I Listen to 80s Radio

Yes, you heard me. Air Supply, big blonde-haired, spandex-clad boy-bands, the whole shebang.

Actually, I find myself reaching deep inside to find a reason for being so defensive on the subject. Still, my voice raises and my internal debater scribbles out point/counterpoint lists now and again.

Keep in mind I was around to hear those releases the first time around.; many of them provided the soundtrack for my sometimes highly dramatic younger years. Years of emotional torment, interpersonal relationship wrangling and hormones gone wild, all put to a snappy beat with a kickin’ synth.

I still remember how I felt when I realized that the drum solo on In The Air Tonight created such a thick groove on an LP. Or how the guys seemed more and more to enjoy perfecting their slow-dance fumblings to Klymaxx or Stevie Nicks at the Junior Farmer’s dances. Oh man, The Hooters, Starship (not Jefferson Starship, not Jefferson Airplane, just Starship), Joan Jett, Billy Joel’s Glass Houses, Stevie Nicks and Tom Petty belting out Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around, Pop Goes the World, Huey Lewis….as you can see, I stayed well out of the way of the Mods, the Punks, the Stoners and the Headbangers. My music, like my life, was light and bouncy.

Then the 90’s hit.

I got my first real job, found out what paying bills was all about and spiraled down into darker, grittier music, developing a fondness for the power ballad. The only good thing to come out of that time was the strong development of my vocal chords.

Now that we’re comfortably settled in the new millennium? I’m all over the map. It’s nice that I’ve matured to where I can expand my musical horizons, but there are evenings when I pine for the innocent halcyon days of Wham!, Milli Vanilli and Terence Trent D’Arby.

So, everybody Wang Chung tonight. Let’s go baby, come on.

Posted at 4:05 p.m.