Technopolis Update 1983 to 2018

In 1983 the Hull based Rock Band, The Red Guitars, issued perhaps their best known single "Good Technology" - a grinding riff driving along staccato lyrics on the theme of the wonders of that era. 

Contemporary and archived reviews liked it as much as I did having also seen it performed live at Cottingham Civic Hall at the time.

Via one delicious melody and an ominously building beat, Red Guitars itemise the sundry achievements of modern science, from underarm personal hygiene to the hardware of instant Armageddon. In so doing, the song constructs an unforgettable vision of a world that's grown too clever by one-and-a-half at least.   Paul Du Noyer, NME, 27/08/83

Good Technology is one of those tracks that grabs you by the ears on first listen, the sort of thing that even before it's halfway through you know you love. Tense pulsing background with sharp spikes of guitar, it's clearly not long after early Talking Heads and New Romantics. It swells and spreads, expansive and awkward, but the thing that sets it apart and makes it worthy of remembering twenty years on is the arresting lyric. Dust on the Stylus Blog

The single reached number 4 in the UK Indie Charts and John peel put it high up in his Festive Fifty Chart in 1983. 

I thought that I would revisit the lyrics and bring them up to date for the 21st Century.

We've got photographs of men on the moon

I’m not wanting to get into the whole conspiracy thing as although things have developed at a pace we are still no nearer standing on another bit of space rock although a mission to Mars is a current buzz-phrase.

We've got water that is good for us

That can be another matter for debate, what with the ethical, cultural and ecological arguments over extraction of water supplies for commercial bottling in some countries and in the process denying local farmers their lifeblood.

We've got coffee that's instantaneous

Yes, Nescafe and other brands were quite exciting and sophisticated in the 1970’s and early 80’s but have been surpassed by the lifestyle trends of going for a coffee at Costa, Starbucks, etc.

We've got buildings that are very tall

And getting taller with the worlds tallest in 1984 being the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur but surpassed by the Burj Khalifa in Dubai at almost twice that height at 828 metres.

We've got cigarettes that are low in tar

Tar? That word is just mentioned in polite or any other conversation today as there are now other alternatives available to exploit the smokers in the population.

We've got policemen who can tell us who we are

Policemen- surely an archaic and gender specific term that is frowned upon. Police Officer is the correct title but you may not see one anyway out on the traditional beat. You might need an identity card to prove who you are.

We can reproduce a work of art

The scope of 3D printing is scary from artificial human organs to hand guns and all things in between. I think the song probably referred to a good photocopier or lithographic machine which were hi-tec then

We've got missiles can tear the world apart

Everyone now seems to have this type of weaponry and with varying degrees of willingness to use them.

Good, good, good, good, good, good technology

Ditto

We've got trains that run underground

So did the Victorians but perhaps a premonition of the Channel Tunnel link which did not open until 10 years after the release of the song

Aeroplanes that fly very fast

Not if grounded by volcanic ash, safety or anti-terrorism measures.

We've got music that is popular

Must be talking about Coldplay

We've got machines that sound like orchestras

Nowadays we tend to have orchestras that sound like machines.

We've got ability to transplant a heart

And just about every other part of the human body with the head not far off being the next huge leap in medical science

We've got freezers full of body parts

No need for this if we can print them in 3D. Our local pet shop has something like this for the vivarium keepers.

We've got computers that can find us friends

Like✅

We know roughly when the world will end

Seems to be a prediction for every other day under the actions of the current crop of global leaders, movers and shakers.

Good, good, good, good, good, good technology

Ditto

We've got animals with transistors in

I think they are now much smaller and called microchips- a bit more comfortable than a massive transistor!!

We've got pills that can make you slim

Still in that quest for the perfect human form. Most likely to be a scam.

We've got factories turning frozen chickens out

Still about the same then

We've got ovens that cook in seconds flat

The microwave oven was a novelty in 1984 and predicted to be the only thing that would be needed for the modern lifestyle. Personally I’ve never had one.

We've got plastics that are indestructible

May have been a positive factor back in the day for Tupperware but now the consequences are being felt globally about persistent plastics.

We've got deodorants that make us smell of flowers

I think that the current Lynx Range is more than just floral scents

We've got detergents to clean up the sea

Probably not enough to make an impact (see indestructible plastics-above)

We've got sounds that can tear us inside out

Ultrasound? Coldplay songs?

Sometimes I wonder what it is all about

You and me also

There's lots of leisure time to sit and work it out

The biggest falsehood of modern life

There's a TV show I've got to see

Big Brother, Love Island, TOWIE, etc

Good, good, good, good, good, good technology

Good technology

Lyrics by Stuart Ross

Follow this link for the song

Red Guitars and original video