MovieChat Forums > The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years (1989) Discussion > I Hated This Crap When it Was Cool

I Hated This Crap When it Was Cool

posted 17 years ago by mellowinman
24 replies | jump to latest

I'm a big 60's/70's rock fan, and I was so digusted in the very early 80's, when Rock pretty much DIED. Then, as the 80's went on, a lot of "second-rate Aerosmith Clones" (as one poster to this board put it) came out, and all of a sudden, whenever people saw me, with my long hair, they'd say "metal, dude," and make that Texas Longhorns/Devil sign with their thumb and forefinger.

I had thought of Heavy Metal as basically Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, etc, and was shocked when I discovered the existence of the era ushered in by Motley Crue: HAIR METAL!

Pure junk; few of the bands had any talent; and the whole mindset was one of just stupidity. No one "got" that back in the days of REAL rock, people were rebelling against an Establishment that was more or less subverting Man's purpose, and trying to make us all into mindless drones they could make money off.

And in the 80's? That Establishment was bigger and bolder than ever! What with Reagan and Bush, and the big Military Machine that was going around leading coupes and thugs all over the world, it's amazing that these kids put on their makeup, and grew their hair, and worshipped MONEY, SEX and BEER!!!

What the Hell?

Their music was about nothing, and from what I've heard, they were all lousy lays, because they were too stupid to even know from where true pleasure is derived. It was sad, and it was moronic, and "This is Spinal Tap" exposed it for exactly what it was: Pathetic and silly.

What sweet revenge that the (soon to be just as insipid) grunge scene blew them off the map, and now, all these years later, I see more kids in Jimi Hendrix T-Shirts than any of these jokers, not including the "name" acts, such as Metallica and Megadeth, (bands I also didn't care for, but nowhere near as silly as the bands featured throughout this film)

I hope I've made some of you mad, and others of you think, but even more so, I hope some of you who loved to ROCK will go back and look at the truly GREAT rock that came out from as early as the Blues of the 1920's right through the Corporate/Generic bands that heralded Rock's first DEATH. (Boston/Journey/REO/Styx/Foreigner...on and on)

In the middle of all that, there were some truly great records from everyone from Chuck Berry to Lou Reed; Elvis to Janis to Bowie, and those truly great metal bands that INVENTED the genre. (put on some Trapeze, man!)

[–] reducedvision 17 years ago

i like how youre ranting about your taste in music... no one gives a crap.

[–] mellowinman 17 years ago

I like how you're commenting on how no one gives a crap.

Oh, and cheese.

[–] Oren24 17 years ago

jeez, how old are you? 60??

music is E V O L V I N G.

just because rock was good in the 60s and 70s, doesnt mean it doesnt get better, or at least - more interesting.

i feel sorry for you. you're either really old, or really closed-minded.

[–] mellowinman 17 years ago

80's hair metal was lame, commercial, repetitive, and had nothing to say but "I wanna get laid," sung by people who probably were lousy at doin' it.

You got a problem with that?

At what age do you consider someone "really old?"

Music is E V O L V I N G is it?

Care to write a thesis on that?

Who is the best rock band working today?

Care to name some current greats, and what's so great about them?

I notice all I'm getting here is a bunch of "oh you're closed-minded" with NO MEAT.

Give me something, or be dismissed as a PUNK.

[–] ariamne 17 years ago

I'll give you something--your words would be more impressive if you would spell basic political concepts correctly. The word is "coup" as in "coup d' etat", not coupe. Coupe is an automobile type, and I don't think you meant that the 'military machine' was leading a parade of small cars. And by the way, that 'military machine' consists of young men and women who probably love rock as much as you do; and you should be grateful to them. They are the front line against the islamic hordes, and under islamic shariah you would not be allowed to listen to ANY rock--good or bad.

[–] mff8785 17 years ago

No. This group of 80's Rockers- excluding Megadeath, Metallica, and Slayer, were a bunch of idiots. Debauchery for the sake of debauchery is pretty lame. However, cebauchery in terms of rebelling against "political forces" is cool. Did anyone notice how all the bands, excluding Megadeth, went along with the Reagen-era ethos: anti-drugs, bigger is better, world domination, economic priority. Thank god Guns N' Roses broke loose, thank god Slayer's been keepin' it real, and thank god Alice in Chains, Nirvana, and Pearl Jam reared the head of artistic integrity.
I am not debating or denying that the Sunset Era was not a good time for some; I am saying that it was a artistically bankrupt era, and shouldn't been taken seriously in genuine "rock" dialogue... These bands tainted the stages and areas that The Doors and others made sacred. I keep listening to genuinely inspired art: The Mars Volta, Tool, Mastodon,,,

[–] jefgg 10 years ago

What about Anthrax? They are one of the all time great metal bands.

