There’s been little telltale signs that the 80s might be making a nostalgia comeback…
Our local “oldies” station has been playing more and more 80s music, popular “legacy” electronics are finding a market again (my wife bought me one o’ these for christmas as kind of a gag gift, as my 2600 finally bit the dust last year; the old 8 bit NES is the highest selling used console at used video game stores around here…I had a dood offer me $300 for my Apple IIe last week…my buddy turned down a similar offer for his Commodore64 yesterday)
Bands like The Police, INXS, etc. are experiencing successful comebacks…
Is the Clash 80s??? They were on PBS Saturday night, on a pledge night of all things. I couldn’t name a single Clash song and after watching a bit of the broadcast, I don’t care to.
The BBC are doing their bit with “Ashes to Ashes”, which is a series acting as a sequel to “Life on Mars”. “Life on Mars” dealt with a character shifted back in time to the seventies. Cracking stuff, with a brilliant period soundtrack.
“Ashes to Ashes” on the other hand, has a soundtrack from the eighties.
One of my friends is young enough to have enjoyed that music in her teenage years.
She is the only one I know of that likes the soundtrack of the series.
It’s the recession. People are casting around for an easy way to make some money. Trying to stimulate a revival is one cheap and easy approach. Regardless of the response they get to this eighties revival, in a couple of years, maybe less, they’ll be reviving the nineties.
I think Americans, generally, may not “get” The Clash easily. Maybe you need the context of London and the South East at the time for it to make sense. They were partly 70s and partly 80s, sort of spanning about ten years from mid 70s to mid 80s.
I always had great respect and affection for Joe Strummer. A man of significant integrity, who walked the walk as well as saying the right things. An active and sincere anti-nazi, and seemingly a generous chap all round. I met him twice and he never seemed to be in a rush to get away from those who had paid to see the band. He’d be happy to talk music, politics, whatever. A worryingly earnest and serious bloke sometimes.
The Clash were a far more positive band than most of the punks: head and shoulders above those clowns The Sex Pistols. They actually took it all seriously and tried to come up with some substance and depth.
Decent fellows for the most part.
As for the 80s in general… the decade of Thatcher and selfishness. Glad to see the back of it. If it tries to come back I’ll throw rotting veg at it and poke it with a sharp stick until it goes away again.
The Metro this morning said “Big Hair” was coming back into fashion.
My coworker plays the radio all day and I often hear songs that I heard coming from my brother’s room in 1989. But I have no idea what kind of station she listens to.
I spent all of the 80’s trying to deal with the mess my first Saturn return put me in. I can’t tell you what happened in the bigger world because I was too busy treading water.
But yeah, about two days ago I realized my second Saturn return is just about here.
Oh ick! Here come the hungry ghosts.
Rather than set the table, I think I’ll serve them buffet style this time.
I sincerely hope not. If it does I shall lock myself away for a while until better sense prevails. I can’t look at an 80s movie without shuddering at all the stiffened poofiness.
But speaking of the old becoming new again (or is this just the proof of a classic?), yesterday a bunch of beery young party-dudes were out playing cards on their frathouse stoop while the stereo blared, “Teenage Wasteland”.
Ahh… The '80’s. Loved 'em. They were my college years and I happily, regularly and (for some of it) illegally drank myself to the point of stupidity - a short trip, I’ve been told - to some of the worst songs ever recorded. Also, though, some truly great bands came out of that decade. Tears For Fears quickly come to mind.
As for The Clash - loved 'em. I was fortunate enough to see them in a small club in '82 or '83. Just after they booted Topper Headon. Great show. Thanks, all, for the nostalgia I’m now enjoying.
