The other 1986...
Posted on 01/27/2006 3:43:24 PM PST by qam1
Van Hagar and others........
I recently wrote an article lauding the musical output of 1976 and pining for the days of soaring guitar solos, charter planes and impossibly tight bell bottoms. I've always been intrigued by the music and pop culture of different time periods, and the 70's were a decade rich in musical quality.
I received some interesting feedback on the article and so I've boldly decided to move ahead to 1986 and look at the state of music twenty years ago.
It was a time of big hair, big earrings and big government. The 80's were a decade of decadence and they were in full swing in '86. Hair metal was nearing its pinnacle, and pop music from the likes of Bananarama sounded as plastic as the cheap jewelry band members wore. Madonna was telling Papa not to preach, Robert Palmer was addicted to love and things got slippery when wet.
The class of '86 wasn't the best the decade had to offer. Maybe people were busy watching movies. Top Gun, Crocodile Dundee, Platoon, Karate Kid II, Back to School, Aliens, and Ferris Bueller's Day Off were all released in '86. Perhaps people were just taking time to make babies (possibly while at the movies). Mischa Barton, Amanda Bynes, the Olsen Twins, and Lindsay Lohan were all born that year. Anyway the times were as fast as the cars and women. It was 1986 and these are the top 5 albums from an eclectic year.
Metallica- Master of Puppets- Forget their anti-Napster protests and their decade long decline. In 1986 Metallica was loud, hard and fast. This was their last album with the original lineup and it was their best. The speed and fury of the record is matched by its melodic tones and precision. James Hetfield's insightful lyrics and the band's musicianship (especially bassist Cliff Burton) meld this 8 song set into a thrash metal work of art.
The Smiths- The Queen Is Dead- I don't think that I'm dour enough to fully appreciate The Smiths or Morissey, but hey this album did something for a lot of people. The songs are infectious with tunes like "Cemetery Gates", and "The Boy With the Thorn in His Side". So let me grab my Members Only jacket and we can get out of here.
Beastie Boys- Licensed to Ill- Three Jewish kids in matching track suits brought rap to main stream America. I guess that's the American Dream. On this Rick Rubin produced disc, rap beats, metal riffs and crass humor get thrown together to make a raucous album that became the best selling rap effort of the decade. There was plenty of backlash from conservative groups and rap purists alike, but this album stands the test of time and is listenable to this day. Sadly this record allowed for later atrocities by the likes of Limp Bizkit.
Peter Gabriel- So- Finally an accesable Peter Gabriel album. At last he came down off his prog-rock high horse to give us an album of enjoyable yet intelligent music. When I hear "In Your Eyes" I can picture myself driving around in a red '86 Le Baron convertible, wearing a pair of Aviators and a pastel Polo shirt with the collar popped. Of course I would have been 2 at the time, but you get my point. With hits like "Sledgehammer" this album is quintessential '80's.
Bon Jovi- Slippery When Wet- Yes, Bon Jovi made the list. Deal with it. While Guns 'N Roses would put the bite back into metal the following year, for anyone that appreciates a good pair of lavender leather pants this record is a mile stone. From huge ballads like "Never Say Goodbye" to monster hits like "You Give Love a Bad Name", "Livin' on A Prayer", and "Wanted Dead or Alive" this album bleeds '80's rock. If you bought this album, your money probably isn't the only thing you're missing. Like Bon Jovi himself said "You lost more than that in my back seat".
Other notable releases of 1986 include: AC/DC- Who Made Who?, Boston- Third Stage, Genesis- Invisible Touch, The Firm- Mean Business, Great White- Shot in the Dark, Guns N' Roses- Live Like A Suicide EP, Iron Maiden- Somewhere in Time, Janet Jackson- Control, Judas Priest- Turbo, Madonna- True Blue, Poison- Look What the Cat Dragged In, Run DMC- Raising Hell, Slayer- Reign in Blood, and Stryper's seminal To Hell With the Devil.
There were some notable blunders in '86 as well. You have to remember a lot of people were on drugs then. Bananarama were allowed in a recording studio, Eric Clapton had a down album with August, and Europe released the abomination that was The Final Countdown. Undoubtedly the year's biggest tragedy was the birth of Van Hagar. After the incendiary David Lee Roth quit/was fired from Van Halen, he was replaced by the incompetent Sammy Hagar. His earnest lyrics and bad haircut took the showmanship out of their songs and the wind out of their sails. Don't be fooled by anyone claiming the Hagar years were good. Hagar was a hack.
So that's 1986. It clearly lacks the quality of 1976, and was outclassed from top to bottom but at least it's not next week's subject...1996
Ping list for the discussion of the politics and social (and sometimes nostalgic) aspects that directly effects Generation Reagan / Generation-X (Those born from 1965-1981) including all the spending previous generations (i.e. The Baby Boomers) are doing that Gen-X and Y will end up paying for.
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"Who made Who" was playing in my car when I got in my first accident.
Hm. I suppose this is more intelligent and intelligible than something written by a babboon. But not much more.
LOL! I graduated in 86!
I have to agree that Master of Puppets was Metallica's best album.
Trying to decide if we want to go to my 20th reunion this year.
My son said the other day "Working for the Weekend" was old folks music.
Gads, I feel old.
Big government?
86 was a decent year musically, but 83, 87, and 88 were the best years of the 80s.
I think "Under Lock And Key" was released by Dokken in late 1985 or early '86. Good stuff. Also "Keeper of the Seven Keys I" by Helloween, IIRC.
Rockin' 80s Ping!
Hear! Hear! on the Husker Du.
I was just listening to The Replacements on the way home from work today!
Not compared to today!
Eighty percent of everything after "The Black Album" was crap.
I love Metallica!
I have the newest DVD 'Some Kind of Monster'.
I watched the whole thing, including extras.
(yeah I know, I need a life)
My buddy always says "Everything after I graduated highschool is CRAP!"
I disagree.
I agree. MOP was the best. "Ride the Lightning" a very close second. The Black album was decent, but after that it was ALL downhill.
Everything after my FRESHMAN year of high school was crap...
Love it.
Bon Jovi- Slippery When Wet
Hated it.
Was it old stuff, new, or both on that DVD?
LOL! What year?
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