I was a freshman in college. Before I went away to school, my tastes were straight rock and roll (nothing wrong with R&R btw). But, after some time on campus, I came to realize there was something else out there. Actually, lots of other things. "Psychokiller" was the one that got me. I purchased "Talking Heads: 77" and life was never the same.
I have since come to realize that it wasn't David Byrne's art school compositions that had grabbed me. It was Tina Weymouth's bass lines. Go back and listen to any of the earlier TH stuff and it is Tina's bass that provide the groove. And to think that she was, at first, a reluctant participant. I don't think it would have happened without her.
Thanks for reading jeleonard193. And I do agree on your "assessment" of Tina Weymouth. Her role is a very important one. My history is exactly the opposite. Disco was my first love but it was Remain in Light & Talking Heads that opened my horizon considerably. The Talking Heads are on my list of future episodes. Thanks for sharing
I love how well-written and thoroughly researched your posts are. I didn't know anything about Blondie (of course I knew who she was, but that was about it). This gives me the perfect excuse to start putting that right. Thanks!
The song that made me see music in a different light is Definitive Gaze, the opening track to Magazine's 1978 debut album Real Life. I'd been hit hard by the anger of the Sex Pistols but had previously been seduced by the use of synthesisers in rock on albums like To The Hilt by Golden Earring and A Trick Of The Tail by Genesis. I was looking for a more expansive cinematic sound that retained the aggression of punk but was free from the tedious noodling of Prog Rock. Dave Formula's keyboard intro to Definitive Gaze therefore came as a revelation, powerful and melodic with a touch of the virtuoso but completely in service to the alienated aggression of the track. The mantle would be taken up by Gary Numan, Thomas Dolby and New Order amongst others
Thanks for sharing Paul. Apart from Permafrost and The Great Man's Secret, I don't know their work that good. Must take the time to listen to their other material. I was reading Simon Reynolds book on the period and he devotes a lot of time to Magazine and the role they played in the post-punk period. Very interesting period.
Great post! I remember when "Heart of Glass" was first released. It sounded like nothing else at the time, probably because of that mix of pop/punk/disco. I also became a huge fan of "Parallel Lines." It had a big effect on the kind of music I became increasingly interested in after that.
Thanks Dan. The strange thing is that when I was researching and writing this week's episode I couldn't remember the album. I know that one of my best friends then was a huge Blondie fan so I must have listened to that album many many many times 😁. I have listened yo it again. It's a great album. And apart from Heart Of Glass it has one of my other Blondie favorites : "Hanging On The Telephone". If I really need a song to play air guitar and sing very loudly with: that's the one 😃 Have a great weekend !
I was a freshman in college. Before I went away to school, my tastes were straight rock and roll (nothing wrong with R&R btw). But, after some time on campus, I came to realize there was something else out there. Actually, lots of other things. "Psychokiller" was the one that got me. I purchased "Talking Heads: 77" and life was never the same.
I have since come to realize that it wasn't David Byrne's art school compositions that had grabbed me. It was Tina Weymouth's bass lines. Go back and listen to any of the earlier TH stuff and it is Tina's bass that provide the groove. And to think that she was, at first, a reluctant participant. I don't think it would have happened without her.
Thanks for reading jeleonard193. And I do agree on your "assessment" of Tina Weymouth. Her role is a very important one. My history is exactly the opposite. Disco was my first love but it was Remain in Light & Talking Heads that opened my horizon considerably. The Talking Heads are on my list of future episodes. Thanks for sharing
I love how well-written and thoroughly researched your posts are. I didn't know anything about Blondie (of course I knew who she was, but that was about it). This gives me the perfect excuse to start putting that right. Thanks!
This is such a wonderfull compliment. Thanks Andy !
The song that made me see music in a different light is Definitive Gaze, the opening track to Magazine's 1978 debut album Real Life. I'd been hit hard by the anger of the Sex Pistols but had previously been seduced by the use of synthesisers in rock on albums like To The Hilt by Golden Earring and A Trick Of The Tail by Genesis. I was looking for a more expansive cinematic sound that retained the aggression of punk but was free from the tedious noodling of Prog Rock. Dave Formula's keyboard intro to Definitive Gaze therefore came as a revelation, powerful and melodic with a touch of the virtuoso but completely in service to the alienated aggression of the track. The mantle would be taken up by Gary Numan, Thomas Dolby and New Order amongst others
Thanks for sharing Paul. Apart from Permafrost and The Great Man's Secret, I don't know their work that good. Must take the time to listen to their other material. I was reading Simon Reynolds book on the period and he devotes a lot of time to Magazine and the role they played in the post-punk period. Very interesting period.
Great post! I remember when "Heart of Glass" was first released. It sounded like nothing else at the time, probably because of that mix of pop/punk/disco. I also became a huge fan of "Parallel Lines." It had a big effect on the kind of music I became increasingly interested in after that.
Thanks Dan. The strange thing is that when I was researching and writing this week's episode I couldn't remember the album. I know that one of my best friends then was a huge Blondie fan so I must have listened to that album many many many times 😁. I have listened yo it again. It's a great album. And apart from Heart Of Glass it has one of my other Blondie favorites : "Hanging On The Telephone". If I really need a song to play air guitar and sing very loudly with: that's the one 😃 Have a great weekend !