Power Pop Standards

BIG STAR, #1 Record/ Radio City. All right, before you get excited and think that you got me on a technicality, I KNOW that the above is actually 2 records. I was a late bloomer to Big Star and these two albums, released on vinyl as one in 1978 and then again on cd in 1992, are definitive Big Star and should have been released as a double anyway. So there. Big Star, the Mack Daddies of all things power pop. Start here, they’ve never been bettered.
Allmusic states: “A two-fer combining Big Star's first and second albums, #1 Record/Radio City remains a definitive document of early-'70s American power pop and a virtual blueprint for much of the finest alternative rock that came after it.”

MATTHEW SWEET, Girlfriend. It was a toss up between this and the magnificently sticky sweet 100% Fun, and this one won out due to the inclusion of the title track, Divine Intervention and Evangeline. The fact that Television’s Richard Lloyd contributes fantastically abstract guitar licks as a counterpart to Sweet’s melodies is an added bonus.
Allmusic states: “Matthew Sweet's third album is a remarkable artistic breakthrough. Grounded in the guitar pop of the Beatles, Big Star, Byrds, R.E.M., and Neil Young, Girlfriend melds all of Sweet's influences into one majestic, wrenching sound that encompasses both the gentle country-rock of "Winona" and the winding guitars of the title track and "Divine Intervention." Sweet's music might have recognizable roots, but Girlfriend never sounds derivative; thanks to his exceptional songwriting, the album is a fresh, original interpretation of a classic sound.”

JELLYFISH, Spilt Milk. Although Bellybutton was by definition more “power pop” than Spilt Milk, this one contained better songs. More of a studio creation than it’s predecessor, it’s tracks were more sweeping in their scope, owing as much to Queen and ELO as the debut did to Big Star.
Allmusic states: “Dreamy vocal harmonies, circus-like swirling organ passages, and crunchy guitars are layered in a manner that evokes the best of the Beatles and the Beach Boys.
Spilt Milk is a flawless pop gem from start right through the unbridled optimism of the closing "Brighter Day."

SLOAN, Never Hear The End Of It. Geez, I could’ve picked anything from these guys and been right on the money. How does a band release album after album (10 since 1993!) of pure pop bliss and not become boring? It’s easy if you’ve got 4 excellent songwriters with 4 distinct styles who possess a strong competitive spirit to “one up” the others. Never Hear The End Of It is so varied that it begs comparison to the Beatles White Album.
Allmusic states: “…it's also a record to get lost in, since it is dense with alluring details that create its own distinct atmosphere. Coming from a band that seemed to be settled comfortably within its own sound, this kind of album is indeed a surprise, but this layered, kaleidoscopic album would not have been possible without good straight-ahead records like Action Pact: on those albums, they mastered their popcraft, and here they apply what they've learned on an inventive, excellent record that's their much-needed next great step forward.”

FOUNTAINS OF WAYNE, Self Titled. Just pure pop that manages to sound fresh and retro at the same time. Like Sloan they just seem to keep getting better, or at least maintain their consistant excellence.
Allmusic states: “The only non-modern aspect of it is the fact that the songwriting is so straightforward and wonderful; nearly every song is a pop gem. The result is an album that's almost innovative, when you really think about it — very few albums released in the '90s have been this pleasant, charming, and all-around likeable.”

CHEAP TRICK, Heaven Tonight. Most prefer At Budokan, but this remains my personal favorite. Containing the original studio version of Surrender, this was Cheap Trick at their purest and fuzziest.
Allmusic states: “Heaven Tonight is the culmination of the group's dizzying early career, summing up the strengths of their first two albums, their live show, and their talent for inverting pop conventions. They were never quite as consistently thrilling on record ever again.”

