Throwback Training Tunes vol. 9 – 1989 & 1990 edition

Adding entries for two more years to the list in today’s post.  After checking in iTunes, and briefly (aka lazily) checking into other sources, some of today’s suggestions seem to be a little difficult to find via the legal well-known online music sources.  With a little initiative you can most likely locate them via illegal lesser-known file sharing routes.  I certainly wouldn’t advocate anything illegal, especially something as heinous as trying to find a hard-to-find song.  Could there be any greater crime against humanity?

If you’re still playing along at home, and are interested in the songs that I indicate are hard to find, shoot me an email and I may be able to offer some help locating them.

Quick reminder of the ‘rules’ of the throwback:

• Building a playlist with running songs from each of the last 20 years of the 20th century (1980-1999)
• None of the songs in this list can be in any of the existing playlists on my iPod.  As much as I love all the blogging runners and running bloggers out there, this list is for me too.
• Mainstream to alternative, well-known to abundantly obscure, anything is a potential candidate
• I’m test-driving anything I post with a listen during at least two training runs
• Trying to link to a video or audio-clip of the songs

Prior Throwbacks:

‘Ceremony’ - New Order (1981)

‘Don’t Change’ – INXS (1982)

‘Turn to the Sky’ - The March Violets (1986)

’Heartbreak Beat’ – Psychedelic Furs (1987)

‘Rain in the Summertime’ – The Alarm (1987)

‘Mandinka’ – Sinead O’Connor (1987)

‘Crash’ – The Primitives (1988)

‘Don’t Look Back’ – Fine Young Cannibals (1988)

‘Mama Said Knock You Out’ - LL Cool J (1990)

‘Three Strange Days’ – School of Fish (1991)

‘Enter Sandman’ – Metallica (1991)

‘Rearviewmirror’ – Pearl Jam (1993)

‘A Murder of One’ - Counting Crows (1993)

‘Looking Through Patient Eyes’ - PM Dawn (1993)

‘She’ – Green Day (1994)

‘Machinehead’ – Bush (1994)

Today’s Throwbacks:

Always Saturday – Guadalcanal Diary (1989) – I have to laugh at the irony of songs like this one.  When alternative music was moving more and more into the mainstream in the late 80s, bands like Guadalcanal Diary would put out albums of their normal disenfranchised music, but they would typically include one pop-ish tune in the hopes of it becoming popular, so they could then wallow in the irony of one of their songs going mainstream, and put out a smarmy, sarcastic video where they basically mocked anyone that would like the song.  The irony is that 20+ years later, the only songs of theirs that are worth listening to, and are even remembered, are usually the pop songs that they included due to their disdain for mainstream music listeners.  Whatever the motivation behind the song, this one is a nice diversion during a run.  Kinda laid-back, with lyrics that make you think of lazy weekends.  Craptastic and bizarre video as well, which doesn’t do the song any favors with first-time listeners.

Slide – Flesh for Lulu (1989) – This was a favorite band during the college years, that had two great albums (‘Long Live the New Flesh’ & ‘Plastic Fantastic’), and then faded away.  Saw these guys in concert at a small club in D.C. and it was probably the best live show I’ve ever seen.  This is a GREAT song for getting you pumped up during a run.  I like a lot of their songs, but this is definitely the best of the bunch for a running playlist.  This one appears to be fairly hard to find, but I would HIGHLY recommend it. Couldn’t find a video for this one, but while looking for a video discovered that this was on the soundtrack for the movie ‘Uncle Buck’ with John Candy.  Not an association I would have come up with in a million years.

Head Like a Hole - Nine Inch Nails (1989) – Angry, angry song, from an angry, angry band … but sometimes you need a little angry.  Never really been a bit fan of NIN, but this song gets the blood pumping.  Similar effect during a run as the handful of Eminem songs that seem to pop up on many of the running playlists that folks post.

Forgotten Years – Midnight Oil (1989) – These guys made a living off of being political and preachy with their music, and I like several  of their songs, but I found the ultra-political angle a little tiring after a while.  This song is from the ‘Blue Sky Mining’ album, which I recall really liking during college.  This song is a little preachy as well, but it’s a positive message and is set to some really good music.  Strong chorus that’s really helpful when the legs are getting a bit weary.  And who doesn’t love any song from a giant bald man?

Stone Cold Yesterday – The Connells (1990) – This may be the band that I’ve seen in concert more times than any other.  LOVED this band during college.  Interestingly, interesting to me anyhow, these guys are from right here in Raleigh, and the lead singer worked in the UNC music department for a while.  I think they may still be making music, but the band lineup has changed several times, so I don’t really know what they would sound like today.  This is the title track from the ‘Stone Cold Yesterday’ album, which has a great guitar-driven sound and a strong chorus.  This one seems hard to find as well, which is a shame.  I’d highly recommend checking out any of their first 5 albums, especially ‘Fun & Games’.

Rush - Big Audio Dynamite II (1990) – How to describe this song?  The more I listen to it, it’s kind of a cross between the Clash and an alternative incarnation of the Black Eyed Peas.  I know, that’s a hard picture to paint in your mind.  You’ve probably heard this song at some point in time, and may not realize it.  Just a fun, quirky song with lots of changes in beat and pacing that takes your mind off the running at hand for a while.