The Toy Box: 1989

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Retro Spins: Simply Red - A New Flame

With their first two albums peaking at number two in the UK, where was Simply Red to go from there? Well, number one of course, and that's exactly what happened with their 1989 released A New Flame.

Led by the number one single, If You Don't Know Me By Now, a remake of the 1972 Philadelphia soul classic by Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, and the minor hit, It's Only Love, which peaked at number fifty-seven, the world was opening wide for the band. This was highly contributed to by the band purposefully aiming for a more mainstream versus critical successful sound, a gamble which paid off.

Once again, it takes a bit for the album to gain momentum for me. I will also say, if this is considered mainstream, especially in 1989, I'd like to know where. There was no music like this over the airwaves in my neighborhood that year. Rather, the radio was blaring the likes of Roxette, Janet Jackson, Phil Collins, Madonna, Bonnie Ratt, Aerosmith, and Mötley Crüe.

Despite the addition of saxophone player, Ian Kirkham, it still manages to reduce the jazz and soul sound, again, probably from the conscious decision to become mainstream. Basically, his inclusion, and use, feels a bit wasted. They lose something in what created their charm in the process.

Still, there were some decent tracks to be found, which for me, included A New Flame, the song, More, She'll Have To Go, and Turn It Up. The latter, I don't know why, but I feel like I've heard before. Yet, I can't place where or when. I appreciate the cover tune, If You Don't Know Me By Now for what it is, but I can't say it's among my favorites.

By this time, lead singer Mick Hucknall was a major international superstar, often resulting in him being photographed with other celebrities and super models. Whether it was from an inflated ego, or truly how things were going, he would declare in a 1991 interview that Simply Red was basically a solo project for him. Whether it was coincidental timing, or the declaration itself, Chris Joyce and Tony Bowers quit the band around this time.

This would be the start of a heavy rotation of members coming and going to the point that Hucknall would eventually become the only remaining original member when Tim Kellett, and Fritz McIntyre left in 1993 and 1996, respectively.

1991 would also be the biggest year for Simply Red with the release of their album, Stars. Surprisingly for an 80's band entering the grunge era, it would become their biggest selling record of their career, certifying at a whopping 12X platinum in the UK, along with peaking at number one. Further, it would reach the top ten in seven additional countries. However, with it would also come their final Billboard Hot 100 hits, Something Got Me Started (peaking at twenty-three), and Stars, the song, peaking at forty-four.

Despite that being the last for the USA, the band remained a massive success around the world. As I've noted a couple times at this point across previous posts, all thirteen of their studio albums have peaked in the top ten in the UK, spanning a career of 1985 to 2023. Even then, while the band isn't releasing studio albums these days, they, or I suppose more correctly stated, Hucknall as Simply Red, remains very much so active.

Overall, this was a pretty good series of listening sessions. I definitely didn't expect to like Simply Red as much as I ultimately did. Ultimately, what started as a band I added to my collection for appreciation of their contributions to the decade, turned into an appreciation for the music directly. Though I wouldn't call myself a mega fan by any means, I'm definitely down with them at this point.

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Retro Spins: Wang Chung - The Warmer Side Of Cool

Today I'm wrapping up Wang Chung's 80's years with a listen to their final album of the decade, The Warmer Side Of Cool (released in 1989). To keep up with the changing musical landscape, the band, which still only consisted of Jack Hues and Nick Feldman, would transition from new wave to a more traditional rock sound. Unfortunately, this pivot wouldn't work in their favor.

Critically, and sales wise, it would not perform well. The album as a whole would chart on the Billboard 200, reaching one hundred twenty-three, and produce only one minor hit, Praying To A New God, which peaked at number sixty-three on the Billboard Hot 100. This would be their last album and single to date to chart.

And on that sour note, let's dive right in!

The sudden shift in musical style is the first thing that stands out, and I have to agree with the critics, that it doesn't work. But, in Wang Chung's defense, it didn't work for many new wave and pop artists who shifted in the late 90's. I mean, look how quickly Duran Duran fell off the map back then.

While it's definitely not the best I've heard from them, there were a handful of standout tracks, which included What's So Bad About Feeling Good?, When Love Looks Back On You, and Tall Trees In A Blue Sky. However, with that said, I would still chalk it up to generic 80's rock. Basically, it's listenable, but nothing to write home about.

With the album being considered a flop, Hues and Feldman would decide to take a break and pursue other interests. For Hues, this consisted mainly of soundtrack work. He would eventually sign a solo deal with Sony. However, his debut, The Anatomy Lesson, would ultimately be shelved, and remains unreleased.

Both would go on to form new bands, with Feldman joining former Culture Club drummer, Jon Moss, to form Promise Land. Hues would create Strictly Inc. with Genesis alum, Tony Banks. Both bands would release a one and done self-titled debut, with Promised Land's coming out in 1992, and Strictly Inc.'s in 1995.

The two would come back together as Wang Chung in 1997 and set out on tour in support of their newly released compilation album, Everybody Wang Chung Tonight: Wang Chung's Greatest Hits. This was followed in 2000 by a series of nostalgia tours alongside A Flock Of Seagulls, Missing Persons, and Gene Loves Jezebel with Michael Aston. However, right before the event was scheduled to kick off, Feldman would bow out due to a previous commitment, leaving Hues to complete the shows himself.

Despite this, the end was nowhere in sight for the two working as Wang Chung. They'd perform together occasionally for a series of one-off events and embark on the Regeneration '80s tour along with ABC, Berlin, Cutting Crew, and Missing Persons in 2009. The two would remain active, and digitally release the studio album, Tazer Up! in 2012. However, by 2016, Hues would once again take a hiatus. He gave his blessings to Feldman to continue touring while he focused on jazz and instrumental music.

This would be a short break, as in 2017 the two once again reunited, and continued on, releasing another digital download album, 2019's Orchesography. Though there have been no new albums since, they remain active, continuing to tour. At present, they're on the road as part of Howard Jones' Things Can Only Get Better tour, which wraps up at the end of this month.

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Retro Spins: Squeeze - Frank

When I was deciding if I was going to focus in on Squeeze and grab their remaining albums for my collection, I came across the song, If It's Love. This instantly cemented that decision, with me stating to myself, "I really like the vocals of Glenn Tilbrook."

