Life's been good for them so far

An all-new album of music is in the works from The Eagles -- and it didn't even take hell freezing over this time around. Don Henley told concert-goers in Las Vegas over the weekend that the album is "coming out in 60 to 90 days, if we don't kill each other first."

The band's last full studio album was "The Long Run" back in 1979. The Eagles disbanded in 1982 before reuniting for a tour in 1994.

I know what you're thinking: The Eagles aren't an 80s band. Oh geesh. You still listened to them, didn't you? And three of their singles charted in the 80s -- The Long Run, I Can't Tell You Why and Seven Bridges Road. OK, will a top 5 list make you happy?

Top 5 Don Henley songs from his 80s career (so there!):
5. Sometimes Love Ain't Enough (with Patty Smyth): "It's sad when you know it's your heart you can't trust."
4. Sunset Grill: "What would we do without these jerks anyway?"
3. End of the Innocence: "They're beating plowshares into swords for this tired old man that we elected king."
2. Leather and Lace (with Stevie Nicks): "Lovers forever ... face to face."
1. The Boys of Summer: "You got that hair slicked back and those Wayfarers on, baby."

[Source: Eaglesband.com]

Guilty pleasures: Kelly Lynch

She appeared in two of the 80s most derided flicks -- Roadhouse and Cocktail -- before turning her reputation around in Drugstore Cowboy. And she even had a co-starring role in one of John Hughes' last directing efforts, Curly Sue.

And like the films she acted in, Kelly Lynch -- who turns 48 today -- is one of the 80s truest guilty pleasures. The Minneapolis-born, former model was reportedly discovered on an elevator, which might explain her career's ups and downs. She appears in eight movies in the 80s, but probably was first recognized as the bikini-clad, morally ambiguous wife of "Douglas Couglin" (Bryan Brown) in "Cocktail" (1988). Her next appearance -- opposite Matt Dillon in 1989's "Drugstore Cowboy" -- won her a nomination for an American Independent Spirit award.

But her role as Dr. Elizabeth Clay, the love interest of Patrick Swayze, in 1989's campy "Roadhouse" has to be her signature 80s role. The film itself is an icon among B-movies of the era with critics evenly divided as fans or foes. Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times  called Roadhouse "the kind of movie that leaves reality so far behind that you have to accept it on its own  terms. Was it intended as a parody? I have no idea, but I laughed more during this movie than during any of the so-called comedies I saw during the same week."

As for Lynch's performance, the Washington Post review at the time summed it up this way: "Though cast as a doctor, Lynch can't work up the brainpower to change expressions -- her features move in glacial time." Ouch.

Want to talk about lack of brainpower? Lynch passed up the leading role in Basic Instinct, leaving Sharon Stone to make an entire career out of crossing and uncrossing her legs.

Lynch is still acting today, with steady work on cable's "The L Word" and two films in the hopper for 2007.

Top 5 favorite Kelly Lynch lines:
5. "Do you always carry your medical record around with you?" (Roadhouse)
4. "Sometimes complications are interesting." (Homegrown)
3. "So I'm supposed to sleep with the same man day in and day out for the rest of my life?" (Cocktail)
2. "Bob's like a rabbit, in and out and no nonsense." (Drugstore Cowboy)
1. "Never send a man to do a woman's job." (Charlie's Angels)

[Sources: IMDB.com, Askmen.com]

Jump for joy, Police fans

It's a done deal: The Police will perform at Feb. 11's Grammy Awards ceremony, the band confirmed today. Does this mean they're reuniting for good? I'd say it's unlikely. The performance is likely just a one-time event to commemorate the band's 30-year anniversary.

Which song do you think they'll play? It's the Grammy's, so your best bet is to go for the most obvious, misunderstood, over-played, commercialized and overrated song in their collection. (Let's just hope Sting doesn't insist on playing with a lute.)

That narrows it down to:

• Every Breath You Take
• Don't Stand So Close To Me, or
• Roxanne

Speaking of the Grammy's, 20 years ago, here were the big winners:

• Record of the year: Higher Love (Steve Winwood)
• Album of the year: Graceland (Paul Simon)
• Song of the year: That's What Friends Are For (Stevie Wonder, Elton John, Dionne Warwick and Gladys Knight)
• Best new artist: Bruce Hornsby and the Range

Gene... God wants you on the screen

Lex Luthor .... errr, I mean Coach Dale ... strike that too ... Defense Secretary Brice maybe? No, it's Gene Hackman. And today's celebrity birthday boy -- still spritely at 77 -- worked many of his best roles in the 80s. Superman's intellectual nemesis, Hoosier's tough-minded basketball coach, No Way Out's morally challenged defense secretary and even the voice of God in the otherwise awful Two of a Kind.

