1981 - The Best Year in Music w/Dave Lubin

[@GrantsRockWarehaus]

0:00: 🎶 Exploring the music of 1981 with Dave Luben, discussing the standout tracks and the difficulty in choosing from the abundance of records. 4:32: 🎵 1981 album transition to 80s pop, influenced by The Who's earlier works, featured first MTV-repeated video. 9:32: 🎶 Styx's success during the Disco era with the 'Paradise Theater' album, leading to two top 10 hits. 13:56: 🎵 Discussion on influential bands in 1981 and their impact on defining the music of the decade. 19:32: 🎶 Exploration of unique music experiences, including captivating performances and underground bands. 24:23: 🎸 The brilliance of King Crimson's 1981 album 'Discipline' is highlighted for its musical perfection and innovative soundscapes. 28:31: 🎶 Debut album of a band still thriving today, with classic lineup producing best music. 33:11: 🎵 The impact of Journey's album 'Escape' on their success and live performances. 38:05: 🎶 Preference for Brian Adams' unique Canadian Western Rock sound in his record 'Reckless'. 42:39: 🎶 Discussion of a 1981 album by The Police, praised for its experimental yet successful nature and diverse songwriting. 47:52: 🎶 Discussion on the album 'Out of the Blue' being a monumental record and the need for Jeff to take a break. 52:05: 🎶 Praise for REO Speedwagon's album 'Hi Infidelity', with a critique on three songs. 56:36: 🎶 Exploring notable songs from 1976-1977, including 'Fly at Night' and 'Precious to Me' by Phil Seymour. Recapped using Tammy AI

[@jamesburgess1010]

"Don't You Want Me" - so phenomenal! I count that as 1982. Cause that's when the vast majority of folks, first heard the song. Therefore for me, it's that whole "when it climbed the top 100 or top 40" thing. Well, here's 13 songs I got as absolute favorites, from that great year of 1981. (Top 40 only). Wrack my Brain - Ringo Starr....#38 Twilight - ELO.............................#38 Living in a Fantasy - Leo Sayer..#23 My Girl (gone gone) -Chilliwack. #22 I Missed Again - Phil Collins.......#19 You Better You Bet - The Who.....#18...(I remember thinkin' this sounds so raw & energetic!) Really Wanna Know You - Gary Wright....#16 The Voice - The Moody Blues.....#15...(such a regal song!) I Love You - Climax Blues Band....#12...(maybe my fave of this whole list!) Watching the Wheels - John Lennon. #10 Living Inside Myself - Gino Vanelli.......#6 Waiting for a Girl Like You - Foreigner..#2 Kiss on my List (and/or) Private Eyes.....#1

[@soundofsoundtracks]

We didn’t mention John Lennon….because technically the album came out in fall 1980…..but that album was very much a story in 1981!

[@jamesburgess1010]

This wracks my brain all the time, David. For instance, take Aja, The Stranger & "Saturday Night Fever sountrack. They were all (indsputedly released in late '77....But in pop culture, they were barely on the radar in '77, then gradually picked up steam in Jan, Feb of 1978 - so on and so on. Hence, those 3 records truly were "creatures" of 1978 culture. But indeed mathematically, I am wrong!

[@minsterhill]

Terrific show Grant thank you!

[@minsterhill]

and I will forgive the Cornerstone diss which is still to me one of their best!

[@soundofsoundtracks]

@@minsterhill Sorry….for me it just was such a let down after Grand Illusion and Pieces of Eight. Eddie and Borrowed Time however are great songs.

[@minsterhill]

@@soundofsoundtracks ha no problem to each their own!

