1984 Hideaway 200 (Part XIII of XX)

 

Welcome back to the 1984 Hideaway 200. Click HERE to catch up on any parts you may have missed.

83

The song "Torture" opens the Jacksons' cash-in reunion album Victory on a high note for this listener with thumping synth bass, peeling guitar riffs, and trumpet fanfare. We enjoyed Victory a lot more than other folks we know as half of the album's eight tracks are here on the 1984 Hideaway 200. We ranked "Torture" higher than the other three Victory tracks because, after more than forty years, it still sounds like a song that shoulda woulda coulda been used in a Rico-centric scene from Miami Vice. The best-sounding version of the album version of "Torture" is the Japanese pressing of the compact disc for the U.S. of Victory.

186

Iron Maiden's music and image were very popular when we were in high school, easily rivaling the fanbases of Judas Priest and Ozzy Osbourne though, if you liked one, more than likely you liked all three. We enjoy a handful of the group's songs in moderation. "2 Minutes To Midnight" is a metal protest song inspired by the Doomsday Clock. The lyrics are meant to shock and outrage; they continue to do so each time we listen. Our favorite-sounding version of "2 Minutes To Midnight" is on the 1995 U.K. two-disc edition of Powerslave.

166

Alan Parsons gave "Don't Answer Me" a Spector-ish Wall Of Sound luster and when we pointed that out to our girl one night while listening to Ammonia Avenue, she replied, "Who?". Spent the next two weeks working on an answer in the form of a mixtape featuring a side of the many classic productions of Phil Spector and a side of soundalikes such as "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore" by the Walker Brothers, Springsteen's "Born To Run", "(You're My) Soul and Inspiration" by the Righteous Brothers and Billy Joel's "Say Goodbye To Hollywood" from Songs In The Attic. Unfortunately, that's the extent of our memory of that particular mixtape - neither one of us knows what happened to it. The best-sounding version of Alan Parson Project's "Don't Answer Me" is on the obscure 1989 West German pressing for Benelux compilation disc in the Pop Classics series Alan Parsons Project.

151

We had a reputation as a young driver to be somewhat of a speeder. The only tickets we have ever been issued were for driving over the posted limit so Sammy Hagar's "I Can't Drive 55" kinda sorta scratched our need for speed as we could relate to his frustration. He later released "I Can't Drive 65" in 2001 but it just wasn't the same. For a variety of reasons, we no longer drive too fast. Our favorite-sounding version of Sammy Hagar's "I Can't Drive 55" is on the 1995 U.S. compilation disc 18 Screamers from the 80's.

45

This rose-tinted remembrance of a family's black sheep is one of at least two such songs that Carey has released. The first "prison" song Carey released was "Carry My Love" about a drug smuggler serving time and hoping his love would either be waiting for him when he finished serving his time or carry on his illicit business while he was on the inside. "A Fine, Fine Day" is a sequel of sorts to "Carry My Love" as Uncle Sonny shows up after serving his time, sparking memories for the song's narrator, only to disappear again. Both songs have literary lyrics and killer melodies. The best-sounding version of Tony Carey's "A Fine, Fine Day" is on the 2008 U.S. pressing of Some Tough City.

38

We loved the Go-Go's 1981 debut album Beauty & the Beat and liked their 1982 sophomore release Vacation a little less. When Talk Show was released, it had a different sound than the first two albums but we liked it a lot, especially "Turn To You", "You Thought", "Yes Or No", and "Head Over Heels". The latter is a ramblin' runaway train of a song with a driving piano riff from guitarist Charlotte Caffey, a rubbery bass line from Kathy Valentine, and a manic vocal from Belinda Carlisle. "Head Over Heels" is a 3:38 thrill ride that takes our breath away each time we listen. Our favorite-sounding version of the Go-Go's "Head Over Heels" is from the 1999 U.S. pressing of the Talk Show compact disc.

173

The first act we ever saw live in concert was Judas Priest. No wait, the opening act was Canadian hard rockers Coney Hatch touring in support of their self-titled debut album. So Coney Hatch was the first act we ever saw live in concert. We're still gonna say Judas Priest was our first and you never forget your first. (Unless they are Coney Hatch.) We still love some Judas Priest tunes and through repeated listenings, we have those songs etched on our brain. One of those songs is the blistering "Freewheel Burning" with Rob Halford's piercing rapid-fire vocals and the dueling guitars of K.K. Downing coming from the left speaker and Glenn Tipton attacking on the right. Our high school's annual air guitar show and fundraiser for Casa de Los Ninos in 1984 opened with three guys from the swim team using tennis rackets as their guitars to perform this song and it was magnificent. Our favorite-sounding version of "Freewheel Burning" is from the 1993 Japan two-disc pressing of the Judas Priest compilation Metal Works 73-93.

96

Echo & the Bunnymen's "The Killing Moon" is overflowing with dark atmosphere. We've included it on every Halloween-themed mixtape and playlist we've ever curated. When we came across the 9:12 All Night Version aka Up All Night Mix on a twelve-inch single one night, we made a friend for life. And when we saw Echo & the Bunnymen with The Church opening in March 1986, it was an emotionally charged show that resonated with us long after the buzzing in our heads stopped. The best-sounding original album version of Echo & the Bunnymen's "The Killing Moon" is the 2022 high-resolution digital download of Ocean Rain.

15

At this stage in my life, I've identified some songs that I enjoy listening to that overwhelm me emotionally when I hear them for whatever reason. These songs make us sob softly or cry uncontrollably as we make a hard-wired emotional connection to them. That's the best explanation we have come up with anyway. We just let it happen, let it wash over us, and then go about our business. Over the past twelve months or so, Bruce Springsteen's "Bobby Jean", always a favorite has become one of those songs. Our favorite-sounding version of the song is on the 1984 Japan for the U.S. pressing of Born In The U.S.A.

19

It was hard to complain about Roger Hodgson leaving Supertramp once we heard his first solo single "Had A Dream (Sleeping With The Enemy)". It sounded just like Supertramp! In 1985, when Supertramp released their first Hodgson-free album Brother Where You Bound, it featured "Cannonball", one of their best songs in years in our opinion. One of the few examples of a band's fracturing that yielded rewards for their fans. The best-sounding version of the epic album-length version of Roger Hodgson's "Had A Dream (Sleeping With The Enemy)" here in the HERChives is on the 1984 West German pressing for the European market of In The Eye Of The Storm.

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We're 65% of the way through the 1984 Hideaway 200. When we wrote up all these posts, we put much thought into the process and felt we had mapped them out very well. Thanks to your comments and suggestions, we now regret not adding a few features: 1) a detailed listing of all the recordings we auditioned in picking our best-sounding or favorite-sounding versions; 2) referring to our picks as optimal-sounding instead of best or favorite and 3) giving credit where credit is most certainly due by naming the mastering (or remastering) engineer.

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Those viewers playing along at home should see their cards filling in nicely. The twentieth and final post of the 1984 Hideaway 200 will countdown our ten favorite songs from 1984 in order.