Hey flock! Today we’re doing something nobody asked for: re-reviewing all my old music takes on songs that were already old when I reviewed them.
I feel like my taste in music has shifted a little bit since 2017, so I wanted to see how much I’ve changed my view.
This will probably be a long post, and it’s basically a personal project, but some of you might enjoy. The original reviews are linked to the titles so you can compare my takes.
So, let’s get into the reviews:
“Talking in Your Sleep” by The Romantics
Original Score: B+
New Score: C+
My original review on this basically stands as is. I demoted the song to a C+ because of its relation to other songs on the list, as well as the fact it’s a little lackluster.
“West End Girls” by Pet Shop Boys
Original Score: A+
New Score: A+
This is a song that I still absolutely love. I will stop what I’m doing whenever it comes on the radio. It is an absolutely perfect song, and I would give it an A++ if I could.
“If Your Leave” by OMD
Original Score: C
New Score: D+
This song got annoying fast. I stand by McCluskey sounding “bloated, out of breath, desperate.” It could also be worse. It is worse. D+
“Edge of Seventeen” by Stevie Nicks
Original Score: B
New Score: A-
This song’s really grown on me, but that’s probably because I enjoy hairbrush karaoke. I originally said that it wasn’t a dance song, even saying it’s not a pretty song. I was wrong on that: you can definitely dance to this song. So, it’s being upgraded to A-.
“The Promise” by When In Rome
Original Score: B-
New Score: C+
This is actually a really nice song to listen to. In my original review, I was hesitant to give it a critical grade, so I gave it a B-. I’m a far tougher grader now, so it’s getting kicked down to a C+ for being a little too generic.
“Hold Me Now” by the Thompson Twins
Original Score: A
New Score: C+
Wow this song fell hard! I’m not even critical of the song. I still love its prom vibes, but an A? What was I thinking? It’s a middle of the road song, and honestly should be a C+.
“Don’t Dream It’s Over” by Crowded House
Original Score: B+
New Score: A
Back when I reviewed this in 2017, I wasn’t fond of sad songs. It was a rough year, and the song was a bit to weirdly melancholic for me. Now, it’s a massive nostalgia hit for me. I got 5 seconds in before I gave it an A. Then I grabbed a box of tissues to cry.
“Promises, Promises” by Naked Eyes
Original Score: C+
New Score: C-
This song… Initially I wanted to bump it up a grade, but the song grates on you after a point. So it’s getting knocked down to C-.
“Send Me An Angel” by Real Life
Original Score: C+
New Score: C-
I mentioned in my original review that the song was annoying, and…yeah it’s annoying. Do I despise it? No. It’s okay. Still demoted to C-.
“What Have I Done To Deserve This” by Pet Shop Boys
Original Score: A
New Score: B
My obsession with the Pet Shop Boys has waned a bit. Of my original favorites, this one is the most “meh” for me now. It’s still airy, but kinda bland. It’s getting knocked down to B, which is still good considering the field.
“Head Over Heels” by Tears For Fears
Original Score: A+
New Score: A+
First note, and I’m in a mall, next to the fountain, the smell of Cinnabon and palm trees in the air. This song is transcendental. It is beautiful. I love this song. I would also give this song an A++ if I could.
“Out of Touch” by Hall & Oates
Original Score: B+
New Score: A
This is such a groove. I’ve actually become even more of a Daryl Hall and John Oates fan since 2017, so I kinda want to shake 2017 Sheepie screaming “NO THE SONG WOULD NOT COLLAPSE WITHOUT THE LYRICS DID YOU EVEN LISTEN TO THAT BASS?!” It’s getting an A.
“Overkill” by Men at Work
Original Score: B
New Score: A
That. Sax. Riff. I’ve become such a sucker for sax. I still agree that it’s a sad song. It has that same melancholic drive as “Don’t Dream It’s Over”, but it’s a bit peppier (which is weird since the song lyrically is sadder). It’s an A now because of its nostalgia for me. It actually reminds me of this blog.
“In The Air Tonight” by Phil Collins
Original Score: B-
New Score: C+
I find it hilarious how this song had a resurgence due to a YouTube reaction. I gave it a B- in 2017, and I give it a C+ now. Outside of the notorious drum riff, it’s not really anything.
“Africa” by Toto
Original Score: C+
New Score: C+
This song is a mess of cliches and clunky lyrics. It’s a dorky, memey song. I gave it a C+ originally, and honestly I’m going to keep it there. I could bump it up a bit, but I actively turn this song off when it’s on the radio for being overplayed. Keeping it where I had it is a safe bet.
“Smalltown Boy” by Bronski Beat
Original Score: N/A
New Score: A
This song was never scored, since I reviewed it during Buffalo Pride Week and felt that I shouldn’t score the song. Well, after listening to all of Bronski Beat’s Age of Consent album and loving it, I’m scoring this song. It doesn’t get played enough, and that’s criminal. It’s a bop, and it gets an A.
