I love the throwback era we are in but isn't it a bit played out right now? The 80's seem to be coming back full force with so many emo-like rock bands sporting a some what toned down 80's look. Tell me this won't last long; I hated the 80's. If big hair comes back I'm moving to Canada.

I must be a tiny minority, as I kinda miss the mid-80s stuff. Anybody know someone streaming it?

(Maybe after I hear some of it again I'll realize it wasn't as good as I remember. Kinda like when they reran Laugh-In a decade or so later--it was a thing of the moment.)

Isn't the 80's Rock material, as far as age goes, about to fall into the Classic Rock category? It is at that 20 year old mark...most of it. I would not like so see all of that hair return....cept for maybe some of my own, but in small, selective doses it is not to bad. A little Whitesnake here and a little RATT there would not kill ya!

80's rock has been "coming back" since about 2000. It never crescendoed, but remained a bubbling undercurrent. It seems like every couple of years or so I hear of a radio station that is primarily focused on 80s, then after 6 months it diversifies because there isn't enough demand (Mix 107.5 - the 80's and More!). A similar thing occurs with night clubs.

I graduated high school in the mid-1980's, which makes me a prime target for 80's nostalgia. I have very little nostalgia for 80's music because it was generally awful.

Toss out 95% of the hair bands stuff and there actually was some great music from that time. Some great Van Halen, Sammy Hagar, Def Leppard, Styx, Journey, etc. etc. came out back then. I also gradeated in the early 80's and wish some of it made more appearences on radio. I was a "Rock Hits" regular listener until it's limited playlist burned out! Expanding it and playing more traditional classic rock with it would have up their ratings but oh well....it's waves under the tower, or water under the bridge!

I really loved Rock Hits on 107.5 and was pretty upset when they switched over to that God-awful Movin station.
It was fun hearing songs like "The Cult of Personality" By Living Color and "Cherry Pie" By Warrent. I graduated High School Backk in 89' and I wish more stations would play some of these forgotten rock songs, instead of the same overplayed WhiteSnake and Journey Crap.

Id love for a station to come on the air similar to Charlie, except for they just play rock music from the 60s 70's 80's 90's and include some mew Rock.
I think if Rock hits had a bigger variety they would have had a winner, BUT CBS had no interest in keeping that station around for very long. And after listening to MOVIN, I think that station is ready for a format change very soon.

An Album Rock station playing music from the 60s to present would be really great. One thing that differs rock from pop is that albums are usually pretty great when you get deep into them. Pop albums are too often one hit, twelve filler songs.

XM has a station called Deep Tracks that covers these decades. I'm constantly astonished by the music they play...but then, I'm not the typical listener, and I think this format appeals to a small fraction of the public.

Radio companies only seem to want to have the #1 spot, that is why we have so many stations playing very similar formats.

I would honestly get burned out and was burnt out on the strictly eighties hits that 107.5 was playing. They needed to expand it or change so they changed. So would you go after the long entrenched KGON with more classic rock or KUFO...the dudes acroos the hall with newer rock, or just change to a whole different format? I can see the business sense in canning it but it still pissed me off! I mean with a little effort they could have made it work out very well with solid classic hits, plenty of eighties, and even some newer stuff, Kind of like a "CHUCK" station....Charlie type but all rock!

As someone who has done countless 80's retro shows, I can attest to the fact that the 80's were a very complicated decade when it comes to music. It WAS NOT all hair bands. There was a lot of great pop produced during the decade, as well as euro-techno-pop, american-techno pop, Michael Jackson (like it or not, probably the biggest superstar in the decade, with Madonna close behind) and the downright weird pop that seemed to work. Then, add MTV to the mix and you have hits that never would have been hits without the video presentation. Can anyone say "Bow Wow Wow"? It is very difficult to describe the 80's music scene in one sentence. There was a hell of a lot going on, (admittedly, not all great), but compared to the boring 90's, the 80's were a very interesting and entertaining decade for music. And now, for some strange reason, I can't get "Our House" by Madness out of my mind!
Darn!

I think the eighties puked and gagged when "Culture Club" came to be.....I know I did and still do whenever I here it.....

WHY YES....I really wanna hurt you!

Remember I said, "admittedly, not all great". I would agree that Boy George fits into that category! But there was a lot of good that came out of the decade, I think putting the "plastic" 90's to shame!