TEENAGE FANCLUB, Bandwagonesque. Every song a winner on this one, and just as influential and important as Nirvana’s Nevermind for bringing guitars back to the forefront. Containing some real muscle with Star Sign and The Concept, as well as some lovely “power” ballads with December and Metal Baby, Bandwagonesque is a perfect power pop album that really stands the test of time.
Allmusic states: “The gold standard of the early-'90s power pop revival, in its own way Bandwagoneque was as much a benchmark as contemporary records like Nevermind and Loveless; though not the generational rallying cry of the former nor the revolutionary sonic breakthrough of the latter, Teenage Fanclub's sophomore album nevertheless heralded the return of melody and craft, coupled with energy and spirit — hallmarks of much of the greatest rock & roll of the past, and virtues as rare as hen's teeth in the years immediately prior to the disc's release.”

ORSON, Bright Idea. With tons of soul, great songs and killer hooks that stay with you for days, Orson are the current torchbearers of power pop and they’re doing a damn fine job. I just wish they’d release their 2007 album domestically...
Allmusic states: nothing.

Other bands that didn‘t make the cut, for one reason or another: BUZZCOCKS, FLAMIN GROOVIES, RAMONES, SQUEEZE, THE RASPBERRIES, THE KNACK, THE RECORDS, THE POSIES.

Albums To Take A Road Trip By

In this age of instant gratification and short attention spans, one can easily forget what a great experience listening to a great album back to back can be. I am not immune to the phenomenon of the “iPod Shuffle”, and it certainly serves it’s purpose. Since my commute to work is only about 24 minutes I don’t have the luxury of absorbing an album in it’s entirety…unless it’s the Ramones, of course.
There’s something to be said, however, for the continuity of an entire album and getting lost in it’s concept; and there’s no better way to do this than on a long road trip.
Although I myself haven’t been on a long road trip for a while, I can still remember the albums I discovered while on some of those treks.
The time of day, the weather and the geography can make a big difference in the lasting impact of listening to a record while away from home. Road trips are ideal for discovering new stuff. You’re stuck in the car (or plane, or train, etc) and it has your full attention, the scenery implanting indelible memories tying the place and the time to the music. It’s a wonderfully personal experience, and if you happen to be traveling with another like minded individual it can bond you in ways that’ll never leave your memory banks.

What albums have you discovered while on a road trip, or do you like the mixed tape plan of action? Let’s hear it.

Brief Rant Of The Day

Why does it take bands so bloody long to release an album nowadays? And don't give me that crap about "quality over quantity", either! Back in the 60's bands would release at least one album a year, a ton of them quality stuff, and that continued into the late 70's. 80's bands started taking a little more time between albums, like two years. I think "The Big Wait" phenomenon started in the 90's, possibly the late 90's, and it was all over but the...waiting.
It used to be that if a band didn't release an album within a couple of years their fickle fans would move onto something else, right? So what happened? Is it expense? Is it that bands are touring longer or is it that they don't have the types of contractual obligations with the labels they used to have anymore?

Please enlighten me with your acumen, oh insightful blog readers. I'd like to know.

I've Gotta Quit Smoking...

Click on the image to enlarge

Video Weekend

Enjoy some modern psychedelia while you wolf down those hot dogs and corn chips during your Labor Day weekend, folks...
PRIMAL SCREAM'S Slip Inside This House (cover of the 13th Floor Elevators). Ignore the emo-chick that introduces it...

BOO RADLEYS Lazarus, from Giant Steps

XTC's Making Plans For Nigel

MERCURY REV's Opus 40

Record Review: Ice Mac Sea

Pal Hal, who reamins one of my favorite undiscovered writers (if only he would post more often)and who maintains a blog entitled "Dispatches From The Away Dad Nation", discovered an interesting artist I thought warranted further exposure.

There's no way on God's green earth that I could do a better job of dissecting the unique Ice Mac Sea better than Hal, so without further adieu I give you Hal's excellent review, posted a couple of weeks ago.

"Michael McCrickard, aka Ice Mac Sea, calls his music “listenable, but downright weird alternative rocking country-techno pop.” If you’re the sort of listener who simply must put things in a category, that’ll do.

I discovered Ice Mac Sea at four in the morning while driving to Sacramento airport. The car rental company had apparently run short of cheap cars, because I got one with satellite radio. I tuned up the “Progressive Country” channel, and a half-hour down Interstate 5, Ice Mac Sea’s “Steve Earle” popped up.

Gram Parsons never died
You can hear him singing every night
They love the dead ones the best
They never disappoint you like the rest.

I liked “Steve Earle” right away. I pulled over at the next gas station, and wrote down the name of the artist. I was afraid to rely on my memory, since the sun hadn’t even shown a hint, and my caffeine level was dangerously low.

So, I decided that I had to have “Measure for Measure” in its entirety. It’s a leap of faith to buy an album based on one song, but that one song led me to believe that Ice Mac Sea had something special to offer."

...continue reading the rest of the review HERE

(Great?) Albums Released In 1987

U2, The Joshua Tree
Bad Brains, I Against I
Bill Drummond, The Man
Pop Wil Eat Itself, Box Frenzy
Replacements, Pleased To Meet Me
Neil Young, Life
Spaceman 3, Perfect Prescription
Big Black, Songs About F*#!ing
Pet Shop Boys, Actually
Bruce Springsteen, Tunnel Of Love
Dinosaur Jr., You’re Living All Over Me
Def Leppard, Hysteria
The Cure, Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me
The Housemartins, The People Who Grinned Themselves To Death
REM, Document
The Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Uplift Mofo Party Plan
Prince, Sign O’ The Times
Primal Scream, Sonic Flower Groove
The Cult, Electric
Psychedelic Furs, Midnight To Midnight
Depeche Mode, Music For The Masses
The Sisters Of Mercy, Floodland
Love And Rockets, Earth Sun Moon
George Michael, Faith
Butthole Surfers, Locust Abortion Technician
Husker Du, Warehouse: Songs and Stories
The Smiths, Strangeways, Here We Come
Men Without Hats, Pop Goes The World
Mojo Nixon and Skid Roper, Bo-Day-Shus!
Guns And Roses, Appetite For Destruction
Jesus And Mary Chain, Darklands
Laibach, Opus Dei
Sonic Youth, Sister
Michael Jackson, BAD
The Flaming Lips, Oh My God! It’s The…

Cracking Up

I cannot wait any longer. My patience is running thin.

I’ve played the re-issue of Nick Lowe’s Jesus Of Cool about a billion times since it came out this year, and it’s great that Nick is finally on a label that respects his massive talent, but it’s time for the fine folks over at Yep Roc records to get off the dumper and re-issue the rest of his catalog.

STAT.

Start with Labor Of Lust and work your way up, people. Then, but only if you’re feeling generous, start releasing the old Brinsley Schwarz stuff as well. With all the turmoil and uncertainty in the world today we could surely use a little more Nick.

"Madonna Defies Age As World Tour Kicks Off"

...really? You think so?

The Church Of The K.L.F.

With Partner Jimmy Cauty, Bill Drummond formed one of the most controversial and important rock bands of the century, the KLF, which stands for 'Kopyright Liberation Front' . They released many excellent slabs of wax and plastic during their time, the best of the lot being the ambient “Chill Out”, the dance/ rock masterpiece “The White Room” and the incendiary and extremely popular “Doctorin’ The Tardis”, which blended Gary Glitter’s Rock And Roll with the theme music for the television program Doctor Who.

From the beginning they adopted the philosophy of anarchists, manifested by the defacement of billboard adverts, the posting of prominent cryptic advertisements in NME magazine, and highly distinctive and violent performances on Top of the Pops. Their most notorious performance was at the February 1992 BRIT Awards, where they fired machine gun blanks into the audience and dumped a dead sheep at the aftershow party. This performance announced The KLF's departure from the music business, and in May 1992 the duo deleted their entire back catalogue in a final act of defiance.

But things get real interesting after the “breakup” of the KLF...

