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Nik Kershaw and Howard Jones.


bubinga5
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Nik Kershaw also tours a lot with Go West - I've seen them three times together now. Mr Kershaw is one of those charismatic individuals it is hard to ignore - massive stage presence. Incredibly funny to see them doing the same arm movements at one point - Nik and Peter Cox are, how can we say, very different altitudinally - very obviously done on purpose for comic effect. At one gig they both did a cover of one of each other's songs - Nik rearranged 'Missing Persons' and it was stunning.

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They might be good musicians but everything about these two leaves me cold. Despite being a massive fan of synth-based pop from the 80s, to me, they embody all of the worst aspects of the genre.

If anyone wants some interesting insights into Ni(c)k's early career they should read the relevant chapter from [url="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lost-Music-Giles-Smith/dp/0330339176"]Giles Smith's book "Lost In Music"[/url].

Edited by BigRedX
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[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1490437226' post='3265112']
They might be good musicians but everything about these two leaves me cold. Despite being a massive fan of synth-based pop from the 80s, to me, they embody all of the worst aspects of the genre.

If anyone wants some interesting insights into Ni©k's early career they should read the relevant chapter from [url="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lost-Music-Giles-Smith/dp/0330339176"]Giles Smith's book "Lost In Music"[/url].
[/quote]

I'm with BigRedX on this - blandness in the Nth degree IMO - they were merely stocking fillers in the 80s music scene.

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[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1490437226' post='3265112']
If anyone wants some interesting insights into Ni(c)k's early career they should read the relevant chapter from [url="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lost-Music-Giles-Smith/dp/0330339176"]Giles Smith's book "Lost In Music"[/url].
[/quote]

Thanks BigRedX, I've been trying to remember what that book for about 20 years! I'm sure one one of my mates lent it to me but even he can't remember. I've even emailed Mr Kershaw asking what book he was mentioned in but never got a reply...
I agree with you and TheGreek about the music!

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A lot of it comes down to age. I loved both of them when I was about 10-12 and they were at their height, then I found metal and alternative stuff and never looked at anything with a synth again. I still like it though, nostalgia I guess. If you look through the years there are always a few acts that are 'big', some stand the test of time better than others and even the most popular will split opinion, I still can't see the Beatles as anything better than a pop act with a couple of ok songs, some people would have me hanged for that sentiment.

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[quote name='T-Bay' timestamp='1490469217' post='3265382']
A lot of it comes down to age. I loved both of them when I was about 10-12 and they were at their height, then I found metal and alternative stuff and never looked at anything with a synth again. I still like it though, nostalgia I guess. If you look through the years there are always a few acts that are 'big', some stand the test of time better than others and even the most popular will split opinion, I still can't see the Beatles as anything better than a pop act with a couple of ok songs, some people would have me hanged for that sentiment.
[/quote]it comes down to the word subjective. i don't want to sound arty farty, but the word always has resonance in music and the arts.

Edited by bubinga5
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[quote name='T-Bay' timestamp='1490469217' post='3265382']
A lot of it comes down to age. I loved both of them when I was about 10-12 and they were at their height, then I found metal and alternative stuff and never looked at anything with a synth again. I still like it though, nostalgia I guess. If you look through the years there are always a few acts that are 'big', some stand the test of time better than others and even the most popular will split opinion, I still can't see the Beatles as anything better than a pop act with a couple of ok songs, some people would have me hanged for that sentiment.
[/quote]

It had a richness back then. I think we've got used to a much richer sound and listening back, a lot of Futurist music now sounds quite thin.

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[quote name='TimR' timestamp='1490522987' post='3265626']


It had a richness back then. I think we've got used to a much richer sound and listening back, a lot of Futurist music now sounds quite thin.
[/quote]
I had never thought of it that way, but it does make sense. And quite often nothing sounds or looks more dated than something that was originally intended to be futuristic. If you look back at old sci fi programs they are almost laughable now but seemed amazing at the time.

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[quote name='bubinga5' timestamp='1490476058' post='3265454']
it comes down to the word subjective. i don't want to sound arty farty, but the word always has resonance in music and the arts.
[/quote]

Indeed.

I didn't particularly like Nik Kershaw back in the day - dismissing him as a pretty boy with little talent - but seeing him recently has completely overturned that opinion. Perhaps it is the context of a guitar and keys band now, rather than the big synth sound. He is actually a very accomplished guitar player.

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I dunno, one person's boredom can so easily be another's nuance.

I agree both of them are great song writers. They wrote pop and I guess that won't appeal to some. For anyone into being rebellious music or testing boundaries, they're both about as edgy as Dire Straits or Four Play. But maybe they didn't need to push boundaries in order to express themselves. Pop music has never really pushed boundaries - or it wouldn't be popular.

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[quote name='Kiwi' timestamp='1490531486' post='3265705']
I dunno, one person's boredom can so easily be another's nuance.

I agree both of them are great song writers. They wrote pop and I guess that won't appeal to some. For anyone into being rebellious music or testing boundaries, [b]they're both about as edgy as Dire Straits[/b] or Four Play. But maybe they didn't need to push boundaries in order to express themselves. Pop music has never really pushed boundaries - or it wouldn't be popular.
[/quote]

To be fair it was Dire Straits who got my brothers generation playing guitars, bass and drums, rather than poncing about with synths. Knopfler is a legend. In the 60s and 70s pop music very much pushed boundaries, it simply needs placing in context.

Edited by mikel
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My initial comment might have been a little harsh, but as someone for whom electronic music of the late 70 and early 80s was a pivotal point in my musical education, it always irritates me when others say that music from the early 80s was bland and boring crap, and when pressed on this point they trot out the likes of Howard Jones, Nik Kershaw, Go West etc. to back up their argument.

It's at this point that I feel the necessity to point them in the direction of great electronic orientated music of the period by bands such as Freur, (pre-Dare) Human League, Cabaret Voltaire, Vice Versa (and just about every other Sheffield band from that era except Def Leppard), Fad Gadget, Propaganda, Hard Corps, SPK and many many more.

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Funny, that. Whenever someone opines to me that 80s music was boring and crap, I usually give them albums like Rio, World Machine, Bangs & Crashes (Go West) and Radio Musicola (Kershaw) as prime examples of [i]non-[/i]boring/crap 80s music. Thank god we all like different stuff, eh? :lol:

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