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Music
ISBN-10: 9781300465782
ISBN-13: 9781300465782
Unauthorized 80's: a collection of sleazy rock bios from the glam 80's
Rock and Roll is dead. For all intents and purposes, as a person that grew up during the eighties, this is true today. What is it about this genre of glam, hair, and dudes dressing in spandex that is so fascinating? We took it for granted, thinking it would last forever.
Excerpt
Rock and Roll is dead. For all intents and purposes, as a person that grew up during the eighties, this is true today. What is it about this genre of glam, hair, and dudes dressing in spandex that is so fascinating? We took it for granted, thinking it would last forever. Few bands today break through, and most of the tours are headlined by the same bands from the eighties – much older versions of the same bands from the eighties.
I remember exactly where I was when I first listened to a dubbed cassette of Guns N’ Roses ‘Appetite For Destruction’, I remember specifically “It’s So Easy”, “Mr. Brownstone”, “Paradise City”, and “Think About You.” It was like nothing I’d ever heard. Go back further and I know exactly where I first saw the band Poison – it was the video for “Talk Dirty To Me” and I was enthralled by this band to the point that though I couldn’t afford their cassette tape so I put my boombox up to the TV speaker and pushed record so that I could listen to them. (By the way, why did we have to push both PLAY and RECORD to record?) Go back further and I remember watching the video for Motley Crue’s “Smoking In The Boys Room.” It was my first exposure to MTV and it was life changing to say the least. Go back further and you will find that it was Twisted Sister’s “We’re Not Gonna Take It” that started it all. I am pretty sure I am not the only one with this story (okay, maybe the part about recording Poison videos off the TV). I also remember the second wave – Warrant, Winger, and then the third wave – Steelheart, Trixter, and not thinking anything of it. To me, this genre would last forever – it was rock and roll to me. If a band broke up – I loved it! It just meant more music (SEE: Van Halen and solo David Lee Roth and SEE: Motley Crue and solo Vince Neil). I never thought the lipstick would die (as it did).
Despite Kurt Cobain and company, we are here to celebrate the bands of this time: The albums, the look, the success and failures, and of course, the videos.
Questions may be answered: If the band originates in Mechanicsburg, PA do we really need to say “working class?” Album covers debated: Did Poison’s “Look What The Cat Dragged In” copy Motley Crue’s “Shout At The Devil” which copied the Beatle’s “Let It Be?” Lest not forget about the unofficial jean jacket war between Bon Jovi, Def Leppard, and Great White…and of course, (in addition to celebrate) the point is to have a good laugh. These bands were not politically correct nor did they take themselves too seriously. That was reserved for the grunge movement.
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