80s Redux, by Mike Hipple

Do you ever think about some of those flash-in-the-pan, one-hit-wonder bands you listened to in the 80s (or, likely, saw on MTV) and wonder what ever happened to them? Mike Hipple has tracked down a bunch of musicians from the 80s and features them in 80s Redux: Your Favorite Musicians Today.

Hipple's choices reflect tastes that lean away from top-40 or mainstream rock, and more towards alternative and punk.  Some of the musicians features are genre-defining and well known, like The Cure, The B-52s, Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark, and The English Beat.  Others were only vaguely familiar or completely unknown to me.

Each artist is featured in a page or two of text with some well-done portraits.  It's interesting to read about some of their post-80s lives.  Hipple's goal is not to air gossip or dirty laundry but to portray them as the regular people they are.  Many have taken time off from touring to raise a family but are back in the studio or on stage.  Others work in the arts but not as musicians.  Some are plugging away in jobs completely unrelated to music.  Most of these middle-aged musicians, despite their varying degrees of former fame, would blend right in at a PTA meeting, shopping in the local grocery story, or hanging out in the neighborhood.

80s Redux may not be full of great stories, but it's neat to see the personal side of these iconic artists.  At the very least, it will inspire you to pull out some old LPs or cassettes and remember the great music from this era.


Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!