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VARIOUS ARTISTS
80s Pop Culture Box (Rhino)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson
This is a massive thing. 7 CDs in very unique flip holders inside a book-style box with a rubber cover featuring raised lettering. Wow. It's been here a little over a month and a half, and the rubber cover is coming off, leaving a sticky and still-wet glue in its place. I ran into a few people online that were having the same problem, so I'm guessing this is something that will be dealt with. Me, I'm just going to try super glue.
Right off the bat I should say that my era, as far as when I was in school and coming of age, was the 70s. Rhino's Have A Nice Day and Have A Nice Decade releases work for me. I did, however, spend an inordinate amount of time munching popcorn in front of MTV for the first three or four years it was on, until they decided videos weren't as important as they, themselves, were and started stuffing the schedule with shows that had nothing to do with music. Therefore, a lot of the music on this set means something to me.
Rick Springfield's "Jesse's Girl," Tommy Tutone's "867-5309/Jenny," Simple Minds' "Don't You (Forget About Me)," Martin Briley's "Salt In My Tears"... Really, there's a long list of songs here I could make a great 80s mix tape from. The trouble is I already have. Most of the songs have been released and re-released again and again by Rhino on package after package. This isn't true of all of the songs. There are oddities, there is diversity, and there is sheer volume, all of which gives this some value. It would have been nice to see such a major undertaking include more songs that we once knew but haven't been in high rotation, either on oldies radio or in Rhino's repackaging programs. Bring back memories we'd actually forgotten, not ones we remember every time we turn on the radio. Bob & Doug McKenzie's "Take Off" and Billy Crystal's "You Look Marvelous" were, admittedly, blasts from the past, but they didn't exactly conjure up memories of "that romantic evening so many years ago," if you know what I mean. At this point I'm asking myself, "is this box a bust? Did Rhino miss a target completely?"
And at this point I look over and see my wife, 8 years younger than me, singing along with a song that means absolutely nothing to me. She has no idea I'm watching, and I see that song after song after song means everything to her, the silly ones, the solid pop ones, the metal ones, the works. It's a revelation to me that the music from The Empire Strikes Back even seems to have meaning to her, much like the music from Grease had meaning to so many from the 70s (though it somehow skipped over me). I didn't observe her listening to disc 7, which includes such things as New Kids On The Block, Richard Marx and Debbie Gibson. I'd like to think she'd draw the line there, but I can't say for sure. I only know that whether or not most of this music has appeared on one disc or another, bringing it all together in one place created something cool for those who grew up in the 80s, who really care about this music. This is their Have A Nice Decade. It comes with a great book that tells a little story about each track on the upper part of the page while a timeline tells the musical story of the 80s on the lower part. All in all a nice package. Well... the cover may be coming unglued, but a lot of the music stands up.
TRACK LISTS
DISC 1
Whip It - Devo
Video Killed The Radio Star - The Buggles
Empire Strikes Back (Medley) - Meco
Another One Bites The Dust - Queen
Celebration - Kool & The Gang
The Breaks (Part 1) - Kurtis Blow
Let My Love Open The Door - Pete Townshend
Call Me - Blondie
Keep On Loving You - REO Speedwagon
Turning Japanese - The Vapors
Lost In Love - Air Supply
9 To 5 - Dolly Parton
I Love A Rainy Night - Eddie Rabbit
Sailing - Christopher Cross
Just The Two Of Us - Grover Washington Jr. w/ Bill Withers
Cars - Gary Numan
Ah! Leah! - Donnie Iris
Sweetheart - Franke & The Knockouts
Shake It Up - The Cars
General Hospi-Tale - The Afternoon Delights
