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The A to Z Music Write-Off - Part III: O to ZJul 05 '05 Write an essay on this topic.
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Music was very important to me growing up. It was the one place I could go to get away from all the pressures of being a teen, from parents, from school. I could escape my fears and self-loathing. I could drift off into the worlds the artists talked about. On occasion, I found an artist who seemed to speak to me who seemed to know just how I felt. Those were rarities, but in one way or another music has been and always will be a big part of my life. I came of age in the early 80’s, so my list will be dominated by artists of that era. There are some from other eras as well. I saw the Rolling Stones live numerous times on the tour for Tattoo You and even had a friend of mine paint the back of my denim jacket with that album cover. The Kinks were another favorite of mine. Thanks to JAGUARDOG for hosting this write-off. If you’d like to join in or just read other entries, see: http://www.epinions.com/content_4389118084 . I tried to adhere to a male artist, a female artist, and a group for each letter, but in some cases I could just come up with one or two entries. It also became hard to figure out some of them. Artists like Bruce Springsteen, George Throgood, and others are as known for their work with their bands as they are as solo artists. In the end, I list at the most three artists for each letter. I also provide links to great reviews by other writers on the site of work by those artists. Yeah, I should write in music more. Shoulda, woulda, coulda…. O Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark - Known mostly by the shortened name OMD, this synth-band was formed by two friends who had played in bands together since school. They were popular primarily on the alternative radio stations in the U.S. until their song If You Leave was plucked for the soundtrack of the movie Pretty in Pink. http://www.vh1.com/artists/az/orchestral_manoeuvres_in_the_dark/bio.jhtml Osbourne, Ozzy - Every generation seems to have one. Before Ozzy, there was Alice Cooper. More recently, it’s been Marilyn Manson who’s earned parents’ undying hatred and blame for everything wrong with kids today. My generation had Ozzy. After being fired from the band Black Sabbath, Ozzy teamed with guitarist Randy Roads for a series of successful solo albums. Songs like Crazy Train and Flying High Again were hits in the hard-rock and metal crowds. However, more often than not his music was overshadowed by his crazy antics, many of which were misinterpreted and misrepresented. At one concert, Ozzy bit the head off of a live bat, believing the creature - thrown onstage by a fan - was fake. Guitarist Rhoads was killed in a plane accident while buzzing the band’s bus. There were multitudes of other incidents, possibly the result of his substance abuse. His career languished for a while until he began headlining Ozzfest, which was a summertime tour featuring himself along with other metal bands. A few years later, his family gained their own television series on MTV. http://www.vh1.com/artists/az/osbourne_ozzy/bio.jhtml The Oufield - Hailing from the East End of London, this British band named themselves after an American sport not once but twice (go figure, their original name was “The Baseball Boys”). Their first album, Play Deep contained the hits Say It Isn’t So and Your Love, which is still a favorite of mine when I hear it on the 80’s station. I know *all* of the words. The terrific vocals of Tony Lewis made me think they would be around a lot longer than they actually were. Despite recording a number of albums following the debut, they never managed to recreate the success they had. http://www.vh1.com/artists/az/outfield/bio.jhtml P Petty, Tom - I swear for a while there didn’t seem to be anything bad coming from Tom Petty in the 80’s, either with or without his band, The Heartbreakers. Hailing from northern Florida, Petty and the band actually first charted in the 70’s with Breakdown, of which it became a staple at concerts for him to let the audience sing the first verse and chorus for him. Songs like Don’t Do Me Like That and Refugee followed after the first of many disputes he would have with his record company. Hard Promises was released following another dispute, and Petty found himself in both the top 10 of the album and single charts. Petty played with numerous guest musicians throughout his career, including John Hiatt, Dave Stewart, Stevie Nicks, and Del Shannon. In 1988, he would team with Bob Dylan, Jeff Lynne, George Harrison, and Roy Orbison to form The Traveling Wilburys. http://www.vh1.com/artists/az/petty_tom/bio.jhtml Plant, Robert - I must confess, I was a fan of Robert Plant’s solo work before I became a fan of Led