[–] 10 years ago

[deleted]

[–] stormryder 17 years ago

and worshipped MONEY, SEX and BEER!!!

you're saying this is a bad thing??

[–] iamrundal 17 years ago

I once prententiously held 60s & 70s rock in such high regard as well. You sound like my father when he went on about how 70s rock is not music and Sinatra and Ella is. If you don't like 80s hair metal then why pontificate about 60s & 70s rock? What is so special about that genre? And what does Reagan and his lunacy have to do with music? Why does one have to rebel against the establishment in order to make music? Let go of the 60s - after all, it's the hippies that turned into yuppies and went establishment. Your post sounds rather narrow-minded - do you listen to Marvin or Trane? Mozart?

[–] ccr1633 17 years ago

"I once prententiously held 60s & 70s rock in such high regard as well. You sound like my father when he went on about how 70s rock is not music and Sinatra and Ella is. If you don't like 80s hair metal then why pontificate about 60s & 70s rock? What is so special about that genre?"
--------------------------------------------

I'll answer. 80s hair metal was focused on MTV videos and stage shows. 60s and 70s metal was focused on the music. It stands to reason that those bands of the 60s/70s (Sabbath, Deep Purple, Who Live at Leeds, etc) were far superior because they made their name by the music they played. MTV shifted the emphasis toward visual sensationalism and posturing. Rap is the genre currently reeling from the MTV effect (note that when rap was actually edgy and good, it wasn't shown much on MTV, in the late 80s and early 90s).

[–] 17 years ago

[deleted]

[–] ccr1633 17 years ago

"This is spinal tap wasn't a knock on hair metal. Spinal Tap was a lose reference to a Judas Priest or Black Sabbath. 70's bands that were once pure and great artists that fell apart in the 80's."
---------------------------------------

That may be true, but the fact is that hair metal took the *worst* aspects of their heavy metal predecessors (super long and frizzy hair, visual sensationalism, sexism, etc) and exaggerated them, leaving musical ingenuity behind. Spinal Tap seemed like visionary musicians compared to Poison, Ratt, WASP, Motley Cure, Winger, Kiss, and all the rest of the 80s hair metal crap. Reiner probably would've ripped the 80s bands even more savagely had they been the direct inspiration.

[–] CaoilfhionnAibigeal 17 years ago

"I'll answer. 80s hair metal was focused on MTV videos and stage shows. 60s and 70s metal was focused on the music. It stands to reason that those bands of the 60s/70s (Sabbath, Deep Purple, Who Live at Leeds, etc) were far superior because they made their name by the music they played. MTV shifted the emphasis toward visual sensationalism and posturing."

Agree with He/she 100%. Hit nail on head.

~Tiocfaidh ár lá~

[–] SALEMS-LOT 17 years ago

YEAH BUT UNLIKE THE GRUNGE SCENE(WHICH IS SO EMABARRASSING NOWADAYS IF YOU REALLY LOOK BACK AT IT),THE 80'S MUSIC SURVIVED,AND IS BACK AGAIN.WHERE ARE ALL THE 90'S BANDS?PROBABLY PLAYING LOUNGES,LOL!

[–] mellowinman 17 years ago

In what way is the 80's *beep* "back?"

You mean VH1 is recycling it, and you can go see stadium shows with twelve of the best "big time" bands of the era bulging their fat bellies out of their spandex?

Oh boy!

It's called a BRAIN. ~USE IT!

[–] 17 years ago

[deleted]

[–] dalefl 16 years ago

and worshipped MONEY, SEX and BEER!!!

There's nothing wrong with that. The problem was that that was all they wrote about too. Then they started with the power ballads....ugh.

"A LATHE??!!!!! GET OFF THE LINE GUY!!"

[–] 16 years ago

[deleted]

[–] maximwessel 14 years ago

I was born in 1991 but I love 70's and 80's music.
I wished I was born in the 60's so I could utterly destroy myself in the 70's and 80's! Rock 'n Roll!

If you love IMDb user Ape_Walk and are 100% proud of it, copy this and make it your signature

[–] bacci40 14 years ago

then you would be old like me

the only thing we had was a range of music to listen to

i occasionally listened to hair bands...some were ok

[–] 14 years ago

[deleted]

[–] tom-1674 14 years ago

the Texas Longhorns symbol would be the forefinger and ring finger.

Wrong! But, nice try.