance of punk music, the emergence of Speed Metal and Thrash. It showed us the limits of recording equipment and shattered them. From Motown to Metal, it was a very busy decade.
The charting rules changed, the reporting rules changed, and the era of vinyl came to an end. (Well, almost).
For me, the 80's were a time of musical discovery. I listened to everything from Hooked on Classics to Willie Nelson. The Fat Boys to Foreigner. The proliferation of music across all spectrums was immense. At the same time, although a bit above my head, the P.M.R.C. was heating up its war against 'profane and indecent' records. There were record burnings and campaigns within Washington D.C. to have warning labels added to musical works.
Now in todays information age, that wouldn't be much of a big deal. It might even be a recipe for greater internet sales. But back then when every millimeter of shelf space was priced and accounted for, a label that put you out of reach may well have put you out of business, too.
So without further delay, lets break out the hairspray and bullet belts. It's time to dust off the denim jackets...
W.A.S.P. was one of the bands in the forefront of the music censorship debate. The band's early gimmick was throwing raw meat at the audience, I mean, what's not to love there! Their track 'Blind In Texas' is also among my favorites of the age.
I first heard of David Lee Roth through Van Halen and early on I couldn't tell the difference between his solo work and the songs from the Van Halen collection. 'Yankee Rose' is also where I first heard of guitar legend Steve Vai. I still think of the line in DLR's MTV music video when I see the 'Eat 'Em And Smile' album cover. "Gimme a bottle of anything, and a glazed donut. To go!"
A staple of any 80's rock/metal discussion is Quiet Riot's album 'Metal Health'. The chant "Bang your head" is such a classic line that its easy to define the early 80's rock/metal scene with that chorus alone.
Dee Snider, the singer of the band Twisted Sister came out of the 80's music machine with a radio show based out of L.A. Their 25th anniversary edition of 'Stay Hungry' gives us another look at 'I Wanna Rock'.
Whitesnake has also released a 25th Anniversary album. 'Slide It In' was a top 40 hit and paved the way for their later albums.
Aerosmith was not a product of the 80's. I'm not even sure where they came from truth be told. I think they always existed, and probable always will. I first noticed them on the mash-up with NYC rappers Run DMC when they performed 'Walk This Way. By the time 'Rag Doll' was aired on MTV it was like they were already a permanant fixture in my music world. 'Permanant Vacation' earned them 5 platinum records and they peaked at #11 on the top 200.
Guns N' Roses is such a bittersweet memory for me. Their appearance on the rock/metal scene was just as my personal tastes were leaning toward Iron Maiden and a journey a thousand times darker. Their songs were catchy, had memorable hooks, but their commercial success was starting to look bad for my 'Hardcore' image. I'm over all that now, and 'Mr. Brownstone' from 'Appetite For Destruction' ranks high on my 80's hit list.
Another staple of my formative years was Motley Crue. They were the first rock/metal band I could listen to at home that my older brother wouldn't chastize me for having on the stereo. The 1989 album 'Dr. Feelgood' went platnum for the sixth time in May of 1997. The track 'Kickstart My Heart' is among my favorites even today.
I first heard 'Halestorm' while I was attending class. The instructor would have his laptop on the corner of his desk and a kind of rock n' roll elevator music would always be playing in the background. The song 'I Get Off' repeated a few times and I couldn't get enough of it. The Music video was a complete waste of time because it just made no damn sense, but the song rocked.
