Basic Rock from the 80s and 90s
A few weeks ago, my friends are I challenged each other to a difficult task: select songs from our record collections from 1980 to 2000 that had – as a minimum and a maximum – only guitar, bass, vocals and drums. No strings. No brass. No tuned percussion. No harmonica. No accordion. You name it. Just the basics. This was a much harder endeavor than any of us had expected, especially as we challenged each other to represent all twenty-one years – not so easy during the 80s when even the biggest rock and rollers resorted to filling in the soundscape with a synthesizer, an organ or a violin (yeah, I’m talking to you, Mellencamp). For me, 1982 was the most difficult year to represent. I started off all cocky: “No problem, I’ll pick U2, REM or The Replacements.” Well, Mr. So-Sure-Of-Himself, U2 and The Replacements skipped 1982, and R.E.M. didn’t put out their first album until the following year. That I was never into heavy metal or big-hair bands (or grunge, for that matter) made the task set before me seem impossible at times. With a week to go until the big unveiling of our lists, I managed to find an LP from 1982 with a tune that provided the very basics. Thank you, Cheap Trick.
The evening was a bit haphazard, and we ran out of time to represent each year, but here’s what I documented. For each year, my selection is listed first, then John’s, then Kevin’s. Yes, the Replacements and the various iterations that resulted from the band are over-represented, but that ain’t bad; the song by Bash and Pop was one of the highlights of the evening for me.
1980
Billy Joel, Close to the Borderline
Cheap Trick, Baby Loves to Rock
Kenny Loggins, I’m Alright; John Wetton, Turn on the Radio
1981
Pat Benatar, Take it Anyway You Want it
The Church, a song whose title I forgot to document
4 selections from Kevin: Romantics, In the Nighttime; Stray Cats, Runaway Boys; Billy Squire, I Need You; Adam Ant, Beat My Guest
1982
Cheap Trick, Time is Runnin’
Marshall Crenshaw, Mary Ann
Kevin, opted for another 1981 release!
1983
The Pretenders, Time the Avenger
John passed
Black Sabbath, Trashed
1984
Big Country, Where the Rose is Sewn
Replacements, I Will Dare
Scorpions, Leaving You
1985
John Mellencamp, Rain on the Scarecrow
REM, Kohoutek
Anthrax, Medussa
1986
Joe Jackson, Hometown
Smithereens, Strangers When We Meet
Violent Femmes, Heartache
1987
The Bears, Fear is Never Boring
Replacements, (a bunch from Pleased to Meet Me)
Jesus and Mary Chain, April Skies
1988
The Pursuit of Happiness, Walking in the Woods
Pixies, Where is my Mind
Kevin passed
1989
Blake Babies, Dead and Gone
Lou Reed, Stawman
Gene Loves Jezebel, It’ll End in Tears
1990 We didn’t get to this year, but my pick was…
Replacements, Attitude
1991
Lloyd Cole, Weeping Wine
Meat Puppets, This Day
Concrete Blonde, Joey
1992
Keith Richards, Eileen
Paul Westerberg, Waiting for Somebody
Kevin passed
1993
Judy Bats, Simple
Buffalo Tom (entire CD of Big Red Letter Day); Bash and Pop, Friday Night (Is Killing Me)
L7, Scrap
1994
Green Day, Basket Case
Neil Young, Piece of Crap
Nirvana, The Man Who Sold the World
1995 We didn’t get to this year, but my pick was…
Emmy Lou Harris, Where Will I Be
1996
Barenaked Ladies, The Old Apartment
Rage Against the Machine, Bulls on Parade
Kevin passed
1997
Old 97s, Time Bomb
Sun Volt, Picking up the Signal
Kevin passed
1998
Fastball, Fire Escape
Lucinda Williams, Car Wheels on a Gravel Road
Beck, Bottle of Blues
1999 We didn’t get to this year, but my pick was…
Indigo Girls, Cold Beer and Remote Control
2000 We didn’t get to this year, but my pick was…
Steve Earle, Another Town