Early Wynn Posted December 4, 2006 Share Posted December 4, 2006 We've listed our favorite power pop bands and favorite power pop songs. So now, how about favorite power pop albums. Here's my top 10.Raspberries - Side 3Badfinger - Wish You Were Here (close 2nd - Straight UpDwight Twilley - Sincerely20/20 - 20/20Shoes - Present TenseGin Blossoms - New Miserable ExperiencePlimsouls - Anywhere at OnceThe Knack - Get the KnackBig Star - Radio CityThe Keys - The KeysTommy Keene - Songs from the FilmArtful Dodger - Rave OnThe Figgs - Follow Jean Through the SeaThe Beat - The BeatCheap Trick - Cheap Trick (1977) (close second - Heaven Tonight)Marshall Crenshaw - Good EveningThe Romantics (first album)Smash Palace - 1999-2006Eric Carmen - Tonight You're MineThe Searchers - Love's MelodiesBram Tchaikovsky - Strange Man Changed Man Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
popdude Posted December 4, 2006 Share Posted December 4, 2006 Nice choices, particularly The Keys, which probably only about six people in the U.S. have heard - great album! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pierson Posted December 4, 2006 Share Posted December 4, 2006 the term "power pop" and the concept of "albums" don't really jive... and truth be told, POWER POP is about the 3 1/2 minute song that nails you to the wall and is immediately unforgettable...and there really is no such thing as a "power pop" album... although the Ramones come very close to keeping the power up for both sides in the early days but were, of course, a wee bit punkish in attitude... as do some of the bands that arose in the skinny tie era like Shoes, 20/20, Dirty Looks, Romantics etc... at least, by then, there was a clear aesthetic in place...Raspberries had 2 other songwriters besides Eric Carmen which usally meant there were side roads taken... although "Starting Over" may be a good example of a power pop album, although by then they were progressing into headier pastures w/ songs more epic in scale... bands/artists who made albums with lots of power pop songs on them:Material IssueCheap Trick (1977-1979)Myracle BrahTommy KeeneAdam SchmittPlimsoulsThe Beat (Paul Collins)Velvet CrushDancing Hoods20/20 (first album) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pretender Posted December 4, 2006 Share Posted December 4, 2006 International Pop Overthrow-Material issueGreen Album-WeezerFeeling Stangely Fine-SemisonicTwilley Don't Mind-Dwight Twilley BandPhil Seymour 1-Phil SeymourWorld So Bright-Adam SchmittTsar-Tsar11-SmithereensGreen Thoughts-SmithereensAdventure Time-Elvis BrothersFresh-RaspberriesIn Color-Cheap TrickDrums And Wires-XTCSeconds Of Pleasure-Rockpile Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAM Posted December 4, 2006 Share Posted December 4, 2006 Originally posted by pierson: as do some of the bands that arose in the skinny tie era like Shoes, 20/20, Dirty Looks, Romantics etc... at least, by then, there was a clear aesthetic in place...Pierson,where was the band "Dirty Looks" from? There was a band in Erie, PA. named Dirty Looks who had signed with a major label, but they weren't power pop at all. More like metal. Their guitarist's name was Henrik Ostergard (spelling?)Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Posted December 4, 2006 Share Posted December 4, 2006 Get the Knack is a power pop masterpiece. A singular example of every pop cliche, guitar hook and power cord every conceived. As "hooky" today as it was 27 years ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RP50 Posted December 4, 2006 Share Posted December 4, 2006 Gotta include Bellybutton by Jellyfish. And you can't leave out the man who coined the term - Pete Townshend - so throw in The Who Sell Out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pierson Posted December 5, 2006 Share Posted December 5, 2006 Pierson,where was the band "Dirty Looks" from? There was a band in Erie, PA. named Dirty Looks who had signed with a major label, but they weren't power pop at all. More like metal. Their guitarist's name was Henrik Ostergard (spelling?)Thanks! [/QB]no relation to the late '80s Dirty Looks...the power pop Dirty Looks were a trio from Staten Island... their 1st album was released in the US on Stiff/Epic in 1980... it sounds like the Knack on steroids (Peter parker drums like a mo-fo)....their 2nd album was only released in the UK it's inferior (by a long stretch) to the classic debut... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAM Posted December 5, 2006 Share Posted December 5, 2006 ahhhhhh .... thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CubbiefanMike Posted December 5, 2006 Share Posted December 5, 2006 1) Raspberries2) Fresh Raspberries3) Side 3 Raspberries4) Starting Over5) Joe Jackson Debut6) Cheap Trick Debut7) The Knack Get The Knack8) Foreigner Debut9) Foreigner 410)Offspring - Smash Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
