Old Enough to Forget

Flash and the Pan was the brainchild of Harry Vanda and George Young. The duo had been active since the '60s, first with a band called the Easybeats, and from there they would launch George's two younger brothers Malcolm and Angus' band AC/DC. They would produce them up to 1978 before the band engaged Mutt Lange (who then was still Robert "Mutt" Lange) to produce their 1979 release Highway to Hell. Mutt was an interesting fellow, and although synonymous now with slick hard rock (or slick Shania albums) he also produced The Boomtown Rats The Fine Art of Surfacing in 1979 as well. From what I've read the origins of Flash and Pan go back to the later '70s, where they had released a couple of singles, starting with "Hey St. Peter" in 1977 and "Down Among the Dead Men" in 1978. They would release their self title album at the end of 1978, and then in 1979 the album would be released in North America on Epic. While I don't really remembe...

In those early heady day of new wave there were a few unrelenting ear-worms that would practically define the genre, and lay the table for what was to follow in the early to mid '80s. Although "Rock Lobster" by The B-52's came out in '78, it's impact would ripple through a lot of what was to follow. 1979 saw the release of The Buggles "Video Killed the Radio Star" and Gary Numan's seminal hit "Cars" and then there was "Pop Muzik" by M ... and it was really one of those goofy songs that just caught on. I mean it would go number one practically all over the world. All of these were rooted with in rock, but veered wildly off kilter with futuristic vocals, synthesizers the combined the energy of punk with their brand of new wave while more or less crafting pop songs that were strangely radio friendly. "Pop Muzik" was also a song I didn't understand, and to be honest I don't know if I actually liked it, but it cou...