The Glory of 80's Music

Most people would consider the 1980's the epitome of cheesiness when it comes to music (and many other things). I find this a real tragedy seeing as, in my opinion, some amazing music came from that decade. If you watch some of the music videos from that period, you'll notice that a lot of old, artsy effects were used. On top of that, the music in a lot of cases is quite simple. These two things in conjunction are enough to seal the deal for many minds that 80's music is straight cheese. Who can blame them right? Let me explain why I take issue with this train of thought.

Take Steve Winwood's hit song "Valarie." The video starts off with a waterfall, followed closely by Steve appearing in a partly phased out overlay making his sports jacket look like it's part of the waterfall. A fan blows on him the entire video. Not many special effects are added. Fading in and out is a lady (Valarie) dancing around in a white dress. At certain points throughout the video, while Steve is playing his keyboard, the waterfall envelopes his hands. If one were to simply watch the video without music, it would really look horrible. But the thing that really sticks out to me when I watch it is that Steve is in the entire video either singing or playing. He is the composer and musician that made this song, and he is the one being featured throughout. I find it pleasant that instead of so many special effects, the music of Steve Winwood is being featured. Its not a purely visual stimulation accompanied by some background music. Its his music being accompanied by some very simple visual effects. That is what a music video should be as I see it.

But what about the music itself? Simple right? Old synthesizer music, and pretty standard song format. Why would anyone want to listen to it? When I was attending the Navy School of Music a very profound statement was made by a Senior Chief concerning simple music. He said that the reason simple music is so profound is because it's simple. Nothing against intricate music, but to enjoy a simple pleasure can be very healing to the soul. Life in and of itself is complex enough, and to find something simple that doesn't try to be more than it is can ground a person and provide relief from the many stresses that plague us all. Instead of flashing bling, money, and scantily dressed women that we'll never partake of, it shows a master of his craft carving out something from nothing, albeit simple.

There is a lot of wisdom contained in simplicity that is not only edifying but enjoyable. I would hope that you would see the finer things as I do.