Went to Guitar Center today

[John 14:6]

You know, side note, a lot of 80's guys obviously know this, but the irony was that musically, right at the end of the decade heading into the early 90's, the eyeliner was toning down a bit and some last hurrah bands were just killer. Badlands, Blue Murder, early Lynch Mob...there was more than Steelheart going on there at the end. I could have taken a whole decade of where those bands were headed.

On another note, bands from the 80's that didn't suck can still tour today and fill an arena while bands like Ratt and Dokken would play to 20 drunk bikers at the County Fair.

The REAL 80's for me was Iron Maiden, Priest, Dio, Metallica, Ozzy, AC/DC, etc. While guys like George Lynch and DeMartini were obviously incredible players, the music for the most part, was GAY. It seems like once Motley Crew had a big hit with Home Sweet Home every fucking gay LA band had to have their ballad and it went downhill. Bands like Priest and Maiden did see a decline in popularity during the dark ages, grunge, but they have persevered and are still going.

And yes, Badlands was badass but they never really took off and got that popular.

I liked some songs by all of those bands including a couple early ones by Metallica. Dokken and Ratt actually had a bunch of pretty girls at their shows. The bands you like only had crowds full of guys and I always thought that was pretty gay. Halford being gay.......boy that was shocker (sarcasm alert). He dressed like some gay biker all along. No one saw that coming?

 

[messenger]

This "girls at the show" logic is supremely flawed.
If you wanted chicks at your show you would be a backstreet boy.
No one gets more chicks at a show than Justin Bieber.

It's not a standard that I think is relevant to ascribe to in regards to quality of music.

o

Not in the 80s

 

[Rock Bodom]

This "girls at the show" logic is supremely flawed.
If you wanted chicks at your show you would be a backstreet boy.
No one gets more chicks at a show than Justin Bieber.

It's not a standard that I think is relevant to ascribe to in regards to quality of music.

o

Not in the 80s

And let's be period correct, I think we're talking New Kids on the Block at that point

 

[John 14:6]

This "girls at the show" logic is supremely flawed.
If you wanted chicks at your show you would be a backstreet boy.
No one gets more chicks at a show than Justin Bieber.

It's not a standard that I think is relevant to ascribe to in regards to quality of music.

I get your point and you can take it to that extreme. Beiber would not have too many guys in the audience, at least not many that liked girls. Bands that played music in the style of Ratt, Dokken, Van Halen, Bullet Boys, Lynch Mob and other 80's/early 90's metal had great music and a mix of male and female fans. Their music rocked and had mass appeal. They were all over MTV back when MTV had the power to make or break bands and musical fads.

I always found that the guys who did not do too well with the ladies in the first place were the ones who made fun of the mainstream metal bands. Back in the day you had to play good and look good to be in a big band. Plenty of great players missed out on good gigs because they did not have the right look. It is just the way it was. Even George Lynch lost the Ozzy gig at the last minute because he had short hair at the time and Jake E. Lee looked cooler on stage. For the most part, you had to play and look like a rock star to make it back in the day.

 

[John 14:6]

This "girls at the show" logic is supremely flawed.
If you wanted chicks at your show you would be a backstreet boy.
No one gets more chicks at a show than Justin Bieber.

It's not a standard that I think is relevant to ascribe to in regards to quality of music.

I get your point and you can take it to that extreme. Beiber would not have too many guys in the audience, at least not many that liked girls. Bands that played music in the style of Ratt, Dokken, Van Halen, Bullet Boys, Lynch Mob and other 80's/early 90's metal had great music and a mix of male and female fans. Their music rocked and had mass appeal. They were all over MTV back when MTV had the power to make or break bands and musical fads.

I always found that the guys who did not do too well with the ladies in the first place were the ones who made fun of the mainstream metal bands. Back in the day you had to play good and look good to be in a big band. Plenty of great players missed out on good gigs because they did not have the right look. It is just the way it was. Even George Lynch lost the Ozzy gig at the last minute because he had short hair at the time and Jake E. Lee looked cooler on stage. For the most part, you had to play and look like a rock star to make it back in the day.

