Of The Planets' Alignment

It's time for some productivity, so as promised I'm gonna give y'all some more themed playlist goodness.

The Solar System In Song - A Planets Playlist

They Might Be Giants - Why Does The Sun Shine? (The Sun Is A Mass Of Incandescent Gas)
Let's start with the big fella to which this system is named after, and what better way to honour him than with the best educational song to ever grace these ears. It's no real surprise that 'the two Johns' (Flansburgh and Linnell of TMBG) would go on to make albums for kids considering they covered this cute tune. They make tongue-twisting science fun, and that's a rare talent indeed.

Red Hot Chili Peppers - On Mercury
Originally titled 'Lemon Trees On Mercury' which is quite a psychedelic title considering the lyrics are Antony Kiedes' usual brand of brilliant nonsense. Really like the horns punctuating the mix also, kinda like ska - but less brash and more funky. Chili Peppers, Funky? Well i never.


Air - Venus
French electronic duo make reference to the old chestnut "men are form mars, women are from venus." In a sound that's one part sci-fi, one part warm instrumentation and all parts effortless cool. Which is strange considering how close to the sun Venus is.

Eskimo Joe - Planet Earth
Quite an easy pick really and not to be confused with the Duran Duran and Prince versions. Despite the lovely shuffling pop, i've always struggled to make sense of Eskimo Joe's lyrics. "Out in the stars, up in the sky/There's a thing that they all talk about/It's called the opposite, and how it works" is a case in point.

David Bowie - Life On Mars?
Bowie's re-write of Sinatra's My Way is a no-brainer. Mike Garson's piano leads the charge on a musical extravaganza that demonstrates a thrilling artist at the peak of his powers, the thought of life on the red giant might be a mere rumination in a sea of drama, but when the music's this good - you need no other justification to include it.

Cave-In - Jupiter
Train's Drops of Jupiter certainly springs to mind, but while this act is perhaps the least known on this list - i can think of no better song that captures the immense size of this giant than this slice of drone-rock complete with widescreen guitars and barrelling drums.




R.E.M. - Saturn Return
From their underrated album of 2001, Reveal, this hints at the loneliness and solitude of the planets, floating up there in the vast expanse of space. A melancholy and mysterious song.

Jimi Hendrix - Uranus Rock
There are many artists who went the cheap and easy option of the "Your Anus" joke, to which i reply "No Thanks." Instead we have the guitar virtuoso's rare bootleg jam. Cue usual guitar wizadry, albeit poorly recorded.

Nicole Atkins - Neptune City
Ms. Atkins is an excellent up and coming singer-songwriter, and if her album of the same name is anything to go by - she's a talent to watch. With lush orchestration that Rufus Wainwright would be proud of and a voice that's the right side of yearning, another song to do the planets proud, even if it is devoid of watery references.

Clare & The Reasons - Pluto
I know officially speaking that Pluto isn't a planet anymore, but that's exactly what this song is about - "Pluto i have some frightful news dear/In The New York Times/ They've just reported you've been overthrown/from your solar throne for good." Don't know about you but i always pictured Mickey Mouse's cartoon dog anyway.
Be sure to check out nobody move! for all your music news and nicities. Till next time...

For Those About To Laugh...

So yeah... the Law Revue, yeah it was a good time had by all and a selfish, egotistical chance for me to flex my soundtrack skills - and it seemed i did ok, cause some people have been asking what it was playing. Pretty surprising really as the majority of these songs only got 9-10 seconds airtime between sketches.

Sure i took the time to edit them so we got straight to the best bits, but still, i'm glad people noticed them as it achieved the task of distracting them from the transitions on stage. Plus i'm not sure if a lot of people picked up on it, but the music definitely contained references to the sketches they followed, or preceded. Most of these are probably impossible to pick up without the sketch running order - so i've cheekily mentioned it where appropriate.

So below is as comprehensive a list of all the music from Animal Emissions: The 2008 Melbourne University Comedy Law Revue as i could achieve. Basically the only stuff that's missing is the interval and post/pre-show music as it was random every night. Oh, and finally, as usual i've added links where available and a big thanks to the providing servers/blogs/artists. Usual rules apply.