Frank serves as the last release from Squeeze for the decade, and unfortunately, it would fail to produce any successful singles for the band. This, for me, is particularly disappointing based on how much I dug the above noted tune. However, in retrospect, there's no doubt that the landscape of music was changing by 1989. Hair metal had come and gone, and in its wake was the evolving grunge scene. The world had seemingly moved on from pop rock, at the time, myself included.

Things started out great with If Its Love, and provided additional standouts such asPeyton Place, Rose I Said, and (This Could Be) The Last Time. However, it was around the latter, that I suddenly found myself uninterested. The remaining tracks to come simply weren't resonating, and I actually found myself saying by track eleven (of twelve), "Isn't this thing done yet?"

While Squeeze still had a solid layer of instrumentation across all the songs on Frank, it did feel like a more straightforward rock and roll album versus the new wave and pop sounds that filled the majority of their 80's discography. I suppose I don't fault the band for evolving with the times, but on the same hand, when you listen to albums back to back, these shifts can feel out of place. I suppose had I listened to it in 1989, it would have felt like a more natural transition.

Ironically, the album ends with the track, Is It Too Late, which picks things up a bit with its New Orleans vintage club sound. While I initially wasn't paying that much attention, it was the lyrics, "(Is it too late) To kick me in the teeth? (Is it too late) Knock them down my throat? (Is it too late?)" that my mind jolted back with a, "Wait, what'd he just say?"

Despite this sudden new investment, the album ended after the song faded, leaving me to sit here thinking, "Eh, it was just okay." Based on its reception at the time of it original release, I don't appear to be alone in this mindset.

The end result of Franks lackluster response would be A&E dropping Squeeze, the band which they had supported since their 1978 debut, and across eight studio albums. Undeterred, Squeeze made a deal with I.R.S. to release the live album, A Round And A Bout, while also adding new keyboardist, Matt Irving.

By this time, the television career of Jool Holland was booming, and he opted to leave the band to pursue not only that, but a solo career. It would be his second departure from the band, and he would not be immediately replaced.

Still undeterred, the band signed with Reprise, and released 1991's Play. Unfortunately, this would prove to be another failure, and ironically, A&E would sign them again, releasing 1993's Some Fantastic Place, and 1995's Ridiculous. Despite both albums making the top fifty in the UK, Squeeze would continue to experience difficulties with major labels, and depart in 1997 to release albums independently.

During this entire period, lineup changes would continue to occur. This included Gilson Lavis being fired in 1992 after relapsing into alcoholism, and Keith Wilkinson, who departed after 1995's Some Fantastic Place for undocumented reasons. With that said, it was surprising to see that Paul Carrack would make a brief return to the band, his first since singing the lead on Tempted back in 1982 for East Side Story. However, his return would be very brief.

Squeeze would break up again in 1999, with both Tilbrook and Difford going on to solo careers. An attempt at reuniting Difford, Tilbrook, Holland, Wilkinson and Lavis seemed to start positively in 2004 when spearheaded by the VH1 series, Bands Reunited. Unfortunately, it ultimately didn't happen, Holland would state he was too busy, Lavis would only express mild interest, and Tilbrook completely decided against it.

In 2007 it was announced by Difford and Tilbrook that they were going to reform Squeeze. While they'd release four albums between 2010 and 2026 the two would be the only reoccurring classic lineup members. With an ever rotating lineup, the band continues to actively tour, and who knows, maybe they have some more studio album in them that will come down the pike.

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Retro Spins: W.A.S.P. - The Headless Children

After receiving and taking to heart the critical reception of 1986's Inside The Electric Circus, lead singer, and only remaining founder of W.A.S.P., Blackie Lawless took a break from the studio to reflect on the band's musical direction. During this time, they'd still continue to tour, and several lineup changes would occur, specifically with a non-stop rotation of drummers.

When Steve Riley left the skins to join L.A. Guns, he'd initially be replaced by Chad Nelson. However, this would just be the start of the rotation, which soon saw Glenn Soderling, and Kelly Martella also stepping into the role. By the end of 1988, W.A.S.P. had no drummer. As such, when they returned to the studio to record what would become 1989's The Headless Children, former Quiet Riot drummer, Frankie Banali, would step in to give them a hand, but not formally join the band.

The Heretic starts things off and has a boss level slow building intro before things take off in the almost eight-minute epic. Things are definitely going in the right direction right from the get-go. This is followed by the thundering drums, and equally adept bass filled The Real Me.

Even when songs didn't necessarily grab my attention at first, such as the case with the title track, when the guitar solos of Chris Holmes took over, often kept up in pace by the fantastic drumming of Frankie Banali, my head started bobbing, and my foot tapping. My favorite combination of the two was probably Thunderhead. You know what? Check it out below for yourself and let me know your thoughts.

Other standout tracks for me included Mean Man, and Forever Free. Though, overall, I would call it a near perfect album. Mainly because each song had something worth listening to, often the guitar solos and drums.

Five months after its release, August of 1989 to be exact, Chris Holmes would decide to leave the band, stating that he wanted to have fun. Basically, it came down to the music direction Lawless was taking the band. Holmes preferred a much more straight forward hard rock style, while W.A.S.P. was leaning into a more progressive rock style. He would, however, return in 1996, only to depart again in 2001.

With and without Holmes, W.A.S.P. recorded and released twelve albums between 1992 and 2018 and continues to remain active. Yeah, sure, there's been a lot more lineup changes, with Blackie Lawless being the only constant. These days, Mike Duda serves as bassist, with Doug Blare on lead guitar, and Aquiles Priester on drums. As of June 24, 2026, they're all on the road touring with dates anticipated to wrap up on December 12, 2026.

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Retro Spins: Michael Monroe - Not Fakin' It

My journey through Hanoi Rocks, and now lead singer, Michael Monroe, ends today with his second solo effort, 1989's Not Fakin' It. It's been a solid trip so far, and I might even be a little bummed that it's coming to a close. It's rare that I find "new" music that actually makes me a fan, and this has definitely happened with all of this combined music so far.

