Lampy's recollection of Teri Hatcher in Bob's favourite show, "The Love Boat" got me thinking about some of the other wonderfull memories from the 80's.

Mullets of course, would be at or near the top of the list, but I was thinking about something less obvious, like the Chrysler K-car, the Goth look, any show with Bob Saget in it, Rambo ect....

I think the only thing I liked from the 80's was the emergence of SRV. What ever happened to Vernon Reid?

Never mind....I just Googled him.

Distorted guitar solos in EVERYTHING.

How about all that left over disco ?

Pink Floyd: The wall part whatever

Rolling Stones: Emotional Rescue

Grateful Dead: Shakedown Street

oops. Floyd and the Dead were released at the end of the 70's

The 80s were horrifying but like New Year's Eve fireworks it came in with a promising bang.
AC/DC's Back in Black album - 1980

However in the same year, Air Supply released, I'm All Out of Love. Soon the rightious wails of Bruce Dickinson were being weakened by the noxious hair spray of Debbie Gibson.

I'm pretty sure the ongoing war between once classic metal and over commercialized pop became the inspiration for George Lucas's Dark Side/Light side storyline.

In the end, glam rock killed both sides and there was no winner. In it's wake of gender confused makeup mayhem and purposely destroyed jeans, it sucked what little life was left in the creative music industry that was not already destroyed by over-commercialized pop.

I'll admit I was sucked in by a lot of the above. Somewhere, where none of you will ever find it!!!! is a photo (on paper that shall never be digitized) of me and my buddies at the age of 16 or so participating in a lip sych contest performing "Nothin but a Good Time" by "Poison".

Prince made an interesting comment at his recent concert my wife and I attended. He made the point of saying to the audience that his music was played by real artists and real musicians. I can't agree more.

Rock_Head will appreciate this:

The first album (*) released in the 1980s was Permanent Waves, released 1/1/80.

Then Rush got into a synth phase, and while I do like Signals and Power Windows, I'm glad that Alex's guitar is more crunchy and less blingy now. Pardon my use of high-level music terminology.

(*) Yeah, it's not the only album released that day. Also released that day: Iron Maiden's self-titled album, and Heart's Greatest Hits, among others, I'm sure.

Moving Pictures came after Permanent Waves. That didn't suck.

I enjoyed the 80's, because I was 17-27 years old during that time. Seems like I was mostly listening to 70's music, though.

But I don't think it is genuine to dismiss the entire decade musically, since a number of artists offered us some gems. For instance, in addition to SRV and Rush, Dire Straits, Genesis, Yes, The Who, Pete Townsend, Richard Thompson, Peter Gabriel, Joe Jackson, John Hiatt, Lyle Lovett, U2 and Paul Simon all did some of their best work in the 80's.

I *like* distorted guitar solos.

The thing that makes the 80's horrifying to me, is that you were all in high school, or junior high. For a few of you, it was grade school.

No decade is ever a win or a loss when it comes to creative pursuits. There will always be some of the worst of the worst getting most of the big attention, but some of the highest quality endeavors are brought to light in each month, in every year, in every decade. Established artists may still at their peak and new ones that will come along who will enjoy warranted staying power. All of your own fave lists include them.

And you're omiting the absolute greatest influence ever on pop/rock music and it's consumption that DEFINED the 80's---globally---the music video.

What am I saying? I'm talking to the Barney crowd, and I don't mean Barney's NY. They didn't sell childrens' sizes in the 80's.

You forgot to say either "whippersnapper" or "punk". I'm sure it was just an oversight.

I am a product of growing up in the 80's (grade school/junior high).

That fact should be horrifying enough for most.

To followup on Tom's post, I was 12-22 for that decade.

I enjoyed the end of new wave (Cars, Blondie, DEVO). I really enjoyed Men At Work, though they haven't stood the test of time like the Police, who everybody else in high school favored.

Saw my first concert in 1985: Sting, Dream of the Blue Turtles tour. Saw Rush twice.

Was part of the end of the Athens scene - R.E.M, Guadalcanal Diary were my favorites. Everyone in college liked the Smiths; I caught on later.

Jeesh. I was 28 to 38. Got married had a kid, had a bad marriage, then got divorced in early 90's.

Amen to that, Bob. I began the decade at 35 and ended it at 45. YIKES!

I'm only 8 years behind you, Jack, which to these pre-whelped sucklings means we're exactly the same age.

A popular recent bumper sticker I see: I may be old, but I got to see all the cool bands!

Archival concert footage, my ass.

That's more like it!

3-13. Sorry y'all.

Tom, I like distorted guitar solos, too, but when they show up in pop music, someone's trying too hard.

I am waiting for Amie to post a picture with her 80's hair style. If she does I will scan and post my 1987 senior yearbook photo. It is possible we had the same hair.

The first REM song I ever heard was radio free europe.

One of my favor cassettes of all time was Rock 80. It had Driver's Seat by Sniff n the Tears.

