80s hits ... au natural

Sorry for the slow-down in posts lately. It's stress-time here in the Stuck in the 80s camp. We're busy producing our 1982 Hits Part 2 show, prepping a show on Back to the Future and planning some special episodes for later this month, including a show taped before a live audience.

All this work is cutting into the time I normally spend eating smokehouse almonds and watching outtakes to Ryan Reynolds movies. So what do 80s addicts do when they need to relax? I like to eat a whole pack of knockwurst, drink warm seltzer water and queue up a new CD I found the other day: 80s Hits Stripped.

The CD, which was released back in May, has 15 acoustic versions of 80s hits including Rick Springfield's Jessie's Girl, Men at Work's Down Under and The Go-Go's Our Lips Are Sealed. All the tunes are played by the original artist (or a member of the original recording act). My favorites: Asia's Heat of the Moment as a ballad and Howard Jones on No One Is To Blame. Classic.

Here's the full list of tracks:

• Rick Springfield - Jessie's Girl
• Colin Hay of Men at Work - Down Under
• The Outfield - Your Love
• Berlin - The Metro
• Howard Jones - No One Is To Blame
• Billy Idol - Rebel Yell
• The Motels - Only the Lonely
• Tommy Tutone - 867-5309/Jenny
• John Waite - Missing You
• Heart - These Dreams
• Thomas Dolby - Blinded Me With Science
• Naked Eyes - Promises, Promises
• Jane Wiedlin 0f The Go-Gos - Our Lips Are Sealed
• Billy Squier - The Stroke

Comments

[Steve Spears]

Canuckistan -- we're doing a live show at the Tampa Theater on Saturday, Sept. 30. The theater is celebrating its 80th birthday, and there's an 80s party there that TBT is sponsoring. If you're local to Tampa Bay, stop by and chat with us and you'll be on the show. We'll also have some hats and shirts to give away.

[Greg Williams]

Has anyone mentioned that the sausage pic looks a little...ermmm...John Bobbitt-ish????

[Canuckistan]

Steve, how do we become part of the live audience?

[Richard Phelps]

Listen to some here:
http://www.myspace.com/80sacoustic

[Richard Phelps]

Uggh. I hated the Colin Hay track. Enjoyed the Howard Jones version though. Simple lyrics can go a LONG way.

[Dennis]

the Colin Hay one + Jane Wiedlin one are really nice, fave would be Howard Jones as well along with Berlin doing 'the Metro', done in a pretty risky version...

[Chase]

Was watching "big 80s" on VH1 ... one question: Whodini ... sweet mother of god ...

--chase

[Christina]

Did you drink Zeltzer Seltzer?

[Bassnote]

Steve, according to your full list, Asia's Heat Of The Moment is not on the disc. Sorry, didn't mean to bust your chops.
I have not heard this disc yet, but I am assuming that the Colin Hay song is from his solo disc Man At Work. It is a great disc if you don't have it. Lots of acoustic or reworked versions of Men at Work songs, as well as some solo stuff. My favorite is the acoustic version of the song Overkill, it blows me away every time I listen to it.