Remember When, vol. 4

Continuing our memory exercise via song therapy (read: '80s playlist on iPod shuffle mode). Rules are simple: listen to a random song, remember where/when i first heard it, and/or thoughts associated with the song. Or lack thereof. Especially if memory fails to serve.

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She Blinded Me With Science (1982)
Thomas Dolby
Only geeks can get away with this (see Devo). I thought it was a really cool song title. Danceable as hell. Another New Wave party mix staple.


Don't Forget Me (When I'm Gone) (1986)
Glass Tiger
Hey, its my favorite song from ... Outfield? Foreigner? Oh, right ... its Glass Tiger. Darn, its hard to tell these bands apart.


So Far Away (1985)
Dire Straits
Back then, I thought, 'Is that The Boss' new song?' Oh, its Dire Straits. Perfect smoky lounge music and the occasional Battle of the Bands number.


Hold Me (1985)
Menudo
Okay, stop screaming. The first modern boyband of FM radio. Cheesy as hell. Girl classmates in high school were loony. Loony, I say. Until they grew up, and they found out the Menudo boylets were being molested by their gay managers. Sounds familiar eh? Has someone read Ricky Martin's secret diary yet?


Sowing The Seeds Of Love (1989)
Tears For Fears
And just when we thought the world was round. Tears For Fears finally grew up and stopped crying, and crafted a introspective and insightful pop record that wouldn't be out of place in Woodstock and the hippie '60s. This song came out of left field and became a hit. The Smith/Orzabal collaboration had better legs than the Michael/Ridgeley one.


Songbird (1986)
Kenny G
Instantly became a classic for the Pinoy listening public and made Mr. Gorelick the most reviled man in jazz. He doesn't care, he's rich, biatch!


Slow Hand (1985)
Pointer Sisters
Now this is the Pointer Sisters I remember. They don't sound like Ru Paul now.


Century's End (1988)
Donald Fagen
I had the soundtrack for "Bright Lights, Big City" (which I never saw) for some reason (maybe for New Order), and there were some good tracks (which made the rounds) including this little-known one from one half of Steely Dan (or maybe it was Fagen reworking their original 1982 version). I just vaguely remember him just walking aimlessly around in the video.


We Built This City (1985)
Starship
The song that co-vocalist Grace Slick reputedly asked the group "what the f- is the song all about?", and perhaps deservedly, got reviled as the worst record in pop music history (by both Blender and VH1). Too late; they already took your dollars, and ironically, you all sang along then.


A Groovy Kind of Love (1988)
Phil Collins
Anybody saw the Buster movie? How was Collins' performance? Was it good as this song's staying power (at least for romantics)?


Every Little Step (1988)
Bobby Brown
It was 1988. Milli Vanilli and Vanilla Ice and MC Hammer were still a year or two away. Bobby Brown was da bomb, slapping us silly with new jack swing. Sold millions of records. And then he married Whitney Houston. The End.


Be My Number Two (1984)
Joe Jackson
Being such an ignorant music listener, I was wondering who the heck is Joe Jackson? Sorry, the internet was still a dream back in the mid-80s. And a high school kid can only buy so much music tapes. Then I was hit by the sheer musical brilliance of this Jackson. Even if I'm so removed from his generation. Also a staple of any local showband worth its salt (or at least those who can play piano).


Once Bitten Twice Shy (1989)
Great White
With the glut of glam rock bands at the time who all sort of looked alike, I only paid interest to Great White after that horrific nightclub fire in 2003, where the pyrotechnics during their gig went wacko. Yes, they were still playing in 2003.


Nite And Day (1988)
Al B Sure!
Very vague recollection. Probably because Bobby Brown was getting all the headlines. Now I can catch up *lol*.


Jacob's Ladder (1986)
Huey Lewis & The News
A minor hit compared to Hip To Be Square and Stuck With You off the Fore! album. At least they beat the New Kids to the "Step by step..." chorus. *lol*


Under Pressure (1981)
Queen with David Bowie
Perhaps armed with the one of the most recognizable bass lines ever, this song demonstrates Queen's versatility and their ear for addictive hooks. Having Bowie aboard didn't hurt either. Then less than a decade later, somebody signed Vanilla Ice to a record deal. Now the first thing you associate with the bass line is ... yep, word to your mother.


Hold The Line (1978)
Toto
What th-? Another 70s tune strays into the playlist? Is it because the-band-whose-name-means-fart-if-you-spell-it-backwards was that technically proficient and ahead of their time too, that they sound so '80s in their debut album?


Oh, look. Its my stop. Bye.