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Bottom Feeders: The Rock End of the ’80s, Part 6

Dave Steed June 23, 2010 25

It’s another week for the letter B as we take a look at songs that hit the Billboard Rock charts but failed to cross over into the Hot 100 in the 1980s. Rock ‘n’ roll!

Blue Murder
“Jelly Roll” 1989, #15 (download)

Last week we ended with the band Vinny Appice was in. This week we start with the band big brother Carmine Appice was a member of. Blue Murder also featured former Tygers of Pan Tang, Thin Lizzy and Whitesnake guitarist John Sykes on guitar and vocals. They put out just two studio albums and a live record in the short time they were a band, but their self-titled debut in ’89 is a damn fine slab of bluesy hard rock.

Blue Oyster Cult
“Joan Crawford” 1981, #49 (download)
“Roadhouse Blues [Live]” 1982, #24 (download)
“Take Me Away” 1983, #11 (download)
“Dancin’ in the Ruins” 1986, #9 (download)
“Astronomy” 1988, #12 (download)

For a guy who loves his rock ‘n’ roll like I do, I’m painfully devoid of much knowledge of Blue Oyster Cult material outside of the singles. I’ve always had it in my mind that I should take the time to listen to their output closely and see if I enjoy it but have just never gotten around to it. Maybe it’s because songs like “Joan Crawford” and “Take Me Away” don’t excite me enough to pursue it. Maybe it’s because I’m starting out by listening to the ‘80s material first that I don’t have the desire. The only track I really like here is “Astronomy” and I was only turned onto that after hearing the Metallica cover of it from Garage, Inc. That was originally released in ’74 on the Secret Treaties album but then remade for Imaginos in ’88.

Bobby & the Midnites
“Too Many Losers” 1981, #48 (download)

Bobby was Grateful Dead guitarist Bob Weir and the Midnites were mostly friends and guys he had played with before, like guitarist Bobby Cochran and keyboardist Brent Mydland. I’ve never been a Grateful Dead fan or been able to get into any jam bands for that matter so it should come as no surprise that I don’t mind the debut album from Weir at all since it’s more of a concise pop record than the Dead released. I’ve never really heard anything about this album before I started collecting but I’m assuming most Deadheads probably don’t like it, right?

BoDeans
“Only Love” 1987, #16 (download)
“Dreams” 1988, #32 (download)
“You Don’t Get Much” 1989, #20, Modern Rock #15 (download)
“Good Work” 1989, #50 (download)

The BoDeans are a really good roots rock band out of Wisconsin. They got a lot of hype back in the mid-80s when they first arrived on the scene with their 1896 debut Love & Hope & Sex & Dreams. Unfortunately, the hype didn’t translate into much more than some underground success. Their 1987 album Outside Looking In is excellent and contains both “Only Love” and “Dreams”. Home was their final album of the decade and just as good as the previous record but they didn’t get real mainstream exposure until their song “Closer To Free” was used as the theme song to Party of Five in 1993.

Michael Bolton
“Everybody’s Crazy” 1985, #38 (download)

It’s hard to say the name Michael Bolton and the work “rock” together these days and while I don’t celebrate his entire catalog I’m in the camp that believes his final rock album, 1985’s Everybody’s Crazy is a damn fine arena rock record. He certainly made the right move for his career becoming a sappy crooner, but I’ll take “Everybody’s Crazy” over any of his light rock hits any day of the week.

Bon Jovi
“Silent Night” 1985, #24 (download)
“Never Say Goodbye” 1987, #11 (download)
“The Boys Are Back in Town [Live]” 1989, #48 (download)

“Silent Night” is an interesting one from Bon Jovi. The ballad is from their second record 7800° Fahrenheit and really isn’t all that good but the interesting part is that it debuted on the rock chart Christmas week but it’s not a version of the Christmas carol of the same name.

“Never Say Goodbye” is almost certainly the most popular song in this post, the final single from Slippery When Wet. It hit the rarely referenced Airplay chart but strangely enough never made it to the Hot 100 though it’s as recognizable as all their other hits.

