#85. "Saved By Zero" - The Fixx (1983)

Maybe, someday...I'll get the meaning of "Saved By Zero" by The Fixx.

I'd always been intrigued by the lyrics (was it an homage to algebra?) when released back in 1983, however at the time could only appreciate the haunting yet soothing icy cool guitar/ bass and intricate arrangements. 

The theme seemed to be a desire for a life of less stress but as a 14 year-old I couldn't really get it other than having to wait another week to watch the video.

I finally found out what singer songwriter Cy Curnin had in mind upon reading this extract from an interview in 2008:

"It was about looking at your own life, not so much about amassing material things but about experiences that lend you to be blissful... The song was written from the point of view of the release you get when you have nothing left to lose. It’s sort of a meditation. It clears your head of all fears and panics and illusions and you get back to the basics, which is a Buddhist mantra, which I practiced back then, and which I still do. The idea of the song is how great it is to get back to zero."

Très cool...I knew it was always a great tune to chill to.

The Fixx had a quite few solid songs over the decade, including "One Thing Leads to Another" and "Are We Ourselves?". More recently on satellite radio stations I appreciate the underappreciated "Red Skies".

#86. "What’s On Your Mind" - Information Society (1988)

Sounds familiar, right. Kinda like The Human League...Duran Duran, perhaps. 

I had to Google a little information about the Information Society to discover I was not enjoying a British new wave dance hybrid, rather an outfit from Minnesota, that breadbasket of American music innovation.

This slickly-produced frenetic one-hit wonder ended up being pure energy reaching #1 on the dance charts. It still sounds fresh today, not as an easy feat for any song born in the 80s. 

Fun fact 1: the track included a vocal sample of Mr. Spock (Leonard Nimoy) from Star Trek, saying "pure energy", hence the official song title "What’s On Your Mind (Pure Energy)".

Fun fact 2: "What’s On Your Mind" was re-released in the US in 1998 and again in 2001!

The zany video always reminds me of the wacky hijinx in the 1987 summer hit "Right on Track" by the Breakfast Club. Still a smooth groove.

#87. "Pump Up The Jam" - Technotronic (1989)

And what a jam it was! 

Part hip-hop, part house, "Pump Up The Jam" filled the floors at all the clubs on Argyle Street (The Dome, Rosa's, Bogart's) every weekend in the fall of '89. 

It was also a sneak preview of what was to come. 

We may not have quite realized it at the time but this little eurodance floor stomper became the template for the 90s dance music revolution featuring the likes of C & C Music Factory, Black Box... 

It didn't matter what you listened while at home or in the car, this tune demanded your attention at the club. And if you weren't getting busy on the floor, you were most definitely watching the proceedings.

I'll never forget the cool hippie who used to set up shop along the perimeter of Bogart's sunken dance floor and grooved on the spot shaking her booty and tambourine for hours to jams like this: the very epitome of 'dance like no one is watching.' 

#88. "Desire" - Gene Loves Jezebel (1986)

Gene Loves Jezebel has been classified as 'Goth' but they are also most definitely new wave. Another term I've seen bandied around: Rockwave. Whatever.

One thing's for sure: their signature song "Desire" is a great groove. The high vocals are off the charts and drive the tune. Also a decent guitar solo. 

In the video, the twin brothers that form the core look as if David Lee Roth hooked up with Platinum Blonde for a festival gig. 

I don't remember "Desire" charting when it was released in the mid-80s in Nova Scotia but I used to hear it in the clubs when I moved to Vancouver in the early 90s. 

Unmistakenly 80s, it's a fun trip with some nice production worthy of a spin every once in a while.  

#89. "Love Like Blood" - Killing Joke (1985)

"Love Like Blood" by Killing Joke sounded more like the future than an 80s song, heavily influencing the early 90s 'Nirvana' sound. It could also be what you'd expect to get from a jam between The Cure and Motley Crue.  

The tune is so tight: the driving bass and powerful drumming lead the way with an intense rhythm supported by sparse guitars and synth to produce a moody, industrial vibe. 

This is not background music and must be cranked to fully appreciate. A great track for your playlist for a road trip at night.