Maybe we should all go underground/And try to live a life without the sun./Please be careful not to

[dolari]

The last third of the Robotech series takes place in a completely devastated Earth. Society has broken down to a few small cities with loose laws, but global trading links. It's not cyberpunk dystopia...it's "raze the earth and try to move on." In that world, though, they have an idol star named Yellow Dancer.

After the horrifying showtunes of the first third of Robotech, the producers hired the lead singer of Paul Revere and the Raiders to make new music for this character, which led to something I've only ever seen in Robotech: Doomsday Rock.

Doomsday Rock was uplifting pop songs occuring just before, during or after a nuclear war (or in Robotech's case, 40 years after the razing of the earth and 15 years of aliens who keep destroying any attempt to make a cohesive government). Growing up in the spectre of Mutually Assured Destruction, it was actually kind of cool music to me, and I'm surprised it wasn't more popular given the arms race going on at that time and the atomic clock being REALLY REALLY close to midnight. In fact, I've seen maybe only one or two other songs outside of Robotech.

The music really went well with Yellow, but it didn't age very well at all. They're a product of their time - the show and the music was produced in 1985. It's full of tinny synths, drum loops and very 80s breathy lyrics.

The nice thing is that Michael Bradley redid the songs for a less 80s more 00s audience. It's still a product of the time, and it's still Doomsday Rock, which really doesn't translate to the kids these days, but it's still up there on "most played" on Winamp.

00s Version - Underground (3.91MB)
80s Version - Underground (4.06MB)

Yeah, I have wierd tastes. Heaven help you if you're getting a Mix CD from me. :D

Comments

[dredlily.livejournal.com]

O.O Must....have.....more. Please, oh great goddess of the robotech empire, praise us with more of this great music, I beg you. For all that is great and forever immortalized.~ Dred Lily ^w^V

[jenndolari.livejournal.com]

I'll point you where you can buy some. :)

http://www.robotech.com/store/viewproduct.php?id=226 - All the music from 1985

http://michaelbradleymusic.com/buynow.htm - "Lonely Soldier Boy - CD US Shipping" Which has the updated songs.

Mine's autographed. :D

[emilydm.livejournal.com]

Or "Lovely Solider Boy" if you go by the matrix on the inner ring of the CD.

[amw.livejournal.com]

Interesting you post this because the new NIN album that came out just a couple weeks ago is supposedly a high-concept end-of-the-world/apocalypse album. I still haven't heard it of course (stupid amazon and their slow deliveries) but i'll keep you informed ;-) Another concept album (well concept band really) i've heard of with a similar storyline is Coheed and Cambria. Don't own any of their stuff but a mate always plays them to me. They're very proggy. Maybe worth a listen.

[tekalynn.livejournal.com]

THAT'S who sang Yellow Dancer's music?! Seriously? And here I thought Cam just had a kickass singing voice. : )

I was just thinking about that character today. The Robotech version, not Mospeada, which I've never seen, though I want to. I flashed back to the bit in the novels where Lancer slips back into Yellow Dancer persona and takes a bath as her. That was lovely.

[jenndolari.livejournal.com]

>THAT'S who sang Yellow Dancer's music?! Seriously? And here I thought Cam
>just had a kickass singing voice. : )

After the Reba West Minmei song debacle, I think they decided to go with a professional singer. :)

[coyote247.livejournal.com]

Truly belated comment, but it took me a while to get my hands on the Robotech soundtrack, which listening to the improved Underground made me want to do.


Now personally I do like some of the rather sappy stuff of actual quality rather than showtuneyness (for example Saved by Science and Only a Fool), but I can definetly see what your talking about Doomrock with Look Out! The Sky is Falling, and We Will Win.


It's good music.

[jenndolari.livejournal.com]

I love it, I also love how "Expressive" it is, too. A lot of times when I'm drawing to a certainemotion, I'll throw a Robotech piece up on a loop.

One thing I'm going to ask Nikki to do is compose a little piece on the guitar like the piece on there that is one guitar with an echo for Carrie. I think it's "Love Triangle" or "Love Themes."