47 replies to this topic

[Complain]

Journey

First one I thought of. Midnight Oil is another good choice - most people don't even know about their 70's stuff.

[theminimumcircus]

Van Halen--first album was great, but their two best albums (Fair Warning, 1984) happened in the 80s.

[Holiday in Risk]

I'm gonna say no on Talking Heads. If you want to be technical about Remain in Light being a 1980s album because it came out in 1980, okay yeah whatever, but if we were to take P.J. O'Rourke's stance that The Sixties doesn't really mean 1960 to 1969, one could make a decent argument that likewise, The Eighties don't perfectly match up with the years 1980 to 1989, since the decade was so defined by the Reagan administration and all that, but I'm fully prepared to take shit for this one. ANYWAY. Under this probably fallacious line of thinking, the first true Eighties release by the 'Heads would be Speaking in Tongues, a fine record by all means, but a notch below Remain in Light, lacking the intangibles that Eno brought to the previous three albums. And while I like Speaking in Tongues, don't get me wrong, I can't say it's better than More Songs. . . and Fear of Music and mean it.

Of course there is Stop Making Sense to take into consideration, very much '80s under any definition.

[cerebralcaustic]

There are dozens of post-punk bands that formed in '78/'79 that didn't hit their stride until a year or two later. That's kind of cheating, though.

Yeah, most of who's been mentioned only got their start in the late 70s. The OPs Hendrix comment seemed to be looking for artists who released music throughout the 70s and 80s. If we arbitrarily limit it to artists that released music before 1975 and after 1985, Michael Jackson seems to be only one whose 80s output is better than their 70s output (and that's arguable).

[arkin]

Friend Catcher makes a point, particularly with the band that gave him his name - The Birthday Party...did they even release anything in the '70s? I don't think they did. Could be wrong.

[throughsilver]

Blasphemous indeed! I nearly mentioned them, on account of their inauspicious beginnings.

Then I remembered everything on Unleashed in the East.

Sad Wings, Sinner, Stained Class, and Hell Bent For Leather is an incredible run. But typical Gen Xer that I am, I'm just more attached to the 80s, the British Steel to Painkiller period, inconsistent as it was.

Yeah man, I know what you mean. Their 80s run was great (even if Painkiller was 90s..). But 'Exciter', 'Victim of Changes' etc.

Great band overall then.

On a similar note, while their 80s was a lot less 'metal' than their 70s, Def Leppard were clearly better on High and Dry, Pyromania and Hysteria.

[Eskimo kisses]

XTC got more consistent in the 80's, though whether they actually got any better than they did in '79 is open to debate. They certainly released more good stuff in the 80's, though.

[cerebralcaustic]

I suppose someone could point to Springsteen. I wouldn't though.

[arkin]

I suppose someone could point to Springsteen. I wouldn't though.

Yeah, that's a tough one. In the 70s he had Darkness and Born to Run...

In the 80s he had Nebraska and The River...

and I don't know if I'd say Born in the USA is one of my favorites, but it does have some great stuff. "I'm on Fire" is one of his best songs, imo.

[Guy]

Springsteen is a great example. Born to Run & Darkness Vs. The River & Nebraska... Tunnel of Love tips it in for 80's Springsteen.

[pong]

most of Robert Plant's 80's work is really good.

[pong]

and arguably The Clash.

No.

Yes.

Better in the 80s: The Cure and the Clash. Probably AC/DC but just because of Back in Black.

[pong]

From what I have read about Hendrix, I think if he made it to the 80s he'd be making sci fi movies more than music.

[nole.kennedy]

From what I have read about Hendrix, I think if he made it to the 80s he'd be making sci fi movies more than music.

I would've loved that. Hendrix directing Fahrenheit 451... yes please.

[Self Titled]

J. Geils Band .38 Special

[tewksbdg]

From what I have read about Hendrix, I think if he made it to the 80s he'd be making sci fi movies more than music.

I would've loved that. Hendrix directing Fahrenheit 451... yes please.

I like to think that Hendrix in the 70s would have either 1 ) been Prince before Prince was Prince, or 2) hooked up with p-funk and blown all of our minds. He would really have sucked in the 80s, though - probably would have done a double bill with Starship or some shit.

If I could also add to bands that were better in the 80s than they were in the 70s: a possible Paul Simon. Not to discount his work in the 70s, but Graceland is still a pretty amazing album.

Edited by tewksbdg, 21 January 2009 - 10:45 AM.

[Chicken Invaders!]

Springsteen is a great example.
Born to Run & Darkness Vs. The River & Nebraska... Tunnel of Love tips it in for 80's Springsteen.

And then Greetings From Asbury Park and The Wild & Innocent tip it way the fuck back in to the 70's..

[arkin]

and arguably The Clash.

No.

Yes.

Better in the 80s: The Cure and the Clash.

The Clash in the 70s: s/t, London Calling, Give 'Em Enough Rope
The Clash in the 80s: Sandinista, Combat Rock, Cut the Crap

I don't even see how these come close to comparison.

also, The Cure released one album in the 70s...it's really good, mind you, but by sheer volume their 70s output just can't compete with the 80s.

[norton]

I'm sure there are plenty, but the only ones we could think of were ... Tom Waits ...

Hmm, I don't know about better. Certainly different. Personally, as good as Heartattack and Vine, Swordfish, Rain Dogs and Frank's Wild Years are, I find myself listening to Closing Time, Heart of Saturday Night, Small Change and Blue Valentine more. Kinda interesting that the album that marks the transition between old Tom and new Tom came out in 1980.

Springsteen is a great example.
Born to Run & Darkness Vs. The River & Nebraska... Tunnel of Love tips it in for 80's Springsteen.

And then Greetings From Asbury Park and The Wild & Innocent tip it way the fuck back in to the 70's..

I don't know about "way the fuck back," but yeah.


I'm not sure if he got better, but Tom Petty's output in the '80s certainly rivals what he did in the 70s.

I suppose it could be argued that Dire Straits got better, if for no other reason than the produced more in the '80s and much of it was good. That said, their debut is still me favorite.

How about Warren Zevon? Warren Zevon and Excitable Boy vs. Bad Luck Streak in Dancing School, Sentimental Hygiene and Traverse City?

Hey elc, what do you think about Richard Thompson?

[cerebralcaustic]

Suppose a Peter Gabriel argument could be made too.