“One Night in Bangkok” by Murray Head
Original Score: C+
New Score: C+
This song is dorky. Also, it was banned in Thailand for being offensive. I mean, the main character of the song is supposed to be a jerk chess player, so it makes sense in the scheme of things, but wow some of these lyrics. I’m still giving it a C+.
“Tainted Love” by Soft Cell
Original Score: C+
New Score: C
Add this song to the list of overplayed songs. It’s on every 80s compilation, plays three times a day on throwback radio, and is just such an edgy 80s song. It’s going down to a C.
“Saved By Zero” by The Fixx
Original Score: B
New Score: B
This is one of those meditative songs. Right now, the best way I can describe it is sweat on a hot day. That’s not a bad thing, but it makes the song a tad limited in application. I’m sticking with the original score of B.
“Obsession” by Animotion
Original Score: B
New Score: A
My view of this song is a little bit skewed in the last year from personal experience with my absolute dork Ellis. We’ve definitely wanted to dress up as Cleopatra and Marc Antony and dance by a pool. It’s a great, stupid couples song with terrible lyrics. I mean…”and all my goodness, has turned to badness” is a STUPID line and I love it. This song is getting an A.
“What’s On Your Mind” by Information Society
Original Score: B
New Score: A
This song should come on a floppy disk. It’s sits right in that corporate bleep bloop meeting music that I just absolutely love. It’s getting bumped up to an A just because of how fun it is.
“One Thing Leads To Another” by The Fixx
Original Score: B-
New Score: B-
That opening guitar is just so funky. The singing is kinda muppety, but that’s The Fixx. It’s the opposite end of the coin from “Saved By Zero”. Eventually it gets annoying. I was right on this one: B-.
“Alive and Kicking” by Simple Minds
Original Score: A
New Score: B+
It’s Simple Minds, so obviously it has to sound like the end of a John Hughes movie. I feel like I was a little too generous in my original review. It’s a nice song, but it isn’t perfect. I’d give it a B+ now.
“Hungry Like The Wolf” by Duran Duran
Original Score: A
New Score: A-
It’s about sex. The night edit has moaning at the end of it. He sings about “juices like wine”. It’s peak Duran Duran being cheeky. I’m docking it a bit because it’s overplayed, but that’s still an A-.
“Separate Ways” by Journey
Original Score: A
New Score: A-
This is still the only Journey song I like (I’m sure that invalidates my taste is music but I really don’t care). While I love that synth line, this song’s going down to an A- just because there are far better songs out there.
“Shout” by Tears For Fears
Original Score: A+
New Score: A-
“Shout” is weird: I originally gave it an A+ for its industrial sound and organ vibes. Well, knowing that Depeche did it better kinda ruins “Shout” for me. It’s still a great song, but it’s definitely an A-, and I’m being a little generous on that.
“Der Kommissar” by After The Fire
Original Score: B
New Score: C
This song is kinda goofy. It was a cover of Falco’s frog German mumbling, and it’s just…kinda goofy. My taste in music has veered off of this quite a bit. It’s getting a C.
“She Blinded Me With Science” by Thomas Dolby
Original Score: B
New Score: A
“SCIENCE!” It’s getting an A.
“Sunglasses at Night” by Corey Hart
Original Score: B-
New Score: B
This is another stupid song that I kinda enjoy. My favorite part of the 2017 review is me saying that Corey’s going to do “the sex thing” with the girl he’s talking to. This song’s getting bumped up to a B, so maybe Corey can afford RayBans now.
“Bizarre Love Triangle” by New Order
Original Score: A-
New Score: A
It’s a great song. All eventy-kajillion versions of it are good. It’s just a solid bop. I don’t know why I said it was an A-. The song is definitely an A. It’s literally a magical song.
“Just Can’t Get Enough” by Depeche Mode
Original Score: B-
New Score: C-
Remember earlier in “Shout” when I said Depeche did industrial synthiness better? Yeahhhhh. Not this song. This is a bad song. This is probably why I didn’t listen to a lot of Depeche in 2017. I was being ridiculously generous with a B-. I’m cutting to the chase here and giving it a C-.
“Lies” by Thompson Twins
Original Score: C
New Score: C
I gave this song a C. That was accurate.
Well, that’s that! It was actually kind of fun to go through what was basically a playlist from four years ago and look at it with new eyes. While some songs definitely lost some magic, I’m surprised at how critical I was on some of the ones I love now.
The blog was so new when I started those reviews. Every now and then I see someone will stumble onto the site to read them, and it reminds me just how far this blog’s come. Thanks for coming along for the ride, flock.
-Sheepie ❤
Sheepie Niagara 