Zeppelin. Following the death of Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham, Plant struck out on his own and had a string of hits with songs like In The Mood, Big Log, and Tall Cool One. Never one to be typecast, he paid homage to rock -n- roll’s roots with his involvement in The Honeydrippers which produced the hits Rockin’ at Midnight and Sea of Love (which was my wedding song). He gives a killer live show as well - despite seeing him when I was seven months pregnant with my oldest daughter, she still favors hip hop sigh… http://www.vh1.com/artists/az/plant_robert/bio.jhtml The Police - My greatest memory of The Police is camping out overnight to get tickets for them at Shea Stadium. On the way to the show, we got caught in a terrific rainstorm and my car died. We missed the opening act, R.E.M., and then missed Joan Jett while waiting for friends who got us into the field level seats. It was worth all of that to see them! (And this was the second time I’d managed to catch them live.) Starting out as more of a punk band, The Police soon took the world by storm. Stewart Copeland and Sting met while doing their day jobs and formed the band, later bringing in veteran bass player Andy Summers. Roxanne was their first hit, mostly on alternative radio stations, and long before Eddie Murphy sang it in his jail cell in the film 48 Hours. While Message in a Bottle was a big hit in the U.K. and Europe, success in the States wouldn’t come until the album Zenyatta Mondatta with the hits De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da and Don’t Stand So Close To Me. The next two albums were blockbusters, with hits such as Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic and Every Breath You Take. The Police were everywhere; headlining the US Festival, Live Aid, and an Amnesty International concert. However, the friction between Stewart Copeland and Sting which had been building soon caused them to go their separate ways. http://www.vh1.com/artists/az/police/bio.jhtml Q Quarterflash - A band of the early 80’s, Quarterflash had some early success with songs like Harden My Heart and Find Another Fool. With Rindy Ross on vocals and some great saxophone work, their sound was terrific for one album, but they couldn’t seem to morph with the times and were soon left behind in the flurry of synth-bands. http://www.vh1.com/artists/az/quarterflash/bio.jhtml Queen - With it’s origins in psychedelic bands of the 60’s, Queen was an FM staple in the 70’s and carried the momentum through to the 80’s. Their early work such as Killer Queen, Bohemian Rhapsody, and Somebody to Love hold up just as well thirty years later. Later hits such as Crazy Little Thing Called Love and Another One Bites the Dust also hold up well. And what baseball team hasn’t celebrated a World Series victory y blasting We Will Rock You/We Are The Champions? In 1991 rumors about Freddie Mercury’s health began to circulate. In November he issued a statement confirming he had AIDS, then died the next day. The world still misses him. http://www.vh1.com/artists/az/queen/bio.jhtml Quiet Riot - One of the first metal bands to really make the most of MTV, Quiet Riot burst onto the scene in 1983 with the hits Cum On Feel The Noize and Metal Health. However, they’d been playing clubs in California for eight years until that success. Lead singer Kevin DuBrow began very vocally blaming everyone else in the band for their failure to capitalize on that success, and they were soon something akin to another one hit wonder. http://www.vh1.com/artists/az/quiet_riot/bio.jhtml R Raitt, Bonnie - Bonnie Raitt was around the music scene long before her breakout album Nick of Time - in fact, she had released nine albums prior to that one. Her first album was released in 1971, and the album that finally seemed to click with mass audiences was in 1989. In between, she was widely known in blues circles as well as for all of the benefit concerts she was involved in. Songs like Something to Talk About and I Can’t Make You Love Me finally brought her the mass audience which so deserved to hear her fantastic work. http://www.vh1.com/artists/az/raitt_bonnie/bio.jhtml Reed, Lou - Coming out of the New York City glam-rock scene with Velvet Underground as their androgynous lead singer, but it was his solo work which gave him more than just a cult following. Walk on the Wild Side was a top-20 hit He had great album sales, but not many singles hits as his music seemed off-putting to the clean-cut charts. http://www.vh1.com/artists/az/reed_lou/bio.jhtml Rolling Stones - How do you define a band that has been making music for *four* decades? The simple answer is that you don’t - you let the music speak for itself. While The Beatles had an image that was more clean-cut, The Stones were the “bad boys” and were sometimes censored. Let’s Spend the Night Together was changed to Let’s