. • 982 ends with some good and bad It is fnan's nature to maize lists. We all live by them in one form or another. Although I cannot even consider to hit everything that has happened in music in the past year, I am concentrating my efforts on what I define as "mainstream," what you would usually hear on a rock or pop radio station and what would also have the potential to hit "the charts." By RON YEANY Collegian Staff Writer t has been a good year for many new artists and a bad year for . some established acts. We saw some new figures come, and some other figures pass away. But what ever 1982 could be called, it certainly won't be "boring." This past, year saw new and big acts such as Asia, Men At Work, Stray Cats and Aldo Nova hit it big, while such. older acts as Queen, Heart, and REO Speedwagon found the going unusually tougher. The industry saw the loss of some of it's important members, such as John Belushi, who had taken his Saturday Night Live act with Dan Akroyd, The Blues Brothers, to a Number 1 album with platinum sta tus. 1982 also saw the passing of Neil Bogart, one of the industry's most influential members and the presi dent and founder of Boardwalk Re cords. Also, James Honeyman Scott, a great guitarist from the The Pre tenders, met an untimely death. Many awards were also handed down, the most prestigious of which were the Grammys, swept this year by Quincy Jones who walked away with five awards, including the pro ducer of the year. The Grammys also awarded (posthumously) the Album of the Year award to the late ex-Beatle John Lennon. I've dissected the year, week by week, and have come up with my own list of what can be considered the best and worst output of the year by artists in the recording industry. Some of us absolutely hate a song when we hear it, others may love a song. And this year saw many of both pass. Remember, though, the criteria for a good song is its musical and lyrical excellence, not necessar ily its popularity. Without further ado, here are my ten worst songs of the year: 1. "Body Language" Insignificant twiddle! I've said it before and I'll say it again. This is only one of the songs that tried to' cash in on Olivia Newton-John's "Physical" craze, but if I ever hear this one again . . . 2. "Pac-Man' Fever" and Garcia This is enough to drive a person to Donkey Kong. And the trouble is, it was actually a million-seller and certified gold which resulted in an appearance on Solid Gold. Gobble, gobble, gobble. 3. "Muscles" Diana Ross This is another rip-off on the "Physical" craze, a sort of "la dies' " version. This song is anti climatic and, well, horrid. 4. "Valley Girl"— Moon Zappa This one is cute the first time you hear it, but gets on your nerves more and more. What else can I say, it was a nice attempt at social com mentary that didn't work. Oh, gag me with a spoon. 5. "Jack and Diane" gar This one is still a cheap imitation of a Springsteen-esque teenage love song, no matter how popular it was or how long it stayed at Number 1. 6. "On The Way To The Sky" Neil Diamond How about "saccharin" to de scribe this lackluster and bland tune that is more likely "on the way to the garbage." 7. "Baby Makes Her Blue Jeans Talk" Dr. Hook Just think what a baby would do in a pair of blue jeans and that's about as tasteful as this song gets 8. "Always On My Mind" • Nelson Nelson's voice is about as smooth as sandpaper, and as much as this song has haunted me, it will be never on my mind. 9. "Take Me Down" Alabama This is another refrain that makes me cringe when I hear it. Alabama has done some good material before, but this is so outright repetitive it has become infamous. 