Popdose: Bottom Feeders: The Ass End of the ’80s, Part 48
Russ
· 7 months ago
There's a reason the pilgrims fled Britain and prog rock is it. US-based prog-rock sucks. Period. Leave prog-rock to the European aristocrats and their prisoners.
jack
· 7 months ago
I'm with you on Kansas. I'll always associate their '70s hits with my older sister's male friends in high school. It was the mid-80s, so I don't know why '70s-era Kansas was still popular with them.
And I am still started every time you say "Despite not liking female artists as a general rule..." It's just such an odd aversion. It would be more understandable to say you hate a genre like country or rap. But females? Just don't get it.
steed
· 7 months ago
I realize I say that a lot, and I also realize I say that before female artists that I do enjoy. So maybe I don't dislike them as much as I think.... I do agree that it's kind of weird and I've always wondered why myself - there has to be something behind it though - 95% of the music I listen to outside of my collection is sung by dudes.
Mike
· 7 months ago
I'm a little stunned that "Wouldn't it Be Good" didn't hit the Top 40. I remember hearing it quite often on the radio when I was a kid.
And thanks for recognizing the genius that is Chaka Khan. In my humble opinion, she's a very close second to Aretha Franklin when it comes to the greatest female singers (not just soul singers) of all time.
EightE1
· 7 months ago
One of my next two "Death by Power Ballad" entries will be on John Elefante, the voice of Kansas in the early 80s, after Steve Walsh split. He possessed a wonderful voice for that music, but the songs, for the most part, just weren't there.
I love all of "Fight Fire with Fire." "Play the Game Tonight" is also pretty awesome.
Overall, I really like Kansas, almost in spite of myself. Like any proggy band, they could be knotty and insufferable, but they could also play, and were capable of moments of beauty, whether intentional or accidental.
Rob EightE1
Rob
· 7 months ago
How awesome is Chaka Khan?
When BET did a full-scale tribute to her, they got a backing band that included both Stevie Wonder AND Prince. Check out some of the clips on YouTube. Some of it is pretty amazing stuff. The purple one really gets into it.
Jeff
· 7 months ago
Yea Wednesday! New comic books come out, and there is a new edition of Bottom Feeders!
However, as excited as I am the there is a new edition of Bottom Feeders, this is one that I could have skipped entirely, if not for the inclusion of Nik Kershaw. Man, I love that song, and I actually think that the video isn't that bad, either!
Keep up the great work, and I'll be back every Wednesday.
David_E
· 7 months ago
I went a long way into my teens before Kansas did anything for me (which is weird, kinda, because I've always liked Styx. Or Kansas. Or Styx. Which one were we talking about?). Hated Moogs, and thought a lot of their stuff was needlessly showy. But then something clicked, and now I guess I see the hidden design in the Magic Eye®.
I miss Van Stephenson. Hoping he shows up ("Heart Over Mind"?) later on in this series.
And boy, I've always like that Nik Kershaw song, but in my (failing) memory, it wasn't nearly as cheesy 80s keyboard as it sound here.
Jerry
· 7 months ago
I have nothing of substance to add, but wanted to throw my credibility on the line and say that Waves is actually a pretty good album, despite what you, Katrina or any Waves may think.
Same goes for the Kane Gang album. Motortown is one of my favorite tracks of the decade, and the whole album is pretty solid.
MichaelFortes
· 7 months ago
Kansas sound like they were trying to imitate Survivor on "Power."
luffy66
· 7 months ago
As a huge Kansas fan I will admit that their 80's output was very spotty. Needless to say that due to lineup changes throught that period, the 80's were hard on them. They found themselves caught in the middle between prog, and pop, alienating both camps.
I remember being so exited that Steve Walsh came back in the fold for "Power" and then hearing the album and hating it. (Although they recruited Steve Morse on guitar which saves it a little).
Their strength was (and is) always in the live shows. The Monolith, Point of Know Return, Audio Vision albums were great. And their live album, Two for the show is stellar (especially the 30th anniversary reissue)
EightE1
· 7 months ago
That reissue is on my iPod (and in my earbuds) as I write this. Very cool live album.
thefxc
· 7 months ago
I sort of agree on Kaja(googoo), but they had one saving grace: Nick Beggs, one of the great new wave bass players. I saw him as part of Howard Jones's band about a decade ago and he could still rip it.
