Mar 252008
We have uncovered shocking evidence supporting the theory held by a couple of Townspeople that rock ‘n roll peaked in 1981. Our Mystery Guest calls roll for the beginning of the end and makes the most of that year’s Pat Benetar release!
There’s a good chance that rock and roll “peaked” around the time when you turned 18. No matter who you are.
the Lennon “moment” caught me off guard. i think it caught the “mystery guest” off guard too. nothing to do but move on…
what an interesting window into what was doing on the charts at the time.
good to see e. plurbis’s presence (ideas) re-emerging here on the rocktownhall….
I think what happened around 1981 is the beginning of the end of the major label. College radio and MTV shined a big light on the dull, trid and true formula the majors had been riding for decades. The music was 90 percent crap before 1981, and it’s stayed that way ever since. It’s always been harder to find that ten percent of good stuff. I only own one of those top ten albums.
This year has been particularly fun for me, as there’s been lot’s of things I’ve loved so far. Next week I’ll grab the new Black Keys and see if once again I think the boys from Akron are more fun than Jack White, but I hope I like them both.
I liked Fridays. Melanie Chartoff made me all tingly. I’ve got an old Creem Magazine with her showing off new stereo equipment. The cool stuff, with big, silver knobs and speakers big enough for her to sit on.
The Lennon-Yoko album is the only one of those 10 I ever owned. I’m sure Michael Richards/Frank Zappa’s reaction to that one is how most of us still feel today. That is Richared as Zappa, right? I was searching for something interesting on Zappa when I found this clip.
Yeah, that’s Richards. I don’t have that album, and I never did. I’ve got that Police album, though. that’s the only one in the stack.
yeah. he’s being zappa.
what’s the last album he holds up?
I wasn’t sure what the last album was, but I think I caught the REO Speedwagon logo. Yuck!
I forgot about The Police album. I should own that, but after selling the decent Zenyatta Mondatta (sp?) years ago, I never backfilled on the other decent early ones. They’re a band I often enjoy hearing a track by on the radio, but I dcan’t get around to owning their albums or playing them if they magically appeared in my collection.
The last album is REO Speedwagon’s big one, High Infidelity. I thought I was the only one that didn’t have it.
Forget 1981. Sink your teeth into 1986:
http://www.boingboing.net/2008/03/24/heavy-metal-parking.html
man, i haven’t seen heavy metal parking lot since about ’98. classic!
q: what would you do if rob halford was here right now?
a: i’d prob-ly jump his bones.
What was Rich Hall’s sniglet for this?
Zappapap?
This makes me wish I could find a clip online of Dana Carvey’s amazing Zappa impression.