Nov 4, 2008

I Heart the 80's

Blah blah vote. Blah blah Obama. Blah blah Maverick. :wink:

Now that we've gotten that out of our system, onward fearless readers!

The title of this blog post is sarcastic, by the way. I was gonna include a little winky smiley just so you knew that, but I figured I would spell it out for the less advanced of you fuckers out there. You know who you are.

I graduated High School in 1984. Couldn't wait for it to end. I still believe it was the worst 4 years of my life. Then it was on to college for 4 years until graduation in 1988. That was a little better. I did learn how to play hacky-sack, after all. The decade also saw two terms of Ronald Reagan. A plethora of bad Stallone flicks. Parachute pants, skinny ties, popped collars (they're back!) and Members Only jackets. Yeah...I was a member.

Then there was the music. It was the dawn of rap music, new wave and big hair metal. Oh, there was some good stuff in there too. Few and far between, if you ask me. I was into The Pretenders, The Pixies, Sonic Youth, The Cult, Siouxsie and the Banshees (my first ever concert in '82 or '83), The Cure and The Replacements. Stuff like that. And when I say "stuff like that", of course, I'm talking about a wide variety of music since those bands weren't really alike in any way. Maybe Siouxsie and The Cure. But the rest was pretty different from one another.

Here's what got me thinking about this tonight. Gia was looking for an old song that she knew some of the lyrics to, but couldn't remember the whole song or who sang it. I found it for her after a short Google search. Turned out to be from a Scottish post-punk/new wave band called APB. We started talking about crazy music and crazy music videos from the 80's. "Dominatrix Sleeps Tonight" by Dominatrix. Stuff like that. Wow!

I thought I remembered the video for that song. I thought it had either a little girl or a midget in an abandoned factory busting up musical instruments with a bunch of guys wielding sledgehammers, chainsaws and various other implements of destruction. I was wrong. If you are interested in the Dominatrix video, you can watch it here. And it's absolutely safe for work, you sick fucks!

So what was that crazy video that I remembered? Was it some alcohol-fueled nightmare or was it a David Lynch flick? Nah...it was definitely a music video, and I know it was from the same era. I just couldn't place the song.

So I did a Google search, and I found it.

Dear God! I found it.



This nightmare of a music video enjoyed pretty heavy late-night airplay on MTV back in 1984, if I remember correctly.

No wonder I'm so fucked up.

27 comments:

whall said...

Isn't that Art of Noise? They had some great music back in the day.

Yea, I'm a fan of the 80's. Graduated HS 1989 and loved my time.

and don't forget Kraftwerk! Boing-ping-boom-chuck-ping...

Verdant Earl said...

Whall - Heya! One of the dudes in Art of Noise had previous MTV success with The Buggles - Video Killed the Radio Star. My favorite 80's electronica group was Autobahn. They didn't actually exist, of course. Just in The Big Lebowski.

Kaye Waller said...

All the videos had a token midget in them. Think "Safety Dance". It was a good decade for little people.

Anonymous said...

I can't believe I remember every second of that video. So was that an angry midget or a kid? I could never tell.

Anonymous said...

Oh God, that video is terrible. I think I remember it from back in the 80's and the fact that I even hated it then!

I did love me some Siouxsie though!

Erin O'Brien said...

I have underwear as old as that vid.

Paticus said...

First of all...Harumph.
Gotta love the big hair metal site. Very nice.
And thanks for the Art of Noise video...I had finally, after 20 some odd years, chased that evil child from my dreams...Now I fear she will return...And force me to destroy all that I hold dear with a chainsaw.

Anonymous said...

I did/do like me some Pretenders too! It is a scream seeing some of these videos again after all these years. The funny thing is, you remember all these things like it was yesterday when you do see them. This getting old shit is trippy!

The Trailer Of Love

Dr Zibbs said...

I remember watching this weirdo video back in the day too. And loved it.

Verdant Earl said...

Steph - I've decided she might just be a little girl. But midgets are fun, aren't they?

AK - I'm going with angry kid.

Hilly - I still crush on goth women. And my lady doesn't even mind. ;)

Erin - Heya! 24 years is a good stretch for undies. :)

Paticus - My nightmares are your nightmares. You are so very welcome!

Wil - Chrissie Hynde was my very first crush in 79/80. Yum!

Zibbs - You love it the way you love a car crash or a horror flick. It invades your soul!

Candy's daily Dandy said...

Dude we are the same age! I knew I liked you. Hail to the 80's

Miss Britt said...

I just want to say...

I WAS 4!!!

He he he he

Verdant Earl said...

Candy - you rock! :)

Britt - you suck! ;)

Anonymous said...

heehee - parachute pants. I graduated the year after you but I liked a lot of the mainstream music because I wasn't as cool as you. I only watched MTV at my friend's house who had cable. When we did get cable at our own house, my parents couldn't stand that station.

Verdant Earl said...

Teeni - I don't think you could have called me "cool" by any definition back in the 80's. Today, however, is a much different story. :)

Slyde said...

yes, that band was the Art of Noise.

I used to love them. You should have called to ask me about this one. I actually just rewatched that video a few weeks ago.

and of COURSE you have fond memories of the 80's.... you were only in your 40's then...

Verdant Earl said...

Slyde - still in denial that we are only a year apart, eh? Fool.

Anonymous said...

I don't recognize that song or video! I graduated from high school in '88... I miss the days of mtv.. staying up all night just to catch my favorite video.. usually Adam and the Ants. I remember sitting in front of the tv the day MTV made it's debut... :) I still heart the 80's! Great taste in music btw...besides AATA, The Pretenders, Siouxsie, and The Pixies are all regulars in my playlist :D

Girly

Verdant Earl said...

Girly - I loved those early Adam Ant videos on MTV and other late night video shows. The 80's were the golden age of music videos. I wasn't a metal-head, but I loved the Headbanger's Ball.

Does MTV even show videos anymore? Do acts still make them?

Heff said...

I graduated in '86....and I REALLY wish you hadn't found that video.

Anonymous said...

I remember the video quite well. Something about it always reminds me of Herbie Hancock's Rockit video. I think it's some of the stutter/stills.

Brown said...

Stomp meets that little kid from Mad Max. I will never regain those lost 4 minutes of my life. Thanks Earl.

Verdant Earl said...

Heff - You are MOST welcome! :)

WLC - Yeah, I thought of that too. Electronica and all.

Poopie - and for the rest of the hours and nights that it will haunt your dreams!

pure evyl said...

What did you type in for a search term? Shittiest 80's video?

Verdant Earl said...

Evyl - One would think. I used "little girl in factory with chainsaws" or something like that. I hope no one is watching.

Michelle said...

Oh my, i have to come clean here, i have never heard of Art of Noise and i grew up in the 80's too!!! WTF??? Now i feel as though i missed out on important stuff. Can i go back?? Do i really want to?

Sonic Youth is cool though, even today!!

Damn that video is odd in a can't look away way!!! Now i am jonsing for some 80's stuff. Parachute pants??? OY VEY!!!

marty mankins said...

I graduated in 1981 (Garden Grove High in Calif) and the 80's were pretty filled for me. I don't recall seeing that video. I was there, sitting in front of the TV at a friends house on Aug 1, 1981 at midnight, watching the first MTV video The Buggles... which you already mentioned above.

Ahh.. memories. MTV still is not playing music videos, right?