ACT I
Opening Video - The Torch Relay
Doves - Pounding
Robert Tepper - No Easy Way Out
The Bangles - Eternal Flame
Tetris - Korobeinki (Dance Remix)
Anamanaguchi - Power Supply
(i pushed from pretty early on to have this as the opening music - and i got my wish - ain't being a director grand?)

Avril Lavigne - Sk8er Boi
(came after the Hotmail sketch which originally obliquely referenced Avril, till it was cut down to just the BOI gag - plus i liked the idea of a shitty song to throw people off the scent of the good music to come)

weezer - Pork & Beans

Brad Fiedel - T2: Judgement Day Theme
(preceded the Pterrorism sketch - and what better way to set an army meeting than the industrial drumming of Arnie's finest hour)

Henry Mancini - Baby Elephant Walk

The Cribs - Men's Needs
(coming after the Gollum sketch and Gandalf coming out of the closet, what better way to soundtrack a homosexual reading of Lord of the Rings?)

The Features - Blow It Out

Akon - Smack Dat (Instrumental)
(aka Graph Dat)

Bobby Womack - Across 110th St

Dropkick Murphys - I'm Shipping Up To Boston
(the same catchy music that soundtracked the Departed trailer)

Cold War Kids - Hang Me Out To Dry

Curtis Mayfield - Freddie's Dead (Instrumental)
(Toby's Dead, Toby's Dead, hi you've reached the Browns...)

Sigur Ros - Gobbledigook
(at one point this was a contender to open the show, but instead it was better suited to come after Zork the Fruiterer - whose alien gibberish links to the title)

Kate Nash - Dickhead
(after Flex Guy, because violence against women does indeed make one a dickhead)

Meat Loaf - I Would Do Anything For Love (But I won't Do That)

The Galvatrons - When We Were Kids

The Heavy - That Kind Of Man
(after the first creepy dad sketch, because that kind of man would def. be anal enough about margarine and such matters)

Cameo - Word Up

Savage Garden - Truly, Madly, Deeply (Instrumental)
(the backing track for The Dad Joke Medley "is that C# ?")

ACT II
Vampire Weekend - Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa

M.I.A. - Paper Planes
(setting the scene for the Chasing Cars party, firstly because it's such a contrast, and secondly because its quite ridiculous that the person DJ'ing would follow such a cool song with...)

Snow Patrol - Chasing Cars
(It warms my heart to think there may be a few people who will not think of Gray's Anatomy after hearing this anymore, but instead of a girl breaking down at a party)

Bloc Party - Hunting For Witches
(after the infamous Mangina sketch, i don't think anyone was paying attention to this reference, but basically Sketch Hunting - Hunting, geddit, geddit?)

Asia - Heat Of The Moment
(conjoined twins making out - oh the sexual tension! cue 80's power ballad)

The Hoosiers - Worst Case Scenario
("there's some uh... there's some shit in the butter" - see title)

Arctic Monkeys - Fluorescent Adolescent
(came after the Monkey Subject selection sketch - the reference should be obvious)

Captain Planet Rap/Chopin's Funeral March
(setting the scene for Mati's funeral with the memorable TV theme being cut off by the highly recognisable Funeral March)

Ennio Morricone - Vita Nostre
(i (half) seriously want to have this playing at my own funeral, Morricone's score to The Mission always seems to hit the right nerves - plus there's the whole South American setting)

Go West - King Of Wishful Thinking

Muse - Starlight
(I think it was in last year's show and pretty much every playlist anyone's ever made since its release. In a word, ubiquitous.)

The Flaming Lips - The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song
(For me, it just sounded a bit like the "ows" that punctuated the preceding Whack-An-Alligator sketch)

Tchaikovsky - Swan Lake excerpt
(Half of the success of the Helmetface video can be boiled down to this excellent soundtrack choice, all credit to Al Harkness, beautiful, tragic, and really, really silly)

Heavy Metal Poetry
(The juxtaposition of classical music and Dream Theater's This Dying Soul created the visual punchline that was Heavy Metal Poetry)

The Beach Boys - I Get Around (Instrumental)
(aka I Get Aroused, this was EXTREMELY difficult to get a hold of... that is all)

Girl Talk - Still Here

MGMT - Kids
(this song will forever be associated with the show, and that my friends... is a very, very good thing)

I've got a ton of ideas for posts and playlists in the future so i thought i'd just give you a little teaser of coming attractions
Coming soon to Al's Music Rant:
Songs about Jesus
Around The World In 80 Songs
The Planet/Rainbow Playlist
and i'll start winding towards my picks for the best albums and tunes of '08

Stay tuned, cause in the words of D:Ream, things can only get better.

