Welcome to WEEK 185 of 4T! (Video Episode #11) 10,000 Maniacs – In My Tribe (1987) The Slow Burn https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_My_Tribe Remember Lilith Fair? Remember how it was the “first” time that women in rock were famous and getting respect, and how that would change everything? That attitude pretty much summed up all of the 1990s. I still have huge nostalgia for that decade, and I do believe lots of important issues were brought to the forefront in every field. I’m not even going to knock the fact that there was actual progress being made. But as with all growth, what we thought of as the be all end all of revolutions pales in comparison to the strides that were made after. A
Welcome to WEEK 184 of 4T! (Video Episode #10) Agent Orange – This is the Voice (1986) Ya Gotta Understand https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/This_Is_the_Voice When you’re in high school, you’re looking for two wildly divergent things. First, you’re looking to belong. That’s different for everyone – and as the practically-a-documentary The Breakfast Club taught us, where you belong can be entirely up to you. The point is finding like-minded people one way or another, so you’re not a total outcast or adrift on a sea of isolation. Second, you’re looking for your identity. You want to know who you really are, and how deeply that’s driven is based on so many factors, not the least of which is h
Welcome to WEEK 183 of 4T! (Video Episode #9) Chicago – (1967-present) Why? – Devolution! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_(band) How is it that a band mostly known for its awesome but highly cheesy 1980s power ballads and launching the solo career of Peter Cetera has made it into my top 10, maybe even top 5? Sit tight and I’ll tell you. (NOTE: I won’t be going into the full history of the band – that would be book length. I’m happy to talk Chicago shop with anyone who wants to.) There have been many Chicagos. As with most bands, people tend to know their most commercially successful period. But the 1980s was actually their FOURTH phase, in my estimation (don’t get me started on s
Welcome to WEEK 182 of 4T! (Video Episode #8) Buckner & Garcia – Pac-Man Fever (1982) The Future Was Then https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pac-Man_Fever_(album) If you didn’t live it, you can’t feel it. The title track of this album was 100% accurate. While video games had been a craze for a few years, when Pac-Man was introduced in 1980, everyone went Berserk (pun intended – this was another arcade game released in 1980, and was almost always near or right beside the Pac-Man machine. Plus it’s the inspiration for the last song on this album.). Before Fortnite, before Minecraft, before Grand Theft Auto, before Doom, before even Super Mario – Pac-Man fever was the craze that started it all.
Welcome to WEEK 181 of 4T! (Video Episode #7) Wham! – Music from the Edge of Heaven (1986) There Are Always New Classics https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_from_the_Edge_of_Heaven Music & nostalgia are SO closely linked. You can hear a song and it immediately takes you back to when you first heard it. You feel what you felt then, or a slightly bittersweet/painful echo laced with fondness. For you, that song is classic, and will always mean something. Christmas season is the best time of year to get nostalgic. It’s when all the old chestnuts get dusted off and played everywhere and all the time. I have a killer Spotify Christmas playlist, and it has everything from old classics to obs
