Published on Jan 18, 2000
Has anyone else noticed that nostalgia is rapidly gaining on
real life?
In the late ’70s and very early ’80s, the ’50s came back into
vogue. In the early to mid ’80s, we were all rediscovering the
early ’60s, at least musically. In the latter half of the ’80s, the
late ’60s came back with a vengeance. Then in the early ’90s, the
’70s were big, but now even that is old hat. By 1995, ’80s
nostalgia was in full bloom, enough so that Rhino records
capitalized on it with this unwieldy 15-volume series of CDs.
These days, the teen superstars are highly reminiscent of what
was going on in the latter ’80s. What’s next, an MC Hammer
comeback? And will we see a grunge resurgence before too long?
The 15 discs on this collection trace the evolution of that
nebulous genre known as ‘new wave,’ a style that’s actually very
difficult to define. Volume 1, which gathers together a pretty
accurate assessment of the post-punk musical scene circa 1979,
would be the best place to look for influences, but even then it
was all over the place. On the one hand, the Ramones’ “Rock And
Roll High School” is an outgrowth of British punk rock, the Sex
Pistols, the Damned, and other scary-haired revolutionaries that
tore down the bombastic walls of the established ’70s album rock
sound.
On the other hand, Dave Edmunds’ “Girls Talk” and the Knack’s
“My Sharona” took cues from ’60s rock, returning the art of the
single to pop songwriting. But ironically, many of the songs cited
as early new wave records were essentially disco songs, such as the
Buggles’ “Video Killed the Radio Star,” also featured on volume
one.
And some of it defies categorization. Plastic Bertrand’s “Ca
Plane Pour Moi” is punked-out, unintelligible Beach Boys. Tim
Curry’s (yes, the Tim Curry’s) “I Do The Rock” is British
glam-style rap. The Flying Lizards’ industrial-edged cover of
Barrett Strong’s “Money (That’s What I Want)” throws a fascinating
twist on the original by perfectly capturing the impersonal greed
culture of the upcoming decade.
In fact, volume one stands on its own as a snapshot of early new
wave at the dawning of a fresh new decade. But if you must have
more, you won’t be disappointed. The very early ’80s chug along on
the next few sets, with some obvious selections (M’s “Pop Muzik,”
Devo’s “Whip It,” Split Enz’s “I Got You,” Gary Numan’s “Cars”),
some fairly obvious cult favorites (XTC’s “Making Plans For Nigel,”
the Nails’ “88 Lines About 44 Women,” Ultravox’s “Vienna”), and
some wonderful obscure gems, such as Ian Dury and the Blockheads’
dance-oriented “Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick” (which was actually
a big hit in the UK), Klark Kent’s hilarious “Away From Home,”
featuring the Police’s Stewart Copeland, and the Undertones’
super-catchy “It’s All Going To Happen.”
A personal favorite of mine is Altered Images’ “I Could Be
Happy,” a wistful-yet-punchy confection that recalls the Go-Go’s or
Missing Persons (both of whom are also represented in this
collection, of course) musically; the kind of song that makes you
want to escape from reality, just like singer Claire Grogan longs
to do in the song. This was also a big UK hit as a matter of fact;
what were we thinking over here?
Volume 5, perhaps the best of these discs, is where it all comes
to a head – it’s 1982, and the punk revolution has come and gone.
In its aftermath lies a top 40 filled with MTV poster children,
flavors of the month to be sure, but perhaps the most energetic
year ever in pop music. 14-year-old Annabella Lwin and Bow Wow Wow
cover “I Want Candy” and make it sound fresh and exciting.
Choreographer Toni Basil takes the Elvis Costello-influenced
cheerleading classic “Mickey” to number one. Tommy Tutone etches
the number “867-5309” in our heads forever. Even Frank Zappa (with
the help of his daughter Moon Unit) gets in on the act with “Valley
Girl,” an essential period piece. What a time.
The bulk of the rest of the discs focuses on new wave’s 1982-83
zenith, shifting between discs filled with the well-known and the
obscure, the experimental and the various forms of new wave
crossover into other genres. After the glitter and glam of discs 5
and 6, disc 7 shows a completely different side of the coin,
several sides in fact; the ability of the new wave image to worm
its way into reggae (Bad Manners’ “Samson And Delilah”), rockabilly
(Wide Boy Awake’s “Chicken Outlaw”), and even rap (The Musical
Youth’s “Pass The Dutchie”).
And if that weren’t odd enough, we’re also treated to the
closest new wave ever got to adult contemporary, like Paul
Carrack’s “I Need You” and Split Enz’s “Six Months In A Leaky
Boat,” and the truly bizarre, like Laurie Anderson’s “O Superman”
and Trio’s “Da Da Da I Don’t Love You You Don’t Love Me Aha Aha
Aha,” which of course has been rediscovered in recent years in a
car commercial.
