There is no place better to start when discussing why I wanted to do Make It New than with a John Hughes movie. As someone who enjoys a perfectly executed soundtrack, there is something to be said about watching his run in the 80s. Time after time, every scene is almost choreographed to a pop song that doesn’t exist anymore outside of that context. I’d go so far as to say that he’s perfected the single shot with Simple Minds’ “Don’t You Forget About Me” at the end of The Breakfast Club (1985). Not only did he set a high bar for teen dramas, but I’d argue that his soundtracks are part of the reason that he is immortal, likely to be referenced so long as shows like The Goldbergs continue to push a roaring nostalgia for a bygone era.
To be honest, Hughes from a filmmaking standpoint maybe hasn’t aged as well. While at their core I like aspects of The Brat Pack films, they don’t always have the sensitivity. Then again, this isn’t about the stories themselves. In some respects, it’s not even about Hughes at all. This is about the soundtrack to Pretty In Pink (1986): a hallmark of the 1980s music scene and most importantly a perfect way to explain the intention of this new series.
Over the past few months, I became perplexed by the idea of New Wave music. It sounds easy on paper to describe as this experimental form of pop-rock that was dominated by artists like The Talking Heads. It was weird, challenging the norms. Was it an extension of the 1970s punk scene by rebelling within a Top 40 structure? Most of us could point to the artists and say that “THIS is New Wave,” but is it?
I think the thing that ultimately fascinates me is that there was a time when rock music was inherently strange but also able to dominate the early days of MTV with art project music videos. On one side are bands like Led Zeppelin doing these towering 14-minute solos while Pink Floyd showed us a life of the mind. On the other side was Van Halen embracing excess that would lead to hair metal. Basically, New Wave is comparatively silly. Don’t mistake it for Prog Rock, there is something more confined and quick about the genre. There’s a genuine earnestness here that I haven’t seen much in rock music since, or at least so prevalent and organic.
The goal of this series is to hopefully answer what makes a band New Wave. For posterity, I have decided to pull from Paste Magazine’s website listing 50 of the best albums. Why did I choose them? The most noteworthy reason was how many times I read it and found myself curious to learn more. While I was aware of many, they were largely one-hit wonders that I never took as influential. And yet, if you dig into the crate of Hughes movies, you’ll see that they were more omnipresent than history has you believe. It’s honestly the only list that I read that made me excited to dig deeper. It was also far more encouraging than Rolling Stone’s, which listed the greatest hits comp “Staring At the Sea” by The Cure at number three (it’s a fun record, but how could it be considered essential if it doesn’t include “Lovesong” or “Friday I’m In Love”?).
I think also that it’s a happy accident that this list starts with Pretty in Pink because it symbolizes a culmination of sorts. This comes well into its run where artists like INXS, Joe Jackson, New Order, and The Smiths have established careers and are able to churn out reliable hits. While it’s arguable that New Wave had come to symbolize the taste of the cool outsider, there was something accessible about their sound. It’s been a few decades and I still hear The Psychedelic Furs’ titular song on the radio. There’s something impeccable about Hughes’ films because they do feel like they understand the genre, or at least how to collect the songs and create a cross-section of music that emphasizes an implicit romanticism and nostalgia of youth. Listening to this record, you can imagine being in an auditorium at a school dance, preparing to fast dance with your crush.
That is what will always be eternal about Hughes. He captures a feeling so well and manages to orchestrate an impeccable soundtrack in the process. For most people, like myself, who haven’t seen Pretty In Pink dozens of times, certain songs on here will be a surprise.
I’m especially shocked to know that Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark’s “If You Leave” originated here. The song is such an 80s staple that it feels like it existed as this random song. In some respects, it’s a perfect place to start because it hits all of the hallmarks for stereotypical New Wave. The opening drums give way to synths that have this breathtaking ambiance. The intro builds with anticipation, filling the listener with chills as it finally builds to a verse that goes “If you leave, don’t look back.” There’s heartache in the singer’s voice, an eagerness to make this moment last. It’s deep and sounds meaningful, making you want to pull them closer. As the chorus goes, “I won’t let go at any price.” The backing vocals serenade in a way that is both joyful and sad, embracing the desperation of love. The breakdown both musically and harmonically is sublime before it gives one last passionate burst before fading away.
It isn’t my favorite song, but what I enjoy about it is how much it incorporates dance and ballad styles with synth-rock in a way that creates an organic emotion. One can argue that other songs sound like it, but it doesn’t feel like a pop song. It’s something more artful and esoteric. It’s maybe misleading to head off the rest of the album that has more of a conventional, rock-driven sound, but it also explains what makes this album essential to New Wave in the same way that disco is to Saturday Night Fever (1977). It didn’t invent the sound but just distilled what makes it enjoyable down to its core elements.