A California native who joined the Marines at age 16, Hackman didn't get into the acting profession until he was 30. Befriending fellow struggling actors Dustin Hoffman and Robert Duvall, Hackman began his career on stage. But his Oscar-nominated performances in Bonnie and Clyde (1967), I Never Sang For My Father (1970) and The French Connection (1971) -- for which he won the best actor award -- cemented his star status on the big screen.

His success has brought some odd offers: Hackman was the first choice to play Mike Brady on The Brady Bunch and Hannibal Lector in Silence of the Lambs. Other roles he was considered for include: FDR in Pearl Harbor and McMurphy in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Next.

Hackman's career has seen a revival in recent years, with standout performances in The Royal Tenanbaums (2001), Behind Enemy Lines (2001) and Runaway Jury (2003). However, in a 2004 interview with Larry King, Hackman said he  believed his career was pretty much finished. That would indeed be a tragedy.

TOP 5 GENE HACKMAN MOVIES OF THE 80s:
5. Uncommon Valor (1983): "If we meet again, we'll smile. If not, we'll know that this parting was well made."
4. No Way Out (1987): "Order some breakfast! It's the most important meal of the day."
3. Mississippi Burning (1988): "Down here they say rattlesnakes don't commit suicide."
2. Superman II (1980): "Kill me? Lex Luthor? Extinguish the greatest criminal flame of our age?"
1. Hoosiers (1986): "Strap, God wants you on the floor."

Also worth seeing: Power, Bat 21, Reds.
Outside the 80s: The French Connection, Loose Cannons, The Firm, Get Shorty

[Sources: IMDB.com, Celebritywonder.com]

Caddyshack vs. Happy Gilmore

Last night, comedy fans were tragically forced to make a choice at 8 p.m.: Watch Caddyshack or Happy Gilmore. Myself? I flipped back and forth before the spirit (gin, I believe) took me for the night.

But it's an epic golf movie battle worth playing out again. I'm going to give Happy Gilmore the temporary status of "80s movie" since star Adam Sandler is an 80s nut. (However, the movie cannot drive at night and it must have someone 21 years or older in the passenger seat.)

But which movie is better?

Signature stars:
Caddyshack: Bill Murray, Chevy Chase, Rodney Dangerfield, Ted Knight.
Happy Gilmore: Adam Sandler, Christopher McDonald, Carl Weathers, Julie Bowen.
Advantage: Caddyshack

Foul use of language:
Caddyshack: The directors used their R rating for nudity, not on cursing. So except for the occasional "doodie," there's not much here.
Happy Gilmore: Not as much as you'd think, but the comically bleeped out tirades are classic.
Advantage: Happy Gilmore

Flagrant nudity:
Caddyshack: It's like Caligula -- on a golf course.
Happy Gilmore: Aside from Bowen in stockings and garters, there's no skin here.
Advantage: Caddyshack

Scene-stealer:
Caddyshack: The gopher.
Happy Gilmore: Take your pick -- Bob Barker ("I don't want a PIECE of you, I want the whole THING!"), Kevin Nealon ("Doing the Bull Dance, feeling the flow") or Ben Stiller ("You're in my world now, grandma.")
Advantage: Even call.

Signature golfing line:
Caddyshack: "This crowd has gone deadly silent, a Cinderella story outta nowhere. Former greenskeeper and now about to become the masters champion."
Happy Gilmore: "Why can't you go home? Aren't you good enough for your home? ANSWER ME! Suck my white a-- ball!"
Advantage: Caddyshack

Signature comedy line:
Caddyshack: "Hey everybody, we're all gonna get l--d."
Happy Gilmore: "The price is wrong, b--ch."
Advantage: Caddyshack

OK, so it's not as close as it seems. To be honest, on regular TV, I'd rather watch Happy Gilmore. There's less that has to be edited. But on DVD or the pay channels, it's Caddyshack every time.

[Source: IMDB.com]

Not enough cake to go around

An eclectic group of 80s celebrity birthdays today. So many, in fact, that I'd be cruel to feature just one over the others.

Happy birthday to:

• Oprah Winfrey, 53 (The Color Purple)
• Marc Singer, 59 (Beastmaster, If You Could See What I Hear)
• Tom Selleck, 62 (Magnum P.I., Three Men and a Baby)
• Dolly Parton, 61 (Nine to Five ... oh yeah, and country music)
• Ann Jillian, 57 (It's a Living, Mr. Mom)
• Heather Graham, 37 (License to Drive, Drugstore Cowboy)

Nope, I changed my mind. All hail Marc Singer, king of the underrated movies of the 80s.

