Why the 80s Hate? (Production & Sounds)

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Runicen, Feb 5, 2016.

  1. JulesRules

    JulesRules Weaponized, Deranged Warthog Thug

    Location:
    Germany
    I forgot that the song is from 1979 - but it might as well be from the 80s, just down to the way it sounds (sorta like how I associate Lisa Stansfield's first hits with what I hate about 90s production, even if they were technically still part of the 80s).
     
  2. Psychedelic Good Trip

    Psychedelic Good Trip Beautiful Psychedelic Colors Everywhere

    Location:
    New York
    One of me early 80's favs.


     
  3. misterdecibel

    misterdecibel Bulbous Also Tapered

    Hmm, did they have pre-production prototypes? English Settlement was released in early 1982, recorded in 1981, and the DX7 was released in 1983...
     
  4. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product

    english settlement is a classic. waiting for an sw 5.1 for that one
     
    Jarleboy likes this.
  5. Paul Gase

    Paul Gase Everything is cheaper than it looks.

    Location:
    California
    You are right!!! So sorry - I am mistaken! I was referring to the Prophet 5 synth, which has its own influential, storied history!
     
  6. Say It Right

    Say It Right Not for the Hearing Impaired

    Location:
    Niagara Falls
    Hoffmanites always feel that any 80's production techniques sounded "dated." Strangely, none of them have ever made such an accusation toward the music of Canned Heat.
     
    Jarleboy, LRP99, ziggytvs and 9 others like this.
  7. Osthagen

    Osthagen Forum Resident

    Location:
    Scotland
    You posted that two years ago, but since you seem so keen on 80s R.E.M. (and good on ya!) I'd encourage you to check out some of the other bands on I.R.S. Records, such as Concrete Blonde and Lets Active, as well as many others from the college-rock scene, including Husker Du and the Meat Puppets.
     
  8. davebush

    davebush New Test Leper

    Location:
    Fonthill, ON
    You know what else sounds unnatural? An amplified guitar.
     
  9. Remington Steele

    Remington Steele Forum Resident

    Location:
    Saint George, Utah
    Cannot be that bad as so many newer bands i see on tv have synthesizers, drum machines and often a look that is hearkening back to the 80s.
    I've talked to a lot of younger music fans that rank Prince, Cure, Metallica and Depeche Mode alongside the Beatles in terms of importance.
     
    ziggytvs, JulesRules, lc1995 and 4 others like this.
  10. Runicen

    Runicen Forum Resident Thread Starter

    I do find it funny that my original post from over 3 (!!!) years ago seemed to preface the '80s coming back around in a big way. I never would have guessed they'd have such an intense resurgence.
     
  11. MIKEPR

    MIKEPR Forum Resident

    Location:
    PARK RIDGE IL.
    You said there was any hate for the decade?
     
  12. Drifter

    Drifter AAD survivor

    Location:
    Vancouver, BC, CA
    The musical template for Madonna's Material Girl, IMO.
     
  13. Remote Control Triangle

    Remote Control Triangle Forum Member Rated 6.8 By Pitchfork

    Location:
    Las Vegas
    The 80's was an amazing decade. A bit of a mixed bag, lots of crap but then again some of the best music ever came out of the 80's. And some of the best sounding albums of all time.

    Here's a few:

    Bowie's "Let's Dance." Produced by Nile Rodgers, mixed by Bob Clearmountain (one of the best mixing engineers of all time) and then mastered by Bob Ludwig, I mean jeez talk about the stars being aligned for this album.

    Peter Gabriel's "So." This album has long been regarded by many in audio production as one of the best recorded and mixed albums ever.

    The Fixx "Shuttered Room" and "Reach the beach." If you've heard these albums on vinyl, you're 'in the know.' Amazingly sounding records that still mop the floor with most new albums produced today. Christ they sound good.

    Oingo Boingo's "Good for your soul" and "Nothing to fear" also sound incredible.

    Of course there was "Thriller," recorded and mixed by the legendary Bruce Swedien, another genius. Then mastered by Bernie Grundman, just an incredible sounding album.

    Lots more great, great sounding albums from the 80's.
     
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  14. Diamond Star Halo

    Diamond Star Halo Forum Resident

    Location:
    Vancouver
    Yes, and microphones are unnatural too. We get it.

    However there is s big difference between real instruments powered by electricity and electric instruments that use synthetic digital sounds, especially 80’s fx that hadn’t been perfected yet.
     
    Drifter likes this.
  15. lc1995

    lc1995 Forum Resident

    Location:
    New York
    I love a lot of 80s music, but a lot of 80s music is dripping in 80s cheese. I can't put my finger on what it is exactly, besides bad synths in some cases.

    Judas Priest's Stained Class for instance is great, but their next album from the same year is dripping in 80s cheese even though it was recorded in 1978!
     
  16. MikeManaic61

    MikeManaic61 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Virginia
    Yea pretty much this. Some few albums I can name, like Tears for Fears Sowing the Seeds or David Sylvian's Brilliant Trees, doesn't have that 80's sound.
     
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  17. Babysquid

    Babysquid Forum Resident

    Location:
    England
    The 70’s used to be the decade style forgot. Now it’s cool. Same with the 80’s. The view that the decade sounds dated and cheesy is the only thing that’s dated.
     
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  18. lc1995

    lc1995 Forum Resident

    Location:
    New York
    It doesn't seem like there's a whole lot of interest in the James Taylor kind of stuff from the 70s, though
     
  19. ranasakawa

    ranasakawa Forum Resident

    I grew up as a teenager in the 1980s.
    It was and still is about the quality of the songs.
    Yes the sound has a part of the quality of the the music but a good song will win out.
    Recently I have rediscovered synth pop from the 1980s
    Believe me there is definitely some garbage
    Some strong stuff I have enjoyed recently is
    Gary Numan - Cars
    Human League - Dare
    Pseudo Echo Autumnal Park
    Big Country The crossing
    Simple Minds New Gold Dream
    And a lost gem Politics of Dancing

    But there's a heap of crap too

    Watch the live version of Gary Numan performance of Cars on Saturday night live from 1981. Brilliant
     
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  20. Phil Tate

    Phil Tate Miss you Indy x

    Location:
    South Shields
    Apart from "Big Time"! Is there any version of the album where that song doesn't sound like an ear-bleeding mess?
     
    c-eling likes this.
  21. abzach

    abzach Forum Resident

    Location:
    Sweden
    Why not?
     
  22. Joy-of-radio

    Joy-of-radio Forum Resident

    Location:
    Central ME
    I love 80s pop too, and 12" singles from that era are lots of fun! A few of my favorite songs from the 80s include:

    Boys Don't Cry - I Wanna Be A Cowboy. This song is ridiculously stupid and juvenile! HAHAHA!
    Thomas Dolby - She Blinded Me With Science
    The Cars - You Are The Girl
    Men Without Hats - Pop Goes The World
     
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  23. davebush

    davebush New Test Leper

    Location:
    Fonthill, ON
    An instrument constructed from a circuit board and chips is every bit as "real" as one made with wood and steel wires.
     
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  24. Chemically altered

    Chemically altered Forum Resident

    Location:
    Ukraine in Spirit
    I think it was because synths and drum machines were overplayed. They had more of a novelty attraction that just wore thin after awhile and 60/70s fans never warmed up to this overplayed electric sound. Jmo.
     
  25. Runicen

    Runicen Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Well, there seemed to be when I started this thread three-ish years ago. As I mentioned more recently, that trend has reversed so hard it gave me whiplash! :laugh:


    Always happy to see Oingo Boingo mentioned. Even moreso when those two albums are brought up! :righton:
     

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