This is not the time to sign a lease

Well, it's been nearly 3 months to the day before there was any action on this space, and for good reason, i was putting on the funniest show in Melbourne! (www.thelawrevue.com) and it was a resounding success raising over $11,000 with all the proceeds going to the Starlight Foundation! Hooray!

Which means that pretty much everything else in my life took a back seat - including my fave blog, but what better way to get back on it than with a first impressions account of a new album from one of my favourite bands...


If this is all news to you, i wouldn't be surprised. Basically Bloc Party held a webcast on August 19th in which they, 'did a Radiohead,' spilling the beans on a finished and fresh to be released album - Intimacy. And no sooner than the 21st of August!

So basically it's available for order now from blocparty.com so if you've got any sense you'll go buy the download and pre-order CD for AU$21, with the CD to ship by Oct 27th - which is presumably when the physical copy will be available in stores. So what are you waiting for, go get it

So now that you've secured your copy or perhaps still waiting to decide - whatev - let me press on, my download finished mere minutes ago and i'm listening to the ten brand new Bloc Party tracks as i write this to you now. So without further ado...

1. Ares
Named after the Greek God of War and surprise, suprise the opening salvo is a whinging shout of "war, war, war" as a crowd of Keles give a wry state of the nation address over some buzz-saw guitars and a drum break highly reminiscent of Chemical Brothers' 'Let Forever Be.'
At around the 2 minute mark it breaks down into a quiet breathing section where Kele hums angelically, but it doesn't last for long before what sounds like a looped manic scream kicks the main riff back into the end.

2. Mercury
You've probably heard the lead single by now, and it's as big a leap from Flux as that single was to the A Weekend In The City material, and since this is still my first listen through - i can't 100% guarantee that it's indicative of the album as a whole - but it's still a ripping dance track - particularly when those malicious horns kick in. Kele's really enjoying the manipulation of his voice too. Love it or Hate it - this is the new Bloc Party sound.

3. Halo
Aha the first taste of what the press release was hinting at when it
said "some songs are Bloc Party at their most wildly experimental,
while other tracks are simply classic Bloc Party, fitting in seamlessly amongst fan-favorites "Helicopter," "Banquet" and "So Here We Are"
And so it seems here - duelling guitar lines over a rolling drum beat. It sounds very Helicopter on initial listen - and more lyrics of yearning from Okereke - talk of lips and fingertips over Silent Alarm style riffage. Nice.

4. Biko
The first sign of a slower number as a looped guitar appergio fills the air, and Okereke's falsetto soon follows. I think i just heard a reference to "the river Styx" - the river to the underworld, along with Ares and later track titles it seems Mr. Okereke has been reading up on his Greek mythology. After a few verses a heavy bass opens the gate to a programmed drum track. It's clear that
Jacknife Lee's influence (one of the producers along with Paul Epworth who did the band's debut) is all over this - a slow-building number with electronic leanings.

5. Trojan Horse
For the really impatient - this is available on the band's MySpace (and contains yet another reference to Greek Mythology). It sorta feels like a sequel to Hunting For Witches, a rabid guitar line against a drum and bass part. Great opening lyric too, "you used to take your watch off before we made love/you didn't want to share our time with anyone." Later Russel Lissack offers a ripping guitar solo which pushes Matt Tong into overdrive- a trick repeated towards the song's climactic finish. The album's title, Intimacy, seems to become it's theme too. Lyrics so far (from what i can catch) are about unrequited love, yearning or lust for others, and the resulting frustration.

6. Signs
Now this is interesting. A clutter of what sounds like xylophones, wind chimes and glockenspiels in interesting textures before some subtle synths form the harmony underneath. In a word: twinkly. Like Biko a few tracks before it's a nice respite from the heavier and more energetic sound of the album so far. Kele offers a delightful melody that soars lovingly over the musical backdrop. Much like Mercury B-Side, Idea For A Story, this reminds me of mid-90's Bjork. A soft bed of strings adds to the texture before it winds towards its close.

