Beauty And The Beat - The Go-Go's (1 Viewer)

[rockaction]

So I just purchased the 40th Anniversary edition of The Go-Go's Beauty And The Beat. I'm no expert, but it's gotta be top ten all-time new wave albums, no? At least of the pop crossover variety. It's excellent. Not many jagged edges but a lot of creative songwriting and instrumentation. And very much sing-a-longable. You can hear the punk/pop influences all over the place. 

More power-pop bands would do a good job listening to this and figuring out how get more power and punch into their pop. I can remember listening to this at about eight or nine years old and loving it. It still holds up. That's remarkable how it does that across all ages, sexes, everything.

One of the finest albums I can recall hearing at a young age. 

 

[Ghost Rider]

I cannot recall all of the album, as it has been forever since I heard the whole album, but I remember it being a fun record.  Our Lips Are Sealed is hands down one of the best pop rock songs of the 80s. 

 

[Doug B]

More power-pop bands would do a good job listening to this and figuring out how to get more power and punch into their pop.

Answer: Get Kathy Valentine and Gina Schock to join your band.

Belinda and Jane got all the eyeballs but, Lord, did the Go-Go's have an engine room. In a lot of rock, the guitarist(s) own the songs' melodies. True to their punk influences, however, bassist Valentine led the melodies. The Go-Go's guitars were generally supporting instruments.

Kathy on the bass and Gina on the kit ... they weren't just great girl players. They were great players, period. They could have rocked with any pop-rock act of the era, and really would have uplifted a lot of them.

 

[Doug B]

Our Lips Are Sealed is hands down one of the best pop rock songs of the 80s.

Isolated bassline -- Kathy starts up 0:12 into the piece. Would love to hear just this with Schock's drums.

 

[Ghost Rider]

Isolated bassline -- Kathy starts up 0:12 into the piece. Would love to hear just this with Schock's drums.

I always thought the bass taking the lead right before Jane sings the bridge was pretty rad.  Letting Jane sing the bridge and then having her continue underneath as Belinda takes back over the lead vocal with the final verse was a brilliant decision. 

 

[rockaction]

Isolated bassline -- Kathy starts up 0:12 into the piece. Would love to hear just this with Schock's drums.

Very cool. Love the breakdown around 

Hush my darling
Don't you cry
Guardian angel 
Forget their lies

 

[rockaction]

I always thought the bass taking the lead right before Jane sings the bridge was pretty rad.  Letting Jane sing the bridge and then having her continue underneath as Belinda takes back over the lead vocal with the final verse was a brilliant decision. 

Just commenting on that exact breakdown. 

 

[Ghost Rider]

Just commenting on that exact breakdown. 

Yep, that is great stuff.  I never noticed in the video that Belinda is ducking down in the front seat of the car during the bridge when Jane sings until someone online mentioned it years ago.  Seems so obvious now.  

 

[rockaction]

Used to torture my freshman hallway with non-stop Go-Go's from Beyond The Valley Of The Go-Go's, a CD comp they'd put out as a greatest hits thing. Loved it then. Back then it was was a shock among the burghers to listen to the Go-Go's as a serious band, which really was a function of a sort of sexism from not just the guys, but the girls, too, who dismissed them as California playthings while they listened to the Indigo Girls. 

Okay, Betty. 

eta* Tonight is transporting me back to those nights. Eleven P.M. and everybody is out and drinking while I, who was sober then, was busy playing the Go-Go's and generally hanging with my other friends that didn't hit the nightlife all that much. Listening to the laments of all the freshman girls and their boy troubles late on through the night, the sexual pairing off game somewhat confused by stunted adolescence and changing expectations of the roles we played. A heavy mixture of academic feminism with sentiments like these...

Every night I see you walking by
You hold your head so close to hers 
I could cry 
I want to be that girl tonight 

 

[Ghost Rider]

Not that someone has to rock to be legit, but anyone doubting whether the Go-Go's could rock or not, go listen to the instrumental break in Turn to You from their 3rd album and report back.  

 

[rockaction]

I'm listening and never really noticed how reverb/surf rocky the guitar parts are when heard in iso. "Lust To Love" especially is drenched in a bit of it, if I'm not mistaken. 

 

[Ghost Rider]

BTW, the band did record a new song called Club Zero that was released two years ago.  It's good.  Totally sounds like a song they would have written in the early 80s, as long as you can deal with Belinda's aging voice that sounds like she just smoked two packs of cigarettes and the mix being muddy like far too many 21st century albums/songs. 

