Another on Team Ken here. I wasn't big into pop music when that album was out, but holy crap do those songs have staying power. We're now on what, the third (fourth?) generation of kids jumping up to dance to How Will I Know. I'll always give credit to a pop hit with that kind of longevity.
(and I gotta say, ouch on that Clive Davis comment. He is such a good guy in a not-so-good-guy industry, and as I understand it, still wrecked over her.)
My '86 album choice today: Peter Gabriel's "So." Obvi.
Sep 25, 2023·edited Sep 25, 2023Liked by CJ Kaplan
Hot take: "You Give Good Love" is the best track on the record. It also takes the title for most-random video (who greenlit the "Whitney sings in an empty hotel conference room" theme?).
To CJ's point, it's worth nothing that the most substantive track on the record is a cover.
My senior year of HS, we had a talent show. I'm sure I don't have to remind anyone about how these can go. Anyway, this girl gets on stage, and it's dead quiet. Not because we're waiting for her to start, but because no one knows who she is. And it's like something right out of a bad sitcom. She coughs into the mic, there's a bit of feedback. the silence is deafening.
And the she absolutely tore the roof off with the best version of "Greatest Love of All" I've ever heard. Even now, I'm struck by how good it was. Just unreal.
P.S. My picks from the list would've either been Janet Jackson's "Control," or "Listen Like Thieves" by INXS.
I discovered that Amazon Prime has a video channel recently, and on that video channel you can specify 80s songs/videos. I love the new wave/alternative videos. I find it interesting when they play a song and act that I don't even recall from the time. They also play Whitney, and I have enjoyed seeing her again and her music. I grew up in the country where we did not have cable until later, so I did not get MTV at the start of the '80s. There was Friday night videos on broadcast NBC. Watching '80s videos now is a middle aged attempt at catching up on what I missed then. Whitney deserves better than she received in life and on Newbury St. Disclosure: I am not related that I know of to Clive Davis, though I do refer to him as "Uncle Clive," just because I think he would be cool to have as an uncle.
Y’all were a little harsh on Ken’s pick. “How Will I Know” is a timeless pop hit. Reason enough for this to be worthy of higher praise that sugar-coated air lol
Yeah. Well. I don't know what to say about WH. I was in Year Two of my rockabilly/roots 80s thing so Guitar Town by Steve Earle would have been my pick at the time. I notice that Elvis C's Blood and Chocolate came out that year. Has there ever been a break up album that even comes close to Blood and Chocolate? I can't remember the woman anymore but I sure remember repeated plays of I Want You sometime in the early 90s!
Another on Team Ken here. I wasn't big into pop music when that album was out, but holy crap do those songs have staying power. We're now on what, the third (fourth?) generation of kids jumping up to dance to How Will I Know. I'll always give credit to a pop hit with that kind of longevity.
(and I gotta say, ouch on that Clive Davis comment. He is such a good guy in a not-so-good-guy industry, and as I understand it, still wrecked over her.)
My '86 album choice today: Peter Gabriel's "So." Obvi.
1000% team Ken in regards to Whitney's national anthem being the greatest of all time.
Hot take: "You Give Good Love" is the best track on the record. It also takes the title for most-random video (who greenlit the "Whitney sings in an empty hotel conference room" theme?).
To CJ's point, it's worth nothing that the most substantive track on the record is a cover.
My senior year of HS, we had a talent show. I'm sure I don't have to remind anyone about how these can go. Anyway, this girl gets on stage, and it's dead quiet. Not because we're waiting for her to start, but because no one knows who she is. And it's like something right out of a bad sitcom. She coughs into the mic, there's a bit of feedback. the silence is deafening.
And the she absolutely tore the roof off with the best version of "Greatest Love of All" I've ever heard. Even now, I'm struck by how good it was. Just unreal.
P.S. My picks from the list would've either been Janet Jackson's "Control," or "Listen Like Thieves" by INXS.
I discovered that Amazon Prime has a video channel recently, and on that video channel you can specify 80s songs/videos. I love the new wave/alternative videos. I find it interesting when they play a song and act that I don't even recall from the time. They also play Whitney, and I have enjoyed seeing her again and her music. I grew up in the country where we did not have cable until later, so I did not get MTV at the start of the '80s. There was Friday night videos on broadcast NBC. Watching '80s videos now is a middle aged attempt at catching up on what I missed then. Whitney deserves better than she received in life and on Newbury St. Disclosure: I am not related that I know of to Clive Davis, though I do refer to him as "Uncle Clive," just because I think he would be cool to have as an uncle.
Y’all were a little harsh on Ken’s pick. “How Will I Know” is a timeless pop hit. Reason enough for this to be worthy of higher praise that sugar-coated air lol
Yeah. Well. I don't know what to say about WH. I was in Year Two of my rockabilly/roots 80s thing so Guitar Town by Steve Earle would have been my pick at the time. I notice that Elvis C's Blood and Chocolate came out that year. Has there ever been a break up album that even comes close to Blood and Chocolate? I can't remember the woman anymore but I sure remember repeated plays of I Want You sometime in the early 90s!