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Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Radio In Defense of Huey Lewis, Et Al

Posted by Derek Erdman on Wed, Sep 19, 2012 at 3:23 PM

One of the (very) few perks of KMCQ's format change is their willingness to tiptoe into the hits of the mid 1980s. I'll admit that I still only listen to the station out of sheer stubbornness, hoping to hear "Year of the Cat" by Al Stewart or "Feels So Good" by Chuck Mangione. Just sitting here and typing these words, I'm surprised that I'm not outraged by the fact that this is what life (while in my car) has become.

The station change has made one thing in my life very clear, the discovery that Emily Nokes (the person who owns 1/2 of said car) absolutely hates Huey Lewis (+ the News). The first few times his voice lumbered out of the tiny door speakers, Emily became instantly furious, declaring that Huey Lewis "sings like he's got a mouthful of lasagne." Her tone and demeanor changes during the course of the whole song, as if something terrible happened in the past and the repressed anger is reappearing tenfold. Lately, she refers to everything that she doesn't like as Huey Lewis. "Night Moves" by Bob Seger? Huey Lewis. "Space Truckin'" by Deep Purple? Huey Lewis. Celery? Huey Lewis. (How anybody doesn't like celery is a baffler.)

Fore! (w/ spaghetti)

I'll be the first to admit that Huey Lewis (+ the News, I guess) has made some mistakes, mostly when his career was in decline during the late 1980s, at which point he was already 83 years old. But the singles from Sports and the album before it are such staples of rock radio that they simply cannot be dismissed. People will marvel at a building and praise the architect, but never take the time to examine the bricks that make it. Or even the bright sunlight that accents the walls and windows. Or the comfortable shoes that they're wearing that allow them to not be preoccupied by foot pain while spending their time looking at a building. These things are Huey Lewis. Not a construction detour or a confusing traffic cop giving you what seems to be conflicting directions. Huey Lewis is an innocuous but necessary prop while you're breezing through a stale yellow light as you notice the traffic camera mounted on the pole above. The riff from during the chorus of "Heart and Soul" is playing as you notice there's no flash from the camera. You will receive no ticket in the mail. That shit is awesome, man.

The above video is not as visually pleasing as the actual video, but YouTube only has the VEVO version, which plays an execrable Panteen shampoo commercial beforehand.

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Comments (34) RSS

Oldest First Unregistered On Registered On Add a comment

You know what I call Emily Nokes? HUEY LEWIS.

Posted by ingopixel on September 19, 2012 at 3:47 PM

Huey Lewis and the BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOS! HA!

But seriously, get them off that station.

Posted by Emily Nokes on September 19, 2012 at 3:53 PM

Q: What did Huey Lewis say to the greeter at Bed Bath & Beyond?

A: I WANT A NEW RUG.

Posted by derek_erdman

on September 19, 2012 at 4:08 PM

Q: How long is Huey Lewis' member?
A: Fore!

Yeah, actually HL ain't bad.

Posted by Roosevelt

on September 19, 2012 at 4:21 PM

Q: What did Huey Lewis say to the symbiotic leech?
A: I'm happy to be stuck with you!

Posted by Roosevelt

on September 19, 2012 at 4:26 PM

Huey Lewis just doesn't hold up. I'm with Nokes.

Posted by Anna Anna Anna on September 19, 2012 at 4:57 PM

No way man. Huey blew harp with Dave Edmunds' Repeat when Necessary album and wrote Bad is Bad for that album. He played with Thin Lizzy on Live and Dangerous and on Phil Lynott's Solo in Soho record. He also was into the London pub rock scene. He was in an early line-up of Clover, discovered by Nick Lowe, who later backed-up Elvis Costello. He later produced Nick Lowe's 1985 version of I Knew the Bride.

Huey has legit Rock cred.

Posted by McGee on September 19, 2012 at 5:17 PM

I liked his first album with the News before he got popular, when he was trying to be New Wave.

Or maybe he was New Wave. The rest of his old band Clover did back Elvis Costello on his first album.

He also apparently plays harmonica on a live Thin Lizzy album and if memory serves also on Dave Edmsnds' "Bad is Bad" from the Repeat When Necessary album.

The whole Pub Rock/Country Rock/Punk Rock/Yacht Rock overlap is fascinating.

Nick Lowe discovers Clover while in L.A. in the mid 1970s, perhaps with his band Brinsley Schwartz? Convinces them to go to England. They make two records with Mutt Lange. They go nowhere. Then Clover, sans Lewis, records most of My Aim is True with Elvis. Then, they go back to San Francisco. Not long after that, John McFee from Clover joins the Doobie Brothers....

Up is down. Down is up. But musicians who can play keep playing.

Posted by j-lon on September 19, 2012 at 5:20 PM

They're only worthwhile if your name is Patrick Bateman.

Posted by Some Old Nobodaddy Logged In on September 19, 2012 at 5:30 PM

The News=the Attractions. Huey Lewis ain't Elvis Costello, though, obv.

Posted by brocaine

on September 19, 2012 at 5:35 PM

I saw the image before anything else and thought, "I bet this is a Derek Erdman thing." Sure enough...

Anyway, I will always like Luey Newis and the Hues because of High Fivin' White Guys.

Posted by Zebes

on September 19, 2012 at 5:55 PM

Am I the only one who thinks Huey Lewis (ca.1986) is super hot? Or at least the only one who feels compelled to mention it here, somewhat awkwardly, in a discussion about the quality of his music?

Posted by blip on September 19, 2012 at 6:19 PM

For every riff from Heart & Soul, there's the quacking in I Want A New Drug. I kind of have a taste for shitty music thanks to long road trips through states with, like, three radio stations, but I'm sorry, I can't do that.