10. "I've Never Been To Me" Charlene But she's obviously been every where else. Someone should give her a ring and tell her about some good old morals and such. Despite economic turndowns in the music industry, Americans were still treated to a good share of well produced songs and albums throughout 1982. Exceptionally fine releases by The Who (above left), Soft Cell (left) and Billy Joel (above) top the list of the year's most worthwhile music. But 1982 also saw many very good songs, and here they are: 1. "Man On The Corner" sis This cut, from A bacab the fall of 'Bl, wasn't released as a single and didn't pick up much airplay until early this year. Why it,didn't sell so well is anybody's guess, but Phil Collins and the rest of Genesis cre ated a real gem with this one, a song so fresh and unique it defies descrip tion. The best of the year. 2. "Slit Skirts" Pete Townshend All of Townshend's output this year has been excellent with such cuts as "Athena" and "Emminence Front" from the Who's It's Hard Ip. "Slit Skirts," from his solo outing, seems to be a culmination of this past year's work, with a knowledge and perspective only Pete Towns hend could shed. 3. "Goodnight Saigon" Joel Queen What • will undoubtedly be known as the best and most striking rock music epilogue to the Vietnam era, this song from The Nylon Curtain is probably Joel's best song ever. Joel captures the feeling and describes it to those who were so fortunate not to have witnessed it. 4. "Industrial Disease" Straits Buckner Social commentary reigned in many excellent songs this year, and this fine specimen from Love Over Gold was musically ambitious as well as lyrically near-perfect. 5. "Tainted Love/Where Did Our Love Go" Soft Cell This dance favorite tied Bill Ha ley's "Rock Around The Clock" for the most total weeks on Billboard's Hot 100 chart, and represented a major imput for the British wave in American music. Frank and 6. "Steppin' Out" Joe Jackson From the "night" side of Jack son's Night and Day Ip, this tune is probably his best since his Look Sharp days and presents a softer side of the nightlife. One can almost see the smoky barroom and sultry waitresses running around in black skirts with white aprons. John. Cou- 7. "Don't You Want Me" Human League Another dance favorite, this cut from Dare represents a major step forward for synthesizer pop, a fresh and growing trend with as-yet un reached potential. 8. "Down Under" Men At Work This tune became the anthem of Australia, and is fast-climbing the American charts. This follow-up to the Number 1, "Who Can It Be Now?" is the best Australia has to offer, which is nothing to scoff at. 9. "Shock The Monkey" Peter Gabriel Willie Gabriel's earlier solo hit, "Games Without Frontiers" didn't receive the recognition it deserved, but this should compensate. A sparkler from his Geffen debut Security, this will seat the founder of Genesis as a fine songwriter of today. 10. "Heavy Metal" Sammy Ha gar From his Standing Hampton 1p and also from the soundtrack to the movie of the same name, this song is energetic and immediate with some of the year's best guitar playing. Honorable mentions include: Journey's "Open Arms"; Hall and Oates' "Maneater"; Adam Ant'p "Goody Two Shoes";- Squeeze's "Black Coffee In Bed"; Asia's "Wildest Dreams"; and Paul Mc- Catney's "Wanderlust". The past year also saw the return of Toto to substantial sales with its big hit "Rosanna" and Foreigner also saw its biggest hit, "Waiting For A Girl Like You," spend more than two months at Number 2. Meanwhile, Olivia Newton-John's "Physical" held the top spot for 10 weeks, tying an all-time record. Album sales were down in 1982 because of a floundering economy and material that seemed to be suffering from an incurable disease, leaving summer album sales far below the usual mark. 'The worst albums of the year are as follows: 1. HOT SPACE Queen The long-awaited follow-up to the smash The Game had but one saving grace, the "Under Pressure" duet with David Bowie, though it was also contained on a previous Greatest Hits package. A significant step backwards for Freddie Mercury and crew, it will take more than "a night at the opera" to save face for this one. 2. GOOD TROUBLE Speedwagon Hi Infidelity was 1981's biggest seller because it charmed the nation with the band's tried and true formu la of good time rock that was snow balling in popularity. Good Trouble reverted to a mediocre love song formula that proved to be the year's biggest disappointment. 3. SILK ELECTRIC— Diana Ross Ross has had a considerable amount of material out recently, but it has steadily gone downhill, begin ning with "Endless Love" and fi nally (and hopefully) ending with this parched and stale effort. Gene- 4. PRIVATE AUDITION— Heart Heart has hinted at R & B before, but an entire concept album of mel low blues and so-so tunes just doesn't cut it. Bring back "Barracu da" ladies. 