Based on some of the responses found in here, it's time for a thread dedicated to the music of Miami Vice here on SHF. I am by no means an expert on either the television series or it's accompanying songtrack but I am willing to get the ball rolling. I haven't seen every episode of the show either (I am midway through season 2 as of this writing) and it's my understanding that the show took a nosedive somewhere within season 3 (if that's not true, tell me so!) but for those of us who love the 1980's there's no denying that Miami Vice was a crucial part of the decade. I was 7 years old when the first episode (a two-hour pilot epsiode, "Brother's Keeper") debuted on September 16, 1984. Viewers who tuned in to the NBC network at 10 pm that Sunday evening were met with one of the most iconic television themes of all-time, Jan Hammer's "The Original Miami Vice Theme (Instrumental)" So pop a cassette in your Sony Walkman, put on your Ray Ban Wayfarers and let's discuss the music of Miami Vice.
My thoughts for the music in episode 1 - I like it! Of course the 'In The Air Tonight' segment is iconic. I was unfamiliar with the track 'Body Talk' but it's funky (if not slightly repetitive)! A great start to the series. Being as the pilot was two hours long there are more tracks to discuss with this one. What do you think of the opening theme song, or other tracks from episode 1? Also, I'd really like to hear from anyone who actually lived in Miami in the 80's. What was it like? Does the show feel authentic now (and did it then)?
I wonder what their budget was for music licensing. It was probably a whole lot less than it would be today.
i worked at asylum when jan hammer was signed off of the success of miami vice. i thought i was gonna die. it must have been that handheld neck strapped synth and the floral shirts. he was certainly talented. can't take that away, but.
Great idea for a thread! I watched the show as a kid when it first aired, but then for decades I remembered it as a cheesy relic of 1980s excess. Then I rewatched quite a bit a few years ago, and was really shocked at how good a lot of it is. The cinematography is extraordinary for TV at that time. Concerning the "nosedive midway through season 3," I don't entirely agree. It became very inconsistent at that point, with some truly bad episodes in the later seasons, but there were some great ones mixed in there. I haven't seen them all, but I found this guy's recommendations (which include some season 4 and 5 episodes) to be spot on: Retrospective: Miami Vice
Thank you for the link to the retrospective. I've really enjoyed the first couple of seasons so far. The strange thing about watching the series now is it doesn't feel old to me... more like visiting an alternate reality. I still find some of the stylings... futuristic.
I really enjoyed episode two of the first season. Ed O’Neill did a great job and the use of ‘This Masquerade’ as the closing track was a great choice with regards to how the episode ends. I was unfamiliar with Devo’s ‘Going Under’... but I like it! Overall a great job on this one by the cast and whoever picked the music.