While the 80's did have its share of CRAP (Culture Club, Bow wow wow) They also had some of the best, most interesting bands to break through and put out great music. To this day I still think Thriller by MJ was an excellent pop Record, "Appetite For Destruction"- Classic- Best Rock Record from the 80's, if not ever! Van Halen- "1984"- AWESOME! Infact the more that I think about it, There was a TON of great music from the 80's.

Ugh. I was done with 80's music a long time ago. I could not have been happier when Nirvana killed off the cheesy hair bands.

SCREW NIRVANA! An overrated piece of steaming DOG TURD! I would take Guns N Roses over Nirvana ANY DAY!

Is emo the new hair metal? MTV thinks so:
http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1562329/20070612/taking_back_sunday.jhtml

Seriously Beano. You should try listening to some music from this century. I don't even listen to Nirvana anymore (moved on from grunge a long time ago, too). I do still think it's funny that Bret Michaels was crying on VH1 when talking about how Kurt Cobain killed his career.

I do Dude, but lets be honest theres not a lot of great music coming out right now, especially in ROCK! Top 40 music is the absolute WORST format ever! Its not even top 40 any longer. Crap like Fall outboy is awful!! Carry Underwood- NO THANKS!!!!

So would you go after the long entrenched KGON with more classic rock...
They're playing a lot more 80s as well... early one morning I was surprised to hear Bon Jovi. Was then really surprised to hear it again during the day a few days later. Seems they're now playing a lot of that along with more GNR, more AC-DC, some general 80s rock, and a lot of other stuff that KUFO used to overplay (IMO).

I would take Guns N Roses over Nirvana ANY DAY!
I'd rather take the opposite.

Kgon is probably playing more ACDC and Guns N Roses because Charlie has taken away some of their listeners, and Charlie plays a lot of that stuff. How in the heck is Guns N roses not considered classic Rock???? Yet Def Leppard is?? I don't get it!
Guns N Roses should be considered Classic Rock. Im not sure about Bon Jovi being classic rock.


Guns N Roses all the way!!!!

There's really no such thing as a "bad" decade of music. People tend to favor whatever they grew up with. For example; because I grew up in the 80's, I'm not as connected with the music of the 70's, 60's, etc.

That is a good point Xpert! Plus Ive heard the older you get, the less open you are to new music. You start to fall back on the familiar music of your childhood.

BUT if you're judging certain decades based on quality of music and originality, we are currently living in an era of pretty Crappy music. All the hip/hop music samples old songs, no originality. I heard a new rap song on the radio today and they were sampeling "STAND BY ME" by Ben E King. I couldn't help but laugh, it is truely absurd that nobody has any originality anymore. Everything is STOLEN~!

KGON is owned by the same company as Charlie.

I tend to agree with ol' hairless....Gun N Roses as way better than Nirvana. The 80's were indeed a great era and a lot of awesome rock came out then. I think the 80's and into the early 90's was the period of time were the great arena bands really made an impact. It is sad that legacy is all but gone now. RUSH....still going strong, Def Leppard, a couple of groups still together, putting out and touring with new material, and still great to go see. I just cannot bring myself to buy tickets for and go see broken bands. I'd rather just buy a greatest hit's CD or DVD concert from times past and jam out at home. With the price of concert tickets you become very finicky about what you shell out good dough for! Of course if I win em on contests then i'll go but ain't payin for those with broken bands! What do bands today do? Do they have the strength like an old arena band to fill the Rose Garden 2 nights straight or are they even lucky to fill the Schnitz or Crystal one nite only? Has anyone been to one of those satellite simulcast shows at the Lloyd Center cinema's? How was it? I think these may be how concerts will be in the future. No more national tour....just stream it instantly to all 50 states for one night at once. We will probably even see PPV on these same events as well. It's sad because the arena concert was one hell of a fun time as I remember them, well most I think I remember anyway....some grey area's on some i'm not to sure about though. Anyway......The Best era of ROCK.....The mid-seventies through the early nineties.

Buns, I completely agree. As we age, it gets to a point where being open to new things takes an effort.

If one engages in that effort, it's a good experience and helps with relevancy. One has to want it though, or it's all a wasted effort.

