Just Can't Get Enough: New Wave Hits Of The '80s, Vol. 8

Going to go with a beloved obscurity over three hits, myself:

1. Cath
2. Come On Eileen
3. Goodbye to You
4. Mexican Radio

Here is what i did in the past:

Just Can't Get Enough: New Wave Hits Of The '80s, Vol. 1
Just Can't Get Enough: New Wave Hits of the '80s, Vol. 2
Just Can't Get Enough: New Wave Hits of the '80s, Vol. 3
Just Can't Get Enough: New Wave Hits of the '80s, Vol. 4
Just Can't Get Enough: New Wave Hits of the '80s, Vol. 5 poll

and now what cryptosicko has done so far this year:

Just Can't Get Enough: New Wave Hits Of The '80s, Vol. 6
Just Can't Get Enough: New Wave Hits Of The '80s, Vol. 7

Voo Doo - Rachel Sweet

I've been mildly obsessed with this song for the last couple months, so I'll probably vote for it, but the definition of new wave is getting pretty elastic on this one.

i have heard "Come On Eileen" way too much for one lifetime but the song is in a class by itself in a way. voting for it here.

Hon mention for this classic tho!

14. (We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang - Heaven 17

I just realized I forgot to include the cover image. Here's what it looks like:

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/5186CFJE0EL.jpg

Damn, so many good tracks here, could vote for The Fixx, Missing Persons, Thomas Dolby, Stephen Duffy (aka Tin Tin), Heaven 17, even Scandal. (I fucking hate "Come On Eileen"!)

But it was "Mexican Radio" that hooked me when I first heard it, so that's my pick.

Mental As Anything

i love this volume. first one i bought. voting oxo

Robert Hazard's is a good song, many folks don't know he wrote/recorded the slightly depressing "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" long before Cyndi Lauper re-appropriated it as an anthem.

"Lies" is great because of the "Low Rider" bassline.

Voted TinTin.

SCIENCE!

Gotta be SCIENCE!

Missing Persons, every time.

Only know about half of these tbh. Bored with Eileen, voting Heaven 17.

That Dexy's song by a mile.
It took me many years to figure out which radio staples from my youth were timeless classics and which are just fun for the nostalgia factor, but "Come On Eileen" is probably the standout example of the former.

it's kind a choice between rachel sweet and a bunch of things that aren't rachel sweet huh?

one more vote for "Mexican Radio" here. Ridgeway was in his own class for several years

that is tough on a kid tbf

Tin Tin then Fixx, but mainly because several of my other favorites here are by artists who have some other songs that are way better imo- Thompson Twins, Dolby, Heaven 17, Missing Persons e.g. Even the Fixx, really. I don't know if I know Voo Doo, which I may now need to check out tho.

Wow - this has some solid picks! Hard to choose between Missing Persons, Wall of Voodoo and Heaven 17 - but I've got to go with Mexican Radio. That's one that really helped me realize that weirder is better in music, many years ago.

Science wins my vote for TD's worst song ever. I love all his other stuff.

voted "She's A Beauty", that's an all-timer

Thomas Dolby has a lot of great songs, but I genuinely think "Science" is top tier. I think it's one of those songs whose popularity and novelty factor might obscure just how much cool stuff is going on with it musically.

crut otm

yeah "Science" is a winner. After "Mexican Radio" I rate "Science," "She's a Beauty," "Groove Thing" and "Eileen" on this list. the rest of it is very once-was-enough for me

Hmm - re Science, it's possible I'm harboring some kind of Mtv and everywhere overplay irritation. But just imagining that shout of 'Science!' makes me feel crabby.

Would be seriously tempted by the Weird Al version of “Jeopardy “ if that was an option.

Ha, otm.

Mexican Radio or Eileen or ... maybe the Hazard, which I've always thought of as one of the oddly spookiest songs of the era next to "Send me an Angel."

These comps are so cool. I've had them for years and still didn't remember the Rachel Sweet. Mental As Anything proof that one Split End was enough.

It would have been Heaven 17, but the Dexys track is leagues ahead of everything here.

Some real "six degrees" of Rachel Sweet going on here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rachel_Sweet

she began recording commercials at the age of six, toured with Mickey Rooney, and performed in Las Vegas as the opening act for Bill Cosby at the age of twelve

She began recording country music in 1974, but with little success beyond one minor Country Chart hit. Switching to rock and roll, she signed to Stiff Records label and released her first album,

Sweet was backed by The Records on the Stiff Records tour in 1978

She resumed her education via correspondence courses and went on to graduate from Columbia University in French and English Literature in 1988. She also recorded the theme song to the Nickelodeon series Clarissa Explains It All ... In 1992 Sweet appeared in a minor role as George Costanza's cousin on an episode of Seinfeld, "The Contest."

