Scotch Sampler

[scotchandcigar]

One of the true veterans of rock, Steve Winwood went solo after disbanding Traffic. His first solo success came in 1980 with Arc of a Diver, which (aside from the title track) brought us While You See the Chance. His next release in '82 gave us Valerie. But it was the 1986 album Back in the High Life that yielded seven singles, number 1 on the charts, and Grammy awards. Songs include Higher Love, Take it as it Comes, and all of these

Steve Winwood – Back in the High Life Again



Steve Winwood – Freedom Overspill (live)



Steve Winwood – The Finer Things



Steve Winwood/Joe Walsh – Split Decision (live with Eric Clapton)



His next album, Roll With It, sold well and won awards, but the big hit was the title track, and Don't You Know What the Night Can Do.

 

[sadchild]

I love the album Back In The High Life.

1. Back in the High Life Again (500+)
2. My Love's Leaving
3. The Finer Things
4. Valerie
5. Higher Love

 

[Aaron]

Favorite Steve Winwood songs (full career):

Can't Find My Way Home - Blind Faith
Roll With It
Valerie
Freedom Rider - Traffic
Dear Mr. Fantasy - Traffic
Higher Love
The Finer Things
John Barleycorn - Traffic
While You See a Chance
The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys - Traffic
Back in the High Life Again
Presence of the Lord - Blind Faith

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

1. While You See A Chance
2. Back in the High Life Again
3. Higher Love
4. Roll With It
5. The Finer Things
6. Arc of a Diver

I was completely bummed that his concert was cancelled this summer.

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

I somehow missed Valerie not only from my list but from my library. Correcting now .... Insert it at #4.

 

[sadchild]

So cool that "Back in the High Life Again" is on all of our lists. That's another song that I only hear on the VJ 40, but should hear more often.

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

I somehow missed Valerie not only from my list but from my library. Correcting now .... Insert it at #4.

Wound up buying the whole album. Sampled like a great album.

 

[scotchandcigar]

Time for a follow-up. When we last visited Genesis, it was 1981, and the album was Abacab. Moving through the 80's, we have 2 more great albums from them, starting with the eponymously named 1983 release Genesis. It starts with Mama, which is not on my favorites list. Illegal Alien is another song that didn't age well. I like Taking it All Too Hard, but these are my favorites

A modern classic
Genesis – That’s All (live)



A very vintage sounding song
Genesis – Home by the Sea (live)



In '86 they released Invisible Touch. The title track was a hit, as were these

The video for this is iconic
Genesis – Land of Confusion



Some of you may be familiar with this great cover
Disturbed – Land of Confusion



I like this next song, but it's really long, so here's the Michelob version
Genesis – Tonight, Tonight, Tonight (Michelob commercial)

 

[scotchandcigar]

And finally, another great tune, after the trademark call-and-response shenanigans
Genesis – Throwing it All Away (live, starts at 1:30)

 

[sadchild]

Last year I was on a '78 - '83 Genesis kick big time. Still play those songs from time to time, just did earlier this week actually. Invisible Touch didn't resonate with me so much. "No Son Of Mine" to me was a good return to form.

 

[scotchandcigar]

Today, I'm pleased to present New Jersey's own, The Smithereens. They formed in 1980, the same year I started college, and they were regulars in both the Hoboken area of my school (Stevens Tech) and the New Brunswick area of Rutgers. Their first album, Especially For You, was released in 1986. These two songs both made the Mainstream Rock charts

The Smithereens – Blood and Roses, Behind the Wall of Sleep (live)



They followed-up in '88 with Green Thoughts, which gave us the songs Drown in My Own Tears, House We Used to Live In, and this one that went to #1 on the Mainstream Rock chart

The Smithereens – Only a Memory



But it was the following year they released 11, with Blues Before and After, and their overall highest charting hit, shown here in a smoking-hot live performance for a bewildered Jay Leno

The Smithereens – A Girl Like You (live on Leno)



In the early 90's, they started to fade, but they did get their highest ranking top 40 hit (by one position) with Too Much Passion from the '91 album Blow Up, which also included Top of the Pops. Several of my friends knew Pat DiNizio personally, who died in 2017.

 

[sadchild]

I talked about Smithereens on a different thread. Don't think I mentioned Pat's great solo song "124 MPH" though, which I think I discovered from a CMJ New Music Monthly CD back in the day.

 

[scotchandcigar]

Cool tune, hadn't heard it before.

 

[scotchandcigar]

Time for some cleanup with A 3-fer of 80's bands. You can't have the 80's without the Psychedelic Furs, and the unique voice of Richard Butler. Of course, there's the Pretty in Pink soundtrack, and later, Heartbreak Beat. But before that, there were these from '82 to '84

Psychedelic Furs – Love My Way



Psychedelic Furs – The Ghost in You (live)



Berlin had several hits in the US, and of course the soundtrack (Top Gun) went to #1 with Take My Breath Away in '86. Prior to that, they scored hits with The Metro, Sex (I'm a...), and this tune from '84

Here's a great live version, minus the first line of lyrics
Berlin – No More Words (live)



Whether you love or hate Morrissey, there's no question that this 1985 hit by The Smiths, with an iconic Johnny Marr riff, is one of the top alt rock songs. Disregard that the video is pointed only at the front-man; the sound is great.

Smiths – How Soon is Now? (live)

 

[sadchild]

These are all iconic new wave acts for sure. Personally I'm lukewarm on the first two (I like a couple of their hits, but have much respect for them) and really dislike The Smiths (mostly Morrissey) - but I don't mind "How Soon" and "Stop Me If You've Heard This One Before".

I really REALLY like the Counting Crows acoustic cover of "The Ghost In You", which was on the "Rain King" single.

 

[HecticArt]

I love me some Berlin.
Nothing wrong with them.

Whether you love or hate Morrissey,

HATE!!!!

here's no question that this 1985 hit by The Smiths, with an iconic Johnny Marr riff, is one of the top alt rock songs. Disregard that the video is pointed only at the front-man; the sound is great.

I do love that riff though. Even though I hate what follows it, I spent some time getting the sound right on my guitar.

 

[sadchild]

If you like the riff, but not the rest of the Smiths track, maybe you can enjoy it more in this song instead!

Got no flowers for your gun, no hippychick
Won't make love to change your mind, no hippychick

 

[HecticArt]

I always liked that song.

 

[scotchandcigar]

If you like the riff, but not the rest of the Smiths track, maybe you can enjoy it more in this song instead!

Got no flowers for your gun, no hippychick
Won't make love to change your mind, no hippychick

I forgot about that. Yeah, it's a cool song.

 

[scotchandcigar]

The Cult is kind of an enigma. They're a mid-80's band, but they're not "new wave". They're straight-ahead rockers, but they got airplay on the alternative rock stations. When you mention The Cult or their popular songs, pretty much everybody says they like them, yet they never appear in lists of great bands.

While searching out performances of their songs, I came to the realization that front-man Ian Astbury is just a mess. Back in the days when their songs were new, he was often all messed up for the live performances, which explains a lot. In later years, he pretty much lost his voice. So with that, I present to you my favorite songs of theirs, starting with these big hits from their 1985 major release Love

The Cult – She Sells Sanctuary



I actually found one live performance that didn't suck
The Cult – Rain (live)



From the '87 album Electric
The Cult – Love Removal Machine (live? - I don't believe so)



From the '89 album Sonic Temple
The Cult – Fire Woman