I think the most telling thing is that despite the echoic 10 tracks that immediately crop up an image, a lot of the selections are by artists who feel either rooted in the time or lost to it. Outside of this record, I have not heard of Jesse Johnson, Belouis Some, or Danny Hutton Hitters. Whereas the others had careers that were more prevalent, I’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who is openly still discussing their works.
Does this make it bad? No. Maybe these aren’t the songs that have come to define the era, but they’re definitely worth giving a listen to.
The second track is another high mark, featuring a collaboration between Joe Jackson and Suzanne Vega with “Left of Center.” If you’re anyone like me, you best remember Vega recently for the jokes about how Luca (2021) lives on the second floor. This is only the third song I’ve really heard from her and each one is amazing. While I have a soft spot for Jackson that I will explore in a later entry, I want to say that Vega’s voice is so powerful over the guitars. The way it sounds hushed, building to its own metaphorical balance, is catchy.
I wish that I had more to say about the next two songs. Jesse Johnson’s “Get to Know Ya” is fine, hitting all of the familiar beats that you’d expect. I’m not a big fan of INXS, so I don’t have a lot of opinions on “Do Wot You Do.” On the bright side, it continues that clashing balance of upbeat melodies, largely drum-driven, as the singer swings through their own jubilant lyrics that maybe have a subversive, sinister undertone. If there’s one thing that I like about New Wave, it’s the ability to bring a melancholic sensibility to rock and pop without just being downright depressing. It’s immersive, big, and makes you want to dance.
What I find interesting about The Psychedelic Furs’ contribution is that I swear there’s an alternate version that’s more polished. On the soundtrack, it feels more scratchy. The vocals in particular have this strange fuzziness that is both deep and confident, but also like a case of laryngitis is about to kick in. The guitars also sound more aggressive, less romantic, than I remember. Given that the whole movie is named after this song, it makes sense why it’s one of the centerpieces, among the biggest hits that this soundtrack produced. In some ways its shaggy quality makes it feel the most New Wave, like a photograph you pick up out of a box and remember your crazy past.
It continues with New Order’s “Shellshock.” I’d argue that of every band on here that their cumulative career has aged the best. I think it’s because they were the most atmospheric, rising in the ashes of Joy Division with a sound that was ambitious. Imagine that “If You Leave” was like its own opera and you begin to understand New Order’s brilliance. The soundscape immerses you, allowing you to interpret emotions in the grandeur. While I wouldn’t call this my favorite track, “Shellshock” is a perfect example of how big the genre could go, managing to be both great dance-rock and deep, brooding existentialism all in one package.
The remaining soundtrack is a bit more hit and miss with Belouis Some and Danny Hutton Hitters providing more fun but not essential songs. They’re good to dance to, but given the previous run of INXS, The Psychedelic Furs, and New Order it just can’t compare. Luckily the record closes with two more excellent songs. Echo & The Bunnymen’s “Bring on the Dancing Horses” is another hit that helped to solidify the band as a worthwhile addition to the New Wave canon. Closing everything out is The Smiths. While they haven’t aged well (okay, Morrissey hasn’t), there’s something to be said for how they captured pain and angst in a way that appeals to teens. At under two minutes, “Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want” encapsulates that energy perfectly.
As far as the bottom of the list titles goes, I feel like this one is more symbolic, meant to encapsulate a genre with a pick that’s more culturally significant. Pretty in Pink is a quintessential teen movie and I think is crucial to understanding New Wave’s appeal if just for the songs on here that became hits. There’s also the number of bands that had an impact on the genre for most of their careers. It’s a good cross-section that makes it worth holding onto even if I want to believe that everyone on here has done better music. I’ll find out soon enough now, won’t I?
Most of all, I think this entry shows how diverse the journey to figure out what New Wave is won’t come with easy answers. Sonically, there are already some ideas brewing but giving that The Smiths end the album with a more acoustic sound, one has to ask “Are The Smiths New Wave?” I feel like the real definition is more in ambiguity and that while this is a great example of the genre, it isn’t a perfect one. Maybe some of these are just good songs that complemented the rest. Whatever the case may be, it’s a nice little piece of nostalgia that immediately draws the listener back to a time, a place, and for better or worse creates an emotion. It does what the best movie soundtracks do. It exists by itself as part of the culture.
Up Next: The Vapors – “New Clear Day”
Comments
Post a Comment