Rush - Tom Sawyer

As many readers will know, sometimes The Universe calls out and makes a request.  Often times these are serendipitous events, but some of the time they are sad - and that's ok.  We've been processing the passing of Rush drummer Neil Peart, and were unsure at first whether to put a post up.  Then, we heard "Tom Sawyer" on the radio, reminding us of all that is great about Rush and rock and drummers.  Even better, the video is somewhat rare.

"Tom Sawyer" was the second single off Rush's breakout 1981 LP, Moving Pictures. ("Limelight" was the lead single.)  The song only reached #44 on the U.S. charts, but was a mainstay on FM rock radio in the 1980s.  The album rose to #3 and eventually went 4x platinum, making it Rush's best selling LP in the U.S.

The video was shot in Le Studio in Quebec, Canada during a cold Canadian winter.  With the exception of a quick outside intro shot, the rest of the clip is the band playing in the studio - note that these were the last few years before MTV, and we suspect the video was something of an afterthought.  As a plain vanilla video, we don't recall seeing it on MTV; perhaps it picked up a bit of airplay in the early days.

The song is particularly noteworthy in our book due to the front and center nature of the drum line.  This is the stuff that drum heroes are made of, and true to form, Rush drummer Neil Peart quickly established himself as rock's greatest living drummer.

Rush would go on to have significant success throughout the 1980s, and continued to record and tour through 2015. 

 
Cool trivia fact:  Rush is a one hit wonder, only 1982's "New World Man" broke the top 40 (at #21).

Cool trivia fact #2: Rolling Stone ranks Moving Pictures at #379 on their list of the greatest 500 albums ever.

Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul - Forever

Yesterday, The Universe requested another video for the blog, and as per usual we am only too happy to oblige.  In this case, the rare and exceptional "Forever" by Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul made an appearance on my radio while commuting to work.  A quick google search (after safely parking the car) confirmed it an an Eighties Rare Video; and so here it is.

Steven Van Zandt (aka Little Steven or Miami Steve) is one of the most colorful personalities in rock.  He got his start in the Jersey Shore scene of the early 1970s, most notably with Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes (their later song, "New Romeo" was previously posted on ERV).  After helping Bruce Springsteen with the horn arrangement on "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out," he became a member of the E Street Band, where he remained until 1984 (and from the late 1990s on).

By the early 1980s Little Steven was looking for additional creative outlets, and was also becoming increasingly political (more on that in a moment).  This led to several solo rock/soul albums; 1982's Men Without Women was the first (and best in the eyes of many critics).  For readers who like rock and classic R&B (think late 1960s Motown), this LP is highly recommended.

Sadly, the album never quite found its audience.  The LP peaked at #118, while "Forever" hit #63.  We remember hearing it on New York rock radio back in the day, but do not recall ever seeing the video -- which is full of NYC 1982 goodness including Times Square, old cars and at least one Mohawk.

In addition to Little Steven's solo records, he was instrumental in the formation of the Artists United Against Apartheid "Sun City" effort which has also been posted on ERV.  In 1999 he landed an acting lead in The Sopranos TV show, and has continued his work as a musician and DJ (Little Steven's Underground Garage) to the present day.

The Lightning Seeds - Pure

Every now and then, we come across a song that fits perfectly into the blog, almost as if The Universe itself has made a request.  [As an aside, it would be pretty damn cool if The Universe did care about 1980s music in general and ERV specifically ... our idea of heaven surely has a lot of 1980s music, along with some really good pizza.]  At any rate, we heard this one today and were surprised to find out that it is a 1980s song, although just barely.

The Lightning Seeds were formed by noted producer Ian Broudie (of Echo & the Bunnymen, The Fall, and The Icicle Works fame).  He started using the name for his solo work beginning in 1989, and the project eventually evolved into a full fledged band.  By the by, Broudie's first band was Big in Japan (with Holly Johnson), who would be the inspiration for the Alphaville song of the same name (featured on ERV in January 2012).  Small world, huh?

"Pure" was released in June of 1989, making it officially an eighties song, although the Cloudcuckooland album wasn't released until early 1990.  [As we said, before we looked it up, we thought of "Pure" as an early 90s song.]  And yes, Cloudcuckooland should go on the growing list of coolest album titles ever.  "Pure" ended up charting, reaching #31 on the main charts, the only top 40 hit for the band.  To be fair, they did have several Modern Rock charting hits in the early to mid 1990s and a slew of hits in the UK.

Broudie and The Lightning Seeds continue to record and perform to the present day, although  they did take an extended hiatus in the early 2000s.

Roxy Music - More Than This

The Universe made another request, playing this song serendipitously as  we were considering the next entry, and we do try to accommodate requests (especially from The Universe).  So without further ado ...

