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August 09, 2006
Mudge's Favorite 134 Songs of the 80s: #55-#51
Getting closer to the top... today, we're in the low 50s.
55. Brothers In Arms, Dire Straits Back then, I liked this song because the video, featuring similar rotoscope techniques that had worked so well for a-ha in "Take On Me," just seemed kick-ass. Today, while the rotoscope looks a bit dated, I still love the song, but for different reasons: the mourning, soulful, bluesy guitar lead is the main one. The general anti-war statement is another. And of course, the fact that Aaron Sorkin used this song for one of the best-ever episodes of "The West WIng" (the one when President Bartlet has announced that he has MS, Mrs. Van Landingham was just killed in the car accident, and he dramatically has to think about whether to run again for re-election... and just before he goes in front of the cameras, he shoves his hand in his pocket and Leo whispers to the staff, "watch this!" because he knows Bartlet's got his fire back... episode gave me chills, man). Check the video here.
54. Why Can't This Be Love, Van Halen Van Halen makes their 4th and final appearance in the Top 134 with the only Van Hagar song in this countdown. But it was a doozy -- their first song with a new lead singer had to be a great one in order to ease fans' minds... mission accomplished. Getting away from the synth-heavy sound they'd been into on 1984, "Why Can't This Be Love" announced to the world that VH was still around and was a lot more than that wacky Diamond Dave. Great song, one of the Van Hagar version of the band's best. Check the video here.
53. Paradise City, Guns N Roses The Guns are back for their third appearance in the Top 134 with the third single off of "Appetite For Destruction" (which still stands in my opinion as one of the top three albums o all time). Paradise City is a stadium anthem -- if you ever saw them in their prime and remember the crowd singing and clapping along to the chorus, then you know. Slash's riffs still hold up; I'll argue to anyone that GnR's s stuff sounds as good today as it did then, and aged far better than anything else of the era. And from the opening chords of this song, you're taken away to Paradise City right along with them. Damn you, Axl, for screwing up this great thing, man. But whatever... take me down to the Paradise City, where the grass is green and the girls are pretty.
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52. I Don't Mind At All, Bourgeois Tagg A few songs back I mentioned that I have a weakness for songs that sound like they have a 12-string in them. I also have a weakness, apparently, for songs with faux self-examination and a guy's BS "it's not you, it's me" breakup tactics. And so even though very few of you might ever have heard this song (it peaked at #39 back in 1987, and is so obscure that it is one of the few things I can't find on YouTube), it's not only on my countdown but places higher than mighty Van Halen, three GnR songs, Poison and AC/DC. Oh - and the song's last line, out of left field and not fitting with the rest of the song: "Several years ago I said goodbye to my own sanity... but I don't mind at all".... throwing that line into a breakup song was cool, man. Here's a 30 second clip of the song (if you have Windows Media Player).
51. Everybody Wants You, Billy Squier Come on, admit it: you changed the lyrics when you were singing along and sang "everybody wants me," didn't you? Before the video for Rock Me Tonite killed his credibility, Billy Squier actually was a cool rocker -- and "Everybody Wants You" was a prime example. Featuring a classic riff, the song is about getting caught up in being "in the scene" and having it overtake you. Are you listening, Lindsey Lohan? "You got your glory -- you pay for it all/you take your pension in loneliness and alcohol." The only bad thing about this song is that the video is a prime example of early 80s record company-doesn't-get-video-but-knows-they-need-to-have-one-so-they-schlopped-anything-together cheese. Awful video. Great song.
