What Are You Listening To? August 2021
- Thread starter axolotl
- Start date
axolotl
Nunquam non paratus
The Mysteries of Life ~ Bad Advice [EP] (2015)
Nickyboy
Staff member
I remember this.The Mysteries of Life ~ Come Clean (1998)
Unsomnambulist
Staff member
Grateful Dead - American Beauty (1970)
Unsomnambulist
Staff member
Son Volt - Electro Melodier (2021)
Edit: this is a great album with flawless production.
Edit: this is a great album with flawless production.
Unsomnambulist
Staff member
Steve Kilbey & The Winged Heels - The Hall Of Counterfeits (2021)
Zeeba Neighba
Staff member
No Pathetique this listening - jumped instead to Prokofiev's Third Piano Concerto
axolotl
Nunquam non paratus
I approve this choice.
axolotl
Nunquam non paratus
Gentleman Caller ~ Wake (2012)
Zeeba Neighba
Staff member
Prince - Sign O' The Times (1987)
Unsomnambulist
Staff member
Ahnold - Hillside Album (1998)
axolotl
Nunquam non paratus
Unsomnambulist
Staff member
Zeeba Neighba
Staff member
No time to do this yesterday but wanted to celebrate MTV's 40th anniversary as it was a big factor in my appreciating music when it first came out - as a lot of teens did, watched it a ton in 8th grade and, although I would branch out from pop music, it was a springboard to a number of musical directions
So, now listening to a playlist of the first 25 Songs on Day 1 of MTV - August 1, 1981:
1) "Video Killed the Radio Star" by The Buggles
2) "You Better Run" by Pat Benatar
3) "She Won't Dance with Me" by Rod Stewart
4) "You Better You Bet" by The Who
5) "Little Suzi's on the Up" by Ph.D
6) "We Don't Talk Anymore" by Cliff Richards
7) "Brass in Pocket" by Pretenders
8) "Time Heals" by Todd Rundgren
9) "Take it on the Run" by REO Speedwagon
10) "Rockin' the Paradise" by Styx
11) "When Things Go Wrong" by Robin Lane & the Chartbusters
12) "History Never Repeats" by Split Enz
13) "Hold On Loosely" by .38 Special
14) "Just Between You and Me" by April Wine
15) "Sailing" by Rod Stewart
16) "Iron Maiden" by Iron Maiden
17) "Keep On Loving You" by REO Speedwagon
18) "Bluer than Blue" by Michael Johnson
19) "Message of Love" by Pretenders
20) "Mr. Briefcase" by Lee Ritenour
21) "Double Life" by The Cars
22) "In the Air Tonight" by Phil Collins
23) "Looking for Clues" by Robert Palmer
24) "Too Late" by Shoes
25) "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around" by Stevie Nicks and Tom Petty
A few thoughts:
1) This is the most white playlist ever - no artists of color, MTV, really?
2) Perfect encapsulation of MTV initially straddling two eras - so much here is firmly embedded in light rock or power pop of the 70s (Lee Ritenour, Cliff Richards, Michael Johnson) - was Christopher Cross not available - pretty milquetoast stuff, but hey, also early Pretenders, Iron Maiden (the first metal track) - some menace brewing
3) amazing what tracks still are heard today on 80s radio - "Keep on Loving You", "In the Air Tonight", "Hold on Loosely - but so many tracks last heard, probably on August 1, 1981
4) I don't remember watching day one, so most of these videos were long gone a couple weeks later (I...think) when I tuned in but man were "Stop Draggin..." and "In the Air Tonight" in heavy rotation then
5) I really like "Sailing" by Rod Stewart and think "You Better You Bet" was an admirable attempt by The Who to stay relevant post-Keith Moon ("Eminence Front" even more so) but hardly break these tracks out so glad to spin them (even more so "Double Life" off The Cars Candy-O, an album I NEVER break out
If you're intrigued, and why would you be, here's the Wiki on the first full day - some interesting songs actually
en.wikipedia.org
I remember hearing Blotto's "I Wanna Be A Lifeguard" on First Wave/Sirius XM a couple of years and having this sensation of extreme familiarity of a kooky song that I honestly had not heard in almost 40 years.
So, now listening to a playlist of the first 25 Songs on Day 1 of MTV - August 1, 1981:
1) "Video Killed the Radio Star" by The Buggles
2) "You Better Run" by Pat Benatar
3) "She Won't Dance with Me" by Rod Stewart
4) "You Better You Bet" by The Who
5) "Little Suzi's on the Up" by Ph.D
6) "We Don't Talk Anymore" by Cliff Richards
7) "Brass in Pocket" by Pretenders
8) "Time Heals" by Todd Rundgren
9) "Take it on the Run" by REO Speedwagon
10) "Rockin' the Paradise" by Styx
11) "When Things Go Wrong" by Robin Lane & the Chartbusters
12) "History Never Repeats" by Split Enz
13) "Hold On Loosely" by .38 Special
14) "Just Between You and Me" by April Wine
15) "Sailing" by Rod Stewart
16) "Iron Maiden" by Iron Maiden
17) "Keep On Loving You" by REO Speedwagon
18) "Bluer than Blue" by Michael Johnson
19) "Message of Love" by Pretenders
20) "Mr. Briefcase" by Lee Ritenour
21) "Double Life" by The Cars
22) "In the Air Tonight" by Phil Collins
23) "Looking for Clues" by Robert Palmer
24) "Too Late" by Shoes
25) "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around" by Stevie Nicks and Tom Petty
A few thoughts:
1) This is the most white playlist ever - no artists of color, MTV, really?
2) Perfect encapsulation of MTV initially straddling two eras - so much here is firmly embedded in light rock or power pop of the 70s (Lee Ritenour, Cliff Richards, Michael Johnson) - was Christopher Cross not available - pretty milquetoast stuff, but hey, also early Pretenders, Iron Maiden (the first metal track) - some menace brewing
3) amazing what tracks still are heard today on 80s radio - "Keep on Loving You", "In the Air Tonight", "Hold on Loosely - but so many tracks last heard, probably on August 1, 1981
4) I don't remember watching day one, so most of these videos were long gone a couple weeks later (I...think) when I tuned in but man were "Stop Draggin..." and "In the Air Tonight" in heavy rotation then
5) I really like "Sailing" by Rod Stewart and think "You Better You Bet" was an admirable attempt by The Who to stay relevant post-Keith Moon ("Eminence Front" even more so) but hardly break these tracks out so glad to spin them (even more so "Double Life" off The Cars Candy-O, an album I NEVER break out
If you're intrigued, and why would you be, here's the Wiki on the first full day - some interesting songs actually
List of first music videos aired on MTV - Wikipedia
I remember hearing Blotto's "I Wanna Be A Lifeguard" on First Wave/Sirius XM a couple of years and having this sensation of extreme familiarity of a kooky song that I honestly had not heard in almost 40 years.
Unsomnambulist
Staff member
Sweet Smoke - Just A Poke (1970)
Unsomnambulist
Staff member
Nickyboy
Staff member
Review?
Unsomnambulist
Staff member
It starts off kind of stunted, but gets very good towards the middle and end. Ambient is not a fave of mine, so others might like the beginning more.
