The Go Go's

The Go Go's - Greatest - IRS

As far as quintessential girl groups go The Go-Go's are way the hell up on the totem pole. Sure they have not been as influential as The Supremes nor did they spark any hair color crazes like Cyndi Lauper, but how many good girl bands do you know that are poppy, pretty and sodomize their roadies? There is something to be said for that.

I dare someone, especially a chick, to tell me they don't crank the volume way the hell up when a Go-Go's song comes on the radio. I can't hear "Our Lips are Sealed" without cursing the day I sold my convertible. Just listening as I type makes me long for sunshiny days. The Go-Go's set a mood and they define a moment in musical history for me. I can remember when my favorite babysitter, Janet Maxwell, went to go see the Go-Go's in concert in Dallas and I made her tell me about the show over and over again. My sister wanted a bedtime story I wanted to hear one more time exactly what Belinda was wearing.

Oh Belinda, she could dance, she could sing and damn did she have good clothes. Plus she was buxom and I always dug that. When punk-rockdom set in my teen years the fact that she was associated with the Germs made her appeal to me even more. Hell I could even sing every word to "Heaven on Earth" if I really had to (Don't worry Jane I could sing "Rush Hour" too).

"Head Over Heels", try not sing along and get up and do the 80's dance. Really, turn it on and try not to, its hard. That piano is rockin'. Another all time favorite is "Vacation". Pop music does not get much more straight forward and perfect. Sure I know these are all there biggest hits, but I am a product of my environment and if there was a video for a song, that is the one I remember.

Actually, for as much as I love a select few Go-Go's songs, as a whole the band had quite a few dude songs. Ask me to name my top 10 80's songs and I am sure one of theirs would register, ask me to name my top 25 80's bands and I am not sure they would make the cut. For every completely fabulous pop song like "How Much More" they released they had 10 I could have done without. But those fabulous ones, are pretty fucking fabulous. Lucky for me the 14 songs on Greatest are all the gems like "Turn to You" and "Cool Jerk".

Well according to VH1 the girls have all kissed and made up after breaking up, solo efforts, writing songs for Courtney Love, posing for Playboy and various other side projects. We will see if they have it in them to create another pop song to end all pop songs, and more importantly I'll be watching to see what Belinda wears.