Osamdesete su bile zlatne godine za synth riffovlje, tako je i današnja anketa prepuna kandidata upravo iz tog perioda. Neki, zapravo mnogi, tu eru preziru iz dna srca svoga, ipak dojma sam da se i tu može pronaći kvalitetnih pop komada uz koju smo sasvim lijepo odrastali. Slažemo li se?
tekstovi preuzeti s musicradar
New Order - Blue Monday
Recorded in 1982, Blue Monday was propelled by a stomping kick drum from an Oberheim DMX drum machine, an out-of-sync sequencer line, and choirs (allegedly) sampled from a Kraftwerk album. A distinctive Moog Source bass snakes through the disparate elements. Sumner’s purposely pallid croon drapes it all in a sepulchral shroud. Not that the listeners were paying attention to the lyrics – they were too busy dancing. It sold like mad, going on to become the biggest-selling 12” single of all time.
Van Halen - Jump
To understand its impact, one must consider the era into which it was released. This was a time when hard rock and heavy metal acts hid their synth players from audience view. Synths were seen as ‘pop’ instruments – preferred by purveyors of pop or ‘New Wave’, and hardly suitable for the macho posturings of the typical hirsute metalhead. Van Halen, on the other hand, were rough ‘n’ ready rockers, more stomp than pomp. Given the band’s image-conscious attitudes, it’s no surprise that Eddie Van Halen’s now-classic synth riff was rejected by his bandmates when he first demoed it in 1981.
Kraftwerk - The Model
This seminal synth-pop sound was best exemplified by The Model. Overlooked at the time of its release, The Model would belatedly find favour in 1981, when it was re-issued as the b-side to the band’s then-current single, Computer Love. Re-re-issued as an A-side, The Model topped the UK singles chart in 1982.
Yazoo - Don't Go
An earworm of an intro from an ARP 2600 sets the stage, carried along by an incessant bass courtesy of Clarke’s ever-present Sequential Circuits Pro-One. A thick Roland Juno-60 bass complements Moyet’s soulful voice.
Europe - The Final Countdown
Inspired by Bowie’s Space Oddity, Joey Tempest of the Swedish band Europe wrote the main riff for The Final Countdown on a borrowed Korg Polysix way back in ‘81, eventually demoing it for his bandmates in ‘85. They weren’t impressed, with guitarist John Norum singling out the now-iconic synth intro as a sticking point. Luckily, Tempest stood his ground and the band cut the song, on which the keyboardist employed a Roland JX-8P and a preset from a Yamaha TX816 to create the opening fanfare.
Soft Cell - Tainted Love
Originally recorded by Gloria Jones in 1964, Tainted Love flopped upon its release as a B-side to her single My Bad Boy’s Comin’ Home. The song didn’t hit the charts, and was forgotten until it started getting played at Northern Soul dances about ten years later. Marc Almond heard the song at a club he worked at, and subsequently Soft Cell began to play it in their sets before doing a recording of it in 1981.
Underworld - Born Slippy
Combining lush pads, stomping techno-inspired 909 drums and a distorted, almost nonsensical one-take vocal by Underworld vocalist Karl Hyde (struggling with alcoholism at the time), Born Slippy was called the “heartbeat” of Trainspotting by director Danny Boyle and is undoubtedly one of the most iconic dance records of the '90s.
Herbie Hancock - Rockit
Produced by Bill Laswell and Michael Beinhorn (also then known as Material), Rockit was based on a simple backbeat from the then-new Oberheim DMX drum machine, accompanied by a Fairlight CMI-sampled Led Zeppelin guitar stab and the main lead line, which was played by Hancock using a Rhodes Chroma synth.