Many readers will be familiar with Roxy Music.  The English art rock band formed in the early 1970s, and went on to have huge success in Britain, where every one of their studio albums broke the top 10, including three number ones.  In the U.S., they were significantly less successful, although they built a loyal following through the 1970s and early 1980s.

The band was known for their sophistication, particularly lead singer Bryan Ferry -- perhaps the most debonair rock star ever.  As is often the case, their sound evolved over time, and gradually became less art rock and more atmospheric pop, although there was often a strong pop sensibility to their songs.  The band's final album, 1982's Avalon, represented something of a peak for the group.  Incredibly lush and layered, it is a real work of art.  Much of the music was written by Ferry while he was on vacation on the West coast of Ireland and their is something of an ethereal vibe that runs through the entire LP.

We don't use the word masterpiece much on the blog (we think the only other time that we've used it was for The Waterboys song "The Whole of the Moon") but we think that "More Than This" qualifies.  The striking guitar line, the lyrics, the synthesizers all paint a musical picture that is haunting, with a gentle sadness.  "More Than This" also has a spectacular, lingering outro that perfectly suits the song.

Amazingly, "More Than This" did not break the top 100 in the U.S. (#103), although it was a top 10 hit in the U.K. and Australia.  The Avalon album peaked at #53 in the U.S., (it was a #1 LP in Britain).  The video might be a tad bit overdone, but it does seem to suit the band and the song.

Bryan Ferry broke up Roxy Music soon after Avalon's release, and went on to have a successful solo career (particularly in the U.K).  The band did re-form and toured in the early 2000s, but Ferry has stated that he does not intend to release another Roxy Music album.

Cool trivia fact:  Roxy Music is a U.S. one hit wonder.  Their only top 40 hit was "Love is the Drug" (#30) from 1975.

Cool trivia fact #2:  10,000 Maniacs 1997 cover of "More Than This" hit #25 on the Billboard charts -- higher than any Roxy Music single ever, and much higher than the superior original version.  Go figure.

Cool trivia fact #3:  Rolling Stone rated Avalon as the 31st best album of the 1980s (and the 336th greatest album, full stop).

The John Hall Band - Crazy

Here at ERV we are not above taking requests, even from (especially from) The Universe.  Tonight, on my way home from work, we were reflecting on which video to post next when this popped up on our local classic rock station.   Hence, we consider it a sign (or a request ... whatever), and as we have said at least once before, when The Universe makes a request, we listen.

You might not know John Hall's name (no, he was not in Hall & Oats) but you know his music.  He was a founder of Orleans, best know for their 1970s top 10 hits "Dance with Me" and "Still the One."  Hall left the band in 1977 (just after their two big hits) in search of a solo career, and as is often the case, it did not turn out that well.  The John Hall Band put out two albums (which did not break the top 100) and two singles, neither of which broke the top 40.

Hall's first solo single "Crazy" (sometimes with the added (Keep on Fallin')) from 1981's All of the Above is a typical early video -- it is just the band playing on a stage.  However, the catchy hook helped it go into heavy rotation for months in the early days of MTV.  We particularly enjoy the three lead vocals, with keyboardist Bob Leinbach challenging The Producers' Wayne Famous as the coolest 80s keyboard player.  The whole look, down to the matching blue glasses and jumpsuit is just ... Crazy, to coin a phrase.  Also, keep an eye out for the six guitar video effect (starting around 2:19).

Even with a solid song and the previously mentioned airplay on MTV, "Crazy" peaked at #42 in 1981, and the All of the Above album  was unable to break through at #158.  When 1983's Search Party LP did not fare much better (#147), EMI-America dropped the band.

During the 1980s Hall became increasingly involved in politics, eventually leading to two terms as a U.S. Representative from New York state.  Hence the Congressman John Hall Band on the video title (below).  Hall lost the 2010 election and has spent the time since with his family and performing at reunion shows with Orleans.

The extremely rare and surprisingly solid video for "You Sure Fooled Me" was posted on ERV in December, 2015, and is worth checking out.

Eddie Money - Think I'm in Love

So the Universe told us to post this ... no, really.  We dreamed about this video last week and then the next morning heard it on the radio (thanks, Mike FM).  If that's not a sign, then we don't know what is.  So without further ado ...

The Money Man, Eddie Money, had a string of hits in the late 1970s and early 1980s.  Born Edward Joseph Maloney, Money was a NY cop for a while, before moving to California to try to make it in music (successfully, it turns out).  Cool trivia fact:  an older Eddie Money Song, "Can't Keep a Good Man Down," was used in the WNEW-FM TV ads for a few years in the early 80s.

"Think I'm in Love" was the first single off 1982's No Control ("Shakin' was the second single).  Personally, we think the video is tremendous and seems to perfectly fit the song.  As an aside -- isn't the intro scene reminiscent of Young Frankenstein?

Special shout out to The Universe on this one.

Eddie Money's cover of "I Wanna Go Back" was posted on ERV in September 2021.