another sign I was born in the wrong decade

follow me a little bit on this story.

I was viewing a few recent videos by The Decemberists from their tour supporting their recently released album "the hazards of love" (a great album, btw), when I stumbled on a video of them doing a live cover of "crazy on you" by heart which they seem to have been doing in quite a few of their shows. The video of them doing this cover actually gave me shivers by how good this song is. I was feeling pretty pumped about how good this band, The Decemberist is. That's until I went and checked out some videos of the original.


Not. Even. Comparable.
In 1976, the music Heart played put the Decemberists' version to shame. but I can kind of forgive them. I mean, they aren't really a hard rock band. And they're pretty good with what they do.

Now, I remember Heart from when I was growing up. But, I remember "Alone" and "These Dreams" and songs like those from their 1985 album "Heart", which I can't say I remember that specifically, but I think that it was OK with quite a few catchy eighties type songs. I think I even learned how to play "Alone" on the piano. But now as I'm browsing thru a few of their 80s videos, I can't help thinking, "how could a band that played the way they did in the late 70s switch to this type of music?!!"

And it reminds me of something I guess I've thought a number of times: "did everyone just turn stupid for like 6 or 8 years in the 80s?"

reading a bit of the history of "crazy on you", I guess it was inspired by the vietnam war and other shitty things that were going on in the world in the early 1970s. Perhaps, not having any inspiration in the 80s can explain it. Probably it just stems from the natural evolution of a rock & roll band. Once they're huge, they get worse. I don't know. trying to please their fans too much....? just trying to make as much money as possible.....?
case in point: post-"Joshua Tree" U2