Styles change, substance lasts forever. That is my overarching point in the entire saga.

I agree and many people still love the old school metal. The substantive value or merit of music is to a large extent subjective in the first place. Ratt wrote guitar riffs that people are still banging out in Guitar Center 30 years later. Nice playing on your solo clip.

 

[thiswaythatway]

The REAL 80's for me was Iron Maiden, Priest, Dio, Metallica, Ozzy, AC/DC, etc. While guys like George Lynch and DeMartini were obviously incredible players, the music for the most part, was GAY. It seems like once Motley Crew had a big hit with Home Sweet Home every fucking gay LA band had to have their ballad and it went downhill. Bands like Priest and Maiden did see a decline in popularity during the dark ages, grunge, but they have persevered and are still going.

I hear you...and sorry, I thought earlier you actually WERE a Ratt fan just messing with those pictures, I thought I remembered you from USAC and just assumed everyone from there was a hair guy!

Yeah, maybe a bit on the gay side, but what can you do, killer music to play on guitar nonetheless and I thought more about girls those days more than anything else, and the fashion and stupid themed songs all fit the bill.

And you don't get credit for Dio and Ozzy, we do! It wasn't the lyrics, it was the style of guitar...Randy, Jake, and Viv were clearly on our side

Was just thinking from the bands you listed, we talk about Sabbath founding Metal, but gotta give props to Priest to taking it to the next level. Those 70's albums from Sad Wings to British Steel in '80 were just an incredible period, I regret coming to that period of Priest so late in life.

OK, Ratt's first album was pretty good. I mean I LOVE that guitar tone they had and the songs weren't that gay. But they really started to suck when bands like that went too commercial. They were doing good before they tried to sell out. I mean I remember when Bon Jovi opened up for Ratt in 84 or 85, eve in NJ where Bon Jovi is still big to this day.

But that whole style that Ratt, Dokken, others played was dead right about 1991.

 

[thiswaythatway]

You know, side note, a lot of 80's guys obviously know this, but the irony was that musically, right at the end of the decade heading into the early 90's, the eyeliner was toning down a bit and some last hurrah bands were just killer. Badlands, Blue Murder, early Lynch Mob...there was more than Steelheart going on there at the end. I could have taken a whole decade of where those bands were headed.

On another note, bands from the 80's that didn't suck can still tour today and fill an arena while bands like Ratt and Dokken would play to 20 drunk bikers at the County Fair.

The REAL 80's for me was Iron Maiden, Priest, Dio, Metallica, Ozzy, AC/DC, etc. While guys like George Lynch and DeMartini were obviously incredible players, the music for the most part, was GAY. It seems like once Motley Crew had a big hit with Home Sweet Home every fucking gay LA band had to have their ballad and it went downhill. Bands like Priest and Maiden did see a decline in popularity during the dark ages, grunge, but they have persevered and are still going.

And yes, Badlands was badass but they never really took off and got that popular.

I liked some songs by all of those bands including a couple early ones by Metallica. Dokken and Ratt actually had a bunch of pretty girls at their shows. The bands you like only had crowds full of guys and I always thought that was pretty gay. Halford being gay.......boy that was shocker (sarcasm alert). He dressed like some gay biker all along. No one saw that coming?

Well going to a rock show the number one priority is to hear great music. If you're number one thing is chicks you're going to the wrong place. Dance clubs had a ton more ass than rock shows even back then. And the girls at a Ratt show wanted to fuck the guys in the band anyway, not losers in the crowd.

 

[thiswaythatway]

This "girls at the show" logic is supremely flawed.
If you wanted chicks at your show you would be a backstreet boy.
No one gets more chicks at a show than Justin Bieber.