It's not the music I dislike I love Def Lepard. It is the hair man. The haaaaiiiiir.

quick commentary on this tread:

Def Leppard: THUMBS DOWN,
Guns & Roses: THUMBS DOWN,
Nirvana: THUMBS UP
Bon Jovi: THUMBS DOWN
Culture Club: THUMBS SIDEWAYS,
80's Music (in general) THUMBS UP
Van Halen's 1984: THUMBS UP
Sammy Hagar: THUMBS DOWN
Big Hair (any decade): THUMBS UP!

Whoa! To each their own but that's messed up! I bet given that list you like Tool, Green Day, and the Poo Poo Dolls as well, AY! Sounds like someone graduated in the late 80's or early 90's to me.

quick commentary on this thread:

Leopards: thumbs up nice kitty kitty kitty
Guns & Roses: guns down, Roses Up
Nirvana: Thumbs up if you can reach it.
Bon Bons: THUMBS up
Elks Club: Thumbs up for the charity work
80's Music (in general) THUMBS
Van Hefflin : neutral...over rated actor
Sammy Davis: THUMBS DOWN for Candy man
any Hair (any decade): THUMBS up

haha!......seriously??? we're arguing about who is better: gnr or nirvana?! did i somehow wake up in 1992 today? sweeeeet!
*off to buy starbucks stock....LOTS of it* :-)

Hey....get me some Microdump while you're there would ya!

Hey DarkTemper please do not Put Green Day in the same Category as the Doo Doo Dolls. Green Day actually has talent and still writes great music. As for The Doo Doo Dolls....Well the music speaks for itself, AWFUL!

I guess and can handle that....replace Green Day with say.....Daughtry!

dtemper sez: "Whoa! To each their own but that's messed up! I bet given that list you like Tool, Green Day, and the Poo Poo Dolls as well, AY! Sounds like someone graduated in the late 80's or early 90's to me."

It was '73 (donna fargo and chicago ruled the charts, so excuse for looking for REAL music several decades later).

Happily, I don't like Tool. In fact, based on what I've heard from them, they're the most unlistenable band mentioned so far in this thread. Goo Goo Dolls garners a thumbs sideways.

Now, Green Day, how can u knock Green Day??? Did you vote for the American Idiot or something?

I don't watch and especially vote on that garbage. Green day was an ooops. Please strike that from the record!

darksez: "I don't watch and especially vote on that garbage."

Ahem, I'm talking about the Green Day song "American Idiot", not American Idol!

But its Saturday night and you're probably in the back of a cab . . .

Hey Skeptical..Big Hair Day just keeps growing and growing.Plus in the 90's it could get you a free
pounder of Hamms! ..Ice water w/ a lime twist works too.

Sorry

Was partying with Bill & Ted back in the eighties. I gotz a little KORNfused...American Idiot, American Idol, Dubyah, Whats the difference? Anyway.....gonna sample a bit more of Green Day, wanna buy a Tool CD....cheap?

I love it all- Green Day, Guns N Roses, Nirvana. Its all Great rock that Im glad i grew up with. I really feel bad for kids these days having to listen to Crap like Korn, Tool, thatis awful! Although I think we are right around the corner for a rock revolution. Rock will be making a comeback, I just wish the Next Guns N roses or Nirvana would come out! I guess I should stop holding my breath, that may NEVER happen! I think that "Appetite for Destruction" is one of the greatest rock albums ever! The album is so damn Fun to listen to. I could hear that album 5 million times and never get sick of it. It Rocks so much, and always puts me in a good mood! It puts all of this new Rock crap to shame!!!!! The rock coming out today is bland, BORING and not very good, thats why I always have to go back and dig up the great "gems," the albums that really rock!!!

I have to agree with smooth Buns. The rock coming out today is weak! Trying to compare groups like Guns n roses to the newer bands is like trying to compare a Porshe to a Yugo(sorry justin)
you just can't do it.
I heard "estranged" By Guns N Roses on Kufo the other day and I would say that "estranged" is a better song than "stairway to Heaven" By Zeppelin. Its an underrated song that is better than
"stairway to heaven". Comparing Guns n Roses to Zeppelin is a pretty good comparison.

Arena rock is dying off and will soon be memories. Concerts of the furure will be those like the Prince simulcast concert a while back at Lloyd Center cinemas. No more touring just live Sat concerts. These will likely be available on most PPV sat/cable networks as well as internet streaming. Just out of curiosity, just where have these alternative rock bands been playing anyway? I never see any concerts from their likes advertised at the ampitheatre. Is this because they cannot sell enough tickets at that large of a venue? Do they mostly play the Shcnitz or the Crystal?