Is that from South Carolina scripture?

Sigue Sigue Sputnik.

14-24 yoa during the 80s. The neon/fluorescent color/fashion was THE most horrifying thing in my books and that fashion crossed over into the early 90's

I wore the light blue NIKE sneakers with the yellow stripes.

and waffle soles

17-27 here.

I liked that age bracket, but not an awful lot of the music or trends of the decade.

I accept your hair challenge throw-down . . . only because I just got a packet of actual pictures in the mail from a childhood friend!



Details for the non-initiated:
1. I was always camera-shy
2. That's the back side of The Wave bangs, very chic in rural Ontario circa 1988
3. It was okay for your hair to be an indeterminate length and wavy. This did not make you a bad person until 1991.

Bring it on!

the worst (in fashion) that i remember of the 80's is the bat style suits; i don't know how they were actually named.

my skin at the time used to glow under UV fluorescent lighting.
working in photolabs, i sometimes had to put my hands in the stabilizing bath for photo paper processing; the chemicals included some "brightening agents" so the photo whites would look whiter.
when i would go in a place where there were UV fluorescent lights, my hands and arms and jeans would glow bright green in the dark, because sometimes i would dry my hands on my jeans and i would forget to wash before leaving work.

i would love to see if today's super white teeth would do the same under UV lighting.

We need to start the 17-27 club, there's a few of us, I believe.

OH oh, 17-27 here too! Is this a trend?(technolgy not fashion,Bob).

LOL! Very good, Amie.

I first met my wife in '89 and her hair style was exactly like Amie's.

Dang. I will get my picture up but I need a little time. Two things. My old old old scanner does not work with my new computer and I need to find my yearbook. But I promise I will get it posted. I did not have hair that long anymore but I did in junior high in1982 and 1983.

Lampshade 1987

This picture was me after a haircut. Prior to this "look" I had really long hair. Think Hanson Brothers from Slapshot. My yearbook had a few other pictures where my hair was longer and curly but just didn't scan well. If I can ever find my Jr High yearbook I could show you my Howard Stern hair. If you were wondering, I am not wearing hairspray in this picture and I still have a full head of hair.

I'd post a pic from the 80s, but I spent most of it looking like Joey Ramone's son.

Bren R.

Bren is back !!!!!!!!WOOT!!!!!!!!!!
I had a feeling this was the post that could do it.

The fact that the 80s were pretty much that most reviled time in all of history to me?

Leaving the Spanish Inquisition, the Dark Ages and that week I spent in Saskatchewan in the dust?

Bren R.

Good to see you, Bren!

Here's a picture of me from the late 1980s. Must have been either senior year of high school or freshman year of college. I'm the guy on the left.

Captioning contest starts ... now!

Isn't the fact that the guy next to you is petting your pussy reason enough not to post this?

That looks like the OS/2 Warp development team photo or something.

Bren R.

Good to see you, Bren!

EGAD! He was starting to look like Freud already.

Hi Bren! Good to see you again.

Haha, well you can add me to the group of pre-whelped sucklings. 3-13 for me.
I attended concerts by Eurythmics, Thompson Twins, George Thorogood, Genesis, Phil Collins, Police, and Pink Floyd. Not all bad if you ask me.
... oh and what's wrong with a mullet anyways? I swear they're coming back!

Thanks for the welcomes back, all...

Well, Jack, J.P., Andrew/Murph and Mark "the port chuffer".

Bren R.

Hey, Bren, have you heard this one?

Knock, knock.

Who's there?

Banana.

Banana Who?

Knock, knock.

Who's there?

Banana.

Banana Who?!

Knock, knock.

Who's there?!

Banana.

Banana Who?!!!

Knock, knock.

Who's there?

Negative Orange.

Negative Orange Who?

Negative Orange you glad I didn't say banana?



Halloween dance, 1988

Ah, J.P...

I'm never sure which side of the couch you should be on.

Bren R.

That's why he is so good at what he does (or so we have assumed)
Welcome back Bren!

I just happen to have a pic from the 80s, too. This one was taken in 1985 when I was living in Caracas, Venezuela. I'm using a rare (for the time and place) piece of equipment.

Here's a year later Peter, 1986...

Mid 1980s.

More proof that fashionable Axiomites sported mustaches in the 80s!

This was in the early 80s, when I was a holdout for the 70s styles:


And when I could resist "looking" 1980s no longer:

Cool!

The first one looks like it came from the liner notes of a classic rock CD. Awesome.

The second one is ... very 80s indeed!

Just caught sight of your pic, Rick - it was hiding on the previous page. Nice!

Sorry I'm so late to this party. Got right past me.

That was sooo 80's. Now, when one already has an ethnic boyfriend and a cat, you're supposed to buy and ASIAN child, not a white one. Glad you got all the "reorientation" therapy you needed.

