3's A Crowd

What music defines Obama's America? Goodness only knows. Miley Cyrus? I'd like to think that were we living in the Age of Paul (and good grief I wish we were) then the musical quality barometer could be shifted up a few notches, but alas 'twas not to be. But rather than get entrapped further into the sludge of that depressing thought, let's turn our thoughts back to a simpler time. The 80s. Reagan is in power, America is winning (and Russia knows it, defeat having been foreshadowed by Stallone) and the Progmasters of the Universe have embraced AOR in a big, some say cynical, way. The Korg M1 has just been released, and the Japanese techno-magic of MIDI promises to bring with it the next revolution in recorded music. What a wonderful time to be a subscriber to Keyboard Player magazine.

Of course, by 1988 Reagan was on his last Presidential legs, the great ivory ticklers of the 70s started to miss their Moogs and Arista, Geffen et al once again had their heads turned by the louder, more simplistic (ie stupider) and infinitely less good music coming out of the underground scene (for grunge, read punk). Their loss was our loss. For what it is worth, here's 3.

Music, well and truly, by numbers.