 

[fruity pebbles]

This Town was always my favorite song on that album. 

 

[rockaction]

BTW, the band did record a new song called Club Zero

I'd heard that. It has that dreamy element of Matthew Sweet-esque power-pop that I don't particularly care for. But they get a Hall of Fame pass from me. They influenced so much power-pop that it's okay if they borrow back from its less desirable elements. 

Anyway, that's just my personal opinion. 

 

[Osaurus]

Great album. Great band.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

Great album. Great band.

This. They were out of my then-wheelhouse, but I thought they were really good. Never heard a song of theirs I didn't like a lot.

 

[zamboni]

I’ve had their documentary on my DVR and have been meaning to watch for some time. Supposed to be very good. 

 

[scorchy]

I got a boombox for my 8th birthday.  Beauty and the Beat was the first tape I bought to play on it.  Amazingly, the tape is still alive.  The boombox died eons ago.

 

[scorchy]

I’ve had their documentary on my DVR and have been meaning to watch for some time. Supposed to be very good. 

It's great.  Also loved their R&R HOF induction.  Not generally big on Drew Barrymore, but she killed it when introducing the band.

 

[DocHolliday]

This. They were out of my then-wheelhouse, but I thought they were really good. Never heard a song of theirs I didn't like a lot.

Same

 

[Osaurus]

I’ve had their documentary on my DVR and have been meaning to watch for some time. Supposed to be very good. 

It’s excellent imo

 

[El Floppo]

I bought an album called URGHH! A music war in 1981 that changed my life.

double album Live performances (in support of a movie) of bands from around the world- ranging from big (Police) to never heard of (Athletico Spizz 80). most of the bands were probably already big locally or critically to warrant inclusion- but above my 13yo paygrade and awareness. it literally opened my eyes to just about every band on it.

I ran out to buy the latest album from just about every band from this record every time I had enough coin. The Go-Gos were on this, and were one of the albums I bought and loved. Track listing below, including Go-Gos performance from this.

Side 1

The Police – "Driven to Tears"

Wall of Voodoo – "Back in Flesh"

Toyah Willcox – "Danced"

Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark – "Enola Gay"

Oingo Boingo – "Ain't This the Life"

XTC – "Respectable Street"

Side 2

The Members – "Offshore Banking Business"

Go-Go's – "We Got the Beat"

Klaus Nomi – "Total Eclipse"

Athletico Spizz '80 – "Where's Captain Kirk"

Alley Cats – "Nothing Means Nothing Anymore"

Jools Holland – "Foolish I Know"

Steel Pulse – "Ku Klux Klan"

Side 3

Devo – "Uncontrollable Urge"

Echo and the Bunnymen – "The Puppet"

The Au Pairs – "Come Again"

The Cramps – "Tear It Up"

Joan Jett & The Blackhearts – "Bad Reputation"

Pere Ubu – "Birdies"

Gary Numan – "Down in the Park"

Side 4

Fleshtones – "Shadow Line"

Gang of Four – "He'd Send in the Army"

John Otway – "Cheryl's Going Home"

999 – "Homicide"

X – "Beyond and Back"

Magazine – "Model Worker"

Skafish – "Sign of the Cross"

 

[Leroy Hoard]

Radio seemed to only play the two big singles that led off each side, but my favorite might be the 3rd single Automatic. 

 

[steeler6]

This Town was always my favorite song on that album. 

Bet you'd live there if you could and be one of us.

 

[otb_lifer]

 to never heard of (Athletico Spizz 80).

Athletico Spizz '80 – "Where's Captain Kirk"

follow linky

 

[El Floppo]

follow linky

Lol...totally. and I bought their album too.  you are honestly the first person I've ever met who has heard of them...outside of Urgh!, how did you find them?

 

[Ilov80s]

So I just purchased the 40th Anniversary edition of The Go-Go's Beauty And The Beat. I'm no expert, but it's gotta be top ten all-time new wave albums, no? At least of the pop crossover variety. It's excellent. Not many jagged edges but a lot of creative songwriting and instrumentation. And very much sing-a-longable. You can hear the punk/pop influences all over the place. 

More power-pop bands would do a good job listening to this and figuring out how get more power and punch into their pop. I can remember listening to this at about eight or nine years old and loving it. It still holds up. That's remarkable how it does that across all ages, sexes, everything.

One of the finest albums I can recall hearing at a young age. 