Spend Some Time Together on Ed Sullivan, and Satisfaction was completely banned for it’s backhanded reference to a girl having her period. Throughout the sixties, seventies and eighties they continued to make music and chart, capitalizing on the changing times. Miss You and Emotional Rescue were their interpretation of the disco era. With the Tattoo You album, The Stones dominated the charts and toured North America playing to sold-out stadiums. I saw them about six times on that tour, and had a denim jacket with that album cover painted on it. There wasn’t a show I saw that was bad. Although they never again achieved the chart dominance they had with songs such as Start Me Up and Waiting On A Friend, the continued to play sold-out shows, and still do. http://www.vh1.com/artists/az/rolling_stones/bio.jhtml S Springfield, Rick - The first time I ever saw Rick Springfield was on a Saturday morning cartoon show. The second time was getting blown out of space on the 2-hour premier of Battlestar Galactica. At the same time he landed the role of Dr. Noah Drake on General Hospital, he got a recording contract with RCA and released the album Working Class Dog. Hit singles like Jessie’s Girl and I’ve Done Everything For You (written by Sammy Hagar) coupled with his exposure catapulted him to the top of the charts an had him playing sold-out shows on weekends while going back to record the television show during the week. He almost burned himself out completely, and left the show at the end of his contract. However, his music career burned out soon afterward too, and a try at the silver screen didn’t meet with success either. http://www.vh1.com/artists/az/springfield_rick/bio.jhtml Springsteen, Bruce - Part singer, part songwriter, part guitarist, and part traveling preacher at times (I swear!), Bruce Springsteen is the one artist I think people will still be listening to and studying in 200 years. His lyrics are like poetry, creating a portrait in the listener’s mind. His live shows can’t be beat - trust me on this one, I’ve seen many of them in the last 25 years and not one of them was boring or even marginal. Hailing from working-class New Jersey, Springsteen burst onto the scene with his Dylan-esque lyrics. Manfred Mann covered Blinded By the Light, but Springsteen’s version is not to be missed. He was about to be dropped from the Columbia label when he released Born To Run and all hell broke loose. Suddenly he was at the top of the charts, getting radio airplay galore, and being heralded as the future of rock -n- roll. Extolled as the hero of the working-class, Springsteen’s lyrics often envision a world where things just don’t go as planned and where someone’s just trying to make his life better, or dreaming of a better life. His music has matured as he has with songs like Racing in the Street and Rosalita giving way to grittier music like Atlantic City, One Step Up and Brilliant Disguise. Throughout the years he’s recorded on and off with his backup band, The E Street Band. Most find him superior when working with them, whether live or in the studio. Springsteen won an Academy Award for the song Philadelphia, from the movie of the same name. Throughout it all, he’s never been afraid to try something different musically, but his lyrics have consistently been top-notch. http://www.vh1.com/artists/az/springsteen_bruce/bio.jhtml If you want a treat, read all of the links to Drew’s reviews of Springsteen albums in the review linked above. They are all fantastic. Squeeze - Squeeze was my favorite band in high school, easily. Everyone in school knew I was crazy about them, specifically Glenn Tilbrook. A highlight was meeting both Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook at a record store here on Long Island in the late 80’s. Coming out of the British punk scene, Squeeze was signed by Miles Copeland. Despite numerous hits in the U.K. which received plenty of airplay on the alternative stations in the U.S. Despite working with numerous big-name producers, such as Dave Edmunds and Elvis Costello, they never seemed to be ale to crack the singles charts, not even with Tempted which peaked at #44. Hits like Another Nail in My Heart, Pulling Mussels from the Shell, and Black Coffee In Bed also fell short, the latter despite a nice video in rotation on MTV. The band disbanded in 1982, although Difford and Tilbrook continued working together. In 1985 they reunited and began playing together. In 1987, the album Babylon and On was released and Squeeze finally got the success and notoriety they so richly deserved with hits like Hourglass and 853-5937. http://www.vh1.com/artists/az/squeeze_1/bio.jhtml T Talking Heads - Literally art-school punks, the band made up of David Byrne, Chris Frantz, Tina Weymouth, and Jerry Harrison got their start opening up for The Ramones at New York City punk club CBGBs. A staple