80s Song of the Week: Huey Lewis and the News "If This is It"

ahhhhh: those San Fran working boys of Huey Lewis and the News. The girls in my family all loved Huey. How could you not? He was so ruggedly cute, with a raspy voice (unexpected for a white guy) and he always portrayed a great sense of humour in his videos. In fact: this was the first concert my mom (begrudgingly) let my sister Sara and I go to - with our older sisters who bought us tickets as a Xmas present. I was in 9th grade, we went to the horrible acoustics of the SD Sports Arena venue and screamed and danced and then I even wrote a review on it for the school newspaper that I was involved in.

Back to this song. The year was 1985, it was from their "Sports" album which had a string of Top 10 hits. I chose this video because it was sweet and showcases totally 80s bathing suits (girls wore those high French cut 1-pieces that looked horrible on anyone with a butt or hips); I also point out at the very beginning of the video the 80s boombox that they play - - kids nowadays probably won't even know what it is!!

The video is sweet but it always bugged me that Huey wanders around Venice Beach completely dressed in cords and polo shirt - the only one there amidst the tanned, half-naked bodies - he stands out so much and isn't he hot???!!! But then: I can't imagine him with his shirt off and in shorts anyway... :)

80s Song of the Week: Pet Shop Boys "West End Girls"

I still like this 1985 song and its basically being completely programmed on a keyboard synthesizer is SO 80s :)
Pet Shop Boys are actually still around, still recording and still successful - in Europe. But their heyday in the USA was definitely during the 80s starting with this hit. Made up of the duo Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe they wrote danceable tunes with intelligent lyrics delivered solemnly by the stoic Tennant.

Interestingly enough, by watching their videos again I only recently came to realize that the lead singer is obviously gay - well, shoot - I wasn't a fag hag in 1985 in 7th grade (or WAS I- - but didn't know it yet?)hahahaha It seems he is publicly "out" since 1994. Also, Patrick recently informed me that their clever name leans to something very gay - again, I grew up so innocent and sheltered for so long (how on EARTH was I supposed to know?) :)

Whatever the case - good songs, great memories :)

80s Song of the Week - INXS "Don't Change"

*Sigh*.

I am serious. I watched this video and that is what my reaction was...

Okay, okay, for those of you who are loyal elsamart readers: I know! I have been lagging on posting my 80s Music Videos of the week. Mi 'Scusi!! For those of you just tuning in - I decided when I started my blog that since I love my 80s music and love the nostalgia of it, I'd post one (along with my commentary) every week.

Now - back to INXS. This was the first INXS hit that I can remember in the 80s. In fact, this is the first time I've ever even seen the video. My reaction? LOVE IT!!! HOT DOG!!! Lead singer and late Michael Hutchence was packing some serious sex appeal!!! Of course I long knew this, but I hadn't seen this video back when they were REALLY still a rock band with great guitar licks, raw, not over-produced songs! I mean: lean and virile Michael (not yet sporting his longer wavy hair that became his trademark in later years) seemed to be channeling a young Mick Jagger - with a FAR more handsome, rugged face. SIGH.

This video is the sheeit - you can totally do my infamous 80s 'skank' dance move to it. And it really makes me want to go to Australia and meet some rugged, handsome, beer-guzzling man - oh, wait - I already got one of those - he's just Irish...

"Transformers" Movie

Oh, ho ho - you all think I am such a movie snob with my preferring foreign films, subtitles and independent films over most of the blockbusters and trashy-lame-waste-of-money American movies that make us look like idiots that we mass-produce and send out across the world...oh do NOT get me started!

In any case - tonight I attended a showing of the Transformers Movie with my sister Sara, her German husband Sven, my brother Gabe and my 2 nephews: Isaac and Isaiah. Oh yeah - a real summer BLOCKBUSTER - even dishing out the $10.50 to go see it - ouch!! Well, let me explain. Sara and I were avid fans of the Transformers cartoon back in the 1980s. We were probably about 12/13 or so and loved it - I realize mostly boys were probably into it - but Sara and I were not just sweet goody-goodies, but sweet goody-goody sci-fi animation nerds!! Now listen - we were not allowed to watch much TV in the Martinez household growing up. But we were allowed to watch our beloved Autobots fight the evil Decepticons every afternoon!

Tonight was a treat to go with Sara to the motion picture - since we were part of the mid-30s fan base in the audience that actually hooted and hollered at recognition of the robots when introduced. Holla - Nerd fest!!! Loved it!! It was also very cool to go with big brother Gabe since he took us 20 years ago to the first motion picture - which was animated (and better than this one to original fans).

The computer graphics were awesome - certainly to be expected and didn't let us down. Definite complaints was an okay story-line and the fact that they only portrayed about 10 robots in the movie - there are many more than that. Also, it took a LONG time in the storyline before they brought out all the robots - more Transformers and LESS humans and their cheesy jokes!!

The ending leads to an obvious sequel - which undoubtedly will feature more robots (and those who didn't make the cut this time). It was a lot of fun to share the excitement with my young nephews who are being taught the ways of the Force, and Fantasy through us and Uncle Gabe introducing them to Star Wars, the Hobbit books and now this. Good times!!

Movie gets a B- for fabulous images, robot voice-overs from the original characters, a leading teen who actually wasn't annoying and made us like him, not enough about the robots, and a mediocre storyline that seriously lacked the heart and real character-depth of the robots, themselves. As for me: it's back to my foreign films....