Posted on 07/10/2021 1:26:33 PM PDT by nickcarraway
On July 8, 1981, the Go-Go's released their debut album, "Beauty and the Beat." To call the LP a watershed musical moment release would be underselling the album's influence.
Musically, the quintet's mix of nervy pop, gritty punk, rock, and girl-group harmonic gleam was a revelation. The five members — vocalist Belinda Carlisle, guitarists Charlotte Caffey and Jane Wiedlin, bassist Kathy Valentine, and drummer Gina Schock — were cool and confident onstage. These were talented women making music their way, following their own unique path — and showing legions of fans that they too could carve out space for themselves anywhere.
Thematically, the band softened punk's defiant stance with lyrics relatable to everyday life. Like the Go-Go's themselves, the characters of "Beauty and the Beat" were savvy and smart. Even if things didn't go quite according to plan — for example, "You Can't Walk in Your Sleep" uses the extended metaphor of insomnia and sleep disturbances (relatable!) to convey frustration over life's status quo — there was never a sense of feeling bleak or trapped.
(Excerpt) Read more at msn.com ...
OMG! Belinda Carlisle!
I used to be IN LOVE with Belinda Carlisle.
Then she got into drugs, ruined her career and her face.
She was gorgeous! She could sing too.
I didn’t know anyone who considered Beauty and the Beat musically groundbreaking when it came out - but I knew many, myself included, who loved it for doing what it did so well. It’s still one of my most enjoyed albums.
Back when, I really couldn’t stand the GoGos. I’ll admit though, as I’ve gotten a bit older, some of the tunes really have grown on me.
Perfectly stated. The Go Go’s were Great Great.
Yeah, I was a Cars fan and theirs was some easy music to learn on guitar. They had a good five years on the Go-Go’s. But Jane Wiedlin was smokin’ in my book. Dark eyes, dark hair, that Betty Boop voice........Rik Ocasek never looked that good in my eyes. Too bad she turned out to be some ordained, mail-order Universal Life minister and butt-pegging S&M whip-cracker. I bet holiday dinners at her house are ones for the family scrapbooks.
“Their early sounds reminded me of early surf music.”
Yeah. They had a song called surfing and spying.
I saw them live way back. (When Belinda Carlisle was chubby, Margot was bassist). I never bought any of their records so don’t know if they recorded it.
She was in to drugs from the beginning.
She was chubby, too.
I like Nirvana, but let's not kid ourselves, the band you're thinking of is The Pixies.
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