7. One Month Off
Kicking straight back into a powerful drum line and some industrial sound fx before a choppy riff cuts in over the top. Stop-start guitars make up the chorus - slightly reminiscent of Banquet and the breakdown of Uniform, a cool little synth embellishes the second verse. The chorus offers a challenge "I can be as cruel as you/i can fight fire with firewood," before descending into some tricksy time signatures and electronic ornamentation- think Hunting For Witches' cut-up intro. The breakdown at the end gets all Silent Alarm before getting really Weekend In The City. A nice balance.

8. Zephyrus
Named after the Greek god of Wind (see a pattern yet?). A cooing loop and some faint yelling take the stage before a thumping bass track take over as Kele's familiar yelp swings in again - so far so Radiohead. The rhythm track builds with clicks and snaps. The chorus brings in some washes of synths and keyboards sounding a bit Where Is Home? followed by a choral/mellotron breakdown who then punctuate the second verse. This is sounding very cool and slightly grand. Particularly because the choir aren't going away. Feels like we're building to somthing HUGE. It doesn't quite hit its peak but very haunting none the less

9. Better Than Heaven
An airy vocal wafts over a distinctive dub feel in the bass and drum part - sounding a lil' like an update of Price of Gasoline. Soon enough some buzzing synths, extremely bassy piano and twinkling guitar fill out the sound. Some chanting like lyrics too that swap between speaking and singing, "Much too, much too typical/much too much too." We're about a minute and a half from the end and the full band kick in - very cool as they race against a competing electronic part, but that dark, brooding texture remains.

10. Ion Square
The longest track on the album by a good minute or so, and intially it sounds a bit like I Still Remember, but with insistent and repeated guitar/piano chords. Some straight 4/4 drums build a chugging pattern, but the overall feel is a glossy ballad - with all the trimmings - the length ensuring a steady momentum.

Well there you have it.

Firstly, I think this is going to a bit of a grower, and while much of the heavier sound and faster tempos create an immediate energy - there's some subtler textures and tweaks here and there - not least Kele's voice being manipulated into strange configurations on a couple of tracks.

As a progression from A Weekend In The City - it's probably not as radical a departure as Mercury suggested - but it's a departure none-the-less, there seems to be an attempt to fuse the Silent Alarm dance-rock textures with AWITC's electronica and experimentation, though i have to confess it sounds more like the latter on the first spin. Using both Paul Epworth and Jacknife Lee on production duties cements this idea, though without full credits it's unclear as to who's doing what.

Still in context it's amazing that this four-piece were unheard of five years ago, and are now really attempting to do something special with their musical direction and career as a whole, while the distribution technique is becoming a little unsurprising (NIN, Sigur Ros, Girl Talk etc.), it's still a big risk and a brave advancement from any band. And such a productive rate - their third album in under four years - including those between album singles (Two More Years, Flux, Mercury).

Overall this is still one of the most interesting records I've heard yet this year. But then again, there have been more than a few...

...i'm of course hinting to higher productivity on Al's Music Rant from now on.

Watch This Space.

It Was Twenty Years Ago Today...

I'm taking a slight gear shift with this post away from my themed lists (don't worry i've got some crackers planned) to turn the spotlight on some Australian music, which i haven't done for a while.

So before i begin, i'd like to say that i'm not one to fall easily for hype. I've always been a bit skeptical and dogmatic when it comes to bands hyped as 'the next big thing' or at least those that seem to send a number of simultaneous bloggers into a dizzy spell of praise and prophesying. Case in point - it was a while before i actually got into the Arctic Monkeys, and i've never looked back since. But i guess the reason for this skepticism is that fads come and go, and more often than not they fail to capture their initial promise. Just keep that in mind while i go into a dizzy spell about these guys...


The Gavlatrons - When We Were Kids EP (Warner Music, 2008)

There’s an indicative line in the breakdown of single, When We Were Kids, which goes “now I’m stuck in a town which is not enough kids to try and make a scene.” What might be mere zeitgeist banter turns out to be entirely accurate when you consider The Galvatrons hail from Geelong. Of course their thoroughly 80’s sound wouldn’t thrive in a city best known for its piers, pubs and football. Yet Johnny, Manny, Condor and Gamma - all with the uniform Ramones-style surname of Galvatron – have ascended quickly and sharply in their short existence.

Though it may belie their actual ages, the four piece sound like they’ve been raised on nought but a diet of Van Halen, Polyester Day-Glo and (cue their name) the Transformers soundtrack; the original 1986 animated movie mind, not the 2007 Blockbuster.