Second the Waves dislike--I liked their second Top 40 single, "Do You Want Crying?", more than Sunshine, but never thought much of them. Their re-invention as a hard-rock band in the late 80s remains the most puzzling thing ever.
Nik Kershaw is woefully under-appreciated--I bought a Kershaw greatest hits CD ages ago just for "Wouldn't it be Good?", and I love the entire thing. I pity anyone introduced to "WIBG" via the Danny Hutton Hitters.
RLB
· 7 months ago
Whenever I see Nik Kershaw mentioned, I think about my favorite music interview question of all time... "Who the hell are the Danny Hutton Hitters?" (http://www.popmatters.com/music/interviews/kers...). And now that I'm a Popdose reader, I see that the question was posed by the 'dose's very own Mr. Medsker.
DavidMedsker
· 7 months ago
I'm thinking of writing up "Love of a Lifetime" for White Label Wednesday, solely for the fact that it was written by Green and David Gamson of Scritti Politti. Maybe I'll add it to a post on "Perfect Way," who knows.
JohnHughes
· 7 months ago
I did a LIT80s on that one a bit ago, but I'd love to hear the extended mix!
I feel a strong need to defend Katrina & the Waves--at least their first (U.S.) album. For one thing, I refuse to sour on "Walking on Sunshine," despite the fact that it's been overplayed/overused/over-covered, soundtracked and Kidz-Bopped within an inch of its life. There's a reason for that. It's a great song.
Beyond that -- "Red Wine and Whiskey"? "Do You Want Crying?" "Going Down to Liverpool"? "Game of Love"? All killer. Why the record company released "Que te Quiero" as a single I don't get, but whatever. Kimberley Rew was a genius in the early/mid '80s.
breadalbane
· 7 months ago
Yes, yes, yes. And side one of Waves is actually pretty damn good too. (Remember when albums had sides?)
Chris X
· 7 months ago
well, in your own words:
"I’m really not digging this week at all,"
Seriously, I have absolutely nothing to say about anything posted this week. Yikes.
steed
· 7 months ago
Just one of those weeks, I guess - bound to happen when the artists just happen to fall where they may.
Pete
· 7 months ago
Nik Kershaw did an amazing acoustic version of "Wouldn't It Be Good" that was included on his 1999 album '15 Minutes'. Well worth checking out if you like the song.
Old_Davy
· 7 months ago
...which totally blows away this full band version.
DavidMedsker
· 7 months ago
I confess to having a soft spot for "Fight Fire with Fire." it also had this bizarre tragic video that ends with someone getting fed into an incinerator, or something ghastly like that.
DavidMedsker
· 7 months ago
And for the record, I can't stand Kansas. But for whatever reason, I like that song.
tdolbyfan
· 7 months ago
Well, i do like Katrina & The Waves and there album "Waves" but this week wasn't that great. I have the KBC cd and it's too much like the 80s Starship.
Keith
· 7 months ago
"Play the Game Tonight" is my favorite Kansas song of any era. But beyond that, in the 80's, I prefer the band Streets with Steve Walsh on vocals. Their song "If Love Should Go" will be an entry in this series later on. I give creativity points to the Nik Kershaw video, which was memorable if nothing else. The song is one of those that gets more consistent airplay today on retro stations and Sirius/XM than it ever did back then. And it is a shame that Nik's version isn't on the "Pretty in Pink" soundtrack, which regardless of which gets my vote for best soundtrack ever. It includes a song by another British male solo artist, who like Nik never really found stateside success (except for heavy rotation on my mp3 player), Belouis Some. I would have guessed KBC Band's "America" scraped the lower hot 100 also, but I'm wrong. I remember the video being shown in decent rotation. Looking forward to next week. Always wanted Greg Kihn to name an album "Kihntucky".
Kordian
· 7 months ago
Amazing coincidence - for the second time in a row your favorite track of the entry, Dave, was number 1 on the Radio 3 Charts! (Personally, I prefer faux-reggae of "I Won't Let the Sun Go Down on Me").
Like Poland still more? But our tastes are not impeccable, alas. This entry features two of least favourite 80s acts - Kaja and the Waves. I didn't meet any Polish 80s fan who understands my dislike of Kajagoogoo. They still can gather quite respectable crowds in Poland (maybe the entry is free:) - maybe not). I guess that sentimental people come there because of Limahl (my auntie still believes he's...French!!), more sensible people - because of Nick Beggs. It's real fun to see his stage antics. I heard once that he was even lauded by very John Paul Jones for his playing.