The cast of 1982's "If You Can See What I Hear" -- dare I say classic?

Favorite anti-Valentine songs

Valentine's Day is just a couple weeks away, but stow the chocolates, balloons and syrupy love songs. This year, the Stuck in the 80s gang is celebrating the ultimate Anti-Valentine's Day. And it all starts with the music.

Share with us your favorite 80s songs about the perils and pain of love. In a week, we'll do a special podcast featuring the best songs. Here's what we have so far.

Our favorite Anti-Valentine songs from the 80s:

• Love Stinks (J. Geils Band): "This thing they call love, it's gonna make you cry."
• Poison Arrow (ABC): "Hey girl, I thought we were the right combination."
• Take It On The Run (REO Speedwagon): "If that's the way you want it baby,
  then I dont want you around."
• I Hate Myself for Loving You (Joan Jett): "I wanna walk but I run back to you that's why."
• You Give Love a Bad Name (Bon Jovi): "Your very first kiss was your first kiss goodbye."
• I Don't Care Anymore (Phil Collins): "I got better things to do with my time."
• Goodbye to You (Scandal): "The days are dull, the nights are long."
• Heartbreaker (Pat Benatar): "You taught me the ways of desire, now its takin' its toll."
• Kiss Off (Violent Femmes): "They'll hurt me bad, they do it all the time."
• No More Words (Berlin): "Your empty passion won't satisfy me."
• Owner of a Lonely Heart (Yes): "You and you - and that's the only way."
• Look Away (Chicago): "Don't worry, baby, I can take the news okay."
• Love on the Rocks (Neil Diamond): "We all know the song."
• Missing You (John Waite): "And there's a heart that's breaking, down this long distance line tonight."
• Tainted Love (Soft Cell): "I've got to get away from the pain you drive into the heart of me."

Which one is your favorite? What songs are we missing? Leave a comment and let us know.

Think AC/DC is old school? Talk to this guy

Take a look at the photo to the left. Dave Evans probably doesn't look too familiar, but he should be. He was once the lead vocalist for a band that would become one of the hardest rocking acts on the planet -- AC/DC.

Long before current singer Brian Johnson and before the legendary rock icon Bon Scott, Evans was the original vocalist for the Australian band. Recruited by brothers Angus and Malcolm Young in 1973, Evans sang in the band for a year before being replaced by the hard-living, harder-drinking Scott, who died in 1980. Evans went on to a solo rock career with bands including Rabbit and Hot Cockerel.

Today he still performs with his band, The Badasses. In late February, he'll return to Australia to play in a Bon Scott tribute concert. Evans took timeout recently to answer a few questions about his career.

Stuck in the 80s: Wow, not only were you the lead singer before Bon Scott and then Brian Johnson, but you also share the real name of U2's guitarist. Talk about a lucky -- or unlucky -- star.

Dave Evans: Because of Dave Evans having the same name as myself and as he calls himself The Edge, it has been necessary to differentiate myself from him and I am now known as "Dave Evans a.k.a. King Of All Badasses."

Stuck in the 80s: Catchy title, and unlikely to be copied anytime soon. How did you first meet the guys who would form AC/DC?

Dave Evans: I was visited at my Bondi home by Angus Young, who had a band called Kentuckee and who had heard of me and was looking for a new singer. He had very long curly hair and was a tiny guy but very nice and polite. A month later I answered an advertisement in the Sydney Morning Herald for a rock singer with a strong voice and found Malcolm Young on the other end of the line.

Stuck in the 80s: What sort of reaction do you get back in the old days when people suggested that AC/DC meant something other than power -- either sexually or satanic? I noticed Joan Jett, who is openly homosexual, has a song on her new CD called "AC/DC" and it's definitely about bisexuality.

Dave Evans: Joan Jett a lesbian? Well what do I know? We did not know about AC/DC being bisexual but did find out shortly afterwards. No one ever put any sexual aspersions about the band. It was just power and electicity and that was all. As far as the satanic thing is concerned, well, that surfaced in America some years later and I have no idea where that came from.

Stuck in the 80s: How was the band different back in your days?

Dave Evans: The band always had a strong, heavy rock sound and was full of energy right from the very start. Malcolm always had that driving rhythm guitar even though at first the lead guitar was shared between Malcolm and Angus. Our show stopper was "Baby Please Don't Go" when I got Angus up on my shoulders and we did a vocal/guitar duel together, which really got the crowds going. I did write a couple of songs with the band that we performed live but Bon Scott re-wrote the lyrics after my split and recorded them with the band.