The title track and obvious single, When We Were Kids, may have a whiff of The Killers about it, not least in its title’s similarity to their single, When You Were Young, but it’s more to do with its nostalgic spirit. A clever two-way considering the song itself is about yearning for the past, while its sound will leave anyone raised on 80’s radio pop-rock with a big dumb grin on their face. It’s an exhilarating celebration as much as it is a guilty pleasure.

Next up She’s In Love screams out of the gates with Stan Bush (see Transformers soundtrack) guitar and pulsing synths, while Donnie’s on TV chugs along with equal abandon in a chorus celebrating small-town fame.

The 80’s fixation may be limiting, but it’s easy shorthand for the band’s style. Sure it’s the decade that seems to be all the rage musically, with countless acts from electronic to rock mimicking its fashion, song structure and of course, synths. But the Galvatrons don’t channel the 80’s, they ARE the 80’s.

Any one of these tracks would sound more comfortable alongside Belinda Carlisle and The Buggles than it does Australian contemporaries like Cut Copy, Midnight Juggernauts and The Presets. Particularly because the shiny production (mixed by Tim Palmer) sounds so Un-Australian, despite the vague detections of an Aussie twang in the vocals, this is clearly indebted to American culture. Johnny’s voice sounding stuck in a time warp between early XTC and Ric Ocasek of the Cars.

The EP also contains two needless remixes that try to re-shape and repackage the denim-rock attitude into shapes ready built for the indie dancefloor. Ultimately it’s an uneasy fit, as it’s precisely this kind of trendy scene that The Galavtrons are trying to avoid. Instead escaping into big polished production, complete with equally large drums and guitar, which the remixes then thanklessly dispense with.

When We Were Kids is perfect for the EP format, a blast delivered with much energy and radio-friendly length along with big choruses and catchy lyrics, but the question remains whether the novelty will last a whole album.

So if the below image makes you smile with warm memories i suggest you check them out....

000110011011 (aka Songs For Robots)

My penchant for themed playlists continues with a compilation dedicated to all the robots, droids and humanoids. This time the mp3s (where available) will be the song headings and again pre-emptive thanks to all the blogs and resources that provide the musical links. So without further ado...

Black Sabbath - Iron Man
"I AM IRON MAAAAAAAAAN" it's hard to dispel that vocoder-powered introduction from your memory, even as the song grinds into familiar Sabbath riffage. Iconic and powerful all at once, it's as song as heavy as it's title suggests. The imagery suggesting a more retro styled robot, however still as far removed from The Wizard Of Oz's Tin Man and his gentle demeanour thanks to some brutal guitar work. Quite topical considering the release of the new Marvel Comics movie wouldn't you say?

Laura Barrett - Robot Ponies
Actually this was the original inspiration for this playlist, Barrett's cute narrative about the best Christmas present of 2053. Simple in its instrumentation, using only Barrett's voice and what sounds like a pre-programmed xylophone crunching numbers. A true original.



Styx - Mr. Roboto
If Styx are remembered for only one thing, it's this: "Domo Arigato Mr. Roboto." Definitely the most unlikely catchprhase spawned from a rock album ever. The album in question? Kilroy Was Here. Though nobody remembers that really, they all just know the chorus (again with vocoder) chant. Perhaps ultimately Mr. Roboto's secret (about which the song's lyrics stress) is to get all and sundry within vicinity of this song to join in on its mindless chant. All together now....
Grandaddy - Jed The Humanoid
Here the playlist takes a turn for the tragically beautiful. With their 2002 album, The Sophtware Slump, the Californian 5 piece made a stunning balance between organic nu-country and ruminations on technology. Often with humorous results such as on "Hewlett's Daughter" and the vision of a "Broken Household Appliance National Society." But on "Jed The Humanoid" the band told the story of creating a robot from kitchen appliances and "whatever was at hand", only to leave him neglected for brighter newer things. Only for him to drown his sorrows in booze and despondence, resulting in a kind of broken-hearted robot suicide.
Click Here for Live Performance

Vangelis - Tears In The Rain
A cut from the beautiful soundtrack to Ridley Scott's 1983 opus on humanity and technology. You should all know the story, based on Philip K. Dick's novel Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep, about a detective having to unearth and execute Replicants hiding among society. The narrative reaching its apex with this musical cue. If you've yet to see the movie avoid the spoiler below, however if you have - well why not take the 4 minutes to watch one of the greatest monologues in cinema history (delivered by the ultimately sympathetic Rutger Hauer).


