Friday 80s Flashback for November 27, 2015

[Black Friday -- Redux] -- As I often do during a holiday, I'm re-using a previous Flashback post (with a few corrections/updates). This one was originally posted in November 2012, but the tunes are just as fresh, and the topic just as relevant, today. Here we go!

It's the day after Thanksgiving, colloquially known as Black Friday here in the States. It's a special, special day when all those prices that have been steadily jacked up over the past few months are lowered (just a bit). Some folks could not even wait for this morning, and began shopping last night or at least camped out (2012 link | 2015 link) in the hope of nabbing huge deals. As the 80s are often considered the decade of materialism during which "shop till you drop" became a mantra, I thought I could find a few tunes to reflect the inanity of Black Friday. Read and hear more after the break.

Friday 80s Flashback for November 20, 2015

[Presto] -- This week in 1987, Canadian power trio, Rush, released their 13th studio album, Presto. AllMusic.com could muster only 2.5 out of 5 stars for this record, but my own appreciation has, well, appreciated over time. Maybe that's because Presto heralded a return to a more guitar driven sound after nearly a decade of synth-dominated discs. Lyrically, this record can seem simplistic at times, or that it is trying too hard in others. At least, I think that's the impression I had after it first came out. However, in retrospect, I feel that lyricist/percussionist Neal Peart captured the confusion and frustration of the close of the 80s. And he did so without losing his own sense of optimism, something missing from many prog rock records of that time. Presto  peaked  at #16 on the Billboard 200 album chart, selling over 500,000 copies (Gold) in the US and over 100,000 copies (Platinum) in Canada. For this week's Flashback post, you can read and hear more about a few singles after the break. 

Friday 80s Flashback for November 6, 2015

[Eye of the Glass Tiger] -- For some reason, all this week, several songs by Canadian rockers, Glass Tiger, have been been on constant replay in my head. So, I take that as an excuse to feature them in a Flashback post. Between 1983 and 1991, Glass Tiger released three studio albums: The Thin Red Line (1986), Diamond Sun (1988), and Simple Mission (1991). Each one sold at least 500,000 copies (Platinum) in Canada, but only their debut grabbed much attention outside stateside ... or elsewhere. After 1991, their record label released about half a dozen compilation albums, all of which were pretty much attempts to milk more cash out of the band's lightning-in-a-bottle debut. Depending on what site you visit, Glass Tiger disbanded in either 1991 or 1993, though they did reunite in 2003 and have performed together a few more times since then. For this week, I've chosen two tracks from their debut album, and one from their sophomore release. If you're ready to find out which tracks made the cut, just read and hear more after the break.