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The. Greatest.

I couldn't resist. I just randomly found this, and cannot fucking believe there's a video for it. I've seriously worshipped this song since I was 9 years old. One of the greatest 80's rock/pop songs ever written, from by far the greatest movie ever made:

Fucking unbelievable.

When I was a kid I held a tape recorder up to the TV and recorded all the songs from this movie onto a tape and listened to it in my walkman while I rode my shitty old BMX bike around my neighborhood. Totally classic! Ha, ha...

Comments

  1. As amazing as this video already is, I enjoyed it ten-fold more knowing that you recorded the music on a tape recorder so you could listen to it while you rode your bike. You are the coolest, Andrew!

    Some things I like: the close-up shots where the only things visibly identifying Farnham are his dentures; the conga drum fills on the ‘80s drum kit; the chorus back-up trying to hide Farnham’s awful vocal range; the criminally subdued electric guitar. 

    “Frozen in silence, facing it alone. Gotta keep my cool, make them think I’m stone.”

    4.18.2008 | By CRM

  2. While I can understand how you could have loved this song when you were a kid riding on your BMX, I have difficulties to stomach it today personaly. But, hey, I liked the first single of the Spice Girls the first time I heard it, so ...

    4.19.2008 | By Hororo

  3. Having been a regular reader of this blog for a few years, it’s been clear to me that I have a very different taste than you, both in current and “classic” music. This, however, is something we can agree 100% on. The song’s just an amazing and overlooked all time great. Incredibly inspirational. I play it at my boxing gym almost everyday, just because it’s got that “training montage” vibe, that was so prevalent in 80ies sport movies, from Rocky to Rad. This song is by far the superior song in that regard.

    4.19.2008 | By Tom_DK

  4. Man, I am absolutely weak for songs like these, despite barely being old enough to remember the era. Well done, Andrew.

    4.19.2008 | By xGabex

  5. what is the movie title?

    4.19.2008 | By Anonymous

  6. So that’s what Rebecca did before she married Uncle Jesse. Movie is “Rad” literally and by title.

    4.19.2008 | By Jon

  7. Oh yeah?

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/guav/290083755/

    4.19.2008 | By Guav

  8. DUDE.  Incredible!  Ha, ha… that’s fucking awesome.

    4.19.2008 | By Andrew Aversionline

  9. Lol, Guav, looks like the bike threw you off like a rodeo bull throwing a cowboy! :D

    4.19.2008 | By Tom_DK

  10. Although this song is a classic I feel this genre begins and ends with this tune:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fWvub_WBho

    “And nothings gonna ever keep you down…”

    4.19.2008 | By Chris

  11. Seriously now, “You’re the best” might be the greatest song in the history of mankind. “Angel of death” ain’t SHIT compared. If I could listen to only one song for the rest of my life and the mood at the time was a little enthusiastic, that song would be it. Play it loud, mutha.

    4.19.2008 | By svein

  12. oh man. i agree with all you crazy people!! and another thing, Elisabeth Shue made that movie great. what an inspiration to look over and see her biting her lip at you… man i’d be good for another ten rounds against that asshole Johnny. Altho she did undermine the movie’s credibility somewhat: she looked like she could easily kick ralph’s ass.

    4.19.2008 | By FLU MANCHU

  13. Joe “Bean” Esposito is definitely admirable for that track, but Farnham still takes it for me with “Break the Ice” and “Thunder in Your Heart”.  Those two are just an unstoppable double-whammy.

    But there’s also always the “Rocky” factor.  Everyone knows “Eye of the Tiger”, but Robert Tepper is another oft-forgotten genius, and this video is absolutely fucking impeccable on every possible level:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmJ-CY-2z_w

    I mean, the guy is wearing a fucking BACKLESS VEST (wait ‘til he takes off the trenchcoat).  What the fuck is that!?  Simply incredible…

    4.19.2008 | By Andrew Aversionline

  14. oh yeah man, that song rules!! Tepper can actually sing too. i mean i really get pumped hearing that chorus. who could resist that shit. i dont have any theories on whats up with that vest tho.

    4.19.2008 | By FLU MANCHU

  15. Oh man.  I loved “No Easy Way Out” but never have seen the video.  Utterly rediculous - the vest, the fog, the stage moves.  LOLZ

    4.19.2008 | By defcon 4

  16. Oh man! With that music, I am glad I chose skateboarding! GEEZ!
    Seriously, I did see “RAD” back in the day, but I have never been “right” after I saw “THRASHIN’!

    Ride on regardless, brother!

    4.20.2008 | By willhandicap

  17. someone actually either had the soundtrack or ripped it from a dvd or something. i’ll up a file of the soundtrack. and you go to remember the video for send me an angel with the dudes in the forest. they would have been better off using the freakin’ freestyle stuff from the high school dance in the movie. and yeah lori laughlin was way hot. i went to the theater to see this and kept the f’n bmx action with behind the scenes and everything for years. anyway…..soundtrack coming soon

    rockon

    4.21.2008 | By ben

  18. Thrashin’ var definitely the superior movie, I have to agree, but I’m probably biased since I was a skater… :) Pretty cool soundtrack with Circle Jerks, among others, too.

    4.21.2008 | By Anonymous

  19. oh yeah fucking THRASHIN’. Probably the best skate movie I know (and maybe the only one hahaha…)

    4.21.2008 | By Bill

  20. Thrasin’ is the greatest movie ever made.

    4.21.2008 | By svein

  21. And one day I will learn to spell the title. THRASHIN’.

    4.21.2008 | By svein

  22. thrashin’ wins the female category for having sherilyn fenn.

    4.21.2008 | By ben

  23. here’s the rad soundtrack for those wanting all the genius in one place

    http://www.mediafire.com/?x1mjzwmmxsi

    4.21.2008 | By ben

  24. “Thrashin’” was awesome, definitely right up there, but I still prefer “Rad” somehow.  I don’t know, just more childhood memories, I guess.  “Gleaming the Cube” was fucking great, too.  “Thrashin’” was more of a “true” skate movie I guess, but… still.  It’s fucking criminal that “Gleaming the Cube” is out of print on DVD… not to mention that fucking “Rad” was never even officially released on DVD.  It just doesn’t make any sense!

    4.21.2008 | By Andrew Aversionline

  25. Gleaming the cube exists on DVD in Europe, rather poncily retitled Skate or die.

    4.21.2008 | By svein

  26. !!! wow that brought back a tidal wave of memories seeing that

    but for un-cut grade A 80s cheese soundtracks I need to stick with Fast Times at Ridgemont High and Heavy Metal (which didn’t really have any metal on the soundtrack but its loaded end to end with classics)

    4.21.2008 | By vugelnox

  27. LOL, I was gonna post Tepper to rival the original post. This song basically drove me through a summer of backyard boxing with my friends. I’d win because of this song ,seriously.

    4.21.2008 | By Birkir

  28. great post and greater comments…but I’ll always have to put Rad second behind my fav. Austrailian bike movie BMX Bandits with the Nicole Kidman.

    Also did Gleaming The Cube ever release a soundtrack?  Couple of songs i always wanted to know what they were and could never find the info.

    4.22.2008 | By Hil

  29. I still have an ancient dubbed VHS of “BMX Bandits” from when I was a kid, too.  Ha, ha.  Another gem.  I should look for that shit on DVD as well!

    4.22.2008 | By Andrew Aversionline

  30. do anyone now how the fuck i can get the music from gleaming the cube? i have been trying for 2 years now and it´s impossible to find anything from the movie except the movie itself… please help me! .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

    5.27.2008 | By InXane

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