After the breakup of Hanoi in 1985, Monroe ventured out solo. His first effort, Nights Are So Long, was release in 1987 by Yahoo!, and with it came attention from larger labels. This resulted in him shifting to Mercury for his second release, um...this one. Not Fakin' It would become his biggest solo success. This was aided by the music video for Dead, Jail Or Rock 'N' Roll, which would see steady rotation on MTV. It's possible, but not confirmed that this popularity was based on the appearance of Axle Rose in the video.

At the time of this album's release, Guns N' Roses's label, Uzi Suicide, would be actively re-releasing the albums of Hanoi Rocks on CD. This perhaps would bet what led to Axel's inclusion in the video.

Playing through it, for some reason, parts of it felt familiar. Specifically, She's No Angel, and All Night With The Lights On. I would bet money I'd heard these before, but I can't for the life of me figure out where or when. Whatever the case was, I was digging these two tracks.

Additionally, I was also down with Dead, Jail Or Rock 'N' Roll, Shakedown, Man With No Eyes, Smoke Screen

Upon its release, Michael would spend 1989 and 1990 touring. During this time, he'd be joined on stage by Slash for multiple shows in Los Angeles and garner the attention of Steven Tyler of Aerosmith. They invite him to play saxophone on Big Ten Inch, which they performed at Les Paul's 75th birthday at the Hard Rock Cafe in New York.

He'd close out 1989 and kick of 1990 by performing along with Bryan Adams, Don Henley, Huey Lewis and Loudness in two New Year's shows at the 70,000-seat Tokyo Dome in Japan, on 31 December 1989, and 1 January 1990. Guns 'N Roses would invite him to play both harmonica and sax on the track, Bad Obsession for their Use Your Illusion album, and then invite him back for their 1993 The Spaghetti Incident? where he sang on Ain't It Fun.

Despite all of this, his solo career didn't prove as successful as hoped. Monroe would take a bit of a hiatus, but then continue his solo career in 1996, releasing several studio albums through his latest, Outerstellar, which was released in February 2026. In between all of that, he also briefly reformed Hanoi Rocks with Andy McCoy, and released new studio albums under the band's name. He remains very active, continuing to tour and showing no signs of calling it a day any time soon.

But, with that, I wrap up my listening sessions of both Hanoi Rocks, and the solo career of Michael Monroe. As I've said in a few posts already, it's been a good time, and I'm definitely a fan. If I have one disappointment, it's that I completely missed out on this in real time during the 80's.

Tomorrow, I jump into another all new 80's hair band, but from there, I think I'm going to take a break from the metal scene, and drift back into some new wave. I've got lots to listen to still, and it's onward each day just crossing albums off. You'd think I'd slow down, catch up, and then go from there, but nah, just as of today, I've picked up seven more albums.

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Retro Spins: Doro - Force Majeure

After being bamboozled out of the rights to her own band's name by previous manager, Peter Zimmerman, Doro Pesch opted to carry on under her own name. Why not? She'd just broken the door wide open in the USA, finding success on MTV with videos to the band's 1986 album, True As Steel, and finally peaking on the Billboard 200 with 1987's Triumph And Agony. To stop now would be non-sensical.

However, how does one stay relevant with a sudden name change that may leave fans confused? Simple. When the album Force Majeure was released in 1989, original pressing included a sticker on the shrink wrap which read, "+ Warlock" next to her name. The end result was her highest charting album in Germany (peaking at number 5) and Switzerland (12). While it would still peak on the Billboard 200, it was far lower than the prior Warlock album, reaching 154.

At this point, while Doro was the only remaining German in the band, Force Majeure would also feature previous Warlock album bassist, Tommy Henriksen, though he would depart prior to the end of the year. The two would be joined by new guitarist Jon Levin, and drummer Bobby Rondinelli.

As I noted yesterday, Warlock was an up and down roller coaster ride, one album good, the next forgettable. With the previous being the latter, it's shocking, but not surprising that with this one, Doro comes back out of nowhere delivering another solid album. This inconsistency is what bums me out about the band as a whole, but at the same time, I'll take the good where I can.

With that said, the first half was the better of the album, with standout tracks being Save My Soul, World Gone Wild, Mission Of Mercy, and Angels With Dirty Faces. The second half, on the other hand, fell to quickly forgettable territory. Still a descent album, but not perfect by any means.

Doro would go on to release fourteen more albums to date between 1990 and 2023. Though throughout that, lineup changes would occur rather frequently, typically from album to album. This would stem from Pesch's own desire to never repeat herself, often seeking out new musicians to achieve the sound she was going for with projects.

At sixty-one years old, Doro continues to tour, showing no signs of slowing down, or retiring. As of May 2026, she's kicked off an extensive tour of Europe and the UK, which will consist of twenty-two shows, ending on December 17. She's also busy scheduling festivals and additional shows for 2027, with her first occurring May 7 and 8 at Braunschweig, Germany's Rock in Rautheim Open Air.

As for me, tomorrow I dive into another all-new territory band. One which was credited for, or as lead singer Michael Monroe would say, blamed for the look that became 80's hair metal. A band that at the height of their popularity, and on the brink of a breakthrough, was derailed by an avoidable tragedy which took the life of their drummer. I'm talking about the Finnish band, Hanoi Rocks.

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Retro Spins: Simple Minds - Street Fighting Years

Honestly, I'm not sad that this is my last Simple Minds album to playthrough. I'm a little fatigued at this point by them. It's been okay listening sessions going from 1980's Empires And Dance, to today's final entry, 1989's Street Fighting Years. While I've heard some good stuff, I won't profess that it's made me a diehard fan by any stretch of the imagination.

Though the success of 1985's Once Upon A Time inflated the band's popularity, and finally provided them a breakthrough in the USA, critics weren't often so nice about it. Simple Minds was often compared to U2 and knocked for being what was considered a lesser version of them. Despite this, the two groups actually got along quite well, with Bono joining them on stage that same year to sing.

During their extensive tour, the band released 1987's, Live In The City of Light, a double live album which captured highlights from their current shows. Much like previous studio releases, it shot up the charts, becoming their third consecutive number one in the UK.

Wrapping up touring, they built and launched Bonnie Wee Studio, where Jim Kerr, Charlie Burchill and Mick MacNeil began new writing sessions. Initially, they conceived the instrumental project, Aurora Borealis, but this would be supplanted by their increased involvement in political activism. This would lead to them being the first band signed for the Wembley Stadium show, Mandela Day, an expression of solidarity with the then-imprisoned Nelson Mandela.

Though all bands would be asked to produce a song specifically for the event, Simple Minds would be the only ones to do so, the aptly titled, Mandela Day. The studio version, along with a cover of Peter Gabriel's Biko, and Belfast Child would be compiled on the Ballad of the Streets EP, which would also peak at number one in the UK.

Simple Minds would close out the year with 1989's Street Fighting Years, moving away from the more pop rock-oriented sound which provided them their breakthrough, instead replacing it with acoustic and folk music elements. Led by renowned producer, Trevor Horn, this would become their next number one album in the UK, and their first in many other countries. The three tracks noted from the above EP would also be included on the album, as would the bonus song, When Spirits Rise, which was included on CD pressings.

While Mel Gaynor and John Giblin would contribute to portions of the recording, the two would leave abruptly mid-sessions. Both cited creative differences and tensions within the band, with Giblin also stating it was difficult to work with Horn.

Things open with the album's title track, and right away you can tell this isn't the same Simple Minds from four years ago. The best way I can explain it is like the shift in tone between Madonna's 1986 album, True Blue, and her 1989 released Like A Prayer. The music feels more mature on the latter, like the artist has grown up in that time span between releases. That's what Street Fighting Years feels like.

This growth ultimately results in a less pop oriented sound, but rather more adult contemporary. It's a relatively bland experience as a result. I couldn't even tell you that there were standout tracks. Rather, better than worse, and those included Wall Of Love, and Take A Step Back. I do not see myself wanting to ever hear these again though.

Overall, it was pretty bland, and frankly, so was my entire listening session of Simple Minds. Their music was just okay. Nothing to really get excited about. They have hits, I respect that, but I'm not a fan per se.

By 1990, Mick MacNeil had departed, stating he was exhausted from extensive touring. Gaynor would be lured back for 1991's Real Life, but he would depart again after it's recording. See The Light would become a minor hit from the album.

Jim Kerr, and Charlie Burchill would continue on as a duo, releasing 1995's Good News From The Next World. It would produce their final Billboard Hot 100 hit, She's A River.

Derek Forbes and Mel Gaynor would be brought back into the fold for 1998's Néapolis, but by 2001 it was just Kerr and Burchill again, who released Neon Lights, and 2002's Cry. Gaynor would return again for 2005's Black & White 050505, with Simple Minds remaining a trio for 2009's Graffiti Soul, and 2014's Big Music. But, if you guessed it, Gaynor left again, leaving the duo to release 2018's Acoustic. But like any good reunion, he came back for 2018's Walk Between Worlds only to depart again. Kerr and Burchill released the final Simple Minds album to date, 2022's Direction Of The Heart.

Most interesting in all of this, to me, is that not only did the band, albeit a slimmed down version, survive the 90's and 2000's, they managed to stay on the UK charts with each new album. Perhaps even more impressive, five of them were in the top ten. As of 2026, they've seen a high resurgence in popularity, and are currently committed to extensive touring.

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Retro Spins: Britny Fox - Boys In Heat

With the massive success of their debut, and sudden boost in popularity, Britny Fox found themselves touring with the likes of Ratt, Warrant, and Poison, performing in massive arenas, which only served to push them more and more into the limelight. Critics praised them, and fans awarded them as the best debut band of 1988.

Returning to the studio, they released their sophomore album, Boys In Heat. With it would come a handful of singles, none of which would hit the charts. This was odd, considering the album peaked at number seventy-nine on the Billboard 200.

Welcome to 1989, where albums are predominantly being pushed on CD format, and as a result are bloated. By song eight, it felt like it had been playing for an eternity, and still had five more tracks to go in this over hour long album. Mind you, by this point, I hadn't heard anything that left me saying, "Wow, that's great!" In fact, I found myself tuning things out.

In Motion is a decent opening track. It brings with it the high energy expected from the boys. But that's about where it all ends. Overall, I don't need Britny Fox in my life. They're just another hair band, lost in the pool of an over saturated market of better options.

After its release, lead singer "Dizzy" Dean Davidson would make the decision to depart the band. He'd cite a dislike for the band's material, calling it label and management controlled, as well as prefabricated. He'd go on to form Blackeyed Susan, and release Electric Rattlebone in 1991 under label, Mercury. The album would be a complete failure, resulting in the label pulling support during the middle of their tour. A second album, Just A Taste, would be self released in 1992. However, it too would fail to garner any attention.

The departure of Davidson, and the failure of their second album would lead to the band departing CBS Records. However, they wouldn't throw in the towel. Instead, they'd hire new singer, Tommy Paris, and release their third album, Bite Down Hard in 1991. It ultimately would also fail, swallowed up in the emerging grunge scene. They'd disband in 1992.

This lineup would reunite in 2000, and release their final studio album to date, Springhead Motorshark, in 2003. Unsurprisingly, it was not successful. The boys would once again disband. By 2006, Billy Childs would be the only remaining original member, and once again launch Britny Fox. Greg D'Angelo would replace original drummer, Johnny Dee, only to be replaced the following year by Henry Now. Tommy Krash would replace guitarist Michael Kelly Smith, but he too would be out the following year, replaced by Greg Polcari. Tommy Paris would return as lead singer, but if you're following the trend so far, you guessed it. By 2007 he too was out, replaced by Jamie Fletcher. This lineup stayed intact through 2014.

In 2010, Davidson unsuccessfully attempted to reunite the original members of the band. Instead, the above noted lineup would change in 2015, with drummer Johnny Dee, and Tommy Paris returning. They'd join Childs with new guitarist Chris Sanders. This would only last until 2017, and the band would go dormant until 2022, when Childs once again reformed the band with Ronnie Rogers, Greg Polcari, and Henry Now. This iteration is the current lineup, but who knows how long that will last.

As of late, I've been getting a lot of band recommendations from a co-worker of mine. Specifically, a co-worker who was big into 80's metal. He's made some recommendations of bands that probably should be in my ever expanding CD collection already, but also some I've never heard of. Over these past few weeks, I've been crossing off several albums, many I don't know. Will I find myself some new music? Or will I discover I've yet again wasted a bunch of money on bands and albums I don't need? We'll find out soon enough as I get the remaining stragglers in and start playing through them.

