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Joined: August 11 2009
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Topic: What was going on in music in the '80s? Posted: September 10 2013 at 09:17
The '80s has a generally bad reputation around here (especially compared to the 70s) but I think it is a generally underrated time in music, and I think that's because a lot of the bands that were doing interesting things at that time kind of dodged the spotlight.
But I have discovered quite a few interesting bands from the 80s in my explorations over the past few years, and I don't think that the '80s was such a dead musical landscape as it is sometimes proclaimed to be. On top of the development of a new form of progressive rock in Neo-Prog, the advancement of Metal, and the existence of post-punk, there was a bubbling undercurrent of RIO/Avant bands like Art Bears, early Thinking Plague, and early 5uu's. Lately I have been discovering a bubbling undercurrent of more experimental post-punk bands as well, such as This Heat and Rip Rig and Panic.
So what else was happening in the 80s that was interesting?
I enjoy a LOT of 80s music. Be that from the new wave, post-punk, dream pop, avantguarde, hip hop or the (insert cool name) scene.
Currently I've been getting back into acts like Ze Cure and Cocteau Twins - acts that were lying dormant on the shelf for a couple of years, and then suddenly I'm popping em on the stereo once again. Then there's Dead Can Dance - a "band" I never tire of - or perhaps the wonderful ferociousness of post punk band The Chameleons......Yeah, the old '80s music = crap' is a bit old by now. Sure if you're only into the classic sound of prog anno 1973, then you're bound to hate the decade.....or at least one should think. There are several of prog acts that emerged in the 80s, that sounded every bit as vibrant as the big hitters. Some of em stem from communistic countries, and were as a consequence of the iron fisted rule, slightly late to the party. Hell take Solaris' debut from 84, and tell me you don't hear an album that just as well could've been made a decade earlier.
The 80s were brilliant imho
“The Guide says there is an art to flying or rather a knack. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.”
Joined: November 29 2006
Location: Israel
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Posted: September 10 2013 at 10:33
I agree that a lot of great music was produced in the 80's and there's plenty for every prog fan to choose from. I can't remember all the things I have from that period but I'll name a few that are not the obvious like Marillion.
However - Both albums PLJ Band - Armaggedon Anamorphose - Palimpseste Bi Kyo Ran - Both albums Eider Stellaire - S/T Gunesh Ensemble Jean Paul Prat - Masal Pablo El Enterrador - S/T Bernard Paganotti - Both albums Patrick Gauthier - Bebe Godzilla Phish Rebekka - Phoenix Serge Bringolf - Vision Shub Niggurath - Les Morts Vont Vite The Box - All The Time... This Heat - Deceit Abus Dangereux Dun - Eros Bacamarte - Depois De Fim Present Modry Efekt - 33
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Posted: September 10 2013 at 11:17
ECM was the most interresting thing in the 80s. It was golden decade for that production and so many really great albums were released.
Jan Garberek was recorded his best albums at that time ...
from Steve Tibbets' debut for ECM, "Northern Song" the album....
...one of the best fusion album ever recorded, and so on.
Whole that decade I was listening to this beautiful music; I wasn't a lover of post-punk and new wave so at that time I had found refuge in listening to ECM production.
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Posted: September 10 2013 at 11:41
Svetonio wrote:
ECM was the most interresting thing in the 80s. It was golden decade for that production and so many really great albums were released.
Jan Garberek was recorded his best albums at that time ...
from Steve Tibbets' debut for ECM, "Norhern Song" the album....
...one of the best fusion album ever recorded, and so on.
Whole that decade I was listeningthat beautiful music; I wasn't a lover of post-punk and new wave so at that time I had found refuge in listening to ECM production.
You are right......and I recently bought some more excellent cd's from that period that I had not bought the first time around....by Abercrombie, Weber, Rypdal, Metheny, Garbarek, etc.
One does nothing yet nothing is left undone. Haquin
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Posted: September 10 2013 at 11:52
Guldbamsen wrote:
I enjoy a LOT of 80s music. Be that from the new wave, post-punk, dream pop, avantguarde, hip hop or the (insert cool name) scene.