popdude Posted December 5, 2006 Share Posted December 5, 2006 8) Foreigner Debut9) Foreigner 410)Offspring - Smash Foreigner? The Offspring? Power pop? Ay yi yi yi yi.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pierson Posted December 5, 2006 Share Posted December 5, 2006 Foreigner? The Offspring? Power pop? Ay yi yi yi yi.... [/QB]well... it's more like: "NO!!!! NO!!! NO!!!!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lew Bundles Posted December 5, 2006 Share Posted December 5, 2006 Surprised that there are not more Pezband mentions amongst our rank and file... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Allen Posted December 6, 2006 Share Posted December 6, 2006 Pezband.and...ShoesThe ScruffsVan Duren20/20Foreigner (just kidding) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr E Posted December 6, 2006 Share Posted December 6, 2006 Quote:Originally posted by CubbiefanMike: 8) Foreigner Debut9) Foreigner 410)Offspring - Smash Foreigner? The Offspring? Power pop? Ay yi yi yi yi.... Ouch, sorry but I'm going to have to those selections myself! I tend toward a broader view of powerpop than most ....buuuuuuut.... no, just no! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
popdude Posted December 6, 2006 Share Posted December 6, 2006 I recently bought Adam Schmitt's WORLD SO BRIGHT (thanks to Popdude for turning me on to him in the first place). It's my new favorite album. "Can't Get You On My Mind" is, of course, FAB , and I also love the title track, "Scarlet Street," "Garden of Love," "Lost,"...heck, just go down the list. Nary a clunker on there. One of the best albums of the '90s that too-few people have ever heard, and regularly available online and elsewhere for less than five bucks... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aggiesjc Posted December 6, 2006 Share Posted December 6, 2006 More good advice, I have to assume. Maybe I'll have to check Adam Schmitt out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
popdude Posted December 6, 2006 Share Posted December 6, 2006 Make sure you stick with WORLD SO BRIGHT as opposed to his second major label effort, ILLITERATURE; that one's a lot harder rocking and almost grungy in spots. I like it a lot, but it's probably not the best place to begin investigating Adam Schmitt if you're among the uninitiated (although it does contain two of the most devastatingly perfect breakup songs ever, "Thanks For Showing" and "Shreds"). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pretender Posted December 6, 2006 Share Posted December 6, 2006 You might also want to check out Adam Schmitt's DEMOLITION, on indie label parasol, available at www.parasol.com. Not quite as classic as WORLD SO BRIGHT,but has some great stuff as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr E Posted December 7, 2006 Share Posted December 7, 2006 Just ordered World so bright on Amazon... for $1.07!There was a flurry of activity on Audities about Sugarbomb so I picked it up for $2.15... I cannot stop playing it! There seems to be universal acclaim for World so bright so this is not exactly a huge risk to take... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamacote Posted December 7, 2006 Share Posted December 7, 2006 .....kathy!....."can't get you on my mind" has been in heavy rotation on my hit-list since it was released years ago!.....you have superb taste, (but i already knew that!!!!!!!!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John P Posted December 7, 2006 Share Posted December 7, 2006 1.Utopia-Deface the music 2.Kiss-Unmasked 3.Nazz-best of the Nazz 4.Bram Tchaikovsky-Strange man, Changed man 5.The Pursuit Of Happiness-Love Junk 6.Fountains of Wayne-First album 7.Cheap Trick-Next position please 8.Motors-Approved by 9.Stone temple pilots-Tiny music 10.Matthew Sweet-100 percent fun Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CubbiefanMike Posted December 9, 2006 Share Posted December 9, 2006 Quote:Originally posted by CubbiefanMike: 8) Foreigner Debut9) Foreigner 410)Offspring - Smash Foreigner? The Offspring? Power pop? Ay yi yi yi yi.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CubbiefanMike Posted December 9, 2006 Share Posted December 9, 2006 What is your definition of power pop? to me those are great choices. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
popdude Posted December 9, 2006 Share Posted December 9, 2006 What is your definition of power pop? to me those are great choices. From Wikipedia:Power pop is a musical genre that draws its inspiration from 1960s British and American pop music.The music is characterized by strong melodies, crisp vocal harmonies, economical arrangements and prominent guitar riffs. Instrumental solos are kept to a minimum, and blues elements are largely downplayed. Recordings tend to display production values that lean toward compression and a forceful drum beat, most often in a dance vein. Instruments usually include one or more electric guitars, electric bass guitar, a drum kit, and perhaps electric keyboards or synthesizers.Badfinger's "No Matter What" (1970), The Raspberries' "Go All The Way" (1972), and The Knack's "My Sharona" (1979) are some of the most commercially successful singles of the power pop genre.While its cultural impact has waxed and waned over the decades, it is among rock's most enduring subgenres. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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