5. SUCCESS HASN'T SPOILED ME YET Rick Springfield Oh Rick, but it has. Springfield promised a lot with Working Class Dog, but fell into a teeny-pop idiom with this blatently elementary al bum aimed at sixth-grade girls who buy Teen Beat magazine. 6. LOVE WLL TURN YOU AROUND Kenny Rogers It was good for a while, ending with "Lady." Now it's just plain boring. Rogers has done nothing but mine the same old vein over and over again. Rogers should stick to his country roots or jump into the pop mainstream because nice things don't happen to guys sitting on a picket fence. 7. STILL LIFE Rolling Stones You might get some argument if you say that the Stones are the greatest rock and roll band, but they are - certainly in the running. Still Life, unfortunately, is a live album from the band's 1982 tour that lacks the intensity of the live perfor mance, failing in this way. - Billy Dire .8. NEBRASKA Springsteen OK, I know the "most personal" and "brave effort" arguments. I agree. The album sold well and, surprisingly, picked up some airplay 1982 was also a year for some musical disappointments. New material from Mick Jagger (top right) and the Rolling Stones, Nan. cy and Ann Wilson of Heart (right) and Diana Ross proved to be bland and ultimately undesirable. The along the way. But it's still a well written effort that's bleak and bor ing, making a statement that should be heard, but a statement that's hard to listen to. 9. DIVER DOWN— Van Halen Originality is a must, but Van Halen has gone downhill since the first two albums, and with mediocre tunes including not-so-hot remakes, the diver here is down and almost out of air. 10. LIONEL RITCHIE Lionel Ritchie Ritchie has been a big part of some of the best love songs in recent years, including "Sail On," "Still" and "Three Times A Lady," but this solo outing is blah where it should be beautiful and placid where it should be passionate. But, never to fear. A few al bums saved the year. Some stood out as gems and some proved to be very strong offerings. The best albums of the year are: 1. TUG OF WAR Paul McCart ney What can I say? After such insig nifica as "Coming Up," this former Beatle surprised all by releasing this pop-rock masterpiece that, although it has no stand-out cuts, shows a musical and lyrical diversity miss ing all-too-often in music of today. Nothing this year has compared in the substance and form of an album to Tug of War. 2. STANDING HAMPTON— Sam my Hagar Heavy Metal enthusiasts jumped at this latest offering from one of today's premiere artists, and rightly so. While not so heavy, this album flows from cut to cut with the preci sion of a finely tuned machine. 3. THE NYLON CURTAIN— Billy Joel The "tough-guy" kid has grown up and made his first critically ac claimed album. Though his others have been commercially successful, this album shows a maturity and a knowledge of issues that his pre vious albums have lacked. Not only did the audience stand and applaud this time, so did the criti c s. 4. ALL THE BEST COWBOYS HAVE CHINESE EYES Pete Townshend The creative genius behind The Who has now done it solo. His follow up to the lukewarm Empty Glass is probably one of the most well-writ ten albums of the year, showing the pain and experience of growing up and realizing so. 5.. LOVE OVER GOLD Dire Straits The art of music stands out in this ambitious effort by one of the most creative bands of today. As usual, the guitar style of Mark Knopfler stands out as distinctive, and as "Sultans of Swing" hinted at four years ago, Dire Straits can seem to do nothing wrong. 6. BUSINESS AS USUAL Men At Work Australia's biggest act of 1981 fi nally hit it big in the States, and deservedly so. Business As Usual contains the best of all the elements of Australian rock and Colin Hay's Bruce The Daily Collegian Monday, Dec. 20 notes strong vocal hooks are as catchy as ever. Expect big things in the future from these Men. 7. NIGHT AND DAY— Joe Jack son Night and Day takes a sometimes bright, sometimes bleak look at city life. This turns into a concept album in the finest sense, not outrightly so but it makes its intended statement while tackling some of society's bur ning questions. 