Vids from back in gowaltrip's day

I tried staying within a 3-4 year period. I might have stretched it to 5. The aim was typically between 1981 - 1986 which put me at the ages of 14 - 19. Very molding years for me including my musical tastes. I picked these songs because they were some of the more catchy songs of the day and what me and my friends were digging. MTV sprung to life at the same time so we were the generation that was getting to see music video tv when it happened. So most of this stuff is the stuff that was the hits and not really digging deep into a band's archives or way deep into an album to find something I liked. This was right on the surface and out there where everyone was subjected to it.

I seen Ozzy 3 times and unlike you, I always thought he could sing. Talking is another subject. I remember at one concert I had worked my way up to the front row and I was in front of Jake E. Lee's feet as they played Bark at the Moon, so it was always one of my favorites. Ozzy doesn't have the same feel to me now as he did then, but during my youth he was a heavy hitter for me.

I remember 1983 was the year of the Ratt and Round and Round was tearing up the charts, but it was Wanted Man that me and my friends were into strictly because Warren Dimartini was shredding it up during these solos. You have to remember this was when I was getting my first guitars and guitarists were something me and my friends were digging. Ironically, I only seen Ratt once. My friend totaled his car on the way drinking and driving. He missed the show. The rest of us hopped a ride with other concert goers who seen us standing next to the car and knowing we were going to the show. It took hitch-hiking to get home. However, the show was a disappointment and not long after Ratt was on their way down. I did like their 1st two albums though.

I won't apologize for liking Van Halen then. I know a little bit better now, but still Eddie Van Halen and the boys were simply amazing. If I had to rate one of the best shows I ever seen, the original Van Halen was one of them.

I chose Peter Gabriel and the like because like you, this wasn't really my style but back then, this was catchy and you couldn't help but watch it. And now looking back, it looks very ground breaking for what it was. Shock the Monkey was one of the 1st really good videos I ever seen, even if it wasn't my type of music. It was creative and that is why I dug it.

Not really a Robert Plant fan that much but everyone wanted to learn how to play Big Log back in the day. I still think the song is melodically beautiful.

Most people have forgotten TV Dinners by ZZ Top. I always dug the crunchy clean sound they had. I remember seeing their shows and it was just a good time being on the floor. Not that I was a dancer, but practically everyone was dancing on the floor when I seen them. Correction...it was more like boogy-dancing. Chicks loved bouncing up and down to them. I loved being on the floor to do it too.

I was never a big fan of Dio, but this album was hard to ignore. Dio was someone I wanted to dislike, but I couldn't help but like what he was doing. He had the right idea.

Stone Cold by Rainbow is just pretty music. The long intro which is a bit cut off here, is one of the best intros of all time. I always loved the song and Richie Blackmore's solo is just perfect. I will never get tired of this song.

I ran by Flock of Seaguls is in the P. Gabriel thing. Not really my main thing, but this was always fun to listen to. To be honest with you, for what it is, and although it is easy to play, still....this song rocks. Even simple jams can kick ass as long as everyone is jamming. And honestly, the real players here (not the 1 finger lead singer....which I always loved that about this video), everyone else is really going at it with good timing. Nothing hard to play, just going at it hard and with very good timing to sound real fun to listen to. Flock of Seaguls was a perfect representation of the early 80s.

I seen Autograph with Van Halen before they had ever released an album and before this hit. Van Halen was always known to have unknown or lesser known front bands. I think it was because they could easily blow them away, which they did here. About 6 months after I seen them, this song came out and I instantly loved it. The solo is kick ass. Unfortunately, they never did much of anything after this. So this is really my only fond Autograph memory.

I didn't care for Talking Heads back then, but this video I always found interesting. Now when I watch it, I love it. I love the movie playing on the side of the house and especially David Byrne's face on the road. That is just classic. It sums up the 80's right there. Moments like that make me wish I could go back.

I always thought Balls to the Wall rocked, but funny, when I seen them, I forget who they opened up for, but it was like a whole bunch of songs no one knew. Sounded a lot like AC/DC with some madman fronting the band. The thing that was funny is Balls to the Wall had just become a hit and wasn't exactly well known yet and didn't get a lot of airplay. When they were playing the song, hardly anyone knew it until they got to the Chorus of "You get your balls to the wall" and then everyone just went into a damn frenzy! We all realized it was THE song at the exact same time. I always wished they had more hits because honestly, I think the song is very catchy.

The Fixx was popular with the girls and a lot of them had the "Reach the Beach" album. I always dug this song strictly for the bass line and the guitar has a nice vibe going on in it. I really don't care about anything else this band did, but this song I've always enjoyed. The bass line actually gets harder the longer the song goes and anything that is a challenge is something I'm going to get into easier.

Not a big fan of Queen, but I'll say it right here, that Dragon Attack kicks royal ass! The bass is frantic to keep up with, especially during the solo, Brian May is just screeching his guitar and the beat is groovy. Far too often, I think Freddie Mercury sounds gay and in this video he definitely looks gay, but he doesn't really sound gay on this song if you didn't actually see it. Dragon Attack will forever be my favorite Queen song.

Rush will always be one of my favorite bands simply because for a 3 piece band, they could make a wall of sound. I think Geddy Lee is a great bass player and no one ever leaves Neil Peart out of the talk of one of the great drummers. I think Alex Lifeson is extremely under rated, but knows his role well and really completes Rush's sound. I'll always listen to them because I enjoy bass. But really, the band knows how to jam and that's why I like them. This was a period where they got into the techno-poppy sound of this era sorta like Styx did with Mr. Roboto. They kinda adapted into it and eventually out of it. Their moments of greatness have been hit and miss. I don't like everything they have done, but I'll always dig the band regardless.

Looking back now when its been over 25 years, I don't know if I would place all of these in such high regard now. A lot of them I would but a few may drop down the charts some. All Im saying is back then, when I was a teenager, these were some of the songs of my day. There is certainly a hell of a lot more of them. And I tried to give a good mix to what I picked because it wasn't all just heavy rock or metal. I love a lot of songs from back then. But this represents fairly well the kind of things I was into back then. Maybe when I feel like it, I'll add some more down the road. For now though, I'm not ashamed to say I liked these. To each their own.