The Flaming Lips - One More Robot/Sympathy 3000-21
Which leads us nicely to The Lips and their crowning album, Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots. Though it is neither of the two part title track that i've selected but the preceding track. Why? because like the melancholic moments of Mr. Roy Baty above, there's something especially tragic and amazing in making Robots human which this song achieves remarkably well. Not just the crunching cool of Transformers or the mechanical distance of Metropolis - but real, sympathetic robots. Don't believe me? go watch Star Wars again and try not to fall in love with R2-D2

Mogwai - Robot Chant
Acting as a stopgap in Mogwai's 2003 album Rock Action, this is the sound an under-oiled behemoth having bad dreams, luckily the piston thumps and distorted drums only lasts a minute before our robot protagonist wakes up. But perhaps we know now the sound of evil behind all those malevolent robots of 50's B movies.


Something For Kate - Hawaiian Robots
Often the use of the term Robot is used as a euphemism for monotonous, soulless beings, as will be demonstrated by the next few songs on our journey. Here Melbourne's Best Band (C) 2008 employ a strange juxtaposition between the usual image of a sunset paradise with metallic drudgery. I couldn't help but conjure an image of Robbie The Robot sipping a Pina Colada on a hammock strung between two pine trees when i first heard the title. Obviously, lyrically its not about that idyllic picture at all. Incidentally this is one of my SFK songs of all-time.

Radiohead - Paranoid Android
It was a really tough call to make between this and album transition piece Fitter, Happier - particularly since the latter was originally going to be OK Computer's opening track. Where Fitter, Happier's Stephen Hawking like vocal repartee is more Robot-like in sound and tone it is eventually Paranoid Android's subjective analysis of a society at the brink of apocalyptic reform that is more potent. In the end, you simply can't beat this generation's Bohemian Rhapsody - 6 and a half minutes of pre-millennium tension, Jonny Greenwood's guitar histrionics and Yorke's frightening lyrics. And in case you didn't know, the track is named after Douglas Adam's creation from The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy - Marvin the Paranoid Android.

Nada Surf - Robot
Again we have a song that likens a human to its metallic creation due to his lack of emotion, it's all there in the chorus. Again the guitar kind of represents this with its circular riff that only breaks for the warm refrain. For a song about not having emotion, its a blissful irony that the bridge of "i still remember just how the floor felt and how my head would hit the tub" is most emotive indeed.



They Might Be Giants - Hotel Detective Of The Future
A reminder of how great our robotic friends can be when put to musical use, from a band who has a mild obsession with them (other titles from the two Johns include Robot Parade and Become A Robot). Here they cleverly rewrite their minor hit of the 80's, (She's A) Hotel Detective into a righteous space jam (with again, yes, vocoder) about falling in love with the wrong kind of woman. The best line (among many) has to be "she has the replicant motives of a cyborg." Ahhh, robo-love.

Flight Of The Conchords - Robots
Again another track that greatly inspired my putting together of this playlist, the Kiwi comedic duo of Brett and Jermaine come up trumps with this rib-tickling account of the future. Enlightening us on robot etiquette, robot penalties for robot irony and humanity's fate (The humans are dead/we used poisonous gasses/and we poisoned their asses), Sheer joy.
Oh and it contains possibly the world's only binary solo...


Daft Punk - Robot Rock
Daft Punk's output could construct an entire list's worth of robot songs, most specifically their third album Human After All; but when push comes to robotic shove it has to be this. Whenever i hear it there is nothing i want more than to be a dancing Transformer, the precision, the visceral thrill of perfectly synced movement and rhythm. It may be repetitive but it's also fun and intoxicating. Why else would Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel ee Homem-Christo spend the last 7 years encased in the coolest outfits this side of Cybertron?

Nothing Better Than Sax (In The 80's)

There's been something severely lacking from Chart Pop music of late, and not just talking about the quality. No i'm referring instead to a time when music was concerned not only with colourful clothing, impossible hairstyles and cheesy power chords; but also with a fascination for the Saxophone.

