Posted on 06/28/2015 4:44:04 PM PDT by SamAdams76
The term "Yacht Rock" did not exist during the time when Yacht Rock was at its peak (roughly 1976-1984). I believe the term came into common usage when, in the late 2000s, an obscure TV show of that same name celebrated that era in "mockumentary" fashion.
Yet Yacht Rock is a perfect description of the smooth, polished pop songs that came out of recording studios during that era by artists like Christopher Cross, Steely Dan, Doobie Brothers, Little River Band, and Boz Scaggs, just to name a few.
When listening to this music, one can almost picture oneself plying the tranquil waters of Southern California in a pristine yacht. Wearing white pants (short or long), a white shirt and a blue blazer, sockless with boat shoes, maybe a faux captains hat, and sipping a glass of wine or champaign on a deck folding chair, as the blue waters and blue skies surround you and "Key Largo" by Bertie Higgins plays. Or maybe "Escape (The Pina Colada Song)" by Rupert Holmes.
Yes, kind of like this guy here...
The summer of 1980 probably saw the jackpot of Yacht Rock hits which include the following:
There are scores and scores of other "Yacht Rock" hits from that era that sound impossibly smooth and effortless when listened to today.
We don't get that kind of polished popcraft today, crafted by studio musicians, mixed and remixed, infused with saxophones and other "smooth" sounding instruments.
GREAT thread, thanks! By the way, check out Boz Scaggs’ last couple of albums ... They are choice.
What this thread is missing is irony.
The guy portrayed in ‘Hey Nineteen’ is a middle-aged alcoholic and drug addict loser. Mostly all characters in Steely Dan’s songs are. The Nineteen is probably a high-school dropout skank that he is plying with liquor.
The Rino, or heavy Demo-Donor yacht class wouldn’t let him or his date within five miles of their club.
If they play this on yachts, then they probably aren’t even listening to the lyrics.
Note: many of those people own yachts. See: Using up the inheritance quickly.
Tuneful guitars - not so tuneful Jimmy (he goes off frequently - good think bar songs are still OK off-key). IMHO that is...
Ha ha! True! But he’s always said he’s a bar singer who just found a bigger bar! :)
Both for me. Something about that NY sounding accent of the SD singer made my skin crawl.
My own personal favorite:
Supertramp - Downstream
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ans5Ko3SgWs
Still current era for me. Especially when the boat is running
Anyway, here's my take on the lyrics. The guy talks about being the "dandy of Gamma Chi" which is probably a sorority at a Ivy League college up in Massachusetts where he gets his "Sweet things from Boston...so young and willing."
He then talks about moving down to Scarsdale, which is an affluent community in Westchester Country, NY.
He gets annoyed when his "Sweet thing from Boston" is so young she doesn't even know who Aretha Franklin is and he discovers they have little in common to talk about. But he acknowledges that he's just being old and cranky. A little Jose Cuervo, some fine Columbian, and all is right with the world once again.
So I have no idea where you get high-school dropout skank from all that! Too funny.
Many of those Yacht Rock songs bring back some fond memories. At the time, many of them seemed kind of lame to me but 35 years later, they aren't sounding so bad. At the same time, a lot of the heavy rock I listened to at the time gives me a headache these days. Guess I'm getting to be an old man.
You’re not getting old, just appreciating what is pretty much lost! Boz’s new ones are pretty much jazz with an overtone of rock, but they are excellent for enjoying a cocktail and bemoaning the present state of the world ... :)
I heard elevator music and I usually don’t pay attention, but then I concentrated a bit and it was the Rolling Stones! Elevator Music Jumping Jack Flash! LOL.
I’m sorry but there is no world and no scenario whatsoever under which Christopher Cross is considered any form of rock
Never heard of it.
There is actually a CD available titled ‘Yacht Rock’, I own it.
Love Supertramp. Underrated band, IMHO. As a child, I would play the Breakfast in America LP non-stop.
There is a user on Spotify who has a personal playlist called “Yacht Rock” with some of the same songs that you listed. That’s the first that I’ve ever heard the term “Yacht Rock” used.
It came in right between Hardcore and speed metal.
We don’t get that kind of polished popcraft today, crafted by studio musicians, mixed and remixed, infused with saxophones and other “smooth” sounding instruments.
We don’t get that kind of music today because none of the current bunch are musicians. They are pin up models whose voice is run through a computer 30 times. Same computer makes the music because none of them play an instrument.
When this “yacht music” (which I don’t agree with, sounds like it came from someone not alive when this music was made) musicians were signed for making music, not being pretty. Examples; Boz Scaggs, Donald Fagen (Steely Dan), David Gates (Bread), David Pack (Ambrosia), all outstanding musicians but ugly as homemade sin.
Even Elton. He’s nothing to look at as a guy or girl, but he and Bernie Taupin are absolute musical geniuses.
I just bristled at Steely Dan on the same list as Air Supply. I hated that band.
Sacrilege!! Not even in the same galaxy.
JMHO, but Steely Dan is one of the best Duo’s in all Rock.
Air Supply was plastic bubble gum pop BS!
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