Who Can it Be Now - Men At Work | College Students' FIRST TIME REACTION! 

I agree about this song...my least favorite of their hits. Y'all gotta go to "Down Under," "Overkill," and especially "It's a Mistake."

I remember this as a kid when it came out lol I'm 47 now and still love it

@@christopherdeguilio6375 down under is their best imo, followed by its a mistake, a Cold War song

Actually "Business As Usual" was released in April of 1982 in the US, (1981 for Australia)...

@@Deborahtunes True, but it became #1 in the US in late 1982 and into 1983. "Down Under" was #1 in 1983, all the singles except "Who Can It Be Now?" were released in 1983 and they won their Grammy in 1983. Plus they toured the US and did the US Festival in 83. So 83 was their big year.

they were so huge, and i think they were savvy to jump on the video as a promotional art form, and to play up their humorous side. i think their humor really helped their broad appeal, especially during that early 80s period when New Wave and New Romanticism was rather serious-feeling.

Remember this band well. Back then the sax / other instruments were common in our music. Great musicianship in the bands. More variety. Reminds me of Huey Lewis and the News, which i recall had big hits just a few years later.

ah yes...the kiss of death that is that best new artist grammy...other casualties of which were Jody Watley, Christopher Cross, Toni Braxton and most cringingly, Milli Vanilli which was later rescinded.

Yes, if you listen to nothing else from MAW, you must listen to Overkill.

I agree. Love this song ❤️

@@philiphatterman5335 That's the one I came here to suggest.

As someone who suffers from depression, Overkill is so relatable.

Overkill is up there with their best. (On a side note to post Gen X'ers, observe of the correct use of "there" and "their" in the previous sentence).

There’s an acoustic version of Overkill that’s amazing!

That’s my favorite Men At Work song!

@@dancingmachine47 Yup, from SCRUBS. I remember it VERY well... so much so I learned how to play it.

That is an outstanding MAW song. The melody always takes me back mentally to that time period.

@@dancingmachine47 This one, I always loved Colin Hays voice, very underrated. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-quzZaJI4b1A.html

Definitely second "Never Tear us apart."

I remember watching them live in concert on Mtv and they were just tearing it up! Big fan!

Love INXS. third vote for Never Tear us Apart. What you need, need you tonight,new sensation, beautiful girl all worth a listen. Beds are burning by midnight oil is a good call.

Overkill is probably my favorite song of theirs!

Agreed on 'In A Big Country'! Also, it was one of my favorite songs to play on Rock Band (2?).

@@sirhoopalot1 It’s so good isn’t it? I love it when it comes up on my playlist.

I think the instrument Big Country used was called an ebow. I could be spelling that wrong.

The bagpipe sound was achieved using an MXR M-129 Pitch Transposer

YES!!!

Watch the ‘Scrubs’ montage. Brilliant

Definitely.

Yes Colin is definitely an animated artist, it's better watching him live.

New Sensation, Need You Tonight, What You Need, and Never Tear Us Apart are all great songs by them.

Suicide Blond, too.

@@Kraffff Suicide Blond

Start with Don't Change.

Listen Like Thieves Devil Inside Disappear

"Don't Change" would be an outstanding intro to INXS.

I’d love to see an introduction to INXS with something earlier like that! Other reactors hit their later hits, but Don’t Change, Burn For You, and The One Thing were my introduction to them and I fell in love with their sound.

@@amyk9175 absolutely agree! Those early songs really hooked me and stay with me today.

I’ve been begging

INXS is a deep dive. They never had a bad song. “Never Tear Us Apart” would be my favorite if I were forced to pick.

That Scrubs cameo was great! I actually bought the show's soundtrack on CD back in the day just to have that stripped down version of Overkill. Good stuff!

@@albertsmith9315 He also had a great song on the “Garden State” movie soundtrack, another Zach Braff project.

Be good is great!

Agree 💯 %

You mean saxophone in popular music, correct?

@@fuchsiaswing8545 I do indeed. It’s disappeared in recent years.

@@JKM395 It is truly saddening. It was a rock-and-roll staple from the Stones’ “Brown Sugar” to Lou Reed’s “Walk on the Wild Side.” We need more brass.

"Overkill" and "Be Good Johnny" are also really good songs by them. Such a big and refreshing arrival by them. Too bad they didn't have more legs. IMHO, in this period there were a lot of 70s rock bands do bad reimaginings that were probably driven by record company execs, and also a lot of 80s pop that was utterly sterile, from simpler arrangements but also the newish digital recordings. Men at Work were a refreshing element in this time. They also had some nice staying power in pop culture. I like this version in "Scrubs" more than I like the original! ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-jrGmcuj44DQ.html&ab_channel=HugeScrubsFan

Andy mentioned he has heard Down Under. Overkill. But I saw them in Australia and they far better live!