Whoa ...oh....we're halfway there....
WHOA...OH...Livin' on a prayer!!!

Sorry just had to do that. Played it this weekend for a wedding reception. Great crowd reaction.

temper sez: "just where have these alternative rock bands been playing anyway?"

the satyricon.

oh, btw, pearl jam is an alt rock act and they've filled many a stadium -- among the top arena acts ever. red hot chili pepper racks em in too. nirvana, unfortunately had personnel problems during the last 13 years and not likely to be resolved anytime soon.

btw2, nothing by G&R is "better" than Led Zep.

and valerie, yep, there is a lot more to big hair than most people realize.

I think Led Zeppelin are the most overrated band to grace this earth! Seriously! Are they good? Sure. But I can think of a lot of bands that are just as good if not better! Plus all of their songs sound the same to me.

justin sez: "But I can think of a lot of bands that are just as good if not better!"

I'm not claiming Led Zep is the best band ever. Like you, I can name a bunch that are just as good, maybe even better. (The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Nirvana . . .) But G&R, better? The God of Rock says nope.

One measure of a band's quality is its ability to progress. Let's look at 2 bands mentioned here:

Led Zeppelin started their career copying American blues artists, but quickly grew into a very progressive band that made complex and far reaching music.

G&R started their career copying 70's bands and ended their career doing pretty much the same. They began as a tribute to Axl Rose's anger and ego, and ended the same way. As a more current band said, "Excess ain't rebellion." G&R did not do anything revolutionary.

Just curious, can anyone on this board name the artist quoted?

Cake?

Right, you are, CT. (Ok, maybe that was too easy).

Maybe it was "A Piece of Cake"

Maybe it was a piece of Google Cake?

Let's see who knows about HAIR


1. Which song, originally written by Bob Dylan, did G'N'R cover and make popular again?
Knockin on heaven's door
Yesterdays
Sweet child 'o mine


2. What is Guns 'N' Roses longest song?
Double talkin' jive
November rain
You ain't the first


3. Which G 'N' R album was originally recalled due to explict album art?
Use your illusions
Appetite for destruction
The spagetti incident


4. What G 'N' R song was never released on one of their own albums?
Pleased to meet you
Don't cry (alternate lyrics)
Sympathy for the devil


5. How many albums did G 'N' R release (not including live albums)?
3
5
6


6. How many live albums did G'N'R release?
1
2
4


7. How many band members were in Guns 'N' Roses?
7
5
6


8. How many sacreligious cover albums did G'N'R release?
0
1
2


9. What year was G'N'R first album (Appetite for Destruction) originally released?
1987
1991
1993


10. What two bands joined together to form Guns 'N' Roses?
L.A. Guns & Vegas Rose
Hollywood Rose & L.A. Guns
NY Guns & Hollywood Rose


11. Which 80's hair band member wrote & directed a horror movie in the early 90's?
Slash
Dave Mustaine
Dee Snider


12. What are many of the 80's hair bands love songs commonly refered to?
80's love music
pathetic love
mushy crap


13. What were the albums that re-released many of the 80's hair bands love songs called?
Monster Ballads & Hair Band Rock
Power Ballads & Monster Ballads
Love Rock & Power Ballads


14. Which band performed Uncle Tom's Cabin?
Cinderella
Poison
Warrant


15. Ok here's the part where you finsish the lyrics. "Goin down the only road I've ever known..."
Here I go again on my own
Like a drifter I was born to walk alone
I ain't wastin no more time


16. "When you wake up will you walk out..."
are you ready and willing or is it just for show
am i gettin through or do you please yourself
it can't be love if you throw it about


17. "She's my cherry pie..."
put a smile on your face 10 miles wide
put a smile on your face 3 miles wide
put a smile on your face 6 miles wide


18. Alright I quote the song, you name it.... "Walk away if you want to, it's ok if you need to..."
Here I go again
Two steps behind
Can't stand losing you


19. "Forgive me for what I've done there because I never meant the things I did..."
Something to believe in
Best I ever did
Live & let die


20. "Somethings changin inside you and don't you know..."
Of wolf & man
Every rose has it's thorns
Don't cry


21. "Girls rock your boys, we'll get wild, wild, wild..."
Girls, girls, girls
Time after time
Cum on feel the noise


