Remembering the 80's: Volume One

We are starting a new, probably weekly feature on the blog this week with Remembering the 80’s: A look back at what we once thought was amazing. We will start with the mind blowing video for Simple Minds “All the Things She Said.” If Wikipedia is to be trusted this video is from 1986. Let’s catalog the awesomeness, shall we?

·         We start with a star background that appears to have come as the default package with the video editing software. Somehow the computer graphics are of lower resolution than if they had just taken the video camera to the roof and shot the actual night sky.

·         The entire video consists of band members filmed multiple times floating past the camera. This makes the video so high concept that I can almost guarantee it won Video Music Awards.

·         I really think the black and white, vaguely Native American, poncho with hat and sunglasses look is ready for a comeback.

·         I bet the guitarist was thrilled to be able to show off just how many guitars he owned and that he could pull off the same rock star move multiple times in a row.

·         Simple Minds must be the only band in which the lead singer is also a trained hawk wrangler. I would also like to know how the record label justified the budget item “hawk glove” on the expense report.

·         There may never have been another video in history with so many dramatic spins.

·         Ok, I will admit that I think the black suit and hat combination is really cool and I totally want that hat. The gold lame jacket with owl accoutrement a little less so. I love the fact that you can actually make out the guitarist walking through the background as if he has a better gig to go to.

·         Also note that both the bass player and drummer basically looked at the concept and went “Screw this, we’re going to the bar.”

·         On the mullet scale I am going to have to give him four Billy Ray Cyrus’ out of ten. I am certain that the guitarist spent two hours getting his hair just perfect, though.

·         Did anyone ever see the lead singer of Simple Minds and Dana Carvey in the same place at the same time? I mean, we could hire him and Mike Myers to remake this video. It’s not like they have anything else to do at the moment.

·         At three minutes in we get this weird breakdown where we have faux Dana Carvey a) wearing striped pants, b) chewing a hayseed and c) letting what appears to be a cockatoo sit on his legs. What the hell is it with this song and birds? Was his girlfriend an ornithologist? Were all the things she said a whole flurry of bird trivia?

·         You can tell when the camera crew grew sick of the whole thing when they just decided to film everyone from the knees down even if that meant focusing on pants silk screened with dollar bills.

·         I yearn for the days when if you could just vaguely wave your limbs around in time to music could be considered dancing.

·         For all of this you have to admit that this is one damn good song. I mean, compare this to 90% of what you hear on the radio today and you will think this is a much better song and it didn’t even break the top 20 in the US.