Which presented first, the Marfan's or Ronnie James Dio?
I'd title it, "Anatomical Salute in Yellow." (OK, your palms are supposed to be showing, but we ALL know why you hid them.)

Behold, the majesty of 1986:



Bren R.

Fair's fair, so here's 1976

Carlos Santana

And here's the mean guy you all know, fully flowered in 1981! I had just finished 18 months of chemotherapy and my first year of grad school.
I weighed 130! You met me @ 165!

Gee, even back then I always looked like I was ready to bite someone.

I got hassled a lot on the street looking like that. Then Iran released the hostages and things got lighter.

That was your inside spread from SBQ (Suicide Bombers Quarterly)?


Bren R.

Hey, Bren. We don't "know" each other, but since so many of the a-holes around here seem really glad that you're back, I'll consider that a good thing.

We didn't blow ourselves up back then. We just took hostages or blew up things and other people at consulates, on cruise ships, on trains, (Anyone remember the South Malukan (sp?) Terrorists, The Bader-Meinhoff Gang? No?), train stations, hotels, Olympic Villages, planes and airport concourses, etc. We were self-preservationists back then. I don't know when it all got so solipsistic.

I nominate this thread for Thread of the Year.

Keep 'em coming.

Well, you kind of usurped my place, I used to be the resident tongue-as-sharp-as-my-wit one around here.

Then life got in the way and I couldn't find the time I used to to spread my humour and that itchy, flaky groin thing around here.

Oh, and it's Baader-Meinhof.

Bren R.

Bren, I was aware only that I had usurped Craig's token standing. I told Tom that would not go down easily and that Craig wouldn't hang around here anymore. Tom doubted me. Craig and I both knew the unwritten rule, "OFPF," and one of us had to go.

Since you are not gay, the one-fag-per-forum rule does not apply. Since there is no recognized OAPF rule, I think we're good.

Go ahead. Push "Notify!" I know Amie's not asleep right now, so I won't feel as bad as I have in the past when she's been woken just to slap me.

Oh, c'mon, now, Mark... that's a bit harsh. I spent 2.5 years in the dating scene in my 30s... and made it out.

The pills J.P. has been sending out (the red ones taste like cherry!) have helped, but when I close my eyes, I still see the blind date that grabbed me by the throat (she survived) and the internet date that told me on the first date that I'd make great babies.

Bren R.

But there's nary a forum member here that hasn't thought you'd make great babies!!??

Thanks for the clarification, was hoping you didn't mean the "Office Français de Prévoyance Funéraire" - the French Office of Funeral Foresight.

No need to hit "notify" - you seem pretty harmless and amusing. Though I hadn't actually guessed your orientation. Guess I'll have to get my Gaydar looked at, seems to be malfunctioning.

Bren R.

Wait.

Bob is gay?

Now, if Bigwyres would just make an appearance, the circle would be complete.

That's just the beginning, the stories I could tell on anything but a public forum.

I hunt boars for sport, and I've still never been as frightened as looking down the barrel of a single woman on the prowl with an ovary full of eggs approaching their "best before" date.

As a friend once said "it's like digging through the garbage for a steak".

Finally found one, though. Sitting right on top.

Bren R.

Hey, no worries - I got the entire forum to sign a non-disclosure agreement. Anybody squeals, then I cut off their cherry pills.

Fire away!

For those of you who want your own black cherry pills, here's a cut-out of the box they will arrive in.



Crafts like these will improve your manual dexterity, the better to write checks with.

That sounds a bit drastic.

Oh, you mean actual pharmaceuticals... right.

Bren R.

I remember thinking Bruce Willis and Sylvester Stalone were actually cool in the 80's. Might as well through Awwnie in there too.

I love this, LOL

I LOVED the 80's! 20 plus years later, I suppose I haven't changed much except my hair is much less "Duran Duran" now!


Senior picture 1988...the sexy "over the shoulder" pose!


After prom party 1988

Yeah, I keep thinking it would be fun to have one for the 70s, but most of you, evidently, would just be showing toddler or zygote pics.....

PS- Mary, I LOVE your senior pic!

Me too Mary. The eyes, hair, dramatic pose. It screams out to be on an album cover, confirming my theory you are a retired rock star.

This thread is awesome. Good work everybody!


And Mary, I still listen to Duran Duran!

I found some pics but can't find a scanner in working order.

I dunno.

I get more of a Hollywood Brat Pack vibe to it.

I misread the title to "The Horrifying M80's". I was wondering why my favourite speakers are horrifying.

Glad to have misread.

Your M80s could only be horrifying if you dressed them in MC Hammer pants.

Of course, if you WERE to do that, photos would be awesome!

M80's with a mullet wouldn't look too good either, imo.

But they would sell better in Arkansas.

I'm imagining Mark trying hard to pick a Southern state that is not represented by an active Axiomoe ... just because he's mean in a nice way like that.

Nah. I pretty much would have said Arkansas in any case!