[@Thunderstruckzzz]

Great episode ! A fantastic year with lots of great releases . Thank you . Chez

[@georgemathie8123]

1981 was such a spectacular year for music and so many genres coming together you've got new wave, AOR, heavy metal, hard rock and synth pop and the birth of MTV all happening in 1981 my top albums for 1981 are Jefferson starship modern times, hawkwind sonic attack, ufo the wild, the willing, and the innocent, j Geils band freeze-frame, simple minds sons.and fascination/sister's feeling call, Gillan future shock and double trouble and Duran Duran self titled these a few of my top picks for this fantastic year in music

[@michaeleaster1815]

23:30 Just today Rick Beato released an interview with Adrain Belew, Tony Levin, Steve Vai, and Danny Carey. They talk about the album Discipline and Vai mentions 3 albums as "gems". I'm not really familiar with it but I had to comment in case others are interested (it sounds like they are going to play King Crimson material together). Great video! I enjoyed this... Dave is a thoughtful, articulate guest.

[@musicisajourney]

My break into rock music was a compilation album from K-Tel called Rock ‘82. All the songs were from 1981, as far as I know. Billy Squire, Rush, .38 Special, REO Speedwagon, Red Rider, Huey Lewis & the News, Hall & Oats, Pat Benatar, Kim Carnes, Prism, Little River Band, Journey, Rick Springfield… Great way to jump into rock when your 11 years old.

[@soundofsoundtracks]

Red Rider.....Prism.....you must be from Canada, sounds like the Canadian Version. KTEL had 2 - versions of those albums.

[@musicisajourney]

@@soundofsoundtracks That’s the one I had. The CanCon edition.

[@logancollins7097]

Great show as always guys! Y & T - Earthshaker Gillan - Future Shock Foreigner - 4 Styx - Paradise Theater Billy Squier - Dont Say No Budgie - Nightflight ZZ Top - El Loco Could go on and on great year for music

[@averyteplitsky885]

"Living Inside Myself" was the top 10 G. Vannelli hit in 1981. "It Hurts To Be In Love" was from '85.

[@soundofsoundtracks]

Yes...thanks...researched that after.

[@averyteplitsky885]

You're welcome, and sorry for being so anal about it!☺️

[@soundofsoundtracks]

@@averyteplitsky885 NP….I was really drawing a blank as you saw….hence I researched it immediately after….Hurts To Be in Love is a great song!

[@averyteplitsky885]

Eighties G. Vannelli is vastly underrated! Sending this from Toronto, btw!!

[@averyteplitsky885]

'Best Of Times" is my fave Styx song, so good call on its parent album being included! Plus, Grant's love for that third album from The Knack was well-deserved, especially the production from J. Douglas!☺️

[@musicisajourney]

Of the King Crimson albums I have, Discipline is the one I can listen to all the way through and keep my interest and enjoyment.

[@GrantsRockWarehaus]

That's awesome!

[@geraldhugley3618]

Adrian Belew, Tony Levin and Steve Via are touring this fall playing this album

[@damienfoyer]

Bill Bruford was invited to join, but declined.

[@inmyhouse11]

A great show on a great year for music

[@scotterrebo995]

Another great show Grant! I would add, Billy Squier, “Don’t say No”, J. Geils Band, BOC, Nils Lofgren “Night Fades Away”, finally released on CD! ELO’s “Time”, should get more love, but “Xanadu”, burnt a lot of bridges, even though I love it. I would really like you and Pete Pardo do a ranking of the ELO catalog!

[@superdown2009]

Great show guys. Grant - loved all your picks but really happy you gave some love to The Knacks Round Trip...my fave. Also, Dave - glad you mentioned the Phil Seymour track...the whole album is killer. All the choices were great. I would add April Wine Nature of the Beast and Billy Squier Don't Say No.

[@GrantsRockWarehaus]

"April Wine - Nature of the Beast"... I'm an idiot for not mentioning this

[@averyteplitsky885]

Fantastic show! 1984 would have been my year! And one glaring omission: Van Helen's "Fair Warning!"

[@averyteplitsky885]

Van Halen! !😉

[@averyteplitsky885]

Great pick, and their best album, from any VH era, in my otherwise unsolicited opinion!😆

[@soundofsoundtracks]

Many omissions…..so many great albums that year.

