Quoting:Wham! had George Michael. I'm sorry...even though he didn't do much...I always thought Andrew Ridgeley was the cute one. :
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Oh heavens,yes!  My sister and I used to die laughing whenever we saw--whatever Wham! video it was--when George would sing, "I'm handsome, tall and strong!"  We'd make gagging noises and throw ourselves to the ground.  Really, the man looked like someone just pounded his face with a baseball bat...all scrunched in...UGH!

Quoting:


Oh heavens,yes!  My sister and I used to die laughing whenever we saw--whatever Wham! video it was--when George would sing, "I'm handsome, tall and strong!"  We'd make gagging noises and throw ourselves to the ground.  Really, the man looked like someone just pounded his face with a baseball bat...all scrunched in...UGH!
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That would be the video for "Bad Boys" from their first album, Fantastic! George in his Wham! days was all hair, one big thick uni-brow, and gleaming white straight teeth à la Barry Gibb. Sadly, he hasn't got much better.

Actually, neither of them were that great to look at in the videos from their first album because they had that horrible "greaser" look with the leather jackets and the slicked-back hair. They both improved, but Andrew had the nicer face. :D

Absolutely Vile

Quoting:
Hmmm...let's see...

The Smiths had Mike Joyce, who was (and still is) pretty homely looking, what with the sunken-in eyes and big ears sticking out. Good thing he hid behind a drum kit.

As for Duran Duran, I always thought Roger Taylor was the more unattractive one. Again with the drummer...

Wham! had George Michael. I'm sorry...even though he didn't do much...I always thought Andrew Ridgeley was the cute one. :D

Probably only Canadians would get this one, but the guys in Platinum Blonde were doing really well in the looks department 'til Kenny MacLean joined the group. Yuck! Even his great hair couldn't save him.

I am definitely NOT a fan of boy bands in the least, but New Kids On The Block had Jordan Knight. Like George Michael, Jordan had a uni-brow. I hate uni-brows. They're ugly.

That's all for now, but I'm sure some of you will agree that my choices are...

Absolutely Vile
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Quoting:
Ha!
I am Canadian, and I totally know what you mean about Kenny from Platinum Blonde...but what about the drummer...yuchh!  Sorry to be so mean...but this is a funny thread, I think.

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Which drummer? Chris Steffler, the original one, or Sasha, the one who joined around 1987? I actually thought Chris wasn't bad, albeit a bit old looking. Kind of like Kenny, but cuter. :) Sasha, I wasn't particularly fond of, but then I wasn't particularly fond of Platinum Blonde by then. (They REALLY changed with the Contact album.)

Absolutely Vile

Quoting:

Paul Humphreys (The other guy, OMD)End Quote

I actually think he's better looking than Andy McCluskey, but that's just me. :)

Quoting:Kirk whats-his-face with the glasses (INXS)End Quote

Kirk Pengilly. Well, yeah...no one in INXS could compare to Michael Hutchence...<drool> ;D Well, I guess they could now...

Quoting:The Cure (various members, various line-ups)End Quote

While I'll agree with various members being not so great looking, Robert Smith was good looking (in a weird way) once upon a time. Now he's just gotten old and fat, and he's still got the same look he's always had, and it just doesn't suit him anymore.

Quoting:Martin Gore (Depeche Mode, funny lookin' but girls loved him just the same)End Quote

Bite your tongue!! :D OK, so he wasn't the cutest member of Depeche Mode (Alan Wilder was when he was with them), but he's definitely the sexiest!! Of course it depends on taste. I, personally, loved his BDSM fetish gear and cross dressing ways. His wearing a dress and makeup sometimes was just a cute little quirk he had. Martin's flamboyant! He's calmed down a lot since, but I still think he's great looking...and ohhhhhhh... what a fabulous voice. :)

Absolutely Vile

Quoting:
Hey AV? AW here, haha. Who is that in your avatar? I wanna say Michael Stipe, pre head shave. I know I'm probably way off, just curious?,,,,AW
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It's.......Martin Gore from Depeche Mode!!!! Haha!! ;D Funny you should ask since I just finished talking about him in my previous post. ;D

Absolutely Vile

Quoting:
Ahhhh, okay. I was going by forehead, and the prominent brow protrusion alone. I wasn't too far off I guess, LOL!,,,,AW
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Well, Michael Stipe's hair wasn't quite that...erm...poofy before he shaved it off. It has been though, but that was when it was longer and frizzier in the early 80's.

Absolutely Vile

Quoting:
Hmmm...let's see...

I am definitely NOT a fan of boy bands in the least, but New Kids On The Block had Jordan Knight. Like George Michael, Jordan had a uni-brow. I hate uni-brows. They're ugly.

That's all for now, but I'm sure some of you will agree that my choices are...

Absolutely Vile
End Quote

Oh I agree. But I think Danny was the more ugliest of them all.  :) My little sister used to like Jordan and Jonathan. I thought they were both ugly but then again I never liked NKOTB. :P

Quoting:


Which drummer? Chris Steffler, the original one, or Sasha, the one who joined around 1987? I actually thought Chris wasn't bad, albeit a bit old looking. Kind of like Kenny, but cuter. :) Sasha, I wasn't particularly fond of, but then I wasn't particularly fond of Platinum Blonde by then. (They REALLY changed with the Contact album.)

Absolutely Vile
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Quoting:
Ab-Vi:

You have no idea!  I was so into Depeche Mode when I was a kid people thought I was gay.  No straight guy would have THAT many pics of DM all over the place.End Quote

Was? You mean you're not anymore? :(

Quoting:My favorite Depecher? Martin, of course!  He was the big talent behind the band.  Alan Wilder wrote some good songs, but Martin was the one who made it all happen.  I thought Dave Gahan was a good frontman, but really dim.  Andy Fletcher, it turns out, was little more than the business manager.End Quote

I totally agree with you about Martin, but Alan, too, was hugely talented due to his musical expertise. I question his motives for joining the band though. Apparently, he didn't like their music when he joined, and throughout the years it just seemed to me that he looked increasingly miserable. (Although, I suppose you would be too if you were an accomplished musician, and you were forced to do dodgy kiddie programmes in the UK and Europe, and to do really outrageous things in videos like have yourself painted green.) Alan only wrote a few songs for Depeche Mode, but he did a lot for them musically. He loved to be in the studio when the others didn't, and that helps the quality of the music somewhat (but I'm no fan of overproduction). David Gahan...I liked him 'til he had his big heroin problem, then my respect for him went completely downhill. Actually, it was a bit before that. He grew his hair long, got a whole bunch of tattoos and decided to be a "rock star." Then he moved to LA, and started on the drugs. Now his voice is nothing like it used to be, and I think he sounds terrible now. Fletch...he is really underrated. A lot of people seem to think he just stands there and claps his hands a lot live, but he's the effects guy, and I think he's got even more on his plate now that Alan's left. He's a lot more talented than people think he is.

Quoting:Anyway, M.L. Gore was easily confused with Allannah Curry of the Thompson Twins in the teen 'zines!End Quote

I can sort of see it but I think Alannah had even bigger hair. :)

Quoting:Did you know Martin was adopted and, it turns out, his biological father was black?  His father must have only been partially black, Martin is paler than a WASP like me!, but you can see the features in his face.End Quote

Yes, I saw that on a website. I never would have known either, but actually, if you look at him on the back cover of his Counterfeit² album, you can sort of see his black features. You can't really tell otherwise, in other pictures of him.

Quoting:I'm collecting all the OMD reissues as they come out with bonus tracks.  I got the Peel Sessions, and the B-Sides CDs, both most highly recommended.  Just picked up "Organisation," which has a special live radio performance appended, and the superb Dindisc 1980 version of "Electricity."  OMD is for me! It's what I call "nerd rock."  Nerd rockers of other sorts included Devo, Blancmange, Talking Heads (you know, David Byrne, skinny nervous guy in an oversized suit), Men Without Hats, Elvis Costello, Heaven 17....End Quote

Everything I own of Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark, aside from a "best of" and the Peel Sessions, is on vinyl, including a 10" record of an extended version of "Souvenir." :) I like my 80's music (and, well, any music for that matter) in its truest form...VINYL!!!! :)

Absolutely Vile

Quoting:David Gahan...I liked him 'til he had his big heroin problem, then my respect for him went completely downhill. Actually, it was a bit before that. He grew his hair long, got a whole bunch of tattoos and decided to be a "rock star." Then he moved to LA, and started on the drugs
End Quote

Eggzactly!!  The seeds of Depeche decline were sewn with 101, when they became an American touring band.  "Violator" had some of their best songs, but the trip to sleaze had already started.  When Dave came out with the horrible dreds and facial hair, and said "There's always been a lot of grunge in Depeche Mode," I thought I was having a nightmare.  The dope and the suicide attempt reminded me of all the things I despised about the sleazy rock culture I once turned to DM to get away FROM!  Oh, and, no, there was no grunge in Depeche Mode.  You can hear plenty of blues, though, and not always where you expect it.  Anyway, I have found the post-Alan DM records totally DULL!  My radio station has the Dave solo stuff, but I haven't worked up the courage to listen to it.  :o

I like a fair amount of Alan's Recoil material, but there's nothing mind-blowing.  He's turning into a sort of Bill Laswell or Anton Fier character, a behind-the-scenes project master.  The role suits him well.
Now, "Counterfeit" was a terrific little EP.  It begs the question why Martin hasn't done any other solo records for all this time.  My favorite, "In A Manner of Speaking," was written by Winston Tong of TuxedoMoon.  They were a fascinating progressive art-rock group from San Francisco.  They were somewhere between Ryuichi Sakamoto and The Residents.  Their original version of "Manner" (on their album "Holy Wars") is very minimal and spooky sounding. 8)

Quoting:
Did you know Martin was adopted and, it turns out, his biological father was black?  His father must have only been partially black, Martin is paler than a WASP like me!, but you can see the features in his face.End Quote

I know this is old and has already been discussed, but something occurred to me... I don't think Martin was adopted. His biological dad was a black American who came to England in the late 50's and went back to America sometime after Martin came to be, obviously not sticking around long enough to get to know him. His mum kept it secret from Martin 'til he was 31 in 1992.

For details, see www.martinleegore.com/profile.html

I had totally forgot about this discrepancy earlier, sorry! :)

Absolutely Vile

Quoting:
Anyway, I have found the post-Alan DM records totally DULL!  My radio station has the Dave solo stuff, but I haven't worked up the courage to listen to it.  :oEnd Quote

Exciter doesn't do anything for me, and I haven't listened to Ultra or Songs Of Faith And Devotion, because that was during David's downfall, and I find it a rather sad and depressing era in Depeche history. We have Dave's solo album, Paper Monsters, but I, too, haven't brought myself to listen to it because what I've heard from it is nothing really special, and my image of him has been somewhat tarnished because of the drug abuse, his downward spiral, and the effects all of this has has on his voice, especially live.

Quoting:I like a fair amount of Alan's Recoil material, but there's nothing mind-blowing.  He's turning into a sort of Bill Laswell or Anton Fier character, a behind-the-scenes project master.  The role suits him well.End Quote

And I'm sure he's quite happy hanging about the studio. He always has been. Recoil is nothing special. It's no different than Enigma, Moby, or anything like that. But I think he's happy committing to his own project full time now. He'll never go back to Depeche Mode, or most probably even work with them again. I think that was rather evident given his noticeable absence from the commentaries on the 101 DVD. He wants to move on. I hope he still has fond memories of Depeche, but he doesn't want to just be known as "ex-Depeche Mode member, Alan Wilder." And I can't say I blame him.

Quoting:Now, "Counterfeit" was a terrific little EP.  It begs the question why Martin hasn't done any other solo records for all this time.End Quote

I don't know why it took him 14 years to release something else. I love his solo material, even if it is just all cover songs. He puts his own little spin on songs and they just sound great! And anyway, if he wrote his own songs for a solo record, it would probably be regarded as another Depeche Mode album, which might hurt him if he ever wants a solo career in the future.

Quoting:My favorite, "In A Manner of Speaking," was written by Winston Tong of TuxedoMoon.  They were a fascinating progressive art-rock group from San Francisco.  They were somewhere between Ryuichi Sakamoto and The Residents.  Their original version of "Manner" (on their album "Holy Wars") is very minimal and spooky sounding. 8)
End Quote

I have heard all the original songs from the Counterfeit EP, and my favourite is The Durutti Column's "Smile In The Crowd." I really would like to hear more of them! I was impressed. :) My favourite Martin cover on the EP though? "Never Turn Your Back On Mother Earth." Absolutely gorgeous song, and much better than the original. It brings tears to my eyes. :D

Absolutely Vile

Quoting:
I am definitely NOT a fan of boy bands in the least, but New Kids On The Block had Jordan Knight. Like George Michael, Jordan had a uni-brow. I hate uni-brows. They're ugly.

End Quote

I think generally Jordan definitely wasn't considered as the "ugly guy" in the band. On quite the contrary, he was one of the most popular members (don't forget we are talking about a boy band where popularity has to do with looks)! I think the one who had the least fans was rather Danny. He was the "ugly guy" of NKOTB.

BTW, I was never a fan of NKOTB or any other boy band but some of my classmates were....  :P  ;D

Quoting:
I have heard all the original songs from the Counterfeit EP, and my favourite is The Durutti Column's "Smile In The Crowd." I really would like to hear more of them! I was impressed. :) My favourite Martin cover on the EP though? "Never Turn Your Back On Mother Earth." Absolutely gorgeous song, and much better than the original. It brings tears to my eyes. :D
End Quote

Ah, Sparks' song, and a great message for our time, I still haven't heard the original.  I should seek it out.  "Smile in the Crowd" is my second favorite after "In A Manner of Speaking."  I liked those two the best because I was very melodramatic when I was younger.
I was just listening to some very early DM.  The song "Shout" (b-side "New Life") has a unique sound in their catalogue.  There's no other DM song that has the same sound.  It would segue well with Patrick Hernandez's "Born to be Alive," which was popular a bit before DM emerged.  There's a latino-pop flavor to "Shout," which may just be coincidental.  You can hear early vestiges of Erasure in "Shout."
Another record worth searching out is the "Some Bizzare" album from 1980/81.  That early version of "Photographic" is great.  The lead synth melody is very Cars like (the band, not the song).  Besides, Some Bizzare has introductory songs from Soft Cell, Blancmange, The The, and other cool stuff, like the funny ghost story "Central Park" by Blah Blah Blah.

Quoting:


I know this is old and has already been discussed, but something occurred to me... I don't think Martin was adopted. His biological dad was a black American who came to England in the late 50's and went back to America sometime after Martin came to be, obviously not sticking around long enough to get to know him. His mum kept it secret from Martin 'til he was 31 in 1992.

For details, see www.martinleegore.com/profile.html

I had totally forgot about this discrepancy earlier, sorry! :)

Absolutely Vile
End Quote

Is that his natural hair color?


Howard

Quoting:
   I can't help it.  Whenever I think of Duran Duran, I always think of poor Andy Taylor.  I mean, how would you feel if you were...THE UGLY GUY IN THE BAND?
   
End Quote

I'm sorry What did you just say? :o

Quoting:
Hmmm...let's see...


As for Duran Duran, I always thought Roger Taylor was the more unattractive one. Again with the drummer...



End Quote

:o I can't believe you guys are saying these things.

Quoting:
ooohhh Daffy,you shouldn't have said that....you're making her cry! :D


Howard
End Quote

Bite me! ;D

Quoting:


Bite me! ;D
End Quote

Bite John... :-X ;D

Howard

Quoting:


Is that his natural hair color?


Howard
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What, blonde? Probably. Depending on which picture you look at, his hair is more blonde than others, so he's obviously bleached it or something. Naturally, I think he's more of a sandy blonde, although it looks dark in my avatar pic. :)

Absolutely Vile

Quoting:

:o I can't believe you guys are saying these things.
End Quote

I was just being objective! :D They are all not without their charm, but I fancied John Taylor and Nick Rhodes. I didn't really think much of the rest...even Simon Le Bon! He was OK, but still nothing compared to John and Nick. :P

Absolutely Vile

Quoting:



Bite John... :-X ;D

Howard
End Quote

No, I'd rather  :-* him instead.

Quoting:

No, I'd rather  :-* him instead.
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or how about his.....(  )  :-* :-X

Howard

Quoting:

No, I'd rather  :-* him instead.
End Quote

I wouldn't mind biting John, but maybe that's just the masochist in me. ;)

Absolutely Vile

Quoting:


I wouldn't mind biting John, but maybe that's just the masochist in me. ;)

Absolutely Vile
End Quote

:P ;D!


Howard

Quoting:



or how about his.....(  )  :-* :-X

Howard
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Now now...this is just getting perverted and dirty!! ;D  8) Biting his...(  )...would hurt, and we wouldn't want to do that. (Unless he likes that sort of thing...) :P

Absolutely Vile

Quoting:



:P ;D!


Howard
End Quote

Yeah, I wouldn't mind doing :P to him either. ;)

Absolutely VIle

Quoting:
I think I'm gonna shut up now! and leave until I say something else that's dirty!

I'm such a filthbag!) :D


Howard
End Quote

No don't! This is fun! ;D

I'm a sick puppy too!

Absolutely Vile

Quoting:


No don't! This is fun! ;D

I'm a sick puppy too!

Absolutely Vile
End Quote

Shakes head. I'm not going to say anything about that.

Quoting:
Its usually the drummer....
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Wow! This is so true...Cyrus in New Found Glory.