John Borack (Popdude) Compares Queen Song to Raspberries

[Lew Bundles]

Like finding a needle in a haystack, a silver lining in a cloud, or that elusive winning lottery ticket, every now and again a gem of a power pop tune can be found in a most unexpected place. Here are ten that raised a couple of eyebrows and caught our attention. (The first five selections are from David Bash, pop maven extraordinaire and the brains behind the long-running International Pop Overthrow festival, and the second five are courtesy of JB.)

1. “Long Away” – Queen To be sure, one doesn’t usually associate the term “power pop” with the pomp and circumstance that was Freddie Mercury and Queen, but there’s the rub: “Long Away,” from Queen’s excellent 1976 LP, A Day At The Races, was written and sung by guitarist Brian May. Though plenty of the classic May guitar licks are ever present in this number, one might not have expected the very Eric Carmen-esque lead vocal and melodies, not unlike Carmen’s own wonderful tune, “Sunrise.” “Long Away” is a bit folkier than “Sunrise,” but it certainly would not have been out of place in the repertoire of either Carmen or Raspberries.