80's Rock Songs That Deserved Better: Journey, Faster Pussycat, LA Guns, Twisted Sister

"STONE IN LOVE"     JOURNEY

"Those crazy nights I do remember in my youth, those were the best times".  When you think of Journey, the Escape album and their three massive hits, Don't Stop Believin', Open Arms, and Who's Crying Now, are probably the first songs that come to your mind.   Escape (actually titled E5C4P3) sold close to 10 million copies, heck, they even made an Atari video game based on the album.    The fourth single was "Still They Ride", a song that didn't fare as well.   For me, I would have released "Stone In Love", one of my favorite tracks on the album.  Never released as a single although mainstream rock radio stations would often play it, Neil Schon's guitar solo and Steve Perry really shined here.

"YOU'RE SO VAIN"    FASTER PUSSYCAT

One of the more creative but fitting cover songs of the 80's, Carly Simon's #1 classic from the 1972 gets roughed up by Faster Pussycat.  You can just feel the grime of the Sunset Strip  and the sleaze of the Whiskey A Go Go with this glammed up cover.   Faster Pussycat are best known for their power ballad "House Of Pain" and their sexual romp, "Bathroom Wall".   "You're So Vain" was released on a tribute to Elektra Records compilation disc called Rubaiyat (The Cure covers the Doors on it too) and the band followed up by re-releasing the song on an EP.  "You're So Vain" never became a hit, another lost opportunity for an underrated 80's glam band.  Marilyn Manson and Johnny Depp took a stab at the Carly Simon tune, you may also want to check it out on my site.

"CRYSTAL EYES"       L.A. GUNS

Oh what could have been!   Axl Rose, Izzy Stradlin, Duff McKagan, and Slash got their start with L.A. Guns and Hollywood Rose, when disagreements over the band's direction and in-fighting among the guys took over, a breakup was inevitable.   Most of the guys formed Guns N Roses, perhaps the greatest glam band of all-time, while Tracii Guns reformed L.A. Guns, a group that always seemed like a little brother on the scene.   "Never Enough" and "The Ballad of Jayne" hit big before Tracii changed up the band's lineup again.   In 1991, Seattle grunge bands were taking over and 80's hair bands lost their appeal.   During this time, a new version of the L.A. Guns released Hollywood Vampire, a great album released at the wrong time.  Crystal Eyes was chosen as the second single, it crashed and burned, yet remains one of the best unknown power ballads of all-time. 

"THE PRICE"      TWISTED SISTER

Back when I first started my website, I added my choice as the greatest 80's rock song to never make the charts.  Dee Snider and the boys lost the makeup, discarded any gimmicks, and showed the world that they had substance.   Check out my earlier post.

New Lead Singer For Journey? : New Music From Mary J Blige, Usher, Train

"ANYWAY YOU WANT IT"  MARY J. BLIGE

In October, I'll be going to my first big Broadway play when I'm seeing Rock Of Ages at Ruth Eckerd Hall.   Of course, the 80's hair band theme drew me in but the reviews have been amazing.  Stories of the crowd singing along to every song, big name musicians joining the cast, what a party!   Just saw the film on Saturday, it was SO much fun!    Tom Cruise as a washed up Axl Rose styled rocker, Alec Baldwin and Russell Brand, top notch.   But the sexy scene stealing Catherine Zeta-Jones as a Tipper Gore clone was the highlight of the film.

On the movie's soundtrack, Mary J. Blige rips into Journey's epic hit.  Mary's version might be even harder rocking than Steve Perry's version!   Love it!   Journey should consider Mary J. for their next lead vocalist (kidding!)

"SCREAM"   USHER

Usher's newly released CD, "Looking 4 Myself" is radically different from his other CD's.   He wanted to explore new music and take some chances.  You'll hear dubstep bass drops, productions from the Swedish House Mafia & The Neptunes, progressive R&B, techno mixed with old school hip hop, even 80's New Wave Beats on the title song.   The first big club banger is "Scream", reminiscent of OMG and More, one of the least adventurous new tracks but still vintage Usher, if "ain't broke don't fix it".

"THIS WILL BE MY YEAR"   TRAIN

The first thing that comes to mind hearing this song is Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start The Fire" (on a side note, Billy, we didn't accuse you, relax, man!).  Pat Monahan and Train have another poppy summer jam.   They combine a timeline of their band's career with highlights from Pat's life (meeting his wife for the first time, daughter's birth) and major current events like the start of Facebook, The Simpsons, and 9/11.   Great line about the year 2011,  "the artificial heart is born, how ironic when New York's is torn".    ESPN is already using this song in their XGames promotion.

 

Why Can't This Night Last Forever: Journey, Femme Fatale, Il Divo, and

"WHY CAN'T THIS NIGHT LAST FOREVER"     JOURNEY

If you had to name one voice to personify the 80's arena rock sound, Steve Perry of Journey would be it.   Journey originally had a different lead singer, but once Steve joined the group, album sales skyrocketed and Journey songs dominated every high school prom.   Critics despised Journey but songs like "Don't Stop Believin", "Anyway You Want It" and "Open Arms" will live on forever.    Here's a lost power ballad gem highlighted by a brilliant Steve Perry vocal.

"FALLING IN AND OUT OF LOVE"     FEMME FATALE
Femme Fatale, French for "dangerous woman", was a female fronted 80's hair band that only released one CD.   MTV picked up two of their videos ("Waiting For The Big One" was their other hit).   "Falling In And Out Of Love" sounds like a Bon Jovi title and fittingly this song sounds like Bon Jovi with a female lead singer.

"REGRESSA A MI  (Unbreak My Heart)"      IL  DIVO

Rumor has it that Simon Cowell heard Bocelli singing on the Sopranos and dreamed up this operatic Supergroup.   Taking four singers from four countries (USA, Spain, Switzerland, and France) singing classical versions of pop songs hit it big worldwide.   Here they take on the Toni Braxton love song, Unbreak My Heart, it's so  beautiful hearing it sung this way in Italian.