I've been meaning to post about it forever, but a-ha's latest album (yes, they're still active!) is brilliant.
I just love it; Foot of the Mountain is an obvious return to their synth-pop roots even if the title track has a more Take That (current incarnation) vibe. Which is not a bad thing! The video is a mixture of Madonna's "Ray of Light" and "Love Profusion."
My favorite track is probably the opener "The Bandstand," which is as compelling as anything they've done and has a timeless pop quality, plus a killer hook. Here's a good live version, or a slightly shakier but more visual one:
It's followed on the album by "Riding the Crest" (dance remixhere) which like so many tracks on the album reminds me of Yaz or even lighter Depeche Mode (with a dash of Gino Vannelli):
Following my post of yesterday, for the week ending January 12, 1985, these were the Top 10 Billboard Hot 100 Singles. Surprisingly, January of '85 was shitty compared to May of the same year, save for a couple of stand-outs:
#1 "Like A Virgin" by Madonna. She was in the middle of her impressive six-week reign. That makes "Like A Virgin," her first #1 song, one of her biggest chart hits alongside "Take A Bow" (regrettably), "Music" and "Vogue". The following was her hilarious re-invention of the song for The Girlie Show, sung as Marlene Dietrich:
#2 "All I Need" by Jack Wagner. If for no other reason, give "Like A Virgin" credit for keeping this inane song out of the top spot. I remember every girl in my class swooning over this and him. For 10 minutes:
#3 "The Wild Boys" by Duran Duran. What an intense, sexy song. I love the muted roar and imitated Simon's wail many a time that year. Video pioneers that they were, you know they had a long version of their Mad Max-inspired video:
