adrenochrome

For those of you, unaware of the New Romantic movement of the early 1980s in England, I shall give a brief history.
Inspired by the musical influences of David Bowie, New York Dolls and Roxy Music, a group of literate freethinkers surveyed the country, ravaged by the spitting and vomitting of Punk, its beauty torn and bedraggled, held together with festering safety pins, its heritage and culture swallowed by electric guitars. They came together, like the Cavaliers rallying to King Charles’ clarion call, and passed a decree that the beauty, peaceful love and romance of historic England must rise like the proverbial phoenix from the ashes of the 1970s. Inspired by the words of the Romantic Poets (Keats, Shelley & Rochdales own Lord Byron), the makeup of early Bowie, and fashion of the countrys greatest fops and beaus; the New Romantic was born.
Bland disco lyrics, and violent sounds of Punk, were discarded in favour of the electronic orchestra of the Moog synthesiser, and poetic lyricism of David Sylvian. Hot pants and tartan trousers were replaced with the Neo-Cavalier, the Dandy Highwayman & the Beau Brummel Baby! Handkerchieves flowed, makeup adorned males and females, boots were worn high (or, pixie ankle length). Good manners were revived, dancing was mixed (no men standing at the bar drinking) like a Louis XVth masquerade ball, hairspray was a constant fire risk!
People would greet each other with an affectionate hug (sexual ambiguity confused the general public), and a ‘Godspeed, my friend’ would be the parting words. The talk was of poetry, with many a lass swooning to such lines as,
‘She walks in beauty, like the night
Of cloudless climes and starry skies;And all that’s best of dark and bright
Meet in her aspect and her eyes:
Thus mellowed to that tender light
Which heaven to gaudy day denies.
One shade the more, one ray the less,
Had half impaired the nameless grace
Which waves in every raven tress,
Or softly lightens o’er her face;Where thoughts serenely sweet express
How pure, how dear their dwelling-place.
And on that cheek, and o’er that brow,
So soft, so calm, yet eloquent,
The smiles that win, the tints that glow,
But tell of days in goodness spent,
A mind at peace with all below,
A heart whose love is innocent!’
The music of the Human League, ABC, Japan, Talk Talk, & Heaven 17 mixed with the Gothic revivalists such as the Sisters of Mercy and Bauhaus. Alongside the hi-NRG and electronic sounds of Bronski Beat, Soft Cell, & OMD, the New Wave bands that became Indie were heard.
Music was great, clothing extravagant, and accessorising finally reached the British public.
With such bland music again ruining our childrens literacy and music skills, with aggression being around every corner, and with politicians being completely out-of-touch and blighting peoples lives; is it not time for a revival?
At least, can we bring back silk handkerchieves?

Trackback URI | Comments RSS