22. What song had a controversial video on MTV featuring Tawny Kitaen on the hood of a cherry red car?
Here I go again
Every rose has it's thorns
Cherry Pie


23. Which 80's hair band conglomerately looks more like women than any other?
Twisted Sister
Def Leppard
Poison


24. What band brought together members of three other bands to become a hair band?
Skid Row
Damn Yankees
Extreme


25. Which G'N'R song has content in it and talks about a subject like no other?
The Garden
Dust 'n bones
I used to love her


26. Which hair band made a pact never to release another album under the same name when they broke up unless all the original band members completely reunited (and then part of the band released one as a tribute to the original band in 2004)?
Twisted Sister
Def Leppard
G'N'R


27. Here we go again....I'll name the song, you name the band who performed it. Patience
Def Leppard
Poison
Guns 'N' Roses


28. Something to believe in
Poison
G'N'R
Ratt


29. Have you ever needed someone
Warrant
Def Leppard
Skid Row


30. High enough
Damn Yankees
Poison
Whitesnake


31. Nobody's fool
Journey
Cinderella
Twisted Sister

I know them all, but Im too lazy to mention them all. I'll list the answers tonight, Im going to Popeyes for some grub.
See ya tonight!
By the way, Skep- You think Nirvana is Better than Zeppelin???? Have you fallen off your walker??

Maybe had a little too much Johnny Walker and then fell of the Walker!

BTW...no need to list the answers....it was a self test to see how much you know bout hair! You may if you wish though.

Here Goes


1. Knockin on heavens door ( The GNR version is WAAAAAY better than the original!)

2. November Rain

3. Appetite For Destruction

4. Sympathy for the devil

5. 5 albums

6. 2- if you include "lies"

7. 5 original members

8.1

9. 1987

10. Hollywood Roses and LA Guns

11. Dave Mustaine

12. All the above (LOL)

13. Power Ballads and Monster Ballads (and I bet you own all of them Darktemper! LOL!

14. Warrant- The Cherry Pie Album RULES!!!!

15. "like a drifteer I was born to walk alone.

16 "am I getting through or do you please yourself

17. Puts a smile on your face 10 miles wide

18. "two steps behind by Def "fucking Leppard" Rules!!

19. "Something to believe in" by Brett Michaels and the bad boys of POISON!.

20. Don't Cry

21. Cum on feel the noize, girls ROCK YOUR BOYS!!

22. Here I go again

23. Tisted sister

24. Damn Yankees

25. The Garden

26. Twisted Sister

27. Guns N Roses

28. Poison

29. Joe Elliot and the boys of Def leppard

30 Damn Yankees

31. Cinderella.


Let me know how I did D.T. You probably won't believe me, BUT there was actually a few i wasn't sure of!.

My DEVO can beat up your G'N'R.

"Are we not men?"

Hey Randy, Im guessing you have Cher and The Village People sitting right next to your DEVO cd's, right??
At least no one will question your orientation. LOL!

I got 2 right! What do I win?

"By the way, Skep- You think Nirvana is Better than Zeppelin???? Have you fallen off your walker??"

You're just mildly confused. Nirvana is just as good as Led Zep. Pink Floyd & The Beatles are better than Led Zep.

Nirvana ustered in a whole new era, as did Led Zeppelin. Pink Floyd and The Beatles, on the other hand, went beyond that and made timeless music for the ages.

G&R, on the other hand, like Devo, was just another rock band.

The 80s? Here are just a few nationally known bands from that watershed decade who deserve far better -- how about the Minutemen, the Replacements, Meat Puppets, Sonic Youth, the Pixies, the Smithereens, Camper Van Beethoven, or Husker Du? Oh yeah, I forgot, only the watered down and pale copies of those bands were hailed by critics and spun for the next decade and a half. Too bad, because the 80s still remain a goldmine of independent music that is familiar to most of the Reagan generation.

Devo was amazing and revolutionary. They will be remembered -- and relevant -- long after Slash overdoses and the rest of the band get matching glasses for their teeth. They could beat G-n-R at everything but a methadone drinking contest. Then again, throw all the stones you want, but great as they were, I think ripping off Led Zeppelin without doing your homework is like learning the blues from Pat Boone. At least the kids in the White Stripes know their oldies, and acknowledge the pioneers.