She returned to music sporadically as she focused on her education, recording the title track to John Waters' film Hairspray and many of the songs for his musical Cry-Baby

Would be seriously tempted by the Weird Al version of “Jeopardy “ if that was an option.

lmao yeah talk about Weird Al getting it so much better than the original. I don't think anyone needs to hear the Greg Kihn version anymore.

for me this is "Mexican Radio", which I think is a great example of a really deserving one-hit wonder - WoV have a lot of other songs I like (most of which are on the same album) but Mexican Radio is clearly their best song and the one that still holds up amazingly well. "She Blinded Me With Science" is sort of the opposite - I like the tune but it feels a bit gimmicky and patched-together now. I can understand why Dolby wasn't super fond of it. the album itself plays better without it, as it was originally intended to be.

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

I remember seeing Oxo doing "Whirly Girl" on American Bandstand. Oxo was the guy who was behind the '70s disco group Foxy and later the '80s freestyle group Company B

"Fascinated" is one of the best songs of the 80s. Kudos to that guy.

walking in la

"Whirly Girl" is the inspiration for the cultural phenomenon called "Knacking". Knacking involves extending one's arm out, open-palmed, in fast motions synchronized with a beat or a random percussive sound in a song, while in close proximity to an observer, preferably without inadvertently hitting the observer.

had no idea about this

I don't get it, and googling didn't help.

Watched mot of the OXO video for clues. Why did people dance like that in the '80s? Is it kind of a jitterbug (cue: Wham)? It always looks like someone trying to hold their bladder while in line for the bathroom.

I dunno, '70s dancing was about fluidity and then the '80s brought in this nervous tension kind of feel. That particular '80s stock move does look funny now.

Oxo was the guy who was behind the '70s disco group Foxy and later the '80s freestyle group Company B

i like the company b that i've heard a lot, but the one foxy record i bought was beyond awful iirc

you don't like "Get Off"?

I like Gett Off. But hey, Prince.

xp i don't think i've heard that one tbh, will give it a go!

Why did people dance like that in the '80s? Is it kind of a jitterbug (cue: Wham)? It always looks like someone trying to hold their bladder while in line for the bathroom.
― Josh in Chicago, Wednesday, March 21, 2018 10:02 AM (two hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Seems like that could be its own thread. As a child of the 80's, I'm assuming we all just wanted to dance like the people on MTV and in John Hughes movies.

Going to vote for Dexy's Midnight Runners too.

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

Mental As Anything wuz robbed!!

top 3 otm (& glad to see the Bluebells get some love, that first mini-lp is great).

Dammit, my forgotten vote would have elevated "Mexican Radio" to its deserved win. I've been revisiting a lot of Wall of Voodoo recently, such a bizarre band.

Yep, with both Ridgway and Prieboy they're top notch. And both of those men have produced fantastic solo albums.

This comp needs bronski beat tbh

Stay tuned.

gerald i knew I could rely on you to rep the Prieboy WoV - sammystown is kind of a masterpiece.

this is a really really strong volume of the series, i must say!

far side of crazy > mexican radio imo

and 'don't take my courage!'

RE: Sammystown, in the last few years I've gone from "enh that was no Dark Continent" to "that was better than a Stan-less WOV had any right to be" to "wow, this is actually really excellent!"

otm

they did pretty much lose me with the album after that though

alright I'm sold, will be listening to that tonight

I also see that Stan's put out a few solo albums since I last looked him up. His solo career has some great tracks - "Snaketrain" and "Beyond Tomorrow" are as good as anything WoV did. I'm not really sure if he's worth exploring beyond those first three albums though.

Yeah, I only own the first three solos, was surprised there are so many others. I also own a Drywall CD; I can't remember a thing about that one.

Holy hell, Stan did a Great American Songbook record?!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxeDLGSgCis

Yeah, and it's fantastic. Some songs he does fairly straight, others he adds his trademark weirdness.

RE: Sammystown, in the last few years I've gone from "enh that was no Dark Continent" to "that was better than a Stan-less WOV had any right to be" to "wow, this is actually really excellent!"

― No energy, only great chaos (Dan Peterson), Thursday, March 22, 2018 10:23 AM (two hours ago)

* A wonderful song, but I've always been vaguely bothered by the accusatory bridge ("You say my savior has forgotten me..."). The lyrics don't seem to fit with the prior verse, which centers around the legless narrator's repudiation of condescending evangelicals. I think we're meant to understand that the target has shifted from those who would exploit his faith to those who mock him for it, but it's a bit unclear as written.

Hey contendo long time no see!

Howdy, Jon. It's good to be back.

Help yourself to some live thin white rope, won’t you

Check out the solo piano version of "Blackboard Sky" here: https://www.andyprieboy.com/music-store

Killer, I'd love a whole album in that style from Andy. He's still making great music.