Let's talk about the 80s

By Claire Rye

Step into the neon-lit world of the Eighties with Claire Rye's captivating novella, "Let's Talk About the Eighties."
Follow Angela Sinders, a child of the era, whose choices lead her down an unexpected life path. Experience the nostalgia, the music, and a transformative journey through a first-person narrative.
Get ready to explore the balance between dreams and reality, as Angela's life unfolds, revealing the beauty and scars that come with each choice made along the way.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Claire Rye
• Release date: May 10, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224371822

Book preview

EPILOGUE

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Okay, let’s talk about the Eighties.

If you immediately think of leg warmers, teased hair and Pac-man, then you are probably too young to have actually been there. If you are thinking about no internet, public phone booths that smell like piss, and how a stretch cassette tape meant the end of your favourite album, then you were there.

Don’t get me wrong, the Eighties were great. Fucking great actually, but let’s not romanticise things too much. Vinyl does not add warmth and purity to the sound. A Vinyl record is a fragile, noise-crackling, giant black frisbee of fear. It was like holding the musical equivalent of a Fabergé egg. I do miss the album covers though, the tactile experience of sitting down and looking at the amazing artwork, the ‘would like to thank’ list, and if you were lucky, a fold out section for the lyrics. Nothing better. Nowadays, the tiny picture on my tiny screen, in the middle of a playlist, just doesn’t connect me to the artist in the same way.

You may have already heard; the Eighties were a time when anything was possible.

Greed was good. Excess was normal and self-expression came in so many different forms. That’s true. The Eighties were like that. But for those who didn’t live it, let me take you back and give you a closer look.

Ah yes, the Greaty Eighties! (Alright, I just made that up, no one really said that). Let’s continue. Everywhere you looked, there was this wild mashup of music, fashion, and technology. It was like anything goes and there wasn’t this scripted, cooky cutter, more of the same, kind of mindset that we have today. It was freedom.

Let start with the fashion choices. Okay, some were questionable, they were something else alright. But at least you actually had a choice. I’m talking Fluro-coloured spandex, shoulder pads big enough to double as pillows, and hairstyles that seemed to defy the laws of physics. You could be a punk, a mod, a headbanger, Nu-wave, pop, disco, Hip hop. Or you could be anything in-between, and there were a lot of in-betweeners.

And oh, the music! A veritable rollercoaster ride of genres. You had the rebellious spirit of punk rock, the infectious beats of new wave, Poppy stuff, disco stuff, early rap stuff and those timeless rock anthems from bands we didn’t realise were legends in the making. We took their talent for granted. Because there was so much talent! It was just the thing. No autotune, no sophisticated audio editing software. If you heard something ridiculously good, it was because it was ridiculously good. Full stop.  

But it wasn’t just about the music and fashion. The Eighties were a time of big moments. Blockbuster movies that defined a generation, iconic TV shows that are still binge-watched today, and who could forget the iconic history making big moments like the fall of the Berlin Wall, Live Aid, and the invention of the Mullet haircut.

And amidst all of that going on, we were on the brink of something huge: the rise of personal computers and the dawn of the digital age. You could practically feel the excitement in the air, actually no, you couldn’t. Noone actually cared about technology. It wasn’t really a thing, and we didn’t have any clue of what it would become, but we were doing it! Yes, granted back in the Eighties, mobile phones weren’t exactly the sleek, pocket-sized marvels we have now. It was more like lugging around a house brick with an antenna, but it was the birth of what you have today and the Eighties say... ‘You’re welcome.’

During the Eighties, I was in my youth, underage for the first half of the decade. However, that didn’t stop me from having the time of my life. Picture this. A slim young thing with long blonde hair, green eyes, bronze youthful skin, and an hourglass figure that exuded maturity beyond her years. That was me folks. I was hot!

Back in the day, I was referred to as ‘Jailbait’. I think that term is way too offensive now, it was kind of offensive then, but that didn’t stop (more like encouraged) us to release our first hit single under the same name. ... Oh yeah, that’s right, I forgot to mention. I was in a rock band as well. Ohhhh, now I have your attention, but more about that later.

Jailbait was a tremendous success. Locally, it was banned before we made it properly famous. Maybe we should have rethought the name. The younger me wanted the controversy, but now the older me wants the Royality cheque. We totally should have renamed the single. It was a good song despite its, what’s the word I am looking for, immature stupidness?  

So, let’s recap. I am young, I am hot, I am in a rock band and it’s the Eighties.

Right, so now you know I have got some juicy stories I could tell. But I only want to tell you one. My story, a story of choices. How I was, what I became, and the one decision that led me to this very moment. A moment filled with unregretful regret. Does that make sense? Probably not, but maybe once you get to know me, it will.

I don’t want to sound all serious though, in the midst of all the mess and pain, there was a beautiful chaos of laughter and love and I wouldn’t trade it for anything else. For all of my life’s faults, scars, bumps and bruises, I wouldn’t have done it any other way.... Maybe the peroxide crimped mullet could have done with a re-think, but overall, I wouldn’t change a thing.

That’s just life, my life, and I am ready to share it with you now.

You coming or what?

1965

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Born to be wild.

I was born in Gosford New South Wales. Australia. When I lived there it was just a busy little town and now it is just a busy big town. A lot has changed and yet stayed the same. 

It is about eighty-five kilometres from the state’s capital, Sydney, or as we called it back then, ‘The Big Smoke’. We used to only ever go to the city when it was absolutely