@@jgsrhythm100 and Alex has not heard Down Under.

@@surlechapeau True, music share Monday

Absolute YES to The Church !!

@@Xman156 preach! 🙌🌌

Yes to the Church, Midnight Oil, and especially, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds!!

I totally loved the MAW version, but Colin's solo version is just beautiful!

@@MissAstorDancer and his song from Garden State is awesome. I Just Don’t Think I’ll Ever Get Over You.

I second that!

Can't agree, I tried liking Midnight Oil, but their in-your-face politics are the very definition of "jejune"

I think they actually had a lot of great songs with "Beds Are Burning" just being the best-known. "The Dead Heart" on that same record is even better IMHO. And when we're diving into Aussie bands then there's no way around INXS, I'd say. Certainly one of the best 80s bands in general. Oh, and Crowded House, of course, another Aussie gem from that era.

Some INXS!!

That whole album kicks ass!

Agreed...maybe because the lyrics hit too close to home...

@@chuckmeyers1153 It's not a jolly pop song. It brings underlying emotions to the surface. So true for so many people.

Hay's voice on this track especially always makes me think of Huey Lewis, especially from stuff like "The Heart of Rock and Roll". An Australian Huey Lewis singing for The Outfield definitely comes pretty close to describing at least this particular Men at Work song I think.

Outfield were much later in the '80s and, lucky, one-hit wonder pop-blather. They are '80s boredom while Men At Work are genius. Relating the 2 is: not acceptable nor viable. No.

Man, I had (and wore out...lol) all of the cassettes of both the Outfield and Men at Work. I liked both bands very much, but in NO way shape or form were Men at Work "better" than The Outfield! They both had many good songs that I liked, but overall, Cover to Cover of all albums added, The Outfield were much better songwriters and moved me more with their songs. But don't get me wrong they Both influenced me much because I listened to them a LOT. A lot of it is timing probably...I was only 11/12 when this album came out, and the outfield stuff came out just a few years later really after the men at work were on the backside of their huge success! But cheers to the listen!

@@geneferguson7408 I fear, sir, that you may be using the term "good songs" in the commonized fashion: i.e.: "...I like them... ...so, they're 'really good'..." However: what I was referring to (and, likely, should have been more specific about) was: actual song-writing (and arrangement). The Outfield had "attractive head-boppers" which were" earworms and made girls shake & bounce ... ...they weren't terrible, or anything, however: they, also, were: pretty basic and unspectacular. ...from a song-writing standpoint. Also: much poppier and "flood the radio - years later: the elevator..."🤪 ...I mean name me ONE Outfield track that has the mood or texture or nuance of, say: "Down By The Sea"; the GORGEOUS "Catch A Star" or, even "Touching The Untouchables". ...or a song like: "It's A Mistake" (which may be the finest pop-rock song of the '80s!) ... Colin Hay and Ron Strykert were geniuses ...and even after Men At Work came apart, Colin was giving solo performances, in rooms; sometimes with 20 people in them (sometimes 200🤷🤷), at the same level of excellence, intimacy and strength, night-after-night. -It's ...whatever. You came out preferring The Outfield (for whatever reasons). I cannot, nor would ever want to, "fight with" your memories or the pleasing sense of nostalgia that their music offers you. As I believe I, already, stated: they didn't "suck," outright ...but: I see little to compare these 2 bands and ...if we are going to start breaking-down songs: MEN AT WORK wins. Easily. (...which is why I recommend their music to those who have an interest in learning about/pursuing the craft.). 👍

He did it for an episode of Scrubs. It really reinvigorated his career.

Either one would be great. I wish the Prince estate wasn’t so stingy with copyright. Could introduce a lot of younger people my age (I’m 20) to his stuff

When this first came out I thought it was The Police.

Not in Australia.

Definitely, MTV drove this song’s popularity.

Ah, Be Good Johnny is a gem!

Always liked that one.

Yes, I think Men at Work have something unique. Colin has a magnificent voice. Almost limitless range but also with a real depth of tone, airyness and incredible vibrato control. I love the duel guitar which to my mind, almost gives the music an African township type texture. The Rhythm section were perfect for the times and Greg Ham's Sax, Keyboards and Flute parts were integral to their great songs.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who caught this, as I just commented " The element of this song that always tickled me was how the drums mimicked " knocking " when Colin Hay would sing " who can it be knocking at my door ? ... " and the drumbs would echo this with the three more pronounced " bang-bang-band "

And ya, this one is the killer solo 😂

Hey @John H!