Rewatch... Rockstar.

In a fit of insomnia, I re-watched Rockstar. It's really stupid, but still pretty good fun.

If you were not exposed to 80's Metal the way I was, you probably wouldn't understand why this movie hits home. From a local band taking itself too seriously, to a overblown popular band way too full of itself, this movie gets a few things right. It suffers from the Hollywood treatment, and feels like one big montage after another at times, but watching Marky Mark lip sync "We All Die Young" is pure gold.

"And we all, die young!" What a good representation of late 80's metal songwriting. I say late 80's because the early and mid 80's had way less formulation. Compare an earlier big opus, maybe the 1983 Krokus song, Screaming in the Night, or an earlier power ballad, like the 1982 underrated track titled simply The Ballad by the lesser known Australian band Heaven. Songs of the earlier lot were a bit more raw than the over produced, bleeding heart metal of 88 through 92.

We All Die Young sounds like a song Steelheart could have done well, if a producer could have reigned in their vocalist to not sing in an octave only dogs  could hear. I need to check wiki and see who actually sings the song...

Ha! It's actually Steelheart. Wow. That is phucking funny. I never knew the producers dipped into existing Chest Hair Metal to find the perfect soundtrack for the movie.

I shouldn't be too surprised by the connection. It is BIG Hair Metal. An equally good choice for the movie would have been Hardline's Hot Cherie from 1992. Both songs are great examples of what Hair Metal was becoming. Like it or not, musically they are both stellar. Less about Hair, more about writing great rock songs?

You may have asked yourself at some point, why is Nago nerding out to a 16 year old movie at 5 AM? Because insomnia, and I do what I want. The truth: I needed something light hearted to take my mind off of Chris Cornell. Typically I'd just turn on the news and watch the continuing shit show that is modern American politics, but even that is losing its comedic value lately.

Make a Hair Metal playlist. Include We all Die Young and Hot Cherie. I promise it will get you moving. Avoid Way Cool JR, anything by Bang Tango, and don't even think about Fire House.

Good morning and Happy Friday.

Nago