The Stroke - Billy SquierDISC 2
Dancing With Myself - Billy Idol
Working For The Weekend - Loverboy
Jessie's Girl - Rick Springfield
Genius Of Love - Tom Tom Club
Centerfold - J. Geils Band
At This Moment - Billy & The Beaters
Harden My Heart - Quarterflash
Hold On Loosely - .38 Special
Theme From "Greatest American Hero" (Believe It Or Not) - Joey Scarbury
Take Off - Bob & Doug McKenzie
Super Freak (Part 1) - Rick James
867-5309/Jenny - Tommy Tutone
Bette Davis Eyes - Kim Carnes
Time - Alan Parsons Project
Gloria - Laura Branigan
Maneater - Daryl Hall & John Oates
The Theme From "Hill Street Blues" - Mike Post featuring Larry Carlton
Valley Girl - Frank Zappa
Da Da Da (I Don't Love You You Don't Love Me Aha Aha Aha) - Trio
You Dropped A Bomb On Me - The Gap BandDISC 3
Hungry Like The Wolf - Duran Duran
The Look Of Love (Part 1) - ABC
Tainted Love - Soft Cell
Rock This Town - Stray Cats
Lies - Thompson Twins
Words - Missing Persons
Don't You Want Me - The Human League
Love Plus One - Haircut One Hundred
Down Under - Men At Work
Steppin' Out - Joe Jackson
I Want Candy - Bow Wow Wow
Come On Eileen - Dexys Midnight Runners
Mickey - Toni Basil
Twilight Zone - Golden Earring
You Should Hear How She Talks About You - Melissa Manchester
Key Largo - Bertie Higgins
Pac-Man Fever - Buckner & Garcia
Total Eclipse Of The Heart - Bonnie Tyler
Africa - Toto
Goodbye To You - Scandal
Puttin' On The Ritz - TacoDISC 4
Jeopardy - Greg Kihn Band
She Blinded Me With Science - Thomas Dolby
Electric Avenue - Eddy Grant
Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This) - Eurythmics
Our House - Madness
The Salt In My Tears - Martin Briley
Girls Just Want To Have Fun - Cyndi Lauper
Talking In Your Sleep - The Romantics
Major Tom (Coming Home) - Peter Schilling
Always Something There To Remind Me - Naked Eyes
In A Big Country - Big Country
One Thing Leads To Another - The Fixx
Der Kommissar - After The Fire
Suddenly Last Summer - The Motels
Karma Chameleon - Culture Club
Let's Go To Bed - The Cure
Too Shy - Kajagoogoo
Maniac - Michael Sembello
Sister Christian - Night Ranger
Cum On Feel The Noize - Quiet RiotDISC 5
Owner Of A Lonely Heart - Yes
Mr. Roboto - Styx
I'm So Excited - Pointer Sisters
Back On The Chain Gang - The Pretenders
I Want To Know What Love Is - Foreigner
Sunglasses At Night - Corey Hart
Missing You - John Waite
99 Luftballoons - Nena
Tenderness - General Public
They Don't Know - Tracey Ullman
Heaven - Bryan Adams
White Horse - Laid Back
Let The Music Play - Shannon
Let's Hear It For The Boy - Deniece Williams
Cool It Now - New Edition
Ghostbusters - Ray Parker Jr.
Footloose - Kenny Loggins
We're Not Gonna Take It - Twisted Sister
Rock You Like A Hurricane - Scorpions
The Glamorous Life - Sheila E.DISC 6
Obsession - Animotion
Shout - Tears For Fears
Take On Me - A-Ha
Don't You (Forget About Me) - Simple Minds
Walking On Sunshine - Katrina & The Waves
Voices Carry - 'Til Tuesday
Weird Science - Oingo Boingo
You Spin Me Round (Like A Record) - Dead Or Alive
"Miami Vice" Theme - Jan Hammer
Life In A Northern Town - The Dream Academy
Kyrie - Mr. Mister
Every Time You Go Away - Paul Young
We Built This City - Starship
St. Elmo's Fire (Man In Motion) - John Parr
Addicted To Love - Robert Palmer
Axel F - Harold Faltermeyer
Rhythm Of The Night - DeBarge
You Look Marvelous - Billy Crystal
Heartbeat - Don Jonhson
Everybody Have Fun Tonight - Wang ChungDISC 7
Venus - Bananarama
Walk Like An Egyptian - Bangles
Paranoimia - The Art Of Noise w/ Max Headroom
If You Leave - Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
Keep Your Hands To Yourself - Georgia Satellites
What You Need - INXS
Walk This Way - Run-D.M.C.
Rumors - Timex Social Club
Don't Dream It's Over - Crowded House
Holding Back The Years - Simply Red
I'll Be Loving You (Forever) - New Kids On The Block
Tuff Enuff - The Fabulous Thunderbirds
Since You've Been Gone - The Outfield
Only In My Dreams - Debbie Gibson
Never Gonna Give You Up - Rick Astley
La Bamba - Los Lobos
Wild, Wild West - The Escape Club
Don't Worry Be Happy - Bobby McFerrin
Right Here Waiting - Richard Marx
Roam
© 2002 - DJ Johnson