A publicity shot of AC/DC back in 1973, featuring (from left): Dave Evans, Rob Bailey, Malcolm Young, Peter Clack and Angus Young.

Stuck in the 80s: How did you meet Bon Scott? What was your impression of him?

Dave Evans: I met Bon when we were performing in Adelaide. He was living there at the time and looking to reform his old band Fraternity. He loved the band and I would see him out the front at a couple of our performances rocking along in the audience. Bon was always joking and was a real larrakin, as we say in Australia, and was liked by everyone.

Stuck in the 80s: Any hard feelings after being replaced by Bon?

Dave Evans: I had nothing against Malcolm or Angus or anyone else for that matter as I was having the time of my life and doing my job as far as I could see. As we all know, Bon wrote some of the greatest rock songs ever and, to most AC/DC fans, his era with the band is the most loved. I met with Bon after he had joined AC/DC and we had a private conversation -- man to man -- and we shook hands and wished each other the best of luck.

Stuck in the 80s: How did you find out about his death?

Dave Evans: I heard it on the radio after I had moved to Melbourne. I was shocked like everyone else but also not surprised with too many soldiers of rock falling this way.

Stuck in the 80s: Have you ever performed any of the band's material?

Dave Evans: I was invited to perform with Melbourne's AC/DC tribute band, Thunderstruck, a few years ago at the 20th anniversarry of Bon's death. I performed songs that I had sung and recorded with AC/DC plus four of my favorite Bon Scott songs that summed up his life in a snapshot: "It's A Long Way To The Top," "T.N.T.," "Ride On" and "Highway to Hell."

Stuck in the 80s: Tell us about the Bon Scott memorial concert planned for February.

Dave Evans: This is a concert to raise money for a statue of Bon Scott to be erected in Fremantle, his hometown in Australia -- he emigrated there as a child from Scotland with his family. The cream of Australia's rock will be performing there and it will be the biggest rock event in Australia for many years. It is an honor to be invited and there will be one hell of a party afterwards, I can assure you.

For more information: Click here to check out Dave Evan's MySpace page. Also click on his website -- www.daveevans.au.com -- to hear sound clips and to see rare photos of AC/DC.

Running with the devil - again

David Lee Roth has reached an agreement to return to Van Halen as the frontman and lead singer for a 40-stop tour this summer, according to Billboard.com.

The band hasn't been on the road since 2004, when it toured with Sammy Hagar. But Hagar called it quits after feuding with Eddie Van Halen -- and he took his buddy bassist Michael Anthony with him. (Eddie's son Wolfgang will take over bass duties for the tour.)

This isn't a huge surprise -- Roth told Billboard a few months ago that a reunion was inevitable. But wow, what a year we've had with reunions.

Consider:

• The original lineup of Asia launched a world tour last year, playing together for the first time in about 20 years.
• Genesis reunited with Phil Collins, Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford, and have scheduled a summer tour for Europe.
• Crowded House just today announced they'll reunite, release a CD and tour the world.
• The Police confirmed this week they're considering a reunion to mark their 30th anniversary.
• Thomas Dolby returned to the music world and launched a U.S. tour.
• Patty Smyth and Scandal reunited for short series of gigs.

Proof again that I'm not the only one stuck in the 80s. I just hope I can afford all the $80 concert tickets and XXL concert tees.

Don't dream it's over ... because it isn't

Crowded House, the Australian and New Zealand band that grew from the remains of Split Enz, is getting back together and planning a year-long world tour.

Media in New Zealand confirmed today that the reunion is on. "After spending most of last year making music with my friend Nick Seymour, we are now announcing our intention to reform Crowded House with a new record entitled Time on Earth," founding member Neil Finn said in a statement.

The band released seven albums during its career -- from 1985 to 1996 -- before squabbling between members and the record company, lineup changes and solo careers finally sidelined for good. Founding member and drummer Paul Hester died in 2005 after a long battle with depression, dampening further any chance of a reunion. Or so it seemed.

"It feels right to us that the band should re-emerge at this time, and together with Mark Hart we look forward to reconnecting with the audience that we established, and for whom we still hold a deep respect," Finn said.

Top 5 Crowded House tunes:
5. Weather With You: "You can fight the sleep but not the dream."
4. Better Be Home Soon: "I know I'm right for the first time in my life."
3. Sister Madly: "You're systematically stepping on my head."
2. Something So Strong: "Roots that spread so deep bring life to frozen ground."
1. Don't Dream It's Over: "You'll never see the end of the road while you're traveling with me."