Giving Thanks For: THE GO GO'S

Since I am likely to be tied up most of the holiday tomorrow, let me give you my Thanksgiving post a
few hours early.......soooo, let's see, Thanksgiving reminds me of giving thanks for what I am grateful for, AND ALSO of eating, and these two factors, of course remind me of hot-ass women, so how about for this Thanksgiving Day.....some kick-ass GO GO'S!

Formed in 1978 in sunny California, the Go Go's were vocalist Belinda Carlisle, guitarist/vocalist Jane Wiedlin, bassist Kathy Valentine, keyboardis/guitarist Charlotte Caffey, and ace drummer-chick Gina Schock. They actually started out as an LA-hardcore-style punk band, but found thier niche for sure as they moved on to tough/hard girly-garage rock on the debut "Beauty and the Beat".......classic album of 1981, sounds every bit as good in 2014 as it did then, if not better......best known, of course, for the fine singles "Our Lips Are Sealed" and "We Got the Beat", (Joke ca 1981: "How do ya know the Go Go's are all virgins? 'Coz their LIPS ARE SEALED, ho ho"....guess maybe ya had to be there. Anyway the singles are great, but even better are "Lust to Love", the great "Skidmarks on My Heart", and the wonderful "This Town", once covered on a boot I have somewhere by the duet of Bif Naked and Korn (!), great song in any hands, "bet you'd live here if you could and be one of us...."

This was the only classic they had in them. The follow-up "Vacation" (1982) sold enough to go gold basically on the strength of "Beauty and the Beat".....the title track is a decent enough song, as are "Get Up and Go" and their cover of "Cool Jerk", but the rest is fairly disappointing.....there were rumors of infighting and drug use within the band, and by the time of thier third release, "Talk Show", this is a ship that had sailed. "Head Over Heels" being the singular highlight, the rest is strictly filler and the band dissolved....they have reformed in a couple of incarnations since (1990's I think), but you know I don't go much for that kinda stuff, if any of it is unearthed classics I missed em.

So, we do have another little gem here....When "Beauty and the Beat" was reissued in a remastered
edition in 2011, it included a bonus second disc containing a smoking set from Boston 1981.....they seriously had some live chops and I wish I could have seen them, all the greatest tracks are here, in particular a fantastic "Skidmarks on My Heart". I don't recall where I got this bonus disc, I assume from the Bay or something, I don't really see them around much anymore so do be sure and check it out
.
Got one more thing, just for fun...we have a fun punk-rocking "Our Lips Are Sealed: A Tribute to the Go Go's", I have mixed feelings about these things in general, but this one is fun, notably Dan Vapid and the Cheats "Lust to Love" and "Our Lips Are Sealed" by the Cobra Skulls......doesn't take things TOO seriously, at all, which is rule #1 of a tribute album.......

Everyone have a happy holiday, be thankful for what you have, enjoy family (they won't be there forever), just try to have a great day......I am personally so thankful that I was able to retire this year, SO MUCH happier now, and to spend more time with BigCarla66 and BigGrant97 (until he leaves us for college in a couple years.....chances are you will see some totally depressed posts THEN).
Love to all.....

BEAUTY AND THE BEAT-01 Our Lips are Sealed/02 How Much More/03 Tonite/04 Lust To Love/05 This Town/06 We Got the Beat/07 Fading Fast/08 Automatic/09 You Can't Walk In Your Sleep (If You Can't Sleep)/10 Skidmarks On My Heart/11 Can't Stop the World

VACATION-01 Vacation/02 He's So Strange/03 Girl of 100 Lists/04 We Don't Get Along/05 I Think it's Me/06 It's Everything But partytime/07 Get Up and Go/08 This Old Feeling/09 Cool jerk/10 The Way you Dance/11 Beatnik Beach/12 Worlds Away

TALK SHOW-01 Head Over Heels/02 Turn To You/03 You Thought/04 Beneath the Blue Sky/05
Forget That Day/06 I'm the Only One/07 Yes Or No/08 Capture the Light/09 I'm With You/10 Mercenary

LIVE BOSTON 8/21/81-01 Skidmarks On My Heart/02 How Much More/03 Tonite/04 Fading Fast/05 London Boys/06 Cool Jerk/07 This Town/08 Can't Stop the World/09 Automatic/10 Lust To Love/11 You Can't Walk In Your Sleep (If You Can't Sleep)/12 Our Lips Are Sealed/13 Let's Have a party/14 We Got the Beat/15 Surfin' & Spyin'/16 Walking In the Sand/17 Vacation/18 BONUS TRACK-Speeding (B Side)

OUR LIPS ARE SEALED-A TRIBUTE TO THE GO GO'S-01 THE SLOW DEATH-Head Over Heels/02 LIPSTICK HOMICIDE-How Much More/03 COBRA SKULLS-Our Lips Are Sealed/04 GATEWAY DISTRICT-Tonite/05 MASKED INTRUDER-We Got the Beat/06 DAN VAPID & THE CHEATS-Lust to Love/07 THE HOT TODDIES-Skidmarks on My Heart/08 GREAT APES-The Whole World Lost Its Head/09 STREET EATERS-Blades/10 ANN BERETTA-Unforgiven/11 THE SHELL CORPORATION-This Town/12 THE BLAST!-Vacation/13 THE MIGHTY FINE-We Don't Get Along/14 VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL-Can't Stop the World