Where's the Party?

Scarlet Party was a British group who got together to make some profound music. They were noticed largely because their lead singer, Graham Dye, sounded very similar to the late John Lennon. Sadly, they are not well known in America.

In the mid to late 80s, I used to shop at a used record store. There I bought an album from Europe featuring several famous European artists, including Scarlet Party. I was impressed with their song, "Eyes of Ice," and played it to a friend of mine, who asked me if the singer was Julian Lennon. I didn't know but I was pretty certain BOP magazine would have mentioned it if he had.

Because the internet was in its early stages at that time and finding obscure information instantly just didn't happen then, the most we could find out was that Julian Lennon was not involved with Scarlet Party. As for any other information, I had to wait for the invention of sources like YouTube and Wikipedia.

Best Test of Time

Styx is one of the rare gems that stand the test of time. I'm not saying that they're great but there is definitely something to be said about staying power and Styx's ability to achieve it.

They've been around since 1970 (and still going) and managed some decent songs over the years. I say some because many, if not most, of them sound like the lead singer wore his speedo about three sizes too small.

But the some that are decent are certainly notable exceptions. This hit from 1981 is one of my favorites.

Zombies Live Longer

Sometimes a song comes along where the meaning can mean both everything and nothing, while the feel of the song remains constant.

The Hooters made such a song. "All You Zombies" is highly religious and political in content and can mean a lot to someone listening for the meaning, but if the words were mumbled and could not be understood, or if one disagreed with the meaning but simply listened to the song for the feeling of the music, one can still feel a sense of tension, mystery, and hope.

While The Hooters was not considered a religious band, the success of their first hit was unusual due to the religious content. I, for the most part, dislike contemporary "religious" songs. I listened to a lot of it at one time and they (with notable exceptions) tend to sound alike, which takes a lot of the meaning away.

I have enjoyed listening to "All You Zombies" before, during, and after my "religious" phase. It set itself apart from mainstream contemporary religious songs because they dared to sound different, and therefore, the song has lived longer than most songs that are supposed to be "life-giving."