THE EARLY DAYS OF GOTH
So, first, what a nice, relaxing weekend I had. My wife’s son is in town, and we three just kind of hung out, watched football, relaxed, gamed our asses off, and even golfed. Now, here’s the kicker…the last time I had a golf club in my hands, Nirvana’s Nevermind had just been released. That’s how long it’s been. In high school, my friends and I golfed all the time, which was a pretty bizarre sight, I’m sure. To see 3 or 4 stoners on the golf course (and we were all pretty good…our handicaps were averaged in the mid to high teens) must have shook the old timers up pretty good. It was nice to be on a course again…him, my wife as a rider taking pictures and I. Believe it or not, I don’t think I did too badly. I shot a 126, 63 in, 63 out. No, I won’t ever be a pro, but for someone who hasn’t touched a club in 16 years or so, I don’t think I did so bad.
On to the music. I’m actually a pretty big fan of early goth. It seems natural that I would be, given my love of post punk, glam rock, punk and new wave. As most of the bands on the list show, you mix all those styles up, shake nicely, and out comes this. It’s not a genre that gets covered a lot…I think a lot of people are afraid of the whole “goth” label. In fact, it’ll be interesting to see how many page views I get off this title. If your still with me, congratulations…what you’ll find in the list is some of the best music from the early to mid 80’s. Enjoy!
- Joy Division – Candidate
- Danse Society – Red Light (Shine)
- The Sisters Of Mercy – Alice
- Christian Death – Electra Descending
- Bauhaus – Passion Of Lovers
- Siouxsie and the Banshees – Happy House
- Alien Sex Fiend – Stuff The Turkey
- The Cramps – I Was A Teenage Werewolf
- Tones On Tail – Go!
- Throbbing Gristle – Weeping
September 2nd, 2008 at 6:24 am
I could be wrong, but I find a lot of The Cure’s 80’s music to blend in nicely with the Goth movement. Also, NIN, although they didn’t really make a dent until the late 80’s with “Head Like a Hole.”
Have a great week!
MissParker0106’s last blog post..80’s Music Rules ~ Hardest Hits Volume 5
September 2nd, 2008 at 7:36 am
@MissParker0106:
The Cure are absolutely in there, I agree. These are the guys, combined with the industrial folks, who made it possible for NIN, Marilyn Manson, and even to some extent bands like Korn and The Prodigy to exist. At least, that’s how I see it.
And a good week to you too! A good, SHORT week!
September 2nd, 2008 at 8:41 am
You hit what I was musing on just before I read your comment, the industrial music scene and the early “goth” scene were very much of the same seed, especially with regard to imagery. I know, this is about music, but the live performances of some of the industrial noise merchants were nothing short of performance art, with the use of strobes, angle grinders and whacking great bits of flat steel plate with a lump hammer. The antics of Pete Murphy & co were not as jagged and took a different tack, but were visceral enough to get that audience reaction they so wanted, if only for the hell of it.
When you think about it, both are the descendants of the NY Dolls/Alice Cooper genre of rock burlesque.
Now back to thinking about work.
September 2nd, 2008 at 3:08 pm
You know, Alice Cooper plays golf.
Robert Lindsey’s last blog post..McCain Picks Palin, I Wonder…
September 2nd, 2008 at 4:39 pm
ahhhhhhh, hearing that takes me back to the wholesome goth activities of the late eighties, sweaty matt black painted nightclubs, binge drinking and cheap amphetamines. There’s enough material out there to keep this theme going for a few days (hint hint)
A.J
September 2nd, 2008 at 5:40 pm
@A.J:
In the early 80’s it was all about the punk clubs (and those wonderful punk rock girls), in the late 80’s they gave way to those goth clubs (and those wonderful goth chics!), and in the 90’s, it was alternative clubs with the alternative chics. I loved ‘em all!
September 2nd, 2008 at 5:46 pm
@Robert Lindsey:
And he’s pretty good at it too, if I’m not mistaken. I have no clue why I ever quit playing, but I got that bug back, so I think I’m gonna have to put me a great iTunes list together and head out to the driving range.