Their greatest hits was given to me by Andrew, erstwhile boyfriend of my sister and of my onetime best friend. For a while, Andrew was a bessie mate.
He wasn't really giving me Air Supply,. It just happened to be on the other side of the tape that had a Brian May album on. All that remains of Brian May is Starfleet and Let Me Out. The rest was dire, so in a moment of extreme poverty* I used it to tape some hits off the radio.
It was slightly distracting, because he called round to give me a tape moments before an Adam and the Ants was being shown on the TV - in the days before video...
I've never really made my mind up about Air Supply, nor REO Speedwagon and Chicago, with whom I often confuse them. In no way do they fit my image or my demographic profile - but I stopped bothering about that twenty years ago.
All of their songs have nice tunes and words with meanings. But the voice of the lead singer gets very grating. I couldn't bear to hear them live - I'm not sure what would be bug me most, his voice or the thought of being surrounded by slightly autistic denim-clad males of un age certain with shapeless beards and headhair.
The words speak very powerfully to a teenager who is learning about love and emotions etc. I'm afraid now I am older and wiser more cynical, they just come over as sickly sweet schmaltz.
* it wasn't really extreme - I had shelter food clothes education etc etc but the pocket money didn't stretch to buying a blank tape cassette.
Comments