vl_mungo - jeezus, you go to all that trouble to bold the bands in your list, AND you list Sweet’s Desolation Boulevard??? You know your shit! Do you know how much I dig the 6-teens, let alone Fox on the Run?!?!? Now granted, they are officially glam, as opposed to power pop. But damn, they rock.
and
Hodge - I need to be up more on Badfinger, I know this. Look, it took me 20 years to get to Big Star. Give me time.
Won’t find any argument from me. I consider Pavement to be classic pop, and they certainly have enough guitar buzz to be considered power pop. Things like ‘Cut Your Hair’ and Slanted, Enchanted’s '‘Summer Babe’ are classic power pop in my eyes.
#1 Record made me a fan; Radio City keeps me coming back.
I don’t know if Chilton needed Bell, as you say, I mean they both shared credits on most of the songs on the debut, but I think the brilliant Radio City, which is basically a solo effort (though AMG claims Bell did contribute unaccredited to a couple tracks), proves that Chilton held his own.
#1 Record was actually my favorite for a long time, but Radio City just really, really clicked with me this fall. The A side on 1# Record is perhaps one of the greatest tour de forces in the history of rock music, but as an album, I find Radio City to be a more consistent listen. I’m not loyal though, so #1 Record might be back as the favorite next week.
I hafta side with Husker Dude on the #1 Record/Radio City argument. Sure, it’s a Sophie’s Choice sort of deal, but on balance, Radio City is clearly better. #1 Record has a few too many lame songs…The India Song!!! Yuck.
Not much of this discussion has been devoted to The Replacements. Sure, much of their early work owed more to punk than pop. Westerberg used the term ‘power trash’ to describe their sound. But their last three albums and fair amount of Westerberg’s solo catalogue I think falls in the power pop category. Heck…Amazon used "Waiting For Somebody’ in one of their commercials. It has to be pop then, right?
Also worth mentioning…there’s a live show that the Mats did on their tour with Tom Petty (called Shit, Shower and Shave, I think) that has a neat version of September Gurls. In true Replacements fashion, it’s sloppy and the words are mostly wrong, but it’s really great to listen to.
Goldmine had an article about the 50 Best American Power Pop Albums in 1997, I think. I don’t remember all of the entries, but I do remember that they included one of my left-field favorites, Sex Clark Five’s Strum & Drum! from 1987.
I’ll also throw in another nod of appreciation for Electric Version.
Well, I am a Big Star newbie - so many wasted years! - but am trying to catch up quickly, with Third/Sister Lover, Live and I am the Cosmos all arriving in a few days. So maybe I am where you were earlier, Husker Dude - #1 Record grabbed me, but I haven’t transitioned yet to Radio City keeping me there. I have been giving it more attention and the middle of the line up - Mod Lang, Back of a Car, Daisy (?), She’s a Mover and September Gurls are coming on pretty strong. I just wish the vocals where mixed a little cleaner on Gurls so I could hear them more. My problem, I know.
So tough - I have become a Big Star evangelist over the past month and I played Give Me Another Chance and Watch the Sunrise for a couple of musician friends the other day and they just shrugged at me. Same universe, different worlds.
Anyway, back to the main topic - Power Pop. Lots of great entries - now what do we do? Good discussion on why it may not be as popular, which satisfies the OP, but there is a lot of good material here that should not go to waster. So Power Poppers - help me out: You have a sense of what I like - Revolver by the Beatles and Big Star are at the pinnacle, with contributions by Fountains of Wayne and the New Pornographers examples that I like today. Now, if you had to recommend 1 album from the late '60’s or early '70’s and 1 album from more modern times to me, what would they be? vl_mungo? Duke? You guys recommended a lot of bands. Badfinger or the Raspberries from earlier? If so, which album (best of’s are okay). How about more recent stuff from the '90’s on?
There are too many bands to check out - help me focus on the essential stuff - anything you can do to educate me as well would be great - i.e., WHY those choices, in terms of songwriting, performance, production, influence on other bands - you get the idea.
Thanks!!
Why wouldn’t The Eagles be considered power pop? Or The Jayhawks? Too country? Too much acoustic guitar work?
I’d say both of those bands have produced tons of ‘power pop’ music (Consider “Smile” or “I’m Gonna Make You Love Me” from the Jayhawks).
The technical reason? “Well - they just aren’t.” What - that isn’t good enough for you?
Kidding aside, IMHO, I find the Eagles stuff too country and too singer/songwriter to be considered Power Pop - maybe Life in the Fast Lane, but even that has more of a bluesy feel. Maybe it is the lack of British Invasion flavor to their stuff as well - I think Brit Invasion feel is key to band like, well, the Beatles (wow, am I good or what?) but Big Star, Fountains of Wayne - American Power Pop - too…
Another thread reminded me of a tragically unsung band from the 1980s, The Jesus And Mary Chain. They never scored much commercial success but their buzzsaw, feedback-laden surf-pop songs were hugely influencial on the noise pop and grunge movements of the early 90s.