Oh yes, there was a time when it was the almighty Sax that would take the spotlight and blow us away (no pun intended) for a few bars - providing in most cases the apex to a song's climax. The guitar solo may have gone through a million transitions (and remain popular today) in pop and rock music, but it was in the decade of the 1980's that the sound of a blaring horn marked a pop classic. It's something i think is sorely missed in moder music, sure there may have been some great solos before (Pink Floyd's Money, Born To Run, The Logical Song) and since (anything by Dave Matthews Band) but that cheesy centrepoint of the pop song was never richer than it was between 1980-1989.

Hearing those Sax solos today is not only nostalgic, but also sound as powerful as the first time they cut through the synths and electric drums to provide some fist pumping energy. I'm not really sure how it started or when it fell out of fashion, but following is a list celebrating...

The Best Sax Solos of the '80's:

George Harrison - Got My Mind Set On You (from Cloud Nine, 1987)
My earliest memory of any song is of George Harrison's chart hit three years after i was born. It was on a 45 7 inch vinyl single and i remember the label distinctly as it featured drawings of wild horses charging around the circumference of the record, because of the label, Dark Horse. To my infant tongue it thus became known as "The Horse Song." There's something fitting i think in knowing that the first song i can ever remembering listening to is by a Beatle, and Horse Song or no, it also contains a brilliant Saxophone solo that perfectly encircled the electro drums with its ever rising phrases and mimicking the earlier guitar solo in its melody as the song fades towards its close. It's still those brass-fuelled notes that ring in my head when i think of the nostalgic joy this song brings.

Tina Turner - Simply The Best (from Foreign Affair, 1989)
Although it didn't come to prominence till the early '90s, this is an unabashed '80s song in sound, tone and spirit. Produced by the legendary Mike Chapman, Turner's voice rides a wave of warm synths and snapping snare drum (another trademark of the decade) till it reaches the bridge and it's lyrics of "I can feel it even when i'm alone/Oh baby... don't let go," BAM! right on the key change comes the sax and the song rides its euphoric impact with a repeat of the chorus until the song's finish.




Boy Meets Girl - Waiting For A Star To Fall (from Reel Life, 1988)
Although it has since been bastardized with a number of cheap dance remakes and mixes, none have managed to capture the spirit of the original. Perhaps precisely because they all lack the saxophone. First appearing in the opening, it makes its triumphant return during the chorus towards the song's end, following the typical verse/chorus/middle 8/chorus structure of most 80's pop songs.

Spandau Ballet - Gold
(from True, 1983)
...and bucking that structure ever so slightly is the subtler solo of Spandau Ballet. Although it was the title track of this album that arguably spawned the bigger single, complete with a sax solo of its own, it's this track that is better. Cued by percussion, the sax solo opts for mystery and restraint as opposed to the scores of OTT blowing that make up this list. The accompanying video filmed in what looks like a Morrocan brothel more than made up for the lacking cheesiness (see for yourself).


George Michael/Wham! - Careless Whisper (from Make It Big, 1984)
Technically this isn't a solo, but how could this yearning slice of unrequited romance possibly work without its swooning Tenor melody? Luckily messrs Michael and Ridgely made the wiser choice for which time will never forget. Against reverberated keyboard, Spanish-lite guitar and of course Michael's expressive vocal comes bursting forth the brass, and the way it cycles on itself means it could conceivably play forever.


Beach Boys - Kokomo
(from the Cocktail soundtrack, 1988)
After basically breaking up in a fug of drugs, bad blood and sour musicianship in the 70's, the Beach Boys returned with a contribution to the Tom Cruise vehicle, Cocktail. Albeit the group were in an amputated form, most notably sans their figurehead Brian Wilson, but that didn't stop them adopting a successful mix of their earlier surf sound harmonies and 80's music technology and style. Which included, of course, a sax solo.



Billy Joel - It's Still Rock N Roll To Me (from Glass Houses, 1980)
Better known, obviously, as the piano man than anything else but during the decade Billy Joel underwent a reinvention that attempted to incorporate new musical styles into his more classical sound. More synths and cannier production was common among popular artists making the transition from earlier decades (Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan come to mind), but Joel came upon a winner when he penned this self-effacing and ironic hit. Oh did i forget to mention the great 50's style solo?