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Retro Spins: Billy Squier - Hear & Now

Three years it would take Billy Squier to finish what would become his last album of the 80's, 1989's Hear & Now. Upon its release, it would be met with minimal fanfare. The artist had long since been on a steady decline, one I've talked about multiple times over the past couple of days.

Upon its release, the album would peak at number sixty-four, and mirror his previous release, "only" selling 300,000 copies. This low amount would also make it his second consecutive album to fail to reach any sales certifications.

With is would come the minor hit, Don't Say You Love Me. It would peak at fifty-eight on the Billboard Hot 100 and be his last charting single to date.

For me, Billy has been an artist that I've witnessed for myself the steady decline in quality and hits which have led him to this point. The disappointing aspect has been that as an artist he can deliver really solid rock tracks, but as time went by, they got fewer and further between. Mind you, I don't think this was a result of lack of trying, but rather a change in musical styles which perhaps couldn't keep up with the other contenders of the era.

Looking at 1984, when his popularity began to wane, it's easy to see how he could be lost among the biggest albums of the year, which included Michael Jackson's Thriller (yes, even though it was released in 1982), Bruce Springsteen's Born In The U.S.A., Huey Lewis And The News' Sports, Prince And The Revolutions' Purple Rain, and even the Footloose soundtrack. Fast forward to 1986, and he only continues to get lost among Janet Jackson's Control, Van Halen's 5150, Madonna's True Blue, Lionel Richie's Dancing On The Ceiling, Bon Jovi's Slippery When Wet, and the Top Gun soundtrack. Now sprinkle in the massive albums of 1985, a year where Billy was inactive, and you can easily see how people quickly moved on. He simply couldn't compete with the legends of those years.

The unfortunate side to all of the above is that in listening to Hear & Now, it's really not good. I would say it's tolerable. Mediocre at best. Forgettable through and through. Definitely a flat note to go out on for the decade.

Candidly, this album wasn't worth the time I allotted to listening to it. It makes me care less for Billy Squier than I initially did, and only serves to make me glad I'm done with his 80's discography.

Billy would release three more albums in the 90's, 1991's Creatures Of Habit, 1993's Tell The Truth, and 1998's Happy Blue. Since then, he has made appearances sporadically, and celebrated milestones in his career with anniversary and remastered additions of his previous work. However, he does tend to stay quieter than most 80's artists desperate for a resurgence from nostalgia driven audiences. I suppose with a net worth of forty to fifty million dollars, he doesn't exactly need to worry about working much.

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Retro Spins: Swing Out Sister - Kaleidoscope World

Reduced from a trio when Martin Jackson left during the sessions for what would become Kaleidoscope World, Corinne Drewery and Andy Connell would continue on as a due for the remainder of Swing Out Sister's tenure. Upon its release, it would become an instant success in the UK, cracking the top ten.

The album takes a more contemporary approach, drawing inspiration from the easy listening stylings of Burt Bacharach. This is enriched with the incorporation of orchestration, overshadowing the previously released It's Better To Travel (1987) which was heavily driven by synthesizers.

Their UK success was not echoed in the US, where the album failed to chart. Further, their single, Waiting Game, would stall out at number eighty-nine on the Billboard Hot 100. However, being the 80's, the album did have multiple music videos, all of which were released on the companion VHS, Video EP (1990).

Listening to the album, I feel like it could easily be the soundtrack to a James Bond film from the sixties. I suppose being heavily influenced as noted above, that does make sense. However, overall, it doesn't work, not for me anyway. It's a relatively dull album with no hits worth getting excited about. Even with the aforementioned Waiting Game drawing heavily from their previous hit, Breakout, it's not enough to salvage the track.

Overall, it's an okay listening experience, though perhaps a bit boring. It certainly doesn't leave me want to hear more from the group, and I'm okay with that. Especially considering going into it all, I wasn't necessarily a fan to begin with.

What I will say is that the song Masquerade was somewhat of a decent standout. If it was an instrumental track, it would have been a killer, but it somewhat goes downhill once Drewery's vocals kick in.

As for Swing Out Sister, they went on to release far more albums than I would have expected. Eight between 1992 and 2017 to be exact. However, none of their albums have charted since 1992's Get in Touch With Yourself, which was also their last album to produce a Billboard Hot 100 hit, Am I The Same Girl, which peaked at forty-five. While they aren't releasing studio albums, they do remain active, touring periodically.

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Retro Spins: Flies On Fire - Flies On Fire

Perhaps their song, Anything Goes, is actually the perfect way to sum up Flies On Fire. They're a band that easily flowed from one style to the next, interweaving Southern Rock with a hint of gospel, all seemingly influenced by the classic rock era which came before it.

Perusing the internet, you're not going to find much about the band. It's as if the 80's simply brushed them under the rug in hopes that people would forget about them. Tim Paruszkiewicz, Ritchie D’Albis, Terry “Mess” Messal, and Howard all come from different corners of the USA, but ultimately made their ways to L.A., where fate brought them together.

They achieve national exposure in 1988 when they submitted their self-produced music video, Long Gone Dead, to MTV, winning the show, Basement Tapes. However, it wouldn't be until producer Ric Browde caught one of their live shows that they'd finally land a record deal with ATCO. Their self-titled debut would hit shelves in 1989 to lackluster fanfare.

If you listen to the album, your mind might immediately go to John Mellencamp, and The Black Crowes, the latter who would rekindle the same type of music the Flies were playing with their 1990 debut, Shake Your Money Maker. In retrospect, it's kind of unfair that the latter got all the adulation, while Flies On Fire simply got forgotten.

There's solid instrumentation to be found here. Thunderous drums, slick guitars, and Tim's own flourish of raspy vocals. It comes with a handful of decent tracks, such as the aforementioned Anything Goes, C'Mon, and You Can't Go Back. However, it's probably not an album I'll ever personally revisit.

You Can't Go Back is somewhat a bitter anthem for the Flies, considering how they would be treated by their label, and ultimately ignored. It's a track about nobody remembering you or your name, with lead singer Paruszkiewicz finishing the chorus with, "nobody remembers my name". Sad how accurate that probably is.

