Basically, I have an inexplicable love for all that is 80's. This includes mainly the cars and music. Actually, as I reflect on the 80's, it really doesn't, but somehow everyone has pegged me for that, so I just go along with it because it's easier than arguing. My favorite kind of music is mainly late 80's-early 90's hard rock. This includes bands that are still making new stuff now that were good at that time, such as Bon Jovi, Def Leppard, Aerosmith, and, until Sammy Hagar left the group, Van Halen (face it they suck without him). The demise of the guitar solo is very upsetting to me. The three chords at various places in "How's It Gonna Be" by Third Eye Blind just don't cut it, although that is not a bad song, just very overplayed. It just doesn't compare with Slash's work at the end of "November Rain" or Richie Sambora in "Dry County" though. As for the lyrics, I'm not gonna site a bad example from modern music. This is because I can't understand what they're saying. Maybe I'm just wierd and have some wierd disease which makes it sound like a lot of guitar feedback and mumbling, but this is my editorial. Actually, I do manage to understand most of the stuff, and it just doesn't make an impression. Good lyrics, in my opinion, bring out feelings. Loved JBJ's "Destination Anywhere" album for that reason. I also point to Def Leppard's "Love Bites", "November Rain" again, one of the best songs ever (I know it was '91, but like I said, I didn't wanna argue), "When The Children Cry" by White Lion, "Dreams".... I'll stop now for fear of boring my audience. You get the picture. One More thing I love about my music that is lacking today... I don't really know how to describe it. I'm not exactly the human thesaurus. Ya know, like a song that just... sticks. Marks a time, kinda. "Livin' On A Prayer". I rest my case. 

Now, let's clear some things up. The inexplicable love for all that is 80's is my friends' call, not mine. It is just one of the reasons I'm "a character", and I like being a character at this point in my life, so I'll go along with it. But I do not love everything that came from that decade. Truth to tell, I only own cds from a handful of 80's bands other than greatest hits discs. I am not a big fan of, say, Ratt, or Alice Coopper (I like "Poison", though). Although, inexplicably, I love some utter crap. "We're Not Gonna Take It", for example, because it means the end of taking it. Most of the bands I only like 4 or 5 songs from, but I guess that's better than liking only 1 from most of today's "rock" groups. 

Well, I sure wrote a lot. I wrote shorter papers than that in high school... This was a lot more enjoyable, although thats not saying too much. I don't know what to do with this page other than the editorial you just read (hopefully). I could list the good/bad/ugly of bands and songs, but I don't think anyone would care. Probably just generic pics and links. Maybe space for me to post some feedback to my speech, and I can either voice my agreement or shoot the unfortunate person down using the perfect combination of solid arguments and witty humor. Or maybe not. So, as I sit here, wearing jeans and a cutoff sleeveless tshirt and Axl Rose style bandanna listening to Keep The Faith, I will say goodbye.

-bm