You know how the other day I was complaining about how the Bangles are underrated and too fondly remembered for one of their weakest songs? Well, it’s true, but you know who’s even more underrated and even more often remembered for one of their weakest songs?
Berlin.
Berlin are awesome, and if you think otherwise then you have mold in your ears. Though they were pooh-poohed in the early eighties as a Blondie knockoff, singer Terri Nunn and pop mastermind John Crawford nevertheless made whole bunch of really awesome singles in the early part of that decade, starting with the attention-grabbing “Sex (I’m A…)” Even better, though, are “The Metro” and “Masquerade,” both of which appear on the same fabulously trashy and New Wavey Pleasure Victim EP. [Note: A couple of years ago I dressed up as a Pleasure Victim for Halloween, THAT’S HOW GOOD THIS RECORD IS.]
[Pause, now, while I try to remember that I’m writing a blog post and not a lengthy essay. Ahem. OK.]
Anyway, the reunited group is coming to the area on Friday night, so if you’re a little unenthused about the prospect of Debbie Gibson but want to get a nostalgia fix this weekend anyway, then you might want to head up to “Showcase Live at Patriot Place,” which appears to be some sort of multi-branded venue that exists in Foxboro. (They seem to specialize in reunion acts, as The Church, The Lovin Spoonful, De La Soul, the Gin Blossoms, and–euggh–Big Bad Voodoo Daddy will all be there by the time summer’s over.)
Berlin’s best single, though, was the first of their two Top 40 singles: No More Words has an amazing chorus, and Terri Nunn’s belting should dissuade anyone from comparing her to Debbie Harry. (Debbie Harry doesn’t belt. Also, Debbie was blonde. Terri was blonde with enormous black tips.) On a more personal note, it’s always been my dream to sing No More Words at karaoke, and nobody ever seems to have it anywhere. If you see it, lemme know!
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And here’s some other Berlin songs you might be acquainted with:
Sex (I’m A…)
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The Metro
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Masquerade
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and the other one…
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I went to Showcase Live to see Dethklok and Tragedy. It is across from the stadium in this soulless agglomeration of chain stores and restaurants and parking lots. The venue itself is fairly intimate and the sound system is great. But the major problem for us was that there were chairs and tables where there should have been just floor.
Do you remember a show that was on VH-1 a few years ago, something like “Remaking The Band”? They did Berlin and they were immediately awesome again. So I guess they stuck with it. She is amazing.