It's not a standard that I think is relevant to ascribe to in regards to quality of music.

o

Not in the 80s

Back in the 80's there were more girls at a Depeche Mode, The Cure, or a Duran Duran show than there were at a Ratt show.

 

[Racerxrated]

You know, side note, a lot of 80's guys obviously know this, but the irony was that musically, right at the end of the decade heading into the early 90's, the eyeliner was toning down a bit and some last hurrah bands were just killer. Badlands, Blue Murder, early Lynch Mob...there was more than Steelheart going on there at the end. I could have taken a whole decade of where those bands were headed.

On another note, bands from the 80's that didn't suck can still tour today and fill an arena while bands like Ratt and Dokken would play to 20 drunk bikers at the County Fair.

The REAL 80's for me was Iron Maiden, Priest, Dio, Metallica, Ozzy, AC/DC, etc. While guys like George Lynch and DeMartini were obviously incredible players, the music for the most part, was GAY. It seems like once Motley Crew had a big hit with Home Sweet Home every fucking gay LA band had to have their ballad and it went downhill. Bands like Priest and Maiden did see a decline in popularity during the dark ages, grunge, but they have persevered and are still going.

And yes, Badlands was badass but they never really took off and got that popular.

Agree with much of this. I was a Lynch/DeMartini fan for the lead playing, not so much the songs. But Maiden? Couldn't wait for every album to come out. And you mention Badlands..great band, music....but I remember going to Riverfest in St Paul in 1990 just to see them. They were playing a side stage, to like 100 people. Sad. I enjoyed it, but I felt bad for them.

 

[Racerxrated]

Lets not bring up the 2nd greatest classic metal band of all time. IRON FUCKING MAIDEN!!!!

So glad I finally got to see them locally a few years ago, I had tickets in HS to go see Number of the Beast but got the keys to my car taken away....I was bummed. That was back when tickets were like 15 bucks apiece!

My parents didn't like it when I skipped school apparently haha...

 

[Rock Bodom]

Lets not bring up the 2nd greatest classic metal band of all time.

Right on man!...Judas Pr...oh.

Shit, here we go again

Just kidding

danyeo, good points on the commercial trend, I tend to really like those earlier years a lot too even though I dig some of their later stuff. Crue comes to mind in a big way, I still like that first album best. My "time machine" years for the 80's would probably be 1984 for those bands, and 1981 for VH, Ozzy, etc.

I think 1991 is spot on for the demise, the second Badlands album came out that year and I consider that the last truly awesome album from that genre, and an "end" of sorts (or the tipping point straight off the cliff) to the style of guitar sound Clapton started with the Blues Breakers album all those years ago.

 

[Anonymous]

This "girls at the show" logic is supremely flawed.
If you wanted chicks at your show you would be a backstreet boy.
No one gets more chicks at a show than Justin Bieber.

It's not a standard that I think is relevant to ascribe to in regards to quality of music.

I LOVED the music that I was writing and playing in the '80s. It was just also cool that there were rooms full of hot chicks treating us like rock stars as well... I wasn't making the music to get girls to come to my shows, it was a bonus of making the music I loved anyway...

Steve

 

[Rock Bodom]

This "girls at the show" logic is supremely flawed.
If you wanted chicks at your show you would be a backstreet boy.
No one gets more chicks at a show than Justin Bieber.

It's not a standard that I think is relevant to ascribe to in regards to quality of music.

I LOVED the music that I was writing and playing in the '80s. It was just also cool that there were rooms full of hot chicks treating us like rock stars as well... I wasn't making the music to get girls to come to my shows, it was a bonus of making the music I loved anyway...

Steve

That's really what I was trying to say earlier...the lyrics might not have always been the most intelligent (at least the stuff I played), but musically it was always that style of guitar playing that was a blast. The fact that you could play Eruption AND attract girls was just the icing on the cake.