Bill Medley & Jennifer Warnes - I've Had The Time Of My Life
& Eric Carmen - Hungry Eyes
(from the Dirty Dancing Soundtrack, 1987 )
At a time when the movie soundtrack tie-in was hitting its stride, here we have two great pop songs featuring sax solos on the one disc. The former is one of the most famous duets of the decade, while the latter was a permanent fixture of popular radio at the time. Though i think anyone would struggle to remember either of these artists, or indeed any of their songs, if it wasn't for their time in the sun with the Dirty Dancing soundtrack.

Men At Work - Who Can It Be Now? (from Business As Usual, 1982)
Australian acts were perhaps the biggest culprits when it came to perpetuating the saxophone as a lead instrument in the 80's band formation, and perhaps this is all due to Men At Work and their saxophone-driven song of 82. Predating their world-conquering "Down Under" single, this reggae-influenced cut took a very simple Sax phrase to punctuate its chorus, and an even simpler solo to round things out.

Icehouse - Electric Blue
(from Man of Colours, 1987)
The trend continues with the Sydney-born Icehouse and the song they co-wrote with John Oates (of Hall & Oates) who must have recommended the use of a Saxophone solo. It gave them their highest charting song in America and it was one of the first that came to mind when i began dreaming up this list. It's of the yearning, romantic persuasion and is a snug contrast to the chugging guitars and arena-sized drums.



INXS - Never Tear Us Apart (from Kick, 1987)
Rounding out the third Australian entry is INXS and their chart-assaulting Kick album, this power ballad was a bit off the beaten path for the group's usual brand of whip-smart rock songs. Michael Hutchence's cocky demeanor is bolstered into a soothing croon here as the keyboard strings hold the rhythm against Ennio Morricone style guitars, and what better excuse for a brief, yet rousing, sax solo than another teary eyed song about love?

David Bowie - Blue Jean
(from Tonight, 1984)
It's a little known fact that Bowie cut his musical teeth on the saxophone, it was one of the first instruments he practised and made full use of throughout his career, particularly on the plastic soul of his Young Americans album. The 80's saw him continue to spotlight his early love even as squealing guitars, keyboards and double-tracked vocals began to enter the fray. The culmination of which is probably 1983's Let's Dance with its rubbery brass, but since the single edit foolishly cut it out, Bowie must be represented instead by the later single, Blue Jean. So although the Saxophone on Blue Jean isn't so much a solo as a series of short phrases and melodies that punctuate his new romantic ballad, it stands as a representative of it's writer's constant saxophone patronage (now there's a sentence i never thought i'd write).

John Farnham - You're The Voice (from Whispering Jack, 1986)
Obviously Johnny never got the memo, and provided a solo with the wrong instrument. Instead he provides possibly the greatest use of the Bagpipes in a rock song... ever. If you're a fan of this song you simply must check out its hilarious use in the movie Hot Rod







Until next time, keep the saxophone alive with this megamix mp3 i've compiled. I apologise in advance for the rough cuts and poor quality, i was using a very primitive (because its very free) audio editing program, nonetheless if you're too lazy to find these songs individually i've pared it down to the saxophone stardom.
Enjoy: 80's Sax Megamix.mp3

Still Alive (to be sung to the tune of GlaDos)

An obscure reference to kick things so that you know that despite it being a full month since my last post (ouch) i am still, well... alive.

And to prove i've not been completely lethargic in the passing month, here's my latest contributions to The Scene including R.E.M.'s latest and Counting Crow's first album in six years, Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings.

Also i've recently set up an account over at Mp3.com.au with the sole purpose of unearthing entirely new talent, i'm still a bit green around the gills but i can already highly recommend a little Sydney based three piece called Decorated Generals. You can expect a full feature sometime in the near future.

So i've managed to dodge the main question - which is why have i been out of action for so long? Particularly when there's been a sled-load of new releases? The simple answer is i've been very busy with finishing up a Comedy Festival show, Porky Pies and in kicking off the Melbourne Comedy Law Revue. Far be it for me to plug things that aren't music related, but hey if you like my writing maybe you'll like my comedy.

Anyways i plan a proper post very very soon, which will include ramblings on Birthday songs (I just turned 24 on April 19th... oh thank you) and 80's Sax Solos. Two things which have become a rarity in music culture of late, until then tide yourself over in the safe knowledge that elbow's new album, The Seldom Seen Kid, could well be the album of the year.

Speak Soon