The Go-Go's
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Since a search for The Go-Go's on MOG gives you nothing and since I had the gall to make Beauty And The Beat one of my nominations for the Great Mog 501, I guess I should put my money where my mouth is and write up a post about the band. The Go-Go's were formed in 1978. Stylistically, their music spans pop-punk, surf, new wave, and rock. Their towering achievement is the album Beauty And The Beat that went all the way to #1 in 1981. Loving it (with some guilt, I must admit) has been a lonely trek through the ridicule over the years. I never liked the more fluffy hits like "Our Lips Are Sealed" and "We Got The Beat". I was more drawn towards songs like "How Much More," "Lust To Love," "Fading Fast," and "Skidmarks On My Heart," which are darker and have a core of anger despite their equally perky rhythms, catchy hooks, and winning melodies. No wonder, then, that it truly warmed my heart to read this vindication of the virtues of Beauty And The Beat (written, I now see, by our fellow mogger jenny) when it was published a few years ago by the now-defunct Splendid. I largely agree with her appraisal of the record (except that "We Got the Beat" isn't in a minor key; the verse is A, the chorus is D/G/F/C). Here's a nice sample quote (which I like also because of its reference to the Supremes): "The vocals do the same trick. They are almost syrupy in their harmonies -- high and sweet, but arranged in tight minor third intervals that shade ever so slightly into foreboding. You can hear the same effect on lots of Motown girl group recordings, the Supremes in particular. It's bright and dark at the same time, and very compelling." Do yourself a service and go and read the article.I'll largely agree with you on all manner of harsh things you might have to say about what The Go-Go's did after Beauty And The Beat either as a band or individually (only Belinda Carlisle's solo career achieved near-heaven on earth). But don't let that get in the way of checking out the first 11 tracks of the 1994 comp Return To The Valley Of The Go-Go's. They chronicle the band's punk roots through a slew of live cuts from both early rehearsals and gigs, including a number of songs taped at the legendary SF punk venue the Mabuhay Gardens. The romp through "Johnny Are You Queer?" is particularly entertaining. Here's an energetic version of "Skidmarks On My Heart":This is a Filling in the gaps post.
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