While Flies On Fire would release the follow-up Outside Looking In (1991), it failed to garner much attention. Purportedly, the blame is that of then ATCO president, Derek Shulman who simply wasn't interested in the band. He disagreed with their thoughts on what singles should be released, and instead focused his attention on the band, Enuff Z'Nuff, leaving the Flies to ultimately fizzle out before dropping them.

Tim, Ritchie, and Terry would go on to form the short-lived punk band, Vitamade, releasing Everything You Need! in 1996. This would eventually morph into the band VOMF, who released one album as a digital only release, but disbanded in 1999.

These days, the guys have all found regular work, and though they appear to still talk to each other, the subject of Flies Of Fire rarely comes up.

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Retro Spins: Melissa Etheridge - Brave And Crazy

A little over a year after her self-titled debut, Melissa Etheridge released her follow-up, Brave And Crazy. Much like her debut, the album would also peak at number twenty-two on the Billboard 200 and garner a Grammy nomination.

At the time, Billboard would note, "though more polished, rocker's sophomore outing never sacrifices passion, emotion, and guts for style. Etheridge remains a one-trick artist - most of her songs are in a similar midtempo rocker guitar style - but her lyrics, delivered with startling conviction, lead her to the head of the class." Great, so more of the same which made her last album mediocre.

Playing through it, yes, that's exactly what it is. While it touts two singles, No Souvenirs, and You Can Sleep While I Drive, from my perspective, these are nothing to get excited about.

Once again, I hear inklings of a female Bon Jovi, but who just never manages to pop. There's storytelling in the tracks, ala Jovi's Blood On Blood, but unfortunately, not a very interesting tale to listen to.

I guess the point I'm making is that this one's just not for me, not that I necessarily expected it would be. I wish I could say there was a hidden gem, some kind of standout track, or in general, something which was mildly intriguing. Sadly, that's simply not the case.

Etheredge has a unique voice, which is nice to listen to. But she simply doesn't have the hits to back it up. If she would have just worked with someone like Desmond Child or Holly Knight, I imagine her career would have exploded far beyond what it did later on.

Etheridge released 1992's Never Enough, which would one up her previous albums, by peaking at number twenty-one on the Billboard 200, and win a Grammy. This was followed by her breakthrough, 1993's Yes I Am, which delivered the hits, Come To My Window, I'm The Only One, and If I Wanted To.

From there, she's released thirteen more studio albums to date, with the most recent being 2026's Ride. While sales certifications would cease with 1999's Breakdown, she would continue to chart on the Billboard 200 through 2019's The Medicine Show. As such, while I'm not personally a big fan, I will at least acknowledge that he's remained a hot act for several decades.

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Retro Spins: Indigo Girls - Indigo Girls

Looking to capitalize on the popularity of 10,000 Maniacs, Tracy Chapman, and Suzanne Vega, Epic Records found, and signed, Amy Ray and Emily Saliers, AKA Indigo Girls in 1988. While the duo had released music prior to this under their own self-publishing label, their venture with Epic would prove to be far more successful. Their self-titled "debut" would quickly garner attention, going 2x platinum. Striking while the iron was hot, Epic would remix, edit, and re-release the girl's previous album, Strange Fire. But now we're going backwards to previously covered territory.

Based on its success, the girls were nominated for Best New Artist at the Grammy Awards, ironically losing to Milli Vanilli. While that award slipped away, until faux Vanilli gave up the award, they did win one for Best Contemporary Folk Recording.

It's pretty much more of the same from what I talked about yesterday. Minimal instrumentation. While Strange Fire stayed confined to acoustic guitars and harmonicas, this album does build on that a bit, and very sparsely, with drums, and bass. Still, it's not enough to make me a fan of the folk country style of music.

I will give Kid Fears an honorable mention for it being a duo with R.E.M. alum, Michael Stipe. As I heard his voice come through, it was immediately recognizable, making the track something that piqued my interest, but also not something I necessarily need to ever hear again.

Overall, I'm not walking away from this a fan of Indigo Girls, and frankly, I didn't expect to. As I noted yesterday, I only ended up with their two 80's albums because they were constantly crammed into the dollar bins of the various used CD shops I went to. I'd never heard anything off them leading up to yesterday and today, nor did I necessarily want or need them. Just more 80's fodder for the ever expanding shelfs of music from that decade.

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Retro Spins: Danger Danger - Danger Danger

It's always exciting for me to come across 80's albums from artists I've never heard of. It's like finding money in the couch cushions.

Danger Danger's self-titled debut not only checked the box of being a new 80's album but also featured a really cool cover. As an added bonus, being released in 1989, it's their only album from the era, making it even easier for me because there's nothing else to track down.

The band was in formed in 1986 by Mike Pont, Bruno Ravel, and Steve West, who brought in Al Pitrelli, and Kasey Smith. Pont would leave shortly thereafter and be replaced by Ted Poley. Though they tried, they would fail at creating a demo together. However, a retry would lead to Epic Records taking notice, and signing them. Pitrelli would also leave around this timeframe.

Tony Rey would briefly join, providing some guitar work for their self-titled debut album. He'd be replaced by Andy Timmons, who along with core members, Poley, Smith, Ravel, and West, completed the recordings. Hits, Naughty Naughty, and Bang Bang would emerge, with the former seeing steady rotation on MTV's Headbanger's Ball.

They'd support the album by embarking as a supporting act for the likes of Kiss, Alice Cooper, Extreme, and Warrant. Though they would remain unknown to me, the album would end up peaking at number eighty-eight on the Billboard 200. Bang Bang would also reach eighty-nine on the Billboard Hot 100, while Naughty Naughty wouldn't chart.

Playing through it, it has a sound familiar to that of Warrant, Poison, and Firehouse, though perhaps not as catchy. Tracks, Naughty Naughty, Under The Gun, Bang Bang, Feels Like Love are serviceable enough to keep you listening. As a whole, it's not a bad album.

What it lacks is anything that feels memorable. By the time the songs end, they've all but left my head already. Further, if they did have any other albums from the era, I don't think I'd need them in my life.

Danger Danger would, however, continue on through the 90's, and early 2000's, releasing six more albums between 1991 and 2009, though it was far from smooth sailing. Poley would be fired in 2003, shortly after recording their third album, Cockroach. The band not only sighted internal tensions with him, but that they wanted to change musical styles, and go a different direction amidst the declining hair metal scene. Unfortunately, firing him also put them in litigation when Poley sued, blocking the album from being released.

