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The Voices of Reason
80s Music Videos
Back in 80s, MTV was born, and music videos suddenly became a major cultural phenomenon. This week the Voices give us their thoughts on which video best reflects that decade. Read more.
Click here for next week's Voices of Reason question regarding bad travel ideas.
Rant and Rave: Rave—Oingo Boingo's Farewell concert, October 31, 1995—I had seen Boingo once before at San Diego State, and that show was disappointing. I remember that the best part of that show was discovering the pre-opening band, a bunch of nobodies who were playing some rap/rock/funk fusion. I think they were called 311. But I remained a loyal fan, and was fortunate enough to get tickets to what promised to be one of the best concerts I had ever seen. And it was. The show took place at the Universal Amphitheater, the traditional venue for Boingo's annual Halloween concert. The band had announced in advance that this would be their last show, so the place was packed with diehard fans. For those who have forgotten Boingo, they were part of the LA music scene for 17 years, with their lead singer Danny Elfman also having a productive career as a film and television composer. On this night, though, Elfman and company were just a band playing in front of their hometown fans, and giving them everything they could ever want, especially by closing the night with their song Goodbye, Goodbye. It was absolutely perfect. |
"Love Is a Battlefield" and Other
Marvels of Western Civilization
Many years ago, MTV used to get various musicians to claim, "Too much is never enough." Clearly, this was long before the advent of Tivo. Now, people have the ability to record and watch 20 straight hours of "We Are the 80s," as Jeff did this past week. Read More.
Memories of MTV
For every generation, music always plays a key role in defining the times. The children of the 80s, though, were the first to have televised images associated with their music. Here Martell shares his memories of the early years of music television. Read More.
Ronnie James Dio, Comic Genius
Many people consider Ronnie James Dio to be nothing more than a heavy metal musician. But in the eyes of Mr. Lewis, he is a man of many talents. Here we revisit his tribute to Dio, the Jerry Lewis of the guitar. Read More.