Nirvana was a culmination of decades of ideas. They succeeded in much the same way as many popular acts of the rock era. They drew -- or blantantly copied -- from the obscure and not so obscure artists that came before. Thanks to a real budget from Geffen, they made some very good sounding records. Not original, but brilliant nonetheless. It is too bad Kurt felt so guilty for succeeding on what he felt were other people's ideas. He was a humble and sensitive man and not blinded by or addicted to fame or power. He simply had a gift to share, sang to the bobbing hats of dumb kids and was misunderstood the entire time.

But, if "freedom from choice is what you want..." there is always 80s Top 40. :0)

Shameful.....

You missed #16
When you wake up will you walk out....It can't be love if you throw it about

am I gettin through or do you please yourself was the preceding lyric of Def Leppards "Love Bites"

#12....Ya...they all apply! Although I think 80's Love Music is the correct answer.

#23. Twisted Sister and Poison are pretty close....pretty ugly but pretty close. Sister wins though.

And Nope...I don't have all that much hair in my collection. Have some Warrant, Whitesnake, and of course Guns N Roses but thats about it.

what moron would say "knockin on heavens door" by gnr is better than the original? Dylan? Are you kiddin me?
Punk kids nowadays.
To even breathe Dylan and guns n roses in the same breath is blasphemy.

I won't point any fingers at Timberfake or nuthin' so you have to hunt him down on your own. Just look for a Yugo going down the road smoking like a dirty chimney in winter!

I love this thread!

"Author: Skeptical
Sunday, June 17, 2007 - 11:54 pm

temper sez: "just where have these alternative rock bands been playing anyway?"

[skeptical:] the satyricon."

In the context of the 80s, 90s -- and a maybe even a few years ago -- you are correct. The grim reality, however, is that both Portland's Satyricon and New York's CBGB's -- two legendary clubs that kindled the spirits of millions around the world and launched the careers of thousands of brilliant bands -- are gone forever. Few cities actually have a "great rock venue" anymore. The "nightclub" is now a place to take ecstacy, gyrate to robotic beats, and listen to a "deejay" rearrange somebody else's work.

Between real estate developers and a solid "only play what we own" stance by major media, the days for rock-n-roll have been numbered for years. Only now, is anyone recognizing the grim facts about "climate change" due to consolidation. Like Jazz, Blues, Folk and World music, true Rock and Roll venues are few and far between, struggle to survive, and serve a widespread loyal audience with little or no big corporate dollars. They also sometimes get raided or shaken down by the corporate thugs of the RIAA, BMI and ASCAP.

In our fair city, for instance, the very best shows are often by invitation, at somebody's house and totally off the grid. These shows are attended by all the folks who used to go to see music in the 1980s and 1990s, but have few consistently good choices left "on the town." This is why several Portlanders have been graced with fellers like 80s legends Johnny Marr of the Smiths or Peter Buck of R.E.M. in their living room.

Radio has always been too easily influenced by the big boys, but now, by and large, it is truly no more than another cog in the corporate machine. Years ago, somebody fell in love with centralized programming, and along with it, most of the choice and power to break new music was steadily taken out of the hands of the MD or the DJ. Now, even in college radio, the corporate packages can fill the mailbox more steadily than the indies, and that is often reflected in the playlist.

In commercial radio, with the team of Cyn Trollcommand, Herb Tarlek, Jess Ritacard, and Otto Matic, there is no strong barrier, or empowered local braintrust between a really crappy song, the transmitter and your stereo. To say that "no good music is being made anymore" is utterly false, when "no good music is being heard" is far closer to the mark. There are exceptions thank heavens, but they are brave people who keep the box in the desk packed, or marginalized throwbacks like Rodney Bingenheimer.

Ironically, the 80s marked the last great decade of "Indie" and yet the argument this moment is about bands that made plenty of money, and in most cases, very little social impact. Now, both the radio and the club have lost any real significance, and the internet is the only place to go for new music, an invite to a show, or direct communication with the artist.

I am curious to see how this all plays out. There will be more surprises in store. The climate will only improve for artists when they insist on autonomy, and with few companies bothering with actual talent over trained animals, this break ought to be easier and easier as time passes. It is all interesting from a sociological, "look at how these creatures scurry" perspective.

It is much more sad when you understand that in contemporary formats, the influential DJ is essentially dead and has been for quite a while. The internet may host the renaissance of that proud musical and broadcasting tradition, but for the moment, that very idea is being attacked viciously by big money. Perhaps it will be a reality when Creative Commons rules the day.