on the alternative stations in the 70’s and 80’s, their intellectual lyrics and quirky style combined with David Byrne’s vocals made for songs in a style all their own. Hits like Psycho Killer, Life During Wartime, and Love For Sale made for a unique sound in the middle of all the synth-bands out there. Their forays onto the silver screen fared well. Jonathan Demme directed their concert film Stop Making Sense and David Byrne directed cult-hit True Stories. The band officially broke up in 1991, but their music is completely timeless and is just as much fun to listen to now as it was all those years ago. http://www.vh1.com/artists/az/talking_heads/bio.jhtml Thorogood, George - Consistently selling out areas around the country in the 80’s and good airplay on FM rock stations helped make a success story of this blues-rock-guitarist hailing from Delaware. With a sound like no other on the radio at the time, Thorogood and his band, The Destroyers, managed hits like Bad to the Bone, One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer, and Move It On Over. The video for Bad to the Bone was in heavy rotation on MTV, and it made it as the theme song for the movie Christine, based on the Stephen King novel. http://www.vh1.com/artists/az/thorogood_george/bio.jhtml Turner, Tina - It’s hard to believe just how long Tina Turner has been making music. A boss I had in the late 80’s spent time extolling the virtues of her legs - this was about a woman who had started making music in the 50’s! After divorcing herself from the wife-beater Ike Turner, Tina had a string of hits In the 80’s which included a remake of Let’s Stay Together, followed in short order by What’s Love Got to Do With It and Better Be Good To Me, both with lyrics fitting a battered woman asserting herself in the shadow of her earlier life. She was embraced by various stars of the 80’s, with Cy Curnin of The Fixx appearing in the video for Better Be Good To Me and working with Heaven 17 on a remake of Ball of Confusion. http://www.vh1.com/artists/az/tina_turner/bio.jhtml U U2 - I first saw U2 the same place I saw Duran Duran, at a little club here on Long Island called Malibu with a fake ID. They are a band that means more to me on a deep level as well, since the love of their music was something I shared with someone special who’s no longer in this world. I honestly believe the time I got 10th row floor seats for them through Ticketmaster had some divine intervention. With a layered guitar sound reminiscent of the punk scene, coupled with the use of synthesizers indisputably from the early 80’s, U2 managed to create a unique sound that lived well beyond the lives of other synth-pop bands. Spurred by slick videos in heavy rotation in the early days of MTV, U2 achieved hits with Gloria, I Will Follow, and New Year’s Day. I honestly believe that it’s the guitar work by The Edge that’s separated U2 from many of the other bands of this era, and it’s represented best (IMHO) on Where The Streets Have No Name, in addition to a fine vocal performance by lead singer Bono. The nice thing is that U2 has managed to incorporate spirituality and political activism into their music and their lives. I’ve said to more than one person that I think I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For is one of the most deeply spiritual songs I’ve ever heard (especially when backed up with a choir). Likewise, if you’ve never heard Pride in the Name of Love and not been moved by the comparisons made between Jesus and Martin Luther King Jr., you’ve missed out on a spiritual experience. http://www.vh1.com/artists/az/u2/bio.jhtml V Van Halen - Throughout three lead singers, Van Halen has remained a force to be reckoned with from the late 70’s through the early 90’s. This was primarily due to the amazing guitar talend of Eddie Van Halen and the strong bond between him, brother Alex, and Michael Anthony. The band got their start playing cover gigs in Southern California, but were soon working their own material into the act. Their first album got plenty of airplay on the album-rock FM stations, which played Runnin’ With the Devil and a cover of The Kinks You Really Got Me in heavy rotation. What really marked the turning point for the band, though, was the advent of MTV, which showman David Lee Roth was perfectly suited for. The videos for their cover of Pretty Woman, Hot For Teacher, and Panama were staples in heavy rotation at the network and helped bring Van Halen to a massive audience. In 1984, Roth was fired from the band and replaced with Sammy Hagar. The band continued to have hits, albeit with a different sound. Dreams with a video including the Navy’s Blue Angels was a favorite of mine, and there were hits with Finish What Ya Started and Why Can’t This Be Love. Hagar was then fired from the band in 1995. A third singer, Gary Cherone, never quite connected