Lost Songs of the 80s

It's not often that I indulge in pure, self-interested nostalgia... but this is one of those times. As a musician and a child of the '80s, it should come as no surprise that I retain as much of the music from that era as I do. Even so, I'm often amazed at how much of it I seem to be the only one who remembers! As a tribute to this "lost" music, here is a brief list of the top five songs from the eighties that no one seems to remember but me.

5. Summer of Love - Jefferson Airplane, 1989
   It may have been ten years before I was even born when the actual Summer of Love took place, but that doesn't mean I can't appreciate a song about it. Despite the 1989 reunion of Jefferson Airplane having been called the "most unwelcome comeback of the year" by Rolling Stone, I remember this song being all over the radio that summer. I didn't know the artist at the time, but I recognized Grace Slick's voice and mistakenly thought it to be Starship, though I could never find a recording of the song under that name. Years later, I heard it in a grocery store and remembered the unsolved mystery, which was put to bed that very evening by a quick web search. I love the Internet.

4. My Brave Face - Paul McCartney, 1989
   Even Sir Paul seems to have forgotten this song. It's not on any of his greatest hits albums (I've checked). This is another one that I remember getting lots of air play in summer of '89. Not only did I not know the artist of this one, but for years I didn't even know the name. My brother and I variously misheard it as "My Great Place" and "My Baby." Ah, the mysteries Google can solve.

3. The Different Story (World of Lust and Crime) - Peter Schilling, 1988
   You may know Peter Schilling of Major Tom fame. This song was not nearly as popular, but is a much better song IMHO. Another one that I for searched for for years without knowing the artist.

2. Video Romeo - Kidd Video, 1984
   I remember seeing this video at the end of a Saturday morning cartoon once, but did not remember the show. When I discovered what it was, I laughed hysterically. I still don't remember watching the actual show, but the fact that this video was my main take-away from it tells me that it's probably not worth remembering.

1. AEIOU, Sometimes Y - Ebn-Ozn, 1983
   This song has the distinction of being the only one on the list whose artist I knew from the time I heard it. I saw the video once (and never again) on MTV, and for years afterward searched (without success) for a recording of this song. I once met someone else who actually recognized it. Upon hearing it, he said, "Oh yeah, this is that 'A-B-C-D-E-F-G' song." Yep, that's the one.

Four Days in “Paradise”

The southernmost region of the Baja California Peninsula, commonly known as Los Cabos, is known to the locals as Paradise--at least, that’s what they told us. Sara and I recently celebrated our one-year wedding anniversary at this locale, and indeed, it has a lot going for it: good weather, luxurious resorts, and beautiful beaches--if only you could get in the water!

The lobby of our hotel

But I’ll get back to that. First, a little about where we stayed: Secrets Marquis Los Cabos. We had stayed at a Secrets resort before (Secrets Capri Riviera Cancun) and had had a mostly positive experience, so we were optimistic about this one, and were not disappointed.

Among the architectural features of this resort were the huge, open-air archway that served as the lobby, and the so-called infinity pool, by which we spent most of our time lounging on deck chairs, and which might have been designed such that, when observed from this vantage, almost appeared to be part of the ocean. The staff was incredibly nice, and we never had to wait too long for someone to come by and offer us a drink or some food.

The "infinity" pool

Speaking of, the food, while not spectacular, was not bad. Breakfast was the typical fare (bacon, eggs, etc.) plus refried beans and chilaquiles, which I helped myself to copiously. There was a limited menu for lunch and dinner every day, and sometimes a special/fancy dinner menu was available. There was supposedly a dress code for dinner that prohibited shorts and flip-flops (which I was unprepared for, as I had packed nothing else to wear), which apparently was not enforced, because they still let me eat. Whew.

The resort had several activities planned throughout each day--poorly attended, from what I could tell. They ranged from games (like beach volleyball) to entertainment (usually a singer/guitarist). Only twice did we participate; once for a short massage lesson, and once for Mexican Night, which featured a "traditional Mexican" dinner with "traditional Mexican" dancing. (Just how "traditional" or "Mexican" the dancing was, I’m not sure--there were elaborate costumes and a lot of hollering--but it was entertaining.)

The Arch is to Cabo what The Eiffel Tower is to Paris:
It's what everyone has to have their picture
taken in front of to prove they were there.

Only once did we venture off-campus for a short day trip to Cabo San Lucas. It was not off to the best start--the van was half an hour late, and our names were not on the list, although the driver let us board anyway--but turned out to be a fun little excursion. We were dropped at the marina, where we rode a glass-bottom boat to Land’s End, the very tip of the peninsula, home to the famous Arch (El Arco) and a swath of lovely beach.

After frolicking about on the beach for a bit, we rode the boat back to the marina and explored the city. Among its attractions (in fact, probably the most noteworthy thing we saw there) was the Cabo Wabo Cantina, founded by none other than Sammy "I Can't Drive 55" Hagar. It mostly had the appearance of a typical cantina, other than being decorated with lots of pictures of Sammy in his various bands and other Red Rocker memorabilia, which alone made it worth the visit.

Sign outside the Cabo Wabo

Apart from this little adventure, a visit to the spa for massages, and lazing about by the pool, our main recreational activity was walking along the surprisingly deserted beach. As I have said, swimming was discouraged, due to the strong riptides, but I at least would have expected to see people out sunbathing, picnicking, or just generally cavorting. Nope. We generally had the gorgeous seaside all to ourselves.

Turned out there were a few beaches at which it was safe to swim, including a tiny one called Melia within walking distance of our hotel. I had entertained thoughts of swimming there, but was ultimately deterred by the cold water temperature and windy conditions, which made the sea uncomfortably rough. Thus, we contented ourselves with the simple enjoyment of casting our eyes upon this remarkable seascape while strolling through the refreshing surf.

All in all, quite a pleasant little jaunt. I would highly recommend the place, especially if you’re the kind who prefers looking at the beach to getting in the water. Paradise? Maybe not exactly… but pretty darn close.

A Deliberate Debut

In choosing the name for this blog, I wanted to capture my quintessence--the one defining characteristic for which I am known above all else. After weeks of deliberation and finally compiling a short list of potential names, I did what any sensible man would do: I rejected them all in favor of a name suggested by my wife.

It really is better than any name I had come up with. There’s not another word I’ve heard more people use to describe me than deliberate, and rightfully so, for I can’t think of a single thing I do that could not be described as such, from prioritizing tasks at work to the order in which I put on my socks and shoes (left then right, in case you were wondering).

I anticipate that posts to this blog will be crafted with similar such contrivance, keeping the reader informed of the major events in my life in an orderly manner, with occasional OCPD indulgences, exiguous glimpses into my eccentric nature, lame attempts at self-deprecating humor, and plenty of music/80s references.

Thus begins Deliberately Jeff.