Topic: Summer Music - what's some good songs?

[Darkhoarse820]

Since I listed "Baker Street", I must've heard it a half dozen times on my car radio. What a coincidence !!!

It's an absolute coincidence, I know, but that kind of thing always makes me wonder, "are they really getting into my head?".

[Double Deal Decker]

Yeah, I know it is a coincidence. But, I'm kinda glad it has worked out that way. I really "dig" that tune !!!

[FineBari3]

Since I listed "Baker Street", I must've heard it a half dozen times on my car radio. What a coincidence !!!

Oh, MAN....summer of '79 or '80?

They say that smell triggers memories most, but I think music does. It does for me, that's for sure.

I used to be the official bus DJ for the baton & drum corps I marched in from 1983 to 1987. Every year has a handful of songs that instantly transport me to that respective summer. Here are a few:

Ghostbusters=1983
Anything from Thriller=1983
Drive (the Cars)=1984
Panama=1984
Shout (Tears for Fears)=1985
Don't You Forget About Me=1985
any Motley Crue=1986
Here I Go Again(Whitesnake)=1987

...also anything from the Van Halen album OU812 from the summer of 1988.

MY GOD! 20 years ago this week I graduated from high school!   

[Double Deal Decker]

"Baker Street" was the summerof 1978. That is the great thing about songs you grew up with. You sometimes won't hear one for AGES, and then when you do,....it takes you right back to THAT TIME in your life.  It is what I call your "musical" life timeline.   

[Darkhoarse820]

"Baker Street" was the summerof 1978. That is the great thing about songs you grew up with. You sometimes won't hear one for AGES, and then when you do,....it takes you right back to THAT TIME in your life.  It is what I call your "musical" life timeline.   

It's so funny that I love "Baker Street" but, other than that, anything else released in that year, going back to about 1977 and fast forwarding to about 1983, I consider to be total and utter crap.  "Grease" was the no.1 hit here in the US the week I was born.  I would have been happier with a Bee Gee's tune.

[Double Deal Decker]

Yeah,...the late 70's, (w/the disco "boom" and short lived punk era), and the early 80's, ( with the "techno" age), were really not the best of times for rock music. It is probably the reason that The Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, and Bruce Springsteen became SO BIG  so FAST. There really was not much else happening.

[Darkhoarse820]

Yeah,...the late 70's, (w/the disco "boom" and short lived punk era), and the early 80's, ( with the "techno" age), were really not the best of times for rock music. It is probably the reason that The Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, and Bruce Springsteen became SO BIG  so FAST. There really was not much else happening.

Punk rock was alright.  I went through high school with the pop-punk revival period so, it was slightly my thing for a while.  All punk rock boils down to is Buddy Holly and Chuck Berry on every powerful drug under the sun.
All three bands you've mentioned were already making names for themselves before this time.  Fleetwood Mac's RUMORS album was the only disco period album that really broke ground at the time.  Springsteen and the Eagles broke through before then.
Nothing good was happening then, just like nothing good is happening now.  It's a viscious circle.... 

[metaldams]

I like a lot of late 70's - early 80's music, but not necessarily The Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, punk (well, The Clash were OK, but I hate the Sex Pistols and can only occasionally tolerate the Ramones).  That said, I love a lot of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal stuff from '80 - '83 (Diamond Head should've been huge), think The Police had their good moments, and I like the Kinks "arena" period, Jethro Tull's late 70's "folk trilogy" and BROADSWORD AND THE BEAST from 1982, AC/DC's Bon Scott and early Brian Johnson stuff, Thin Lizzy, Blizzard of Ozz band era Ozzy, and sue me, but even The Rolling Stones did a few alright things from 1978 - 1981, (after that, on the other hand.........).  I can think of much worse eras, even if there was a lot of junk.

[Darkhoarse820]

I like a lot of late 70's - early 80's music, but not necessarily The Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, punk (well, The Clash were OK, but I hate the Sex Pistols and can only occasionally tolerate the Ramones).  That said, I love a lot of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal stuff from '80 - '83 (Diamond Head should've been huge), think The Police had their good moments, and I like the Kinks "arena" period, Jethro Tull's late 70's "folk trilogy" and BROADSWORD AND THE BEAST from 1982, AC/DC's Bon Scott and early Brian Johnson stuff, Thin Lizzy, Blizzard of Ozz band era Ozzy, and sue me, but even The Rolling Stones did a few alright things from 1978 - 1981, (after that, on the other hand.........).  I can think of much worse eras, even if there was a lot of junk.

