Tusk at 40: FM's defining record

[jbrownsjr]

Originally Posted by BombaySapphire3

I don't believe that Angel was ever a single.. It got airplay on rock radio for the first few months after Tusk's release. It would have made a better 4th single than Sisters though as it is more poppy and catchy even though Sisters is the superior song IMO.

I think Never Forget, Angel and Tusk would have been good choices.

[David]

Originally Posted by jbrownsjr

I think Never Forget, Angel and Tusk would have been good choices.

From the point of view of Warner Brothers, the traditional idea of a radio-friendly single that would appeal to a mass audience was very strong.

But from the point of view of the band (or at least some of the band), that idea was tiresome. Why give the radio audience what it expects? Give it something it doesn’t expect, like Tusk, a track that didn’t sound remotely like anything else on the radio in the US in 1979. Tusk was a brilliant idea for a first single, not only because it’s a great track but because it’s a completely new idea for a radio single—it’s an anti-single. Its response on radio was mostly positive on its own terms (everyone was talking about it in 1979—it wasn’t flying under anyone’s radar), and that weirdness combined with its sonic power (a jungle statement) also made it a longstanding artifact of USC Trojan culture in the years after. (I attended many, many Trojan football games at the Coliseum, and Tusk at halftime was always rowdy and popular. Unlike a lot of other halftime nonsense, it energized the stadium.)

After Tusk, it didn’t matter what the singles were. Nothing was going to make the album sell millions more, and the tour itself was pushing the weirdness quotient that the band wanted to push that year (where songs onstage lost all resemblance to their sleek, smooth studio counterparts).

Before June 1982, nobody knew what Mirage was going to sound like. Tusk succeeded in that way.

[jbrownsjr]

Originally Posted by David

From the point of view of Warner Brothers, the traditional idea of a radio-friendly single that would appeal to a mass audience was very strong.

But from the point of view of the band (or at least some of the band), that idea was tiresome. Why give the radio audience what it expects? Give it something it doesn’t expect, like Tusk, a track that didn’t sound remotely like anything else on the radio in the US in 1979. Tusk was a brilliant idea for a first single, not only because it’s a great track but because it’s a completely new idea for a radio single—it’s an anti-single. Its response on radio was mostly positive on its own terms (everyone was talking about it in 1979—it wasn’t flying under anyone’s radar), and that weirdness combined with its sonic power (a jungle statement) also made it a longstanding artifact of USC Trojan culture in the years after. (I attended many, many Trojan football games at the Coliseum, and Tusk at halftime was always rowdy and popular. Unlike a lot of other halftime nonsense, it energized the stadium.)

After Tusk, it didn’t matter what the singles were. Nothing was going to make the album sell millions more, and the tour itself was pushing the weirdness quotient that the band wanted to push that year (where songs onstage lost all resemblance to their sleek, smooth studio counterparts).

Before June 1982, nobody knew what Mirage was going to sound like. Tusk succeeded in that way.

I completely agree. I love Tusk as the first single. I was commenting on what would have been more radio friendly. I even like Tusk's running order. And I did NOT when I first bought it.

[Jondalar]

I love the experimentalness of Tusk, Honey Hi and Brown Eyes.

[Macfan4life]

I don't think anyone disagrees that Tusk was experimental and sort of anti-corporate rock. Bravo. It was a huge risk to dare to be so different.
HOWEVER, lets talk about the band post-Tusk. IMHO life after Tusk killed the band's creativity. While I like Mirage, it was an album that swung way too far into the pop/adult contemporary sphere that was so anti-Tusk. It was purposely commercial almost sweet bubble gum high pop greatness. Then Tango came along and the band again was under HUGE pressure for a commercial success after 5 years apart. We get sweet 80s synth pop. So while Tusk was considered a refreshing change, its impact sort of ruined their rock chops to some extent IMHO.

[sasja]

What Makes You Think You're the One ?

Awesomeness for 40 years long! Still just LOVE that song SO much!

[bombaysaffires]

Originally Posted by Macfan4life

I don't think anyone disagrees that Tusk was experimental and sort of anti-corporate rock. Bravo. It was a huge risk to dare to be so different.
HOWEVER, lets talk about the band post-Tusk. IMHO life after Tusk killed the band's creativity. While I like Mirage, it was an album that swung way too far into the pop/adult contemporary sphere that was so anti-Tusk. It was purposely commercial almost sweet bubble gum high pop greatness. Then Tango came along and the band again was under HUGE pressure for a commercial success after 5 years apart. We get sweet 80s synth pop. So while Tusk was considered a refreshing change, its impact sort of ruined their rock chops to some extent IMHO.

One review (Rolling Stone maybe?) described the whole album as having a music-box quality and to me that's an apt description of the sort of..... tinkly....elements on most of the songs.

[aleuzzi]

Issuing “Tusk” (the song) as the lead single was the right choice. So left field and so bizarre in comparison to anything from the previous two records (or eight records). It’s not only my favorite song from the album but one of my favorites from the entire band catalogue—as iconic and palate cleansing as “Hypnotized” or “Albatross,” but weirder, so much weirder.

The lush, mysterious “Sara” makes for great contrast. “Think About Me” lands somewhere between the elegant folk of “Storms” and the frenzied rockabilly of “”That’s Enough for Me.”

[Macfan4life]

Originally Posted by bombaysaffires

One review (Rolling Stone maybe?) described the whole album as having a music-box quality and to me that's an apt description of the sort of..... tinkly....elements on most of the songs.

Yes. The band (except Lindsey) felt they had made a mistake with Tusk (shortly after Tusk, not today) and were always chasing pop radio. So while Tusk was anti-corporate and anti-commercial, its impact on the band made them more corporate and more commercial with their final 2 albums with this line up. While I appreciate Tusk, the Tusk hangover impacted their greatness IMHO. I don't see Mirage and Tango as having the depth of greatness their first 3 albums had with this line up.