Completely Conspicuous 427: Reeling in the Years, 1981 (Part 3)

Part 3 of my conversation with guest Brian Salvatore as we look back at the music of 1981. Listen to the episode below or download directly.
 

Show notes:
- Recorded via Skype
- Check out Brian's podcast Input/Output
- Brian's #3
- Prince starts pushing the envelope
- Prince in the '80s was nearly untouchable
- Jay's #3
- A childhood favorite
- Moving Pictures encapsulated everything Rush had been working toward
- Side 1 was killer
- Brian's #2
- Kraftwerk ran with robotic sounds
- A version is touring again
- Jay's #2
- The Police start to become a commercial success
- Stewart Copeland's drumming was revolutionary for the time
- Should Brian drop big coin to see Sting and Peter Gabriel live?
- Brian's #1
- Damaged is close to the definitive Black Flag album
- Jay's #1
- Van Halen's creative peak
- Angrier sounding
- Next up: 1995

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.

Completely Conspicuous 426: Reeling in the Years, 1981 (Part 2)

Part 2 of my conversation with guest Brian Salvatore as we look back at the music of 1981. Listen to the episode below or download directly.
 

Show notes:
- Recorded via Skype
- Check out Brian's podcast Input/Output
- Elvis Costello released two albums in '81
- Solo albums from Phil Collins, Debbie Harry, Ronnie Wood, Peter Cetera, Lindsay Buckingham
- Bands formed: The Alarm, Anthrax, Metallica, Bangles, Beastie Boys, Butthole Surfers, Run DMC, Sonic Youth
- Broke up: Bay City Rollers, Steely Dan, Wings, Buzzcocks
- Bubbling under albums
- Brian: Ramones, Kinks
- Jay: Phil Collins, The Who, Tom Petty, Billy Squier
- A few years later, Squier kills his career with "Rock Me Tonite" video
- Brian: Lounge Lizards debut, Tom Tom Club, Replacements, Pretenders
- That time Brian pissed off Lurie on Twitter
- Jay: Gun Club, Black Sabbath, Motley Crue, Def Leppard, Gang of Four
- Brian's #5
- Byrne and Eno basically invent sampling
- Jay's #5
- The Stones bounce back with odds and sods collection that hits big
- The last time they weren't considered a nostalgia act
- To be continued

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.

Completely Conspicuous 425: Reeling in the Years, 1981 (Part 1)

Part 1 of my conversation with guest Brian Salvatore as we look back at the music of 1981. Listen to the episode below or download directly.
 
Show notes:
- Recorded via Skype
- Check out Brian's podcast Input/Output
- In 1981, Jay was 13 and Brian wasn't born yet
- Jay: Lived in Canada for most of the year, then moved to U.S.
- Listened to a lot of hard rock and AOR
- Toronto radio was cool but a few years from becoming heavily formatted
- A lot of solo albums
- Beginnings of indie rock
- Lots of soft rock on the charts
- The Stones had a resurgence in '81
- Old rockers were in their 30s and 40s then
- Death of Lennon hung over the music scene
- Hall and Oates left a strong legacy of pop hits
- The puzzling Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame selection process
- The strange popularity of Steve Miller
- "Under Pressure" has become bigger as years passed
- MTV's debut in August 1981
- USA Network premiered "Night Flight"
- REO Speedwagon's one breakout year
- Ozzy's comeback continues
- To be continued

Completely Conspicuous is available through the iTunes podcast directory. Subscribe and write a review!

The opening and closing theme of Completely Conspicuous is "Theme to Big F'in Pants" by Jay Breitling. Find out more about Senor Breitling at his fine music blog Clicky Clicky. Voiceover work is courtesy of James Gralian.