See?  I think we just cracked open a brand new can in this discussion.  It's branched off...

I don't care WHAT it is as long as it's along the lines of turn of the 20th century (Ragtime) to about 1975.  At that point, unless it involves a Beatle, music was just dead for me.  Then, came synthesizers and all I can say to that is - unless I can hear what the song might sound like WITHOUT the nasty thing, I won't like it.  I do like the Cure (just saw them at the Hollywood Bowl.  They ditched their synths), although there are some songs in which I cannot block out the synth and that's a total and complete shame because Robert Smith is a damn good songwriter.  Overall, the 80s are dead to me.  Not even Nirvana could get me interested at first.  Stone Temple Pilots got me interested again and I enjoyed the current output for about three years after that.  I'm seeing them at the Bowl on Tuesday.  For about twelve years now, modern music does not exist, unless it's an older, established artist or someone I liked when I was younger.

I am a very technical and closed-minded musician and that's something (my Wife and I agree on) I need to work on, or quit. 

RIP Good Music...
1750s - 1975 (a good run...)
1991 - 1995

[metaldams]

See?  I think we just cracked open a brand new can in this discussion.  It's branched off...

I don't care WHAT it is as long as it's along the lines of turn of the 20th century (Ragtime) to about 1975.  At that point, unless it involves a Beatle, music was just dead for me.  Then, came synthesizers and all I can say to that is - unless I can hear what the song might sound like WITHOUT the nasty thing, I won't like it.  I do like the Cure (just saw them at the Hollywood Bowl.  They ditched their synths), although there are some songs in which I cannot block out the synth and that's a total and complete shame because Robert Smith is a damn good songwriter.  Overall, the 80s are dead to me.  Not even Nirvana could get me interested at first.  Stone Temple Pilots got me interested again and I enjoyed the current output for about three years after that.  I'm seeing them at the Bowl on Tuesday.  For about twelve years now, modern music does not exist, unless it's an older, established artist or someone I liked when I was younger.

I am a very technical and closed-minded musician and that's something (my Wife and I agree on) I need to work on, or quit. 

RIP Good Music...
1750s - 1975 (a good run...)
1991 - 1995

You do realize there's a synthesizer on ABBEY ROAD, right?  I'm not the biggest fan of synths either, but they can be used effectively.  Ultimately, a good recording is about atmosphere, and I'll ocasionally admit the synthetic feel of a synthesizer sometimes adds to a song when a cold atmosphere is called for.  Kind of hard to describe a cold atmosphere in words, but I know it when I hear it.

There was definitely good music in the 80's, 90's, and even today along with tons of crap, and while I agree the majority of good music came before punk and disco, I don't think things are as black and white as your listed years either, but to each their own.

[Darkhoarse820]

You do realize there's a synthesizer on ABBEY ROAD, right?  I'm not the biggest fan of synths either, but they can be used effectively.  Ultimately, a good recording is about atmosphere, and I'll ocasionally admit the synthetic feel of a synthesizer sometimes adds to a song when a cold atmosphere is called for.  Kind of hard to describe a cold atmosphere in words, but I know it when I hear it.

There was definitely good music in the 80's, 90's, and even today along with tons of crap, and while I agree the majority of good music came before punk and disco, I don't think things are as black and white as your listed years either, but to each their own.

I forgot to say that minor usage in synth is alright.  I've done it myself but, to use it as a main instrument?  Forget it. 
Cold atmosphere?  Danny Elfman...I think that explains it all without having to go into sharp detail.

[Double Deal Decker]

I agree that Springsteen and the Eagles were already making a name for themselves before the "disco boom"/techno age came in.  I just think it helped accelerate their fame. I'm not saying that either was not/is not talented.

[Darkhoarse820]

I agree that Springsteen and the Eagles were already making a name for themselves before the "disco boom"/techno age came in.  I just think it helped accelerate their fame. I'm not saying that either was not/is not talented.

Oh yeah, it certainly did and they worked their asses off to get there.  Poor musical output also played a factor but, they released some damn good music. 

While we're on the subject of "summer music", I'd like to extent a very happy birthday (his 66th, to be exact) to Mr. Brian Wilson.  He's one of those composers that no musician (no matter what genre they're into) could put down and that goes double for me.