[@averyteplitsky885]

Yes, Squeeze, Elvis Costello (but not the Country one, LOL!) And B. Joel's live album of pre-fame tunes!!😘

[@ashleygeisler1003]

Grear show mate. Here are some of mine from 1981 Ac/Dc- for those about to rock Kim Carnes-Mistaken identity Kim wilde-st The angels-night attack Men at work-business as usual Rolling stones-tattoo you

[@GrantsRockWarehaus]

All good picks! Thank you my brother!

[@utvf68]

1. Moving Pictures - Rush 2. Escape - Journey 3. Fair Warning - Van Halen 4. Mob Rules - Black Sabbath 5. 4 - Foreigner 6. Diary of a Madman - Ozzy Oxbourne 7. Ghost in the Machine - The Police 8. Paradise Theater - Styx 9. Tattoo You - The Rolling Stones 10. Shake It Up - The Cars

[@ericrobertson2024]

Thrash + death metal blooming in 1981 with the awesome Raven debut and the mighty Venom also !!!

[@JCStorm76]

Grant agree about Round Trip. If you like that Klaus album check out Johnny Warman-Walking Into Mirrors album from 81 as well

[@GrantsRockWarehaus]

I can sense I'm going to spend some $$$... hahaha

[@user-re5zc2ss5h]

Enjoying the show! 1981 and 1984 are probably my all time favorite years. I don’t have an opinion on the Knack album but it’s funny to hear it described as just more of the same. And right after the discussion of Face Dances as not being enough like the Who’s previous albums. I swear, bands just can’t win. Whether they stay the same or change they’re going to alienate people.

[@GrantsRockWarehaus]

Well, it's not quite more of the same. It's not like "Get the Knack". There's a bit more experimentation on it. It's my fav Knack album

[@user-re5zc2ss5h]

@@GrantsRockWarehaus Gotcha, I just meant Dave was basically saying it was just more of the same. No biggie, I just meant bands often have a very fine line to walk. Love the show! 😊

[@daveycretin664]

No mention of Billy Squier’s Don’t Say No album?! For shame! 😉

[@barelymanilow7079]

Killing Joke - What's This For... is my favorite album from this year. One of my favorite bands

[@GrantsRockWarehaus]

I've got one Killing Joke CD... I'm not sure what year it's from

[@georgierockwood2355]

Hey Grant …Georgie Rockwood here….my fav albums from ‘81 ( the yr I graduated high school ) the albums are not in order…. The Producers “ The Producers “….The Elektrics “ State of Shock”….Bryan Adams. “You Want It You Got It”…..Hall & Oates “ Private Eyes”….Novo Combo “ Novo Combo”….Foreigner “ 4 “…..Smashers. “ Smashers”….The Romantics “ Strictly Personal “….The Scooters “ Blue Eyes”….Duran Duran “ Duran Duran”….Falco “ Einzelhaft”….KC & The Sunshine Band “The Painter “….Psychedelic Furs “ Talk Talk Talk….Japan. “Tin Drum….

[@GrantsRockWarehaus]

That Novo Combo album is killer!

[@ericrobertson2024]

Nature Of The Beast/Fair Warning/El Loco/Don't Say No/Beauty + The Beat/The Elder/Rock Until You Drop/Killers/Standing Hampton/Precious Time/Welcome To Hell/and the vastly under appreciated Fool Circle by Nazareth ...Quite a year !!!!

[@soundofsoundtracks]

I didn't mention NOTB, basically because all of AW has been covered on Grant's other shows. Nazareth is ALWAYS underappreciated!

[@ericrobertson2024]

@@soundofsoundtracks Fool Circle like all their albums until 1989 was loaded...I'm shocked that 81 had more good albums I could instantly think of, than songs that came to mind for the 78 show Grant did.

[@patriotpizzaman]

'81 was a great year in rock music but, I don't feel it's the last great year in rock music. There have been some amazing years since then. My albums from '81? Ozzy Osbourne - Diary of a Madman (This album laid waste to the competition for me) Van Halen - Fair Warning (I played this album every day for months on end!) Foreigner 4 (Amazing record! Maybe my favorite of theirs) Loverboy - Get Lucky Journey - Escape Def Leppard - High 'n' Dry AC/DC - For Those About to Rock We Salute You Riot - Fire Down Under KIX - Kix Rush - Moving Pictures Billy Squier - Don't Say No

[@patriotpizzaman]

High Infidelity was a big one for me that year too. Good call!