“The Boys Are Back In Town” is a cover of the Thin Lizzy classic, included on the Make a Difference Foundation: Stairway To Heaven/Highway To Hell album.

Boston
“Cool the Engines” 1986, #4 (download)

You know, I didn’t even realize until I looked it up that Boston only released one album in the decade thanks to solo projects from 1979-1985 and lawsuits all over the place. “Cool the Engines” was the very classic rock sounding third single from Third Stage and the only single from the record to not hit the Hot 100.

David Bowie
“Cat People (Putting Out Fire)” 1983, #11 (download)
“Criminal World” 1983, #31 (download)
“Neighborhood Threat” 1984, #40 (download)
“Underground” 1986, #18 (download)
“Time Will Crawl” 1987, #7 (download)
“Bang Bang” 1987, #38 (download)

David Bowie didn’t exactly have the finest decade when it came to music but the songs that didn’t cross over to the Hot 100 here in cases are better than the ones that did.

“Cat People” originally hit #67 on the charts when it was released from the soundtrack to the film. This is the version that he rerecorded for Let’s Dance with Nile Rodgers producing (Nile Rodgers sighting, ya’ll!) and Stevie Ray Vaughn on guitar.

“Criminal World” is actually one of the better tracks from Let’s Dance and is a cover from a band called Metro that recorded it in 1977.

“Neighborhood Threat” is the best song off the miserable Tonight album from 1984. Bowie and Iggy Pop wrote it and recorded in more of a rock form on Iggy’s ’77 album Lust For Life. It’s significantly better in that version, but the newer dancier version isn’t half bad either.

“Underground” is an often forgotten track from Bowie although it might be the best of the tracks here. It was one of two singles from the Labyrinth soundtrack and has a bit of a gospel feel to it.

“Time Will Crawl” is his and my favorite song from his second straight miserable record, Never Let Me Down. “Bang Bang” is also from that album and is another Iggy Pop tune – this time not written with Bowie though. It’s on Pop’s 1981 album Party, in a much better version than this remake.

Quick Hits
Best Song: Michael Bolton, “Everybody’s Crazy”
Worst Song: Bon Jovi, “Silent Night”

Also appeared in the Hot 100
Blue Oyster Cult (2): “Burnin’ For You”, “Shooting Shark”
Michael Bolton (3): “Fools Game”, “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay”, “Wait On Love”
Gary U.S. Bonds (3): “This Little Girl”, “Jole Blon”, “Out of Work”
Bonham (1): “Wait For You”
Bon Jovi (12): “Runaway”, “She Don’t Know Me”, “Only Lonely”, “In and Out of Love”, “You Give Love A Bad Name”, “Wanted Dead Or Alive”, “Livin’ On A Prayer”, “Bad Medicine”, “Born To Be My Baby”, “I’ll Be There For You”, “Lay Your Hands On Me”, “Living In Sin”
Boston (3): “Amanda”, “We’re Ready”, “Can’tcha Say (You Still Believe In Me)/Still In Love”
Bourgeois Tagg (1): “I Don’t Mind At All”

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POSTED IN » Bottom Feeders, Music
About the author: Dave Steed View all posts by
Dave Steed is all about music; 80's and metal to be exact. His iPod will shuffle from Culture Club to Slayer and he won't blink an eye. He's never heard Astral Weeks but thinks "Dazzey Duks" by Duice is the bomb. It's an odd little corner of the world he lives in.

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  • Kingpervus

    You're probably gonna get quite a few BOC comments today, so I'll be brief –

    As far as “deep cuts” go, don't ignore “Cultosaurus Erectus,” what with “Lips in the Hills” and it's classic creepy/kick ass vibe (topped only by their own earlier classic “Dominance and Submission”).

    Also, “Mirrors” isn't nearly as bad as some blogophiles make it out to be.

    With two mentions today, I'm anticipating the Thin Lizzy entry that is sure to emerge a few months from now (Chinatown?? Renegade?? Thunder and Lightning?? something had to hit).

  • http://www.popblerd.com Mike

    “Never Say Goodbye” was never actually released as a single, which is why it didn't chart on the Hot 100. That said, it's probably my favorite Bon Jovi song of all time, and at least in the NYC area, got played as much as-if not more than-the three singles that were actually released from “Slippery”. It was also the last dance at my 6th grade prom. Awkwardness.

