Tonight’s songs are defiant pleasures.
That’s right, DEFIANT pleasures. Not guilty pleasures. I hate that term. To paraphrase Chuck Klosterman, a song cannot be a guilty pleasure. It doesn’t actually cause you any harm. Now, cocaine, that’s a guilty pleasure.
Defiant pleasures. You like them in spite of what everyone else may think of them, or what they may think of you for liking them. Stand tall in your adoration for upbeat pop songs you can dance to. Upbeat pop songs you can dance to make the world go ’round. Download these songs, put them in your iPod and rock out to them loudly. Then, when some hipster wanker gives you shit for them. Jump up and just dance in their face until they scoff and walk away.
And when their back is turned, that’s when you kick them in the head.
Y’know, out of defiance.
Irene Cara
Flashdance (What A Feeling) (Remix)
I first found out about this extended version of the theme to Flashdance about three years ago, and have been desperately seeking out the tune ever since. Thank you Vinylpalooza! I got this gem for just a buck, and I would have easily paid 10x that for the privilege of hearing this amazing seven-minute version of one of my favorite tracks of the early 80s. If you hate this song that doesn’t mean you’re a bad person, but you are just a little bit dead inside. I hope you know that.
Kylie Minogue
The Loco-Motion (The Kohaku Mix)
The Loco-Motion (Sankie Mix)
My knowledge of Kylie Minogue’s singing career is spotty at best. I know this song, then there’s about a 12 year gap, and then everything from “Love At First Sight” on. I guess you could call that an American view of the singer, since she was pretty much a nobody here during the entirety of the 90s. What stuff from the 90s is her best? I’ve heard mixed things about Impossible Princess. Does it hold up still?
You know what still does hold up? This great cover of The Loco-Motion (that’s how it’s spelled on the sleeve). I need more mixes of this one. I might have to start buying some of Kylie’s many remix collections. If for no other reason than to support that trend. More artists need to compile and release their mixes. I think one of these might be commercially available in the states, but whatever. Do the locomotion.
I can relate to your Irene Cara story. I had a similar experience finding a copy of Dan Hartman’s I can Dream About You 12″ remix. As for Kylie Minogue’s stuff from the 90s, the only thing I can remember is her appearance in the horrible Jean Claude Van Damme “Street Fighter” movie. Total crap film.
“Impossible Princess (or, if you’re from this side of the pond, Kylie Minogue. She changed the name as Princess Diana had just died) is OK, from what we have come to know as her ‘Indie Kylie’ phase. A couple of songs written with James Dean Bradfield of the Manic Street Preachers, and, in my opinion, one of her best singles, Did It Again.
you’re right about kylie,on buying the remix collections,i have them all,and they are fabulous,you may find some great mixes there,the locomotion mixes are among the best of this compilations,impossible princess,great album and it’s remix colection is amazing ,i love the kylie minogue album from 1994 too
Her first album for deconstruction records (white cover with black & white photo on cover) with Confide In Me, and also the Light Years album , both well worth checking out. Impossible Princess is a bit wordy, and tries a bit too hard to be ‘serious musician’ but still has lots of gems on it .Both IP & KM albums have special editions with lots of remixes on.
Both her 1994 self-titled album (with Confide in me) as her 1997 album Impossible Princess (again self-titled in Europe) are worth buying. As finkyjd already says, on the latter she tries a bit too hard, but a mediocre Kylie is still beter than 95% of the other female singers at their best. It only has one tried by Bradfield on it.
Thanks for these remixes, didn’t have them yet. Obviously, if you like remixes and Kylie, you should get the Boombox album.