with Van Halen’s audience. http://www.vh1.com/artists/az/van_halen/bio.jhtml Gino Vanelli - Despite a few moderate successes with songs like Black Cars, I Just Want To Stop, People Gotta Move and Living Inside Myself, Vannelli’s smooth melodic vocals never gained him much recognition. It’s too bad because he’s a better vocalist than many others during this same time. Black Cars was a favorite remix of mine that I still have on my favorites play list on my iPod. http://www.vh1.com/artists/az/vannelli_gino/bio.jhtml W Waite, John - Formerly of The Babys and Bad English, John Waite also achieved success as a solo artist. Songs like When I See You Smile and Missing You with an accompanying memorable video (never wear headphones at home - you won’t hear the phone ring. Also, I’ve never seen a telephone smash like that, ever) made him a highly successful solo artist http://www.vh1.com/artists/az/waite_john/bio.jhtml Wilson Phillips - Representing the second generation of rock music, this trio of daughter of rock legends sprang onto the scene in the early 90’s with a harmonious vocal sound. Songs like Hold On and Release Me highlighted those vocals, but the novelty wore thin and the band broke up in 1993. http://www.vh1.com/artists/az/wilson_phillips/bio.jhtml The Who - I saw The Who at Shea Stadium in 1983 (their farewell tour). I know the exact date because I recently came across the yearbook I have for the class of 㣷 at my high school and there are an inordinate number of us wearing The Who concert shirts, myself included. I can remember about two dozen of us sitting on the field level seats singing along with Love Reign O’Er Me In the rain. Definitely a spiritual experience. This is another band that managed to transform themselves throughout the 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s. From their rock opera, Tommy through their hit Athena, they produced strong albums and terrific songs. But success had it’s price for The Who. In 1979 concertgoers in Cincinnati rushed the venue to get the best seats under “festival seating”. The Who took the stage that night, not realizing the tragedy that had occurred earlier resulting in the trampling deaths of 11 attendees. This was just a little over a year after the death of drummer Keith Moon from a drug overdose, and the strain of it all affected all the remaining members of the band. Just as the band was about to embark on a tour in 2002, John Entwistle was found dead in his hotel room in Las Vegas. http://www.vh1.com/artists/az/who/bio.jhtml X XTC - Before Sinead O’Connor tore up a picture of the Pope; before Madonna publicly mocked all things Roman Catholic there was XTC with an open letter to God, Dear God. They challenged beliefs and society, and unfortunately weren’t heard of much outside of the alternative stations. Their legacy remains as they are a staple on the new wave station on SIRIUS and their one song that garnered the most attention is possibly even more relevant today than when it was first aired. http://www.vh1.com/artists/az/xtc/bio.jhtml Y Young, Paul - Coming from England at the height of the second British Invasion with bands like Duran Duran and Wham,. Paul Young was more obscure with his soulful voice crooning on his hit singles. He broke through to the top-40 airplay with his version of Every Time You Go Away, but there were other terrific songs that you didn’t hear often - if at all - on the pop stations. My personal favorite is Come Back and Stay, but if you can get your hands on an extended version of I’m Gonna Tery Your Playhouse Down, you’re in for a treat (and he’s not too bad to look at either). http://www.vh1.com/artists/az/young_paul_1_/bio.jhtml Z Zevon, Warren - Best known for his rendition of Werewolves of London, his body of work is definitely worth a harder look if you’ve never sampled him outside of the one well-known hit. His lyrics are wonderful and the bluesy sound to his music really makes his work the kind you can play all afternoon and not get tires of hearing it. http://www.vh1.com/artists/az/zevon_warren/bio.jhtml ZZ Top - Southern blues rock in the 70’s and 80’s was defined by this little ol’ band from Texas. They had gained attention in the music world with the hit La Grange, but it was the release of the album Eliminator and the use of a continuing theme in their music videos for songs like Gimme All Your Lovin’, Sharp Dressed Man, and Legs that really catapulted them into the stratosphere. They were tapped to provide a song for Back to the Future III and even made an appearance in the film. With their long beards, they looked quite natural in a desert town of the late 1800’s. http://www.vh1.com/artists/az/zz_top/bio.jhtml Part I: http://www.epinions.com/content_4410220676 Part II: http://www.epinions.com/content_4414480516 © 2005 Patti Aliventi  |
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