As for specific album recommendations, my picks would be:[ul][li]1970s: Badfinger – No Dice or Straight Up. Better yet, get the recently released compilation The Very Best Of Badfinger. It covers all of the essentials from their all too brief recording career.[/li][li]1980s: The Jesus And Mary Chain – Psychocandy. Their wall of feedback production filled with howls and screeches revitalizes surf pop for the 1980s the way The Ramones’ California Sun did it for the 1970s. [/li][li]1990s: Teenage Fanclub – Again, I recommend a best of compilation, Four Thousand Seven Hundred and Sixty Seconds, otherwise get their first album, Bandwagonesque.[/li]2000s: Wilco – Summerteeth or Yankee Wilco Foxtrot. They’re most commonly filed under Alt Country, but their albums after Being There have taken a decidedly power-pop slant. Excellent songwriting, catchy hooks by the dozen and Beatlesque production values. Highly recommended.[/ul]
Hodge, I love the Mary Chain (see my location), but power pop? I’d see them more as noise pop, andAll Music Guide seems to agree with me. Although they have the right formula on paper (pop melodies and guitar), they don’t have the bright harmonies or cheerful guitars that, say, Teenage Fanclub have.
Wordman… okay, I’d be happy to give you a recommendation or two.
First of all, if you are enjoying the Big Star, you should also check out Chris Bell’s - I Am The Cosmos. Slightly more hippy than Big Star, but well worth checking out. Alex Chilton’s solo stuff is much more of a mixed bag, but the best of compilation “19 Years: A Collection” is pretty good.
As for your specific question… from the '60’s / early '70’s I would point you in the direction of Love - Forever Changes. I’m not sure if I, personally, would call it “powerpop”, but if we are considering “Revolver” to be powerpop, then I figure it qualifies. For the more modern selection, I have been really enjoying Chris and Tad - Hand Me That Door. It is a great powerpop album featuring the frontman from The Presidents of the U.S.A. and the drummer from one of my all time favorite bands, The Young Fresh Fellows. Unfortunately, it may prove a little difficult to get, so I’m hedging my bet and recommending The Minus 5 - Down With Wilco, as well.
vl_mungo - I have Big Star Live, I am the Cosmos and Third/Sister Lover all on order. If they make the cut (i.e., don’t convince me that #1 Album/Radio City are really the only ones I am addicted to) I will venture further and get more Chilton. Thanks.
As for the recommendations - I will note them, thank you! Hopefully others will help out here and I will have a few to research and choose from…
Well, since you asked, WordMan, I have to admit: I don’t listen to a lot of pre-90’s power pop. I mean, I listen to the occasional Cheap Trick, Badfinger and Big Star, all of which I like, but for some reason my power pop world mainly started with Matthew Sweet’s Girlfriend album in 1991.
If I had any new recommendations, I’d recommend “the source”: the Beatles.
Duke, (just clicked on Bold - hope this whole thing isn’t bolded…) - huge Beatles fan - have their whole catalogue or soon will. I agree.
As for recommendations - love Cheap Trick. Really like Sweet’s song Girlfriend, but is the whole album that good? What about the one or two before or after that - what are they - 100% Fun? Strange Beasts? Something like that - I remember hearing stuff on them after they were critically praised and not getting as into them. I would appreciate getting your thoughts…
WordMan – if you like the Beatles, I think Apples in Stereo and Dressy Bessy would be right up your alley. I’m a relative newcomer to both, so in response to your request for recommendations I can tell you what I’ve listened to: the Apples’ Velocity of Sound and Tone Soul Evolution, and Bessy’s self-titled recent album. Apparently (per allmusic.com) VoS and TSE aren’t considered the Apples’ best albums, so I’m looking forward to more.
(And if someone could clearly explain the difference between indie pop and power pop, I’d be happy. The Apples sound closer to the New Pornographers to me than either do to Big Star. I know, I know, continuum.)
And with Matthew Sweet, in my opinion the first six tracks on Girlfriend are simply superb, and the rest of the album is almost as good. His later albums are fine, but not nearly as transcendent.
So should I just get Girlfriend, or this “Best of Collection” (not sure how to post http links with this new format - here is the link for you to cut and paste - thanks!
I’d go with Girlfriend, myself. The compilation leaves too many good songs off, and decent stuff like “Time Capsule” isn’t a good enough trade.
If it would sound the same if The Who had never existed, it’s indie pop (or jangle-pop, or neo-psychedelic, or what you will); if it would sound different, it’s probably power pop. But as you say, the differences are mainly of degree rather than of kind.
I agree that Girlfriend is his best, but I think In Reverse, his last major album, approaches it. Certainly it’s one of the more creative power-pop albums I’ve heard, what with the incorporation of a “wall of sound,” reversed guitars, and lots of over-dubbing. Worth checking out.
As for Apples in Stereo, I’ve got The Discovery of a World Inside the Moone, and it’s fine, if same-y in parts.
I’m surprised nobody has mentioned two of my favorites: Sugar (Bob Mould & Co.) and Frank Black.
Sugar’s first two albums - Copper Blue and File Under Easy Listening - and then Frank Black’s first two albums - Frank Black and Teenager of the Year - sort of just define Power Pop to me. Huge, Loud, Layered Guitars cranking out simple but catchy 3 chord rock tunes. Just listen to one of these albums for the very definition.
I guess the amazing thing about the genre is the ostensibly simple form is made fresh and interesting again everytime a band like Fountains of Wayne (the current heavyweight champ, IMO).