8. ASIA Asia With the experience behind this band, how could they miss? This is the year's biggest-seller, and Asia's debut has blasted them into the ranks of Boston, The Cars and For eigner immediately accessible and an instant success. 9. IT'S HARD The Who The Who wrapped up its touring career in promotion of this album, the band's strongest in years. Enough can't be said for the output of Pete Townshend this year, who may have reached his peak with The Who and outgrown the restraints of the band. 10. GET CLOSER Linda Rons tadt Ronstadt's vocals, obviously, have been enhanced by her "Pirates of Penzance" stay on Broadway, and Get Closer is a diverse and vital outing for her, putting her back into contention as music's First Lady. Honorable mentions include: Gen esis' Three Sides Live,; Elton John's Jump Up; Stray Cats' Built For Speed; Elvis Costello's Imperial Bedroom; Squeeze's Sweets From A Stranger; and The Clash's Combat Rock. 1983 promises to be a banner year, for with the advent of video and such stations as MTV, the music business is taking leaps and bounds. New products from Christopher Cross and Boston are expected during the first part of the year to start the ball rolling, as the industry needs an upswing in sales to keep in business. That about wraps up 1982. Happy Holidays, and keep on rockin'. 12°" biff & al ~„..,. A .., ..,.„,,,....i.,:,.. comics, etc. peanuts ® '6002 MORNIN6, SIR ... I 1111 MERRY CHRISTMAS ANYWAY, RATS! 4 C YOU LIKE TO BUY A MI SIR! "'6OD BLESS US Stost j ak i MINI EVERY ONE!' SAID TINY LI NICE CHRISTMAS WREATH? ...----, TIM, THE LAST OF ALL:.' %11 . ~'' ---' er 1111 'rl •-• i• .. ... -, 1 " . .1,.. 7 -- , MOM ANDI 77 THE WORLD! _ . .. , , N . di P° rOrr4 r.... 127, — . cr,:±,..,;f::—.7....—. doonesbury , e I OM DEAR... 1 DO BELIEVE Ficks3lWEß I WOW.), UXE tAP NE HAD A Ilfr "TO 'To SPH Cot* TAIAMr_. t .igSgn6l --N rTh-r \ —7 - N .\- /.4%)C.t1 TO De3PAC.,.. terms I PAss-ouT: r'"•,. ii I- . c.... .- •-• ' I i 4:,, = C• c.F,' lezai_ IT - 10 ' 7 " v_vt- - z , / 111 ( %.,- •f, -4 ,-.-. .., ..- • • , --,, i i , • . ‘,.., ... 6 ....., joel Allegheny Women's Center • abortions • free pregnancy and related counseling Mon• Fri 9.5 Sat 10.4 Call collect 412-362-2920 THE TRAIN STATION JUNCTION OF COLLEGE & GARNER * * ********* * "TEX" 7 : 3 °* 9:30 * ARENA-SPL.EX THEATRES .& CASINO DONKEY KONG * 1600 N.Atherton St. 237-2444 PAC MAN DEFENDER * 7 * * ntunato 8 . 30 * * Illusions :10 * * 12=1 x avg, ****** * * * * * Across 1 Old Dominion 8 Spigot 13 Awn 14 Okla. gridiron performer 18 Naval Intelligence Division (abbr.) 17 Moreover 19 Punt 20 River to Elbe 22 In the year before Christ (abbr.) 23 Rebecca's hairy son 24 Earth pig 27 Parson bird 29 Cottages 31 Prefix: Dwarf 34 Gold; Her. 35 109 37 Transportation by water 39 Urge Down 1 Evaporate 2 To make iridescent 3 Small ridge 4 George Sand's monogram 5 Suffix: native 6 Young mayflies 7 Depth charge (slang) 8 See beforehand 9 Article 10 Tunisian dry measure 11 Rump 12 Shredded 15 Old English (abbr.) 18 22nd Hebr. letter 21 Grate • 25 Went back 26 Mortar mixer 28 Maturation of an egg 30 Baltic river The BrOthers and Little Sisters of Pi Kappa Alpha wish to congratulate our newest sisters of the Shield and Diamond: (Allison Ca'zy/ Catpentet/tido (Ann Yettanie ganef ....oathata -adman (Sata4 SlOacliey (Nornlefr2 And warmly welcome our winter 'B3 Little Sister Pledge Class: Susan 'aka —oenny ...Dune& Ann genkins guile Anne (Mc-Tana/el Cato/ (Ann ..gLsdosin (..Watia -fouise Sepe ....oedta Sane Smith gime 3laty q/ankowski Sean sWatie Evikas . U. 103 40 American ostrich 43 Dyed blue 44 Saxon god 45 Boise export 47 Sten 48 Hot Lips, for one 49 Board game 52 Ogled 55 Flat-topped hill 57 Olive picker 58 Coke and Pepsi 60 Lofty 61 Consternation 63 Prefix: containing iodine 64 Upper social class 65 Digraph 66 Scot. variation of done 67 Color 68 Not offended 32 Middle ages ship 33 New Zealand district 36 500 sheets 38 Grown-up like 39 Discolored 41 High tide (abbr.) 42 bomb 45 Competition 46 Single scoop (2 wds.) 48 Hot dog 50 Symbol for osmium 51 Gobbles ghosts and quarters 53 Whitney 54 Dedicated (abbr.) 56 Barstool, for instance (2 wds.) 59 Solemn declaration 61 Not a buck 62 Son of Ra 64 Cobb 65 Suffix: person The Daily Collegian Crossword Monday, Dec. 20 (answers In Tuesday's Classifieds)
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