Absolute gem of an album. I don’t feel like it gets enough love so I’m happy to see this thread.

 

[belljr]

I’ve had their documentary on my DVR and have been meaning to watch for some time. Supposed to be very good. 

It's great

 

[otb_lifer]

Lol...totally. and I bought their album too.  you are honestly the first person I've ever met who has heard of them...outside of Urgh!, how did you find them?

totally convinced that we had THE first Trekkie in our midst all through grammar school - this kid was hardcore. 

wouldn't even acknowledge "Star Wars", and got downright apoplectic if 2 were mentioned together, let alone compared.  (this is circa 1980, mind you).

his sister was a real doll, and a few of us were kinda chasing her ... she invited some of us (guys & girls) over one afternoon, unbeknownst to her brother (she was a grade behind).

we heard it coming from the bedroom.  he refused to elaborate any further whilst kicking us outta the apartment, under threat of calling the super on us (BEER! CIGARETTES!).

after some pressing, which mostly amounted to a promise we'd lay off his sister, he told us he read about it in some fanzine, and started to make the record store rounds ... he couldn't score a copy, but he did have it transferred to cassette for him, for what he claimed to be $25. 

which i highly doubt ... they were pretty poor - he wore the same pair of taped up Thom McAn's for a solid two years.  pretty unkempt, to boot. but he stuck to the story, saying he worked whatever little jobs he could here n' there over a few years (snow shoveling, shoe shine, breaker, barker for the peddler, etc).

he played it on what can best be described as a Sears tape recorder, prolly from the late '60s or so ... one speaker, nothing but "P/RW/FF/EJECT"

it eventually ate the tape. 

PS - i never heard of Urgh! until your post. 

 

[otb_lifer]

I bought an album called URGHH! A music war in 1981 that changed my life.

double album Live performances (in support of a movie) of bands from around the world- ranging from big (Police) to never heard of (Athletico Spizz 80). most of the bands were probably already big locally or critically to warrant inclusion- but above my 13yo paygrade and awareness. it literally opened my eyes to just about every band on it.

I ran out to buy the latest album from just about every band from this record every time I had enough coin. The Go-Gos were on this, and were one of the albums I bought and loved. Track listing below, including Go-Gos performance from this.

Side 1

The Police – "Driven to Tears"

Wall of Voodoo – "Back in Flesh"

Toyah Willcox – "Danced"

Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark – "Enola Gay"

Oingo Boingo – "Ain't This the Life"

XTC – "Respectable Street"

Side 2

The Members – "Offshore Banking Business"

Go-Go's – "We Got the Beat"

Klaus Nomi – "Total Eclipse"

Athletico Spizz '80 – "Where's Captain Kirk"

Alley Cats – "Nothing Means Nothing Anymore"

Jools Holland – "Foolish I Know"

Steel Pulse – "Ku Klux Klan"

Side 3

Devo – "Uncontrollable Urge"

Echo and the Bunnymen – "The Puppet"

The Au Pairs – "Come Again"

The Cramps – "Tear It Up"

Joan Jett & The Blackhearts – "Bad Reputation"

Pere Ubu – "Birdies"

Gary Numan – "Down in the Park"

Side 4

Fleshtones – "Shadow Line"

Gang of Four – "He'd Send in the Army"

John Otway – "Cheryl's Going Home"

999 – "Homicide"

X – "Beyond and Back"

Magazine – "Model Worker"

Skafish – "Sign of the Cross"

ya know, getting back to this for a minute ...

i remember buying a buncha comp platters in the mid 80s (the prefab 'mixed tape', if you will), and i'll be damned if 999's HOMICIDE wasn't on every last #######' one. 

no, really ... think it was a prerequisite for pressing the vinyl  

"HOMMY/HOMMY/HOMMY/HOMMY - HOMMM-MEEEE-SIIIIIDE"

 

[rockaction]

he played it on what can best be described as a Sears tape recorder, prolly from the late '60s or so ... one speaker, nothing but "P/RW/FF/EJECT"

it eventually ate the tape. 

Pathos! 

 

[Hastur]

Very fortunate to see them live(they were touring with The Psychedelic Furs and The B-52's).  Probably most fun concert I have been to.

 

[rockaction]

How much more can I take
Before I go crazy oh yeah
How much more heartache
Before I go crazy oh yeah 

 

[rockaction]

but my favorite might be the 3rd single Automatic

That doesn't surprise me. It has a real Buzzcocks -- when they slowed it down -- feel to it.