But we return to (relative) normality on the next few discs, as
1983 comes along. Songs you’ve heard 78,000 times (Dexy’s Midnight
Runners’ “Come On Eileen,” Thomas Dolby’s “She Blinded Me With
Science,” Modern English’s “I Melt With You,” Kajagoogoo’s “Too
Shy”) drift by and remind you yet again just how good they all
were.
Meanwhile, the folks at Rhino show some excellent taste in the
bottom-of-the-chart gems they pick to round out the CDs. The
Bluebells’ low-key “Cath,” Heaven 17’s synth-pop dance classic “Let
Me Go,” and the Plimsouls’ riveting “A Million Miles Away” are dug
out of their respective closets one more time, fortunately to stay.
Spandau Ballet’s “True,” Naked Eyes’ “Always Something There To
Remind Me,” Madness’ “Our House,” and A Flock of Seagulls’ “I Ran”
are all here, but so are their equally excellent follow-ups “Gold,”
“Promises Promises,” “It Must Be Love” and “Wishing.”
Eventually, the new wave attitude had found its way into
mainstream pop so naturally that it was hardly different from its
surroundings. Many of the latter songs on these CDs may not have
been considered new wave at all had they been sung by artists
without the proper image. Picture, if you will, Def Leppard
fist-pumping their way through Big Country’s “Fields Of Fire,” Huey
Lewis belting out Marshall Crenshaw’s “Whenever You’re On My Mind,”
or Madonna crooning Bananarama’s “Shy Boy (Don’t It Make You Feel
Good).” Not too much of a stretch, is it? In fact, Volume 13 is a
virtual soul-lover’s haven, featuring the Culture Club’s “Karma
Chameleon,” Paul Young’s first hit “Come Back And Stay,” and Tracey
Ullman’s ’60s girl-pop homage “They Don’t Know” (16 years later I
still love the part where all the music stops and she screams
“Baaaaabeeeee!!!!”)
By 1985, new wave had become high art. From the technological
standpoint, synthesizers were no longer a novelty, but were being
used in increasingly complex ways, creating sonic textures and
layers, making early experiments like Visage’s “Fade To Grey” (on
volume 3) sound downright primitive. Animotion’s “Obsession” and
Bronski Beat’s “Smalltown Boy” took angst to new heights. Urban
grooves were making their way into everything, as Paul Hardcastle’s
“19” and Frankie Goes to Hollywood’s “Relax” became dance floor
standards. The Dream Academy’s “Life In A Northern Town” and Tears
for Fears’ “Head Over Heels” are a couple of the most powerful,
sprawling musical collages ever recorded.
But the world was ready for something new, and within new wave
itself was quietly brewing yet another back-to-basics revolution.
Many groups stripped down to good old fashioned guitars, bass and
drums again, and paving the way for what would become the signature
’90s underground sound. Alternative, or at the very least “lo-fi”
as we know it now may have started with Violent Femmes “Blister In
The Sun,” included on volume 9. Its laid back, unpretentious
approach was quite a contrast to the Duran Durans and Thompson
Twinses of the world.
Numerous examples of this are included, such as the Red Rockers’
“China,” Icicle Works’ “Whisper To A Scream,” Charlie Sexton’s
“Beats So Lonely,” Rubber Rodeo’s “Anywhere With You,” Let’s
Active’s “Every Word Means No,” Katrina and the Waves’ “Walking On
Sunshine” (which doesn’t sound the least bit dated) and a very
young Red Hot Chili Peppers doing “True Men Don’t Kill Coyotes.”
Again, very perceptive for the compilers of this collection to
recognize the slippery slope of music, and show that everything has
a thread. Fittingly, the last song on volume 15 is the Lords of the
New Church’s tongue-in-cheek version of “Like A Virgin,” signifying
yet another out-with-the-old, in-with-the-new (though of course
Madonna got the last laugh on them success-wise).
So is all this worth the price? Well, if you’re looking to hear
all the songs you’ve heard 78,000 times without anything unfamiliar
stuck in between, forget these discs (or at least most of them) and
buy one of those dirt-cheap Billboard Hits compilations. And if
you’re looking for ’80s giants like the Police, the Cure or U2, you
won’t find them here. Excellent groups all, but they aren’t missed
– part of new wave’s charm was its disposability, and genuinely
innovative artists are appropriately kept to a minimum on these
discs. Frankly, they don’t need the exposure anyway.
But if you were either listening hard enough to alternative
radio back in 1982 (and yes, it did exist then), or have enough of
a musical appreciation for ’80s new wave to the point that you
would like to hear what was going on behind the Depeche Modes and
Culture Clubs of the world, then this collection is very much for
you. Maybe the new millennium will clue us in that we need to
invent our own present rather than living continually in the recent
past, but in the meantime we can at least enjoy the parts of the
past that are worth reliving. And this set of CDs is one of the
most tastefully done reissues ever, made especially for real music
lovers, as opposed to nostalgia lovers.