I've got a feeling "Walking on Sunshine" is a song that is always played by the lame Polish radio stations when they are accused of playing nothing from 80s but Tina Turner, Every Breath You Take and Take on Me. Nothing annoys me like rhyming "door" with "sure" that doesn't feel like rhyming because of the singer's accent. And they won Eurovision in the late 90s...
WHarrisBullzEye
· 7 months ago
Random comments:
* I gotta respectfully disagree with your take on Kajagoogoo, at least as far as "Hang On Now" is concerned. I may well be the only one who can say this, but the chorus to the song stuck with me just as long as the one for "Too Shy," and that was WITHOUT hearing it on every other "Hits of the '80s" compilation ever made.
* I dig the Kane Gang as well, though I didn't know anything about them during the '80s. I only discovered their CD in a bargain bin some years later, and I only picked it up because they were on Kitchenware Records, a.k.a. Prefab Sprout's label.
* As a rule, I'm not a big Kansas fan, but I fucking LOVE "Fight Fire with Fire." But, then, I like pretty much any AOR song with the kind of kick-ass chorus that this one has. And, like Mr. Medsker, I have very distinct memories of the rather disconcerting video for the song.
* I'm not a huge Katrina & The Waves fan, either, but, hey, anything that keeps the royalties coming into Kimberley Rew's coffers is okay by me.
* Nik Kershaw is still awesome even now. That's right, I said it. Count on "15 Minutes" getting the "Hooks 'N' You" spotlight one of the days, hopefully with an interview to go along with it. (Hey, it's been awhile since David talked to him. Now it's my turn.)
Don Karnage
· 7 months ago
Two comments.
* I never quite got Kansas either. I did get a copy of the Drastic Measures album for free from some guy who worked in radio at the time, and although I did give a listen to "Fight Fire With Fire" once in awhile, it didn't exactly spend much time on the turntable. However, I later became a bit addicted to the follow-up single "Everybody's My Friend" (which grazed the "mainstream rock" charts). Yeah, you'll have to look past the fact that the "everybody thinks I'm totally different because I'm famous" lyrics being sung by a band who was pretty much on their way to playing state fairs. But the "hello hello" hook, and the oddball extra beat they tossed in occasionally made it tons more interesting than much of what was cluttering the charts.
* Kaja(googoo) DID manage one other chart song on the dance charts, and it's actually quite catchy. They do sort of run out of lyrics halfway through, but up until then, "Turn Your Back on Me" is pleasant pop fun.
DK
albert_riemann
· 1 month ago
Please, I'd love to get Karen Kamon's 'Loverboy' but link seems to be dead, if you could repair it or send me this song by mail, it would be great!! Thanks in advance and keep up the good work. norunoutofmuzik@hotmail.com
All Comments
And I am still started every time you say "Despite not liking female artists as a general rule..." It's just such an odd aversion. It would be more understandable to say you hate a genre like country or rap. But females? Just don't get it.
And thanks for recognizing the genius that is Chaka Khan. In my humble opinion, she's a very close second to Aretha Franklin when it comes to the greatest female singers (not just soul singers) of all time.
I love all of "Fight Fire with Fire." "Play the Game Tonight" is also pretty awesome.
Overall, I really like Kansas, almost in spite of myself. Like any proggy band, they could be knotty and insufferable, but they could also play, and were capable of moments of beauty, whether intentional or accidental.
Rob
EightE1
When BET did a full-scale tribute to her, they got a backing band that included both Stevie Wonder AND Prince. Check out some of the clips on YouTube. Some of it is pretty amazing stuff. The purple one really gets into it.
However, as excited as I am the there is a new edition of Bottom Feeders, this is one that I could have skipped entirely, if not for the inclusion of Nik Kershaw. Man, I love that song, and I actually think that the video isn't that bad, either!
Keep up the great work, and I'll be back every Wednesday.
I miss Van Stephenson. Hoping he shows up ("Heart Over Mind"?) later on in this series.
And boy, I've always like that Nik Kershaw song, but in my (failing) memory, it wasn't nearly as cheesy 80s keyboard as it sound here.
Same goes for the Kane Gang album. Motortown is one of my favorite tracks of the decade, and the whole album is pretty solid.