Currently I've been getting back into acts like Ze Cure and Cocteau Twins - acts that were lying dormant on the shelf for a couple of years, and then suddenly I'm popping em on the stereo once again. Then there's Dead Can Dance - a "band" I never tire of - or perhaps the wonderful ferociousness of post punk band The Chameleons......Yeah, the old '80s music = crap' is a bit old by now. Sure if you're only into the classic sound of prog anno 1973, then you're bound to hate the decade.....or at least one should think. There are several of prog acts that emerged in the 80s, that sounded every bit as vibrant as the big hitters. Some of em stem from communistic countries, and were as a consequence of the iron fisted rule, slightly late to the party. Hell take Solaris' debut from 84, and tell me you don't hear an album that just as well could've been made a decade earlier.
The 80s were brilliant imho
This. Plus, The Fall, This Heat, Chrome, Killing Joke... the list goes on and on
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Posted: September 10 2013 at 12:04
These upstanding citizens, of course:
"The past is not some static being, it is not a previous present, nor a present that has passed away; the past has its own dynamic being which is constantly renewed and renewing." - Claire Colebrook
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Posted: September 10 2013 at 12:14
dr wu23 wrote:
I enjoyed all of the following ones....
Echo and the Bunnymen
I just read yesterday that the guys from Echo and the Bunnymen have a new band called Poltergeist and according to the article they are kind of a prog band.
Joined: September 20 2010
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Posted: September 10 2013 at 16:38
dr wu23 wrote:
Svetonio wrote:
ECM was the most interresting thing in the 80s. It was golden decade for that production and so many really great albums were released.
Jan Garberek was recorded his best albums at that time ...
from Steve Tibbets' debut for ECM, "Norhern Song" the album....
...one of the best fusion album ever recorded, and so on.
Whole that decade I was listeningthat beautiful music; I wasn't a lover of post-punk and new wave so at that time I had found refuge in listening to ECM production.
You are right......and I recently bought some more excellent cd's from that period that I had not bought the first time around....by Abercrombie, Weber, Rypdal, Metheny, Garbarek, etc.
Joined: July 28 2010
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Posted: September 10 2013 at 17:04
Underground industrial's prime time was in the 80s and I love much of what came from that.
Metal started growing balls, but wouldn't become what we know it as until the early 90s.
Electronic music didn't make much progress past the ambient gods in the 80s apart from the heavy use of synths in popular music. Though, the tail end of the decade saw some innovation.
Basically, I see the 70s as the last decade where everything was kind of together. Starting in the 80s, everything started to spread out and genres became mixed. Not to say this hasn't happened before, but I think it's most clear in this decade.
I might be talking out of my ass here. Anyone wanna tell me I'm wrong?
Joined: August 22 2010
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Posted: September 10 2013 at 17:16
rushfan4 wrote:
dr wu23 wrote:
I enjoyed all of the following ones....
Echo and the Bunnymen
I just read yesterday that the guys from Echo and the Bunnymen have a new band called Poltergeist and according to the article they are kind of a prog band.
Yes....I saw that recently and they are on my list of bands to sample on you tube. I was a big fan of Echo.
There was a nice article in Prog Mag about them, Poltergeist, and the members are fans of various prog bands.
One does nothing yet nothing is left undone. Haquin
Joined: March 29 2013
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Posted: September 10 2013 at 23:49
I left prog for awhile in the early to mid 80's and got into the hardcore punk scene with the Dead Kennedy's, Black Flag, Minutemen, Husker Du, Suicidal Tendencies, DRI...also loved the Pretenders, REM & Christian Death. It wasn't until the 90's I discovered the holy trinity of the 80's neo prog scene - Marillion, IQ & Twelfth Night.
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Posted: September 10 2013 at 23:58
Despite the truly inventive music that was being made - with Pop as much as anything else - in retrospect, the '80s were more or less the vapid and disappointing period we all thought it was.
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Posted: September 11 2013 at 07:45
Atavachron wrote:
Despite the truly inventive music that was being made - with Pop as much as anything else - in retrospect, the '80s were more or less the vapid and disappointing period we all thought it was.
Care to elaborate? I know that popular music back then really plummeted, but popular music has never really been good.
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What was going on in music in the '80s?
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Svetonio wrote:
