Q&A with Dave Kinzer, Author of “The 80s Music Compendium”
I just had the pleasure of reading the new book by Dave Kinzer, “The 80s Music Compendium” that released in paperback this week (Sept 13). Dave Kinzer, a music teacher, sought to find new ways to teach music structure and theory to students in a way that would hold their interest longer than say Bach. As an avid fan of 80s music, he turned to the treasure trove that is the catalog of Hot 100 hit songs from the 80s. He...
K-tel Records
Ask me what some of my favorite albums are and you’ll get a short list of ones that I would make it to the desert island with me – Tattoo You by The Rolling Stones, Beauty and the Beat by The Go-Go’s, Kings of the Wild Frontier by Adam and the Ants. I know these records up and down, and I never get tired of them. But ask me about important records, ones that take me back to a time and a place, ones where when I see the cover of them a...
The Best Christmas Song Ever
By Lori Ferraro I love Christmastime. I love buying and giving gifts, I love a big old tree in my living room, I love boozy egg nog. And I love Christmas music. Mostly I love traditional Christmas music or carols sung by the Rat Pack, like Dean Martin singing “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” or that “Mistletoe and Holly” one by Frank Sinatra. I tend to shy away from anything new – Celine Dion or some random 90s boy bands singing...
Reliving 80s Pop Music
The pop music of any decade leaves a lasting impression on generations to come. It helps define the tone and feeling of a decade both for those that lived through it as well as those that will come to appreciate it later. The 60s had their protest songs and the Beatles. The 70s ranged widely from the mellow music of Bread, The Carpenters, and James Taylor to the gaudy and flamboyant disco music of the latter part of the decade. Sure,...