 

[John 14:6]

This "girls at the show" logic is supremely flawed.
If you wanted chicks at your show you would be a backstreet boy.
No one gets more chicks at a show than Justin Bieber.

It's not a standard that I think is relevant to ascribe to in regards to quality of music.

I LOVED the music that I was writing and playing in the '80s. It was just also cool that there were rooms full of hot chicks treating us like rock stars as well... I wasn't making the music to get girls to come to my shows, it was a bonus of making the music I loved anyway...

Steve

Well said. It was just good old all American hard rock/metal back then. It was such a cool time to be a young rock player with one great player after another popping up. I was already into the classic rock guys, plus heavily into Hendrix and Jeff Beck. I was getting into Van Halen a bit too though not really his tapping because everyone was doing it and were doing it badly. I then I heard Gary Moore and that really sent me into a more modern (at the time) 80's direction when it came to technique and tone. Shortly after that George Lynch, Yngwie and others. It was a lot of fun to chase the dream in a music scene that was really happening. It was a different world before MTV, corporate owned radio stations and the internet destroyed the music business.

 

[John 14:6]

This "girls at the show" logic is supremely flawed.
If you wanted chicks at your show you would be a backstreet boy.
No one gets more chicks at a show than Justin Bieber.

It's not a standard that I think is relevant to ascribe to in regards to quality of music.

I LOVED the music that I was writing and playing in the '80s. It was just also cool that there were rooms full of hot chicks treating us like rock stars as well... I wasn't making the music to get girls to come to my shows, it was a bonus of making the music I loved anyway...

Steve

That's really what I was trying to say earlier...the lyrics might not have always been the most intelligent (at least the stuff I played), but musically it was always that style of guitar playing that was a blast. The fact that you could play Eruption AND attract girls was just the icing on the cake.

That is too funny. I remember a girl asking me "so you play guitar?" and so I played something like a Hendrix or Beck thing and remember her saying "oh, you play that kind of guitar."

I thought I was pretty hot stuff at the time and realized that I needed to get on board with all the new playing styles and try to keep up with the times. I think I started listening even closer to Gary Moore and Dokken after that.

 

[Rock Bodom]

I remember a girl asking me "so you play guitar?" and so I played something like a Hendrix or Beck thing and remember her saying "oh, you play that kind of guitar."

That, is like, quotable

 

[Bloodrock]

The only people who hate on the 80's music scene obviously weren't there to experience it. It may have been cheesy and over the top, but that was the point. chicks loved it and those gay looking dudes got laid hourly while the metal bands sat in their dressing rooms with their dicks in their hands... Except for Rob Halford, I'm sure he LOVED all those sweaty crowds full of nothing but angry boys! The quality of the music on both sides is debatable IMO, depending on the band in question..

 

[messenger]

This "girls at the show" logic is supremely flawed.
If you wanted chicks at your show you would be a backstreet boy.
No one gets more chicks at a show than Justin Bieber.

It's not a standard that I think is relevant to ascribe to in regards to quality of music.

o

Not in the 80s

Back in the 80's there were more girls at a Depeche Mode, The Cure, or a Duran Duran show than there were at a Ratt show.

I wouldn't know. Didn't care for any of that music so didn't look at the crowd so I'll take your word for it but I do know that lots of chicks listened to "hair metal" and it was still cool by my books.

 

[sg guy]

-it just gets more and more pathetic by the post-

-I lived the 80's,.. Hair bands put together by producers riding the gravy train is what killed METAL, not NIRVANA,.... cookie cutter bands that were all "style & eyeliner" instead of substance,... When every guitar player thought you had to be fast to be good was the end of "musicians " and the beginning of "guitarist"....... Who's impressed my someone doing fast scales!!! For fucks sake!!! If anyone has to explain this to you you'll never understand....

 

[zoom club]

Lulz, you giuz are about 10 years from tgp alumni.

Cranky old dudes worried about stage clothes.

Sitting in a trailer park in Florida waiting for the next hurricane.