There’s been a commercial on American television recently,
\nthough I can’t remember for whom. It features a portion of a song
\nthat was a hit in the ’80s, then it stops and a caption appears:
\n“Admit it – you were still singing,” or something to that
\neffect.<\/p>\n
I don’t know how many people would admit it, but one song I
\nremember well from 1983 was “The Safety Dance”. WBBM-FM (back in
\nthe days when they didn’t suck) played it incessantly – and though
\nI hated it at first, it eventually grew on me. I ended up buying
\nthe full-length album,
\nRhythm Of Youth<\/i> from Men Without Hats, listened to it a few
\ntimes – and then lost the tape.<\/p>\n
About three years ago, I was helping my parents clean their
\ngarage (a job we still need to finish), when I rediscovered this
\ntape – and I was thrilled. That evening, I rediscovered my
\nlong-lost treasure, and it made me wonder why the name of Ivan
\nDoroschuk didn’t become more famous in America.<\/p>\n
Maybe it was their roots – this was a band not ashamed to flaunt
\ntheir Canadian heritage, even singing songs in French. (The example
\non this tape is “Cocoricci (Les Tango Des Voleurs)”.) Maybe it was
\nthe weirdness of the video for “The Safety Dance” – not many videos
\nfeatured a pretty girl and a mandolin-strumming midget prancing
\naround a field. Maybe – just maybe – we weren’t ready for Men
\nWithout Hats in America, as we were still trying to decide what to
\ndo about Men At Work.<\/p>\n
Damn shame – ’cause Doroschuk and his brother Stefan, the two
\ncore members of an ever-changing lineup – put out a rather
\nenjoyable album of electronic music. Just as much rock as dance,
\nRhythm Of Youth<\/i> is one example of where the ’80s – God help
\nme – went right.<\/p>\n
“The Safety Dance,” obviously, is the highlighted piece on the
\nalbum – coming in the extended “dance” version and the single
\nversion. It still is fun to listen to, even to bop around the
\napartment to when no one’s lookin’. I seem to remember that “I
\nLike,” the opener of side two, had a video shot for it – and I
\nswear I saw it once. It was a logical choice for a follow-up
\nsingle, and why it didn’t reach the upper half of the charts I
\ncan’t explain.<\/p>\n
Even if these were the only two decent songs on
\nRhythm Of Youth<\/i>, it would be worth picking up. But hold on
\nthere, Lumpy, ’cause there’s more. “The Great Ones Remember” is a
\nsurprisingly powerful song that features Ivan Doroschuk’s vocals
\ngoing from a booming roar to a subdued whisper in an instant.
\nLIkewise, “Things In My Life” is a track that I could have seen
\nbeing shipped to radio – danceable, yet with lyrics that were
\nsomewhat intelligent.<\/p>\n
If you were smart enough to buy the tape instead of the vinyl,
\nyou got two bonus tracks – the single version of “The Safety
\nDance,” as well as “Living In China”. Just a question – why didn’t
\nthe latter make it onto the vinyl? It’s both an irreverent and an
\ninsightful look at the country from the perspective of a world
\nresident in the heart of the Cold War (not to mention only being
\nsix years removed from the death of Mao, instead of 22 today).<\/p>\n
My liking this album is sure to shock those who claim that I’m
\nanti-pop. Well, maybe – but Men Without Hats were doing something
\nright on this album. They combined good songwriting with addictive
\nmelodies and lyrics that made you listen to them – and if it
\nhappened to be poppy, that’s just too damn bad.<\/p>\n
I read on one of the newsgroups that
\nRhythm Of Youth<\/i> had been re-released overseas as a two-for-1
\npackage with the followup album
\nFolk Of The ’80s (Part III)<\/i> – this is an album that has yet
\nto see the miracle of CD technology in this country. With the
\nconstant interest in all things ’80s, maybe VH-1 could lay off the
\nMichael Jackson jerk-off film festivals and try to give this band
\nthe recognition they’ve waited 15 years for.<\/p>\n
Go ahead, pick up
\nRhythm Of Youth<\/i>, and slam into a brick wall while doing “The
\nSafety Dance”. A little pop never killed anyone.<\/p>\n
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