Rock is dead. Long live rock.

The best hair of the 80s? He won in the 70s too:

Bun E. Carlos.

Thank you for indulging my rant.

Keep a sharp eye out for Dream Police.

"The "nightclub" is now a place to take ecstacy, gyrate to robotic beats, and listen to a "deejay" rearrange somebody else's work."

This is true, but I suspect people will tire of it eventually (and a different generation emerges) and live music makes its way back locally.

One...The Satyricon reopened this last year.

Two...rock is dead? I've heard some great shows over the last four years to believe that. Sure, arena rock is gone...the ballads that were popular during their times are now spun on KGON. What about the Yeah Yeah Yeahs?

I didn't like their earlier stuff, but My Chemical Romance's newest album has the orchestral rock sound of Queen.

The White Stripe's very own Jack White is one of the more powerful rock artists today. That guy can play ANY instrument.

There's The Dandy Warhols, Say Anything, Against Me!, Weezer (Geek rock is cool because of these guys), The Brian Jonestown Massacre, The Hellakopters (Swedish bands!), and much more than I can think of at this hour in the morning.

Don't get me wrong...I love Queen, the Sex Pistols, David Bowie, Guns N' Roses, Aerosmith...etc. 90's rock was awesome- the resurgence of reggae and ska was lovely (Think of Sublime, early No Doubt, Less Than Jake, Goldfinger).

Three...there are live rock venues. What about the Crystal? The Wonder Ballroom? The (even though I hate to say it.) Roseland? There's live music at Dante's, multiple places on Hawthorne...all up and down Grand.

I just think that even though it has changed, it's still there. Rock is still alive and kicking, it's just different than what you remember it being.

Well said, Copernicus!

Arena rock isn't really all it was cracked up to be. There's no intimacy with that stuff. Smaller venues are more enjoyable from that standpoint.

Take a good listen. There are more bands out there than ever before. With the internet, there are nearly infinite ways to find great bands, it just takes a little effort - but it's worth it.

Walk like AN Egyptian.......

Walk like AN Egyptian........

Arena rock isn't really all it was cracked up to be. There's no intimacy with that stuff. Smaller venues are more enjoyable from that standpoint.


Ummm Larry, If I wanted intimacy, I would roll around in the sheets with my X wife. I could care less about intimacy, I just want GOOD ROCKIN MUSIC! And radio is just not playing anything worthy of purchasing. And Copernicus, Comparing My Chemical Romance to Queen is BLASPHEMOUS! Bring back the great rock with long guitar solo's.

And Copernicus, Comparing My Chemical Romance to Queen is BLASPHEMOUS!
That's OK. They'll carry on. (Too bad there isn't a paste-in icon for a punch-line or one-liner drum hit.)

Littlesongs says
Devo was amazing and revolutionary. They will be remembered -- and relevant -- long after Slash overdoses and the rest of the band get matching glasses for their teeth. They could beat G-n-R at everything but a methadone drinking contest. Then again, throw all the stones you want, but great as they were, I think ripping off Led Zeppelin without doing your homework is like learning the blues from Pat Boone. At least the kids in the White Stripes know their oldies, and acknowledge the pioneers.

OH PLEASE LITTLESONGS, DEVO????? Are you serious?? What talent did that band have??? They played the synthesizers and fake drum machines, how hard is that. If It wasn't for MTV, playing their wacky video's Devo would have never been discovered. You also talk about other bands ripping off led Zeppelin. Lets not forget that Led Zeppelin Ripped off a lot of other peoples work. So calling Led Zeppelin completely original does not hold water.

Locally here in Edmonton, an AM station about 60 miles away is running MG Kelly's "Amazing '80s" every Sunday morning. And Charlie Tuna's "Back to the '70s", which MG also syndicates, on Saturday mornings.

Listening to them both, I'm suddenly saying to myself: what was so bad about the music in the '70s or '80s? This in the context of the fact that I turned the Radio off for several years in the latter half of both decades. Those MG-produced shows just don't play a bad song.

Which takes me back to a true-ism I've realized over the last 5 years or so. There has always been good music, no matter what year you are talking about (since Rock began in 1955). But whether you know about it depends on whether you were listening to a radio station that played it at the time. I find myself hearing as New, great songs that came out 15 or more years ago.

retro 80's is my least favorite format. what happened to mix?