Posted by Prettybetsy on September 19, 2012 at 6:46 PM

@12: He's always reminded me of a piece of leather, visually. Like an old tennis shoe.

@13: What's your stance on REO Speedwagon?

Posted by derek_erdman

on September 19, 2012 at 7:05 PM

Here's what's cool about Huey Lewis. Nothing. And that's why it's so cool.

He basically subverted every musical trend in his time -- punk, new wave, new romanticism -- he had no make up, no rebellion, no spit. He wasn't arguing against classic rock. He wasn't breaking barriers. He made critics (to this day, apparently) go livid!

But yet he sold gazillions of albums and dominated the airwaves! Just mentioning his name starts off all the imprinted neurons in my brain like a 45 on a dusty old jukebox being kicked by some guy with screwdrivers for fingernails in a Steven King based movie.

It's hip to be square.

Yes.

Posted by Supreme Ruler Of The Universe

on September 19, 2012 at 7:10 PM

This is the deepest thing you've written yet, Erdman.

Posted by B. Beatsie on September 19, 2012 at 7:22 PM

Fore, their most accomplished album. I think their undisputed masterpiece is "Hip To Be Square", a song so catchy, most people probably don't listen to the lyrics. But they should, because it's not just about the pleasures of conformity, and the importance of trends, it's also a personal statement about the band itself.

Posted by Dean Fawkes

on September 19, 2012 at 7:58 PM

My first concert. Robert Cray opened. Sweeeet.

Posted by pfffter on September 19, 2012 at 9:05 PM

If you voted "drools", please jump off a cliff.

Posted by Yomomma on September 19, 2012 at 11:16 PM

If a) it was possible to upload links in these comments, or b) (DUH IT IS YOU JERKFACE) & I somehow knew how ... I would upload a pic of the Sports album cover, which I photographed on the wall of Perry's on Union St. in SF barely 2 months ago. Why: a) because I sent it to a friend of mine who recently re-introduced to me The Awesome that is "Bad is Bad"; and b) I used to play "The Power of Love" on synthesizer when I was a band geek in the 8th grade.

May I someday achieve the "dubious" legacy of Huey Lewis.

Posted by jhops on September 20, 2012 at 1:44 AM

I had a college friend who somehow or other wound up on a plane with them a few years ago (no idea why they were flying coach, nor did I ask.) He said they were rambunctiously hammered the whole time and that it was the most enjoyable flight of his life.

Posted by mikethehammer on September 20, 2012 at 1:53 AM

why is the Stranger talking about this relic of 80's rock mediocrity?

And when I look at that picture? Makes me glad denim jacket machismo had died out.

eew to the music, eew to the schlong, and ew to denim jackets

Posted by doloresdaphne on September 20, 2012 at 4:35 AM

Did anyone catch the NPR segment on the transition of Pop Music from light to dark? When they compared some 50's music to baroque as expressing one emotion at a time, I the first 80's band that came to mind was Huey Lewis and the News.

Posted by Bean on September 20, 2012 at 7:51 AM

In 3rd grade I was obsessed with Huey. I wore a Huey & The News band button everywhere I went(even in my class picture). Cried when Emily Piecuch got to go see him live and my mom wouldn't let me go. Awful music, but 3rd grade me sure loved him.

Side note...much like EN calling everything Huey, Mr. Russell has a similar habit. If I play ANY rap or hip hop his line is "Will Smith"?

Posted by julie russell

on September 20, 2012 at 9:04 AM

Did no one mention Duets yet? I LOVED him in Duets. I think The News is the problem. The 80s & new wave were also the problem. (Thank you, Nirvana!). But Huey solo is a sight to be seen. I'm with the redhead that jumps into bed with him after his Duets karaoke: Feelin'Alright. I also agree you, @12. He was super hot in the 80's.

Posted by Garfield on September 20, 2012 at 2:40 PM

One of the worst bands of the 80s.

Posted by very bad homo on September 20, 2012 at 2:43 PM

Whoah! This is heavy...

This thread is, like, taking me Back in Time!

I guess that's the Power of Love!

It don't money, and it don't take fame... don't need no credit card to riiide this traaain!

That's the power of love!

Yah feel the power of looo-oooooo-oove!

Posted by Ipso Facto

on September 20, 2012 at 3:52 PM

^^ D'oh! Always with the typos and the errors...

"It don't take money, and it don't take fame... don't need no credit card to riiide this traaain!"

@20: Just upload your pic to a site like ImageShack... you'll get a URL, copy/paste it here.

Posted by Ipso Facto

on September 20, 2012 at 4:34 PM

Ah, here's the Power of Love music video.

Can you feel it?

Posted by Ipso Facto

on September 20, 2012 at 4:38 PM

The Erdman Spaghetti Pictures hold up better than Huey Lewis, in my opinion.

Posted by Trent Moorman on September 20, 2012 at 5:30 PM

@14: Speedwagon! Now that's MY shitty music.

Posted by Prettybetsy on September 20, 2012 at 9:36 PM

@15

yes, that position was well-parodied in American Psycho, as interpreted by Dean Fawkes below your comment. what you are saying without irony, however, is that Huey Lewis is essentially George Foreman at the 1968 Olympics. that's not an admirable position in history, but then fame and fortune negate that so I suppose in the end it doesn't matter.

I have a complicated relationship with Huey... I have very vivid memories of listening to him as young as 3 or 4 years old, and loving it much as I did Phil Collins' solo career. and I loved Back To The Future. but that was like before I discovered music on my own. and also, read my first paragraph.

Posted by LEE. on September 20, 2012 at 10:14 PM