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Pop Rock Nation

Tag: Infatueighties

  • Infatueighties #50: Genius of Love

    tomtomYou’re the bassist and the drummer of an influential new wave band? Whatcha gonna do when you’re on an extended vacation and you still have the urge to make music?

    They’re gonna have some fun.

    Not to say Talking Heads music wasn’t fun before, but prior to Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth breaking off temporarily to form Tom Tom Club, it was kind of stiff. “Genius of Love” is what a Heads record would sound like after a couple of spliffs. Loosey-goosey and effortless, the song’s rubbery groove is irresistible. Shouting out Hamilton Bohannon, Smokey Robinson and James Brown while giving props to the then-growing hip-hop sound (as well as a nod to reggae), it appealed to those graffiti drawing kids as well as the downtown arty types in similar fashion to Blondie’s “Rapture” (which you’ll find a few places back on this list).

    There’s a small percentage of folks who probably now know this from Mariah Carey’s “Fantasy”, which samples it heavily, but like most sampled cuts, ain’t nothin’ like the original.

    The video is awesome as well.

  • Infatueighties #51: Need You Tonight

    inxsSex. That’s all you need to know. This song oozes sex. There’s that bluesy guitar riff that repeats throughout the song. Then there’s the skeletal groove-a little funky, a lot sleazy. Finally, there’s Michael Hutchence’s vocal delivery. Half whispered, half screamed, all sexual longing and tension. This was the song that established Hutchence as a Grade “A” frontman and gave his band INXS their first and only #1 American single.

    That paragraph was 69 words. Somehow, that seems appropriate.

    INXS were a killer singles band: “What You Need” and “New Sensation” were among the Eighties’ best songs-thanks to the tight musicianship of the band and Hutchence, who played the sexy angle but had genuine soulful grit in his voice. Although the hits dried up long before Hutchence’s tragic death in the late Nineties, the good music didn’t-“Not Enough Time” and “Disappear” are top-notch singles. Hell, Hutchence even held his own against Ray Charles for one single. Check this video out and tell me these guys don’t deserve more props.

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  • Infatueighties #52: Down Under

    downunderAustralia has always had sort of a romantic appeal to me (and I’d love to be there right now, considering it’s summer), and I have Men at Work to thank for it. The delightfully goofy band won my six year old heart, first with “Who Can it Be Now” and then with “Down Under”. How can you resist the story of a man who meets a woman who made him breakfast when you’re a little kid? All it would have taken for a kidnapper to have lured me away back then was the promise of pancakes.

    Of course, there’s more than just the first verse. There’s the addictive flute-sounding hook. There’s a remarkably catchy chorus, which sticks in the head even though you have no idea what Men at Work are talking about unless you’re Australian or know one. There’s Colin Hay’s delightfully droll delivery. Put it all together? Certified classic. The song’s lived through a Best New Artist Grammy, commercials for the Australian tourist board, “Crocodile Dundee” and an acoustic performance on “Scrubs” and is still a joy to listen to and sing along with.

    And of course, there’s the “vegemite sandwich” line. Have you ever SEEN what Vegemite looks like? Green barf. Australians eat this. They’re better people than I’ll ever be.