Cockroach would eventually be released in 2001, and it's a unique album, to say the least. The two disc set features the original album with lead singer Poley on disc one, while disc two contains the album as sung by Paul Laine, who replaced Poley.

Further lineup changes saw the departure of Kasey Smith, and Andy Timmons. It's cited that Timmons left to follow a solo career back in Dallas. Smith, on the other hand, quit the band after the support tour for 1991's Screw It!, forming the group Shock. The two would rejoin the band briefly before departing again, and even Ted Poley would rejoin in 2004, remaining the lead singer to date.

The band continues to tour with Poley, Bruno Ravel, Steve West, and new(er) members, Rob Marcello, and Steve Brown. However, there has been no word on any new albums since 2009's Revolve.

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Retro Spins: Ace Frehley - Trouble Walkin'

Popularity for Frehley's Comet waned fast. So much so, that when it was time to return to the studio for 1989's Trouble Walkin', Frehley would drop the band moniker and instead opt to release it as a solo album. Frehley also took a page out of Paul Stanley and Gene Simmon's book, informing co-lead singer / guitarist / keyboardist, Tod Howarth, that his vocals wouldn't be needed on the new album, essentially relegating him to a session musician. Both Howarth and Jamie Oldaker would ultimately drop out.

What would draw people's attention to the album would be the guest appearance of Peter Criss and Sabastian Bach, who provided backing vocal on several tracks. Additionally, Frehley would use the Paul Stanley, Holly Knight, and Desmond Child penned, Hide Your Heart, which would later appear on Kiss's Hot In The Shade, released that same year. A year earlier, the song was released as a single by Bonnie Tyler, who recorded it for her album of the same name.

Unfortunately, history would repeat, and Trouble Talkin' would underperform, peaking at 102 on the Billboard 200. The lone single, a cover of The Moves, Do Ya, penned by ELO's Jeff Lynne, failed to chart. Kiss would release Hot In The Shade four days after Frehley's, and with the massive success of the album, it made no sense to release Hide Your Heart as a single.

It's a very generic rock album, and at the same time, a very loud one. Those aspects alone make it difficult to enjoy.

Sadly, none of the Frehley penned tracks really resonate either. Do Ya, and Hide Your Heart, were the only standouts for me, and frankly, the original of Do Ya, and Kiss version of Heart, are far superior.

Mind you, the music as a whole wasn't bad. It was just...well, boring. Generic at best, and forgettable. Ironically, at the same time, it was simply nice to hear Frehley's voice and guitar work. Like an old friend just stopping by to say, "Hello."

While a tour would kick off in support of the album, it was unceremoniously ended after John Regan abruptly quit. The bassist simply couldn't take the ups and downs of Frehley and his substance abuse. Other opportunities existed for him, including working with John Waite, so at the end of the day, he simply didn't need the headache. Frehley himself wouldn't tour again for two years.

Ups and downs certainly persisted for Ace, including a surprise reunion with Kiss, including Peter Criss, during MTV's Unplugged, which aired on Halloween, 1995. This led to the four original members formally reuniting in 1996 for a series of sold out shows around the world. He'd leave Kiss again in 2001, and resume his solo career, releasing six albums between 2009 and 2024.

With the help of his daughter, Ace even cleaned himself up in 2006, and though he continued to struggle with substances, managed to stay relatively clean. Sadly, as he got older, he had a few falls, which severely injured him. One such fall on October 2, 2025, resulted in him severely injuring his head, and being rushed to the hospital. On the sixteenth of that same month, it was reported he was on life support with a ventilator, suffering from brain bleeding. With no signs of recovery, his family opted to turn off life support. He died just a few hours later. Peter Criss and his wife were among the few who were present with him during his final moments on October 16, 2025.

Frehley's legacy was so widespread that many celebrities openly mourned his death with his fans, telling stories, and participating in tribute events. Even Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons offered their own tributes through one-off events, and statements. Though some fans were split by the genuineness of these.

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Retro Spins: Marillion - Seasons End

Nothing says band love like telling your lead singer to hit the road in lieu of firing management. But that's exactly what happened to lead singer Fish, when he gave his Marillion band mates the ultimatum of him or them. He'd depart in 1988, with new singer Steven Hogarth joining in 1989.

Hogarth was an interesting choice for a band who had built their career on top of a prog rock foundation. Mainly because the new singer came from a new wave background and showcased very different styles of vocals and stage presence from his predecessor.

Prior to his joining, and the departure of Fish, the group had begun recording some of the music for what would become their final album of the 80's, Seasons End. However, when Fish departed, he took with him the lyrics he'd crafted for the instrumentation. This meant Hogarth's first task would be to set to work on new lyrics to fit the already completed music.

On a side note, these Fish recorded tracks would eventually be released as bonus material for the remastered Clutching At Straws, and additionally, several of the lyrics made it into his own future solo projects.

Playing through it, right away the new vocals didn't work for me. Over the past four albums, my mind had finally accepted the sound of Marillion, and frankly, this wasn't it.

I didn't like this album. The minimal spark that was the band was gone for me, and there were no tracks I found to be even mildly entertaining. In fact, I ended up tuning out most of it in lieu of filling gaps in my collection of albums I was missing, which in hindsight kind of makes me more annoyed. This album made me spend money I didn't necessarily want or need to spend.

Fish and his prior band mates would eventually meat up a decade later and reconcile amongst each other. However, any form of reunion was dismissed.

The band continued on with Hogarth as their lead singer, releasing sixteen more albums since 1989's Seasons End, with their latest being 2022's An Hour Before It's Dark. Amazingly, there's been no lineup changes over the past two (plus) decades.

With that, I say goodbye to Marillion. It wasn't the best of listening sessions, but I suppose it also wasn't the worst. Am I a fan of the band at the end of the day? I am not.

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Retro Spins: Michael Bolton - Soul Provider

For better or worse, Michael Bolton would ditch his hard rock persona from previous records, instead adopting the more softer crooner side which had started to show itself during his 1987 released The Hunger. Between 1987 and 1988, the artist was in a dire financial situation and facing a potential career end with label Columbia. Facing foreclosure on his home, during nights you could find him loading trucks until 4:00 AM in Bridgeport Connecticut, then driving straight to the studio to cut tracks.

