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I really love the song ‘Far From Over’ by Frank Stallone from Staying Alive (1983). Every time I hear it my brain dishes out a little dopamine; if it comes on shuffle while I’m out on my run I instantly energise. I love almost every detail (THREAD)
Before we even get to the music, I love that Sly Stallone got his brother to write the score. And the hubris of this movie to suggest that Travolta’s Tony Moreno character from Saturday Night Fever ever had a chance of success on Broadway as a professional dancer… HAHAHAHA
That opening repeating piano note with the syncopated chord stabs - I think it’s hella cool and reminds me of the opening of Survivor’s Eye of the Tiger, which came out the year earlier & I reckon Stallone loved that song a lot and maybe he told his bro to write something similar
There’s a lot of piano and syn-brass here and I live for the combo. The whole rhythm section sounds badass and powerful and high energy. The kick and snare sound TUFF, right on top of things
The ‘shake me darlin’’ bit (is it a chorus? Maybe just a ‘b’ section), I love that string note that comes in (0.39)… and I LIVE for how it’s replaced with a tiny high piano ‘plink’ that one time in the final reprise (2:59). Yes Frank
We need to talk about the start of the bridge (0:55), that seems to count (to my ear) 3/4 4/4 5/4 … and the break into a gnarly double tracked guitar solo that breaks into Allman Bros style harmony at the end. The 3-4-5 count doesn’t (quite) happen again, it’s so extra.
At 1:29 we get treated to a middle section that gives me everything I ever wanted in a powerful early 80s piano rock track: virtuoso synth arpeggios, white noise whooshes and an epic tone sweep… followed by a surprise faux-Baroque counterpoint feature (!)
And I haven’t even mentioned the video, which features lingering horny shots of v flexible dancers rehearsing braless in high cut leotards and leg warmers, & Travolta’s oiled up shoulders.
Travolta seems to have a ‘signature’ jumping move that we see repeatedly here, and I love how in all of the group dance scenes he's clearly out. We also get to enjoy some no-hand cartwheels. Also I love Cynthia Rhodes in this, and her Bea Arthur-style mullet
Finally, I love that Frank went back a tweaked it. This version was released in 84, more syn-brass licks! Weird tappy percussion, furious 16th hats in B section, a new, wetter mix. I love how minor & inconsequential these changes are