I remember being so exited that Steve Walsh came back in the fold for "Power" and then hearing the album and hating it. (Although they recruited Steve Morse on guitar which saves it a little).
Their strength was (and is) always in the live shows. The Monolith, Point of Know Return, Audio Vision albums were great. And their live album, Two for the show is stellar (especially the 30th anniversary reissue)
Second the Waves dislike--I liked their second Top 40 single, "Do You Want Crying?", more than Sunshine, but never thought much of them. Their re-invention as a hard-rock band in the late 80s remains the most puzzling thing ever.
Nik Kershaw is woefully under-appreciated--I bought a Kershaw greatest hits CD ages ago just for "Wouldn't it be Good?", and I love the entire thing. I pity anyone introduced to "WIBG" via the Danny Hutton Hitters.
http://www.imeem.com/people/drD80c/music/bAH_Ib...
Beyond that -- "Red Wine and Whiskey"? "Do You Want Crying?" "Going Down to Liverpool"? "Game of Love"? All killer. Why the record company released "Que te Quiero" as a single I don't get, but whatever. Kimberley Rew was a genius in the early/mid '80s.
"I’m really not digging this week at all,"
Seriously, I have absolutely nothing to say about anything posted this week. Yikes.
I would have guessed KBC Band's "America" scraped the lower hot 100 also, but I'm wrong. I remember the video being shown in decent rotation.
Looking forward to next week. Always wanted Greg Kihn to name an album "Kihntucky".
Like Poland still more? But our tastes are not impeccable, alas. This entry features two of least favourite 80s acts - Kaja and the Waves. I didn't meet any Polish 80s fan who understands my dislike of Kajagoogoo. They still can gather quite respectable crowds in Poland (maybe the entry is free:) - maybe not). I guess that sentimental people come there because of Limahl (my auntie still believes he's...French!!), more sensible people - because of Nick Beggs. It's real fun to see his stage antics. I heard once that he was even lauded by very John Paul Jones for his playing.
I've got a feeling "Walking on Sunshine" is a song that is always played by the lame Polish radio stations when they are accused of playing nothing from 80s but Tina Turner, Every Breath You Take and Take on Me. Nothing annoys me like rhyming "door" with "sure" that doesn't feel like rhyming because of the singer's accent. And they won Eurovision in the late 90s...
* I gotta respectfully disagree with your take on Kajagoogoo, at least as far as "Hang On Now" is concerned. I may well be the only one who can say this, but the chorus to the song stuck with me just as long as the one for "Too Shy," and that was WITHOUT hearing it on every other "Hits of the '80s" compilation ever made.
* I dig the Kane Gang as well, though I didn't know anything about them during the '80s. I only discovered their CD in a bargain bin some years later, and I only picked it up because they were on Kitchenware Records, a.k.a. Prefab Sprout's label.
* As a rule, I'm not a big Kansas fan, but I fucking LOVE "Fight Fire with Fire." But, then, I like pretty much any AOR song with the kind of kick-ass chorus that this one has. And, like Mr. Medsker, I have very distinct memories of the rather disconcerting video for the song.
* I'm not a huge Katrina & The Waves fan, either, but, hey, anything that keeps the royalties coming into Kimberley Rew's coffers is okay by me.
* Nik Kershaw is still awesome even now. That's right, I said it. Count on "15 Minutes" getting the "Hooks 'N' You" spotlight one of the days, hopefully with an interview to go along with it. (Hey, it's been awhile since David talked to him. Now it's my turn.)
* I never quite got Kansas either. I did get a copy of the Drastic Measures album for free from some guy who worked in radio at the time, and although I did give a listen to "Fight Fire With Fire" once in awhile, it didn't exactly spend much time on the turntable. However, I later became a bit addicted to the follow-up single "Everybody's My Friend" (which grazed the "mainstream rock" charts). Yeah, you'll have to look past the fact that the "everybody thinks I'm totally different because I'm famous" lyrics being sung by a band who was pretty much on their way to playing state fairs. But the "hello hello" hook, and the oddball extra beat they tossed in occasionally made it tons more interesting than much of what was cluttering the charts.
* Kaja(googoo) DID manage one other chart song on the dance charts, and it's actually quite catchy. They do sort of run out of lyrics halfway through, but up until then, "Turn Your Back on Me" is pleasant pop fun.
DK