  • WHarrisBullzEye

    RE: Blue Oyster Cult, I'd never heard “Dancin' in the Ruins” before now, but I really like it. Of course, that's almost certainly because it's cut from the same cloth as “Burnin' For You.”

    The Bodeans' “You Don't Get Much” got a lot of (totally valid) criticism for the band showing off everything they learned from touring with U2, but I still love it.

    I know in my heart that Never Let Me Down is a crap album, but I still like it, mostly because that tour remains the only time I've ever seen Bowie live. Not only was Peter Frampton in his touring band, but the opening act for that date was X, who were touring behind See How We Are at the time. Now there's a great album…

  • rockymtranger

    Mike beat me to the Bon Jovi clarification. I think they may have been a bit wary of releasing it because it had gotten a lot of album play while the other singles were out. Turned out it was a precursor to the 90s practice of not releasing a hot song to push album sales.

  • http://www.bullz-eye.com DavidMedsker

    I know it was unabashedly poppy, but I love Bowie's “Underground” and that huge gospel choir. As for tonight, I'd vote for “Loving the Alien” as the best track.

  • http://www.bastardradio.com steed

    Yeah, you know – I use the word “single” to mean way too many things and I probably have to stop using it so much for this series since there are many more like this one coming up.

  • http://www.bastardradio.com steed

    There's some Thin Lizzy but none of those that you mentioned.

    I hope I do get a lot of comments on BOC as I need to know what to listen to – and this is one of those times where I think I will actually take the recommendations and go back and do it. I've listened to all 5 of the '80s albums but I can't remember anything about them really. I'll hit Cultosaurus Erectus again later this week though since you mentioned it.

    Thanks for the recommendation.

  • http://www.bastardradio.com steed

    Thanks for the clarification – as mentioned below, I have to stop using the word “single” to be a blanket term for everything heard on radio.

    I didn't even know 6th grade proms existed. Either I was too much of a dork to even pay attention or my school didn't allow dancing….

  • kingofgrief

    According to Lord Whitburn, “Never Say Goodbye” was the first album-only cut to reach the Hot 100 Airplay chart, peaking at #28. The second? Bon Jovi's “Edge of a Broken Heart” (not the Vixen tune) from the Disorderlies soundtrack, a #38 showing. I'll cop to never hearing “Goodbye” on the radio as often in their heyday as I have in the past decade, and I can't recall hearing “Heart” even once.

    I've always preferred the Let's Dance version of “Cat People”; it was also the flipside to the single for the title track.

  • Matt

    Makes sense. For a non-single, it certainly got a lot of airplay, and I was pretty sick of Bon Jovi (even as a fan) by that point.

  • David_E

    I usually don't recommend starting with a compilation – a live one, at that – but BÖC's “Extraterrestrial Live” is a great, great mix of their earlier slabs of dark goodness and their poppier, mid-80s hits. “Joan Crawford” and “Veteran of 1000 Psychic Wars” are given their creepy, driving due, and “Black Blade” is a standout. The usual suspects are there as well, and the band is particularly tight (if not that far from the studio recordings). Really, there's a lot of goodness to find in the catalog, steed. These guys were comfy in the worlds of hard rock and 70s metal and motorcycle gangs and Lovecraft imagery, but at their heart they were a catchy bunch of hook writers.

  • smf2271

    I will second the (or third or fourth…) the notion that there's lot of worthy BOC-listening to be had. I like Secret Treaties as their best (MUCH better version of Astronomy than that '88 version), but for an '80s guy you might want to give Fire of Unknown Origin another listen. (Joan Crawford is the worst song on it by far, everything else on it is great). Agents of Fortune and Spectres are good middle ground between their metal-influenced early stuff and their '80s stuff. Really all their albums they did up to 1981 are classic (yes, even Mirrors). Even the two disc compilation “Workshop Of the Telescopes” is a nice overview to start with, but of course you miss out on some great deep cuts, particularly from their late '70s albums. BOC was the group that the metal-loving drummer in my high school band used as a way to cure my naive metal-has-no-depth-or-melody beliefs when I was 15. It worked.