Though Columbia considered shelving the album, and dropping him, they ultimately decided to release, How Am I Supposed To Live Without You, as a single in January 1989. The track would shoot up the charts to number one, with royalties providing the financial relief Bolton needed to get his home back. This was followed by the full album in June.

Soul Provider produced five top forty hits and spent almost four years on the Billboard 200. Selling over six million copies, it would become his biggest seller to date, being certified 6X platinum in the USA alone. It would also go multiplatinum in Canada, Australia, and the UK, while reaching Gold in New Zealand. By 1990, his peak annual income reached between ten and twelve million dollars, definitely putting to rest his financial difficulties...for the time being.

The album certainly has its hits, and I appreciate it for that. Though most of them aren't my cup of tea. It does, however, also contains my all-time favorite from him; How Can We Be Lovers If We Can't Be Friends.

While I know a lot of the "hit" tracks, mainly the songs, Georgia On My Mind, How Am I Supposed To Live Without You, and When I'm Back On My Feet Again, I was hoping that there would be other hidden gems among them. I found this in, You Wouldn't Know Love, a tune noted as one of the singles, but which I don't recall ever hearing before.

Michael Bolton entered the 1990's with his even bigger success, Time, Love & Tenderness (1991), which sold even more copies than Soul Provider. Unfortunately, this would begin a long legal battle, when the Isley Brothers filed suit in 1992 over copyright infringement and plagiarism of their 1966 song, Love Is A Wonderful Thing. The suit wouldn't be settled until April of 1994. Not only was it in favor of the Isley's, granting them a 5.4-million-dollar judgement, but the longevity racked up massive legal fees for both parties, which Bolton and his label were ultimately responsible for.

Rather than accept the verdict, Bolton continued to pursue appeals, racking up even more legal fees through 2000, when all of this was ultimately denied in federal appeals, and the verdict upheld. Though his label would pay all cost associated with the suit, they would then sue Bolton and co-writer Andrew Goldmark to recoup those damages, as they argued the infringement was their fault.

While all of this didn't serve to impact his overall wealth, what did happen was that his album sales started to drop, and his popularity waned. The once 8 and 6X platinum seller dropped to 4x in 1992, 3X by 1993, and just platinum in 1996. Things only got worse from there with his 1997 album that only went gold and would serve to be his last for Columbia Records. All future albums to date (2023) would see him label hopping and not selling enough units to reach any sales certifications.

Bolton took another blow when in 1999 he was the brunt of the joke in MTV's film, Office Space. The once respected adult contemporary artist was now the punchline across America.

Regardless, the story does have a happy ending. In 2011, Bolton would lean into the joke himself, joining The Lonely Island (Andy Samberg, Akiva Schaffer, and Jorma Taccone) on their album Turtleneck & Chain for the track, Jack Sparrow. It's debut on SNL would take the internet by storm, making it one of the hottest trending searches and songs for weeks. As of 2025, it has over 247 million views, and that number just keeps growing, sustaining long term popularity. I dare say it's what he'll be remembered for most when it's all said and done.

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Retro Spins: Donna Summer - Another Place And Time

With Summer and Geffen parting ways in 1988, and the label opting to shelve her current album, Another Place And Time, the future of the artist was up in the air. Declining sales and being considered an older artist weren't aspects in her favor. However, she had one final ace up her sleeve, which would ultimately result in her last top forty Billboard Hot 100 hit.

At the suggestion of her husband, Donna set to work with producing trio Stock Aitken Waterman to record what would become Another Place And Time. However, as noted above, Geffen would opt to not release it, and instead part ways with the artist. This wouldn't be the first time the label had opted shelve her material, but it would be the last that that their decision to do so was wrong.

They had previously declined her 1981 recorded, I'm A Rainbow, telling her that they wouldn't release yet another Giorgio Moroder produced album, and then opted to not release what would become her biggest seller, She Works Hard For The Money in 1983. The latter would only be released at the time because of the tracks being handed over to Mercury as part of her settlement with the sister label, Casablanca Records. Ironically, it would also be Mercury and Casablanca who would ultimately release I'm A Rainbow in 1996.

Stock Aitken Waterman had proven success, working with top 80's acts, Bananarama, Rick Astley, and Kylie Minogue, to name a few. Despite this, it took convincing from the producing team to get Summer to trust them and release the reigns. Her relenting turned out to be wise, as the end result garnered what would be her the last top forty hit of her career with This Time I Know It's For Real. As a whole, Another Place And Time, released by Atlantic Records, received some good reviews but was also considered underwhelming.

The album ditches the conventional pop genre for a more dance R&B theme. It's serviceable, if you like late 80's dance music. However, if you're looking for the traditional Donna Summer album, you're not going to find that here.

Most of the tracks don't offer much, and that's a polite way of me saying that the album is relatively boring. Let me put this into perspective. While listening to this, I got sidetracked by researching Ace Frehley's solo albums, paused this to play a track from one of them, forgot about this album entirely, and started watching other videos on Youtube before finally remembering, and coming back to it. P.S. I also bought all three of Frehley's Comet's 80's albums.

By track eight, I audibly asked myself, "Is this over yet? This is boring." I pushed through the final remaining tracks, all for not. With exception of the aforementioned hit, Another Place In Time was a bust.

Atlantic would also release her 1991 follow-up, Mistaken Identity. However, Summer would return to Mercury who would release 1994's Christmas Spirit, and as mentioned already, her previously shelved I'm A Rainbow in 1996.

While she would remain relatively active, hosting one-off shows on VH1, performing shows, and writing her autobiography, it wouldn't be until 2008 that she would return to the studio to record what would become her last studio album, Crayons. The album would perform well for her, peaking at number seventeen on the Billboard Hot 200.

Unfortunately, life would deal a blow to the artist, who was diagnosed with lung cancer, and passed away in May of 2012. Summer speculated that she contracted the illness from the inhaling toxic fumes and dust during the events of 9/11. However, this has never been proven, and others speculate it came about from her earlier years when she did smoke, as well as repeated exposure to secondhand smoking in clubs throughout her earlier career.

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