[@musicisajourney]

Bryan Adams came over from Ontario when he was 14. He took over lead vocals for Sweeney Todd, a Vancouver glam rock band. Check out If Dreams Were Horses, I think it’s called. But it doesn’t sound like Bryan at all. Apparently the vocals were sped up a bit.

[@superdown2009]

Yep...he replaced Nick Gilder 8n Sweeney Todd..

[@GrantsRockWarehaus]

I've never heard that Sweeney Todd album

[@musicisajourney]

It's got some good stuff, but if you're looking for 80s Bryan Adams's voice, you'll be disappointed. @@GrantsRockWarehaus

[@superdown2009]

@@GrantsRockWarehaus They have two. One with Nick Gilder and on with Bryan Adams. Both are really cool. Very 70's glam with some proggy elements. Kinda early Queen sounding at times. Very quirky. I think you would dig both albums.

[@corleth84]

1 - Television Personalities - '...And Don't the Kids Just Love It' 2 - The Sound - From the Lions Mouth 3 - Squeeze - East Side Story 4 - King Crimson - Discipline 5 - Echo & the Bunnymen - Heaven Up Here 6 - The Psychedelic Furs - Talk Talk Talk 7 - New Order - Movement 8 - U2 - October 9 - Kraftwerk - Computerwelt 10 - The Police - Ghost in the Machine Bubbling under The Undertones - Positive Touch Tom Verlaine - Dreamtime Bauhaus - Mask Duran Duran - s/t (their only album that I cared for) Spandau Ballet - Journeys to Glory (same as with Duran Duran) The Cure - Faith The Cars - Shake It Up

[@GrantsRockWarehaus]

Excellent!

[@corleth84]

@@GrantsRockWarehaus ... And though I tried to be thorough, I still managed to forget one that would rank on the top 10, probably top 5... Japan - 'Tin drum'... Apologies to 'The Police', but you're off the top 10 .

[@corleth84]

The Sound - 'From the Lions Mouth'

[@ericrobertson2024]

I truly believe either the 1974-75 or the 1978-85 April Wine lineups could've covered any song by any band and improved on it...They ,like really only Nazareth and Metallica later on made several covers which improved on the originals.

[@averyteplitsky885]

A. Belew is a musical beast, and while those eighties Crimson albums are great, I do prefer the J. Wetton era myself!!😆

[@dlwseattle]

I went to one of the urgh music war shows

[@christianhaynes1954]

Fair warning ⚠️! Van Halen dudes !!

[@djtrishm]

Hello Grant

[@GrantsRockWarehaus]

DJ Trish! Woo hoo!

[@musicisajourney]

Y&T’s Black Tiger is a great 81 album but not that popular. Van Halen Fair Warning, Black Sabbath Mob Rules, AC/DC For Those About to Rock, Joan Jett? Blue Öyster Cult, Judas Priest if you like Point of Entry… I jumped in in 1982, so I went back to 81 pretty quickly. Iron Maiden, Krokus, Accept…

[@musicalgamer354]

Hey Grant! This might sound strange, but do you know the name of this song: kzbin.info/www/bejne/p36rc2OhbZKqgcksi=J-LJBf5J0huZkOZU We only have 17 seconds of it, and 35,000 people online cannot find the name of it! 35,000 people are actively searching for it. It’s allegedly from 1982 or later. P.S, Shazamming it does not work. Any thoughts are appreciated! Thank you :)

[@cabowabodude]

no billy squier don't say no????? wth!!!

[@superdown2009]

My thoughts too. A perfect album from 1981.

[@GrantsRockWarehaus]

I failed... what can I say

[@cabowabodude]

and i forgot Working Class Dog by Rick Springfield@@GrantsRockWarehaus