    I hadn't thought about “Cool the Engines” in 20+ years! I suppose Boston really only had one song that they kind of rerecorded about 20 times between 1975-86 with only minor tweaks, but it was a d**n good song.

  • http://www.popdose.com DwDunphy

    The Club Ninja album is rather meh, but “Dancin' In The Ruins” and “Madness To The Method” are good tracks. I'm sticking with Fire Of Unknown Origin as their best '80s album though.

  • http://www.popdose.com DwDunphy

    Mirrors was the band trying to get away from all the symbols they had going, but the thing did pretty badly so they brought a lot of the schtick back. As someone who actually likes “Joan Crawford” (as a goof, it's much better than “Godzilla” in my opinion) I have to say that if it's the worst on Fire Of Unknown Origin, that's a positive.

    What Fire Of Unknown Origin has is a kick-ass single (“Burnin' For You” which is kind of a “Don't Fear The Reaper” clone, but I'm fine with that,) a title track which is a revamp of a Patti Smith song, and “Vengeance (The Pact)” which was the b-side for “Burnin' For You” and was a big reason why I bought the album.

  • smf2271

    It also has “Veteran of Many Psychic Wars,” with one of the most memorable kick-ass riffs in rock and roll history IMHO, “Sole Survivor” with its shtick-like sing-along chorus, and the super-funky “Don't Turn Your Back,” not a typical BOC song but a unique way to close the album. And the punk-rock-ish “After Dark.” Not a clunker on the album. I've loved it since I was 15.

    But I still like Godzilla way better than Joan Crawford. To each their own!

  • Russ

    Steed, since you're not really into 70's stuff all that much, the best entrance into Blue Oyster Cult for you might be a CD called Cult Classic which is re-made versions of their best tunes from the 70's. Normally those kinds of projects are nothing short of disastrous, but in this case the results are really pretty good. Basically they play the songs as straight as the originals, but the more modern production techniques might appeal to a listener used to current production techniques.. Although I still prefer the originals, they are simply better songs than most of their other 80's output. I still dig Take Me Away though.

    Another possible point of entry for you is the Mirrors LP from 1979. Must BOC fans hate it but I love it, it is definitely closer to power pop than metal, and might have a “sound” closer to your liking. (Then again, most Thin Lizzy fans hate the Renegade LP but I love than one, too.)

  • Russ

    Didn't Tom Werman produce Mirrors?

  • http://www.popdose.com DwDunphy

    I think he did.

  • Eric S.

    I second the nomination for Mirrors. It's not representative of their normal sound, but it's produced by Tom Werman and has some great songs. I'm partial to the title track (which isn't on most of the compilations) and “You're Not The One (I Was Looking For)”.

  • Old_Davy

    Another recommendation for “Mirrors”. It's my favorite BOC album and I have just about all of their stuff. Of the nine tracks, three sound like classic BOC (The Great Sun Jester, The Vigil and I Am The Storm) but the rest is rather poppy and commercial sounding. The catch is, the band totally rocks them all. I love these lyrics from the title track:

    A mirror
    Is a negative space with a frame
    And a place for your face
    It reveals
    What the rest of us see
    It conceals
    What you'd like it to be

  • David_E
  • anniezaleski

    The band Metro featured Peter Godwin, whose “Images of Heaven” is a stone-cold new-wave cult classic.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zUI8bGCVQ0

    Man, I love that song.

  • anniezaleski

    Confession: I didn't know that “Never Say Goodbye” wasn't a lame nu-Bon Jovi cut. I still hear that on the radio like once a week, if not more.

  • Russ

    The 80's was when I realized every song on the radio was released as a single in some form somewhere. Plenty of Bon Jovi “Never Say Goodbye” singles can be found on eBay, just not US 7-inch 45's.

  • Dom

    They also put out a double live album that I played the hell out of when I was 16 (was it ETI live?). I'm pretty sure it came out before Club Ninja. Can't remember the name of it but it's a great place to track down older BOC. And it's live music, which I think is great.