“Despite The KLF's retirement from the music business, Drummond's involvement with Jimmy Cauty was far from over. Infamy followed when, on 23 August 1994, the K Foundation burnt what remained of The KLF's earnings - one million pounds sterling - at a boathouse on the Scottish island of Jura. A film of the event - Watch the K Foundation Burn a Million Quid - was taken on tour, with Drummond and Cauty discussing the incineration with members of the public after each screening. In 2004 Drummond admitted to the BBC that he now regretted burning the money. "It's a hard one to explain to your kids and it doesn't get any easier. I wish I could explain why I did it so people would understand."Rumor has it that the £1 million was "bought' from the Royal Mint - and was to be incinerated anyway (as notes that have become too fragile to remain in circulation usually are). It is reported that the £1 million actually cost the KLF £40,000 - the publicity generated by the "stunt" was well worth the financial outlay. However this seems unlikely; Banknotes deemed for destruction have to suffer that fate at the Mint, they cannot be sold. Equally, when the ashes of the notes were sent to the Bank of England for analysis so it could be confirmed they were the remains of £1 million in £50 notes, the Bank refused to touch them as they could not believe anyone in the public domain would willingly destroy their banknotes. The K-Foundation had to use an independent analysis company to confirm they were the remains as claimed.
On 4 September 1995 the duo recorded "The Magnificent" for The Help Album. In 1997, Drummond and Cauty briefly re-emerged as 2K and K2 Plant Hire Ltd. with various plans to "Fuck the Millennium". K2 Plant Hire's published aim was to "build a massive pyramid containing one brick for every person born in the UK during the 20th century" Members of the public were urged to donate bricks, with 1.5 bricks per Briton being needed to complete the project. Drummond also contributed a short story titled "Let’s Grind, or How K2 Plant Hire Ltd Went to Work" to the book "Disco 2000".

In the years after the final activities of the K Foundation, Drummond has sought a career as an artist and writer.
In 1995, Drummond bought A Smell of Sulphur in the Wind by Richard Long, his favorite contemporary artist, for $20,000. Five years later, he attempted to sell the work by placing a series of placards around the country. When this failed to work, in 2001, he cut the photograph and text work into 20,000 pieces, to sell for $1each.
In 2002, Bill Drummond was involved - along with Turner Prize nominee Tracey Emin - in a controversial exhibition at the deconsecrated St. Peter's Roman Catholic Church, Liverpool. Drummond contributed a guestbook which asked visitors "Is God a C***?". It was later reported that the artwork had been stolen and a £1000 reward offered for its return. Drummond himself said that he would answer "no" to his own question: "God is responsible for all the things I love, the speckles on a brown trout; the sound of Angus Young's guitar, the nape of my girlfriend's neck, the song of the blackcap when he returns in Spring. I never blame God for all the shit, for the baby Rwandan slaughtered in a casual genocide, the ever-present wars, drudgery and misery that fills most of our lives."
Other projects have included MyDeath.net, where people can plan their own funeral.

Drummond is also co-founder of The Foundry, an arts centre in Shoreditch, London, and owner of The Curfew Tower in Cushendall, Northern Ireland.[46] Via an arts trust called In You We Trust, Drummond loans the tower to young artists and exhibits their work."

(Great?) Albums Released In 1986

Sigue Sigue Sputnik, Flaunt It (come on Rumproast, back me up on this one!)
Elvis Costello, Blood And Chocolate
Afrika Bambaataa & The Soul Sonic Force, Planet Rock
Beastie Boys, Licenced To Ill

Metallica, Master Of Puppets
The The, Infected
The Housemartins, London 0, Hull 4
Billy Bragg, Talking With The Taxman About Poetry
Talk Talk, The Colour Of Spring
Sonic Youth, Evol
Mojo Nixon, Frenzy/ Get Out Of My Way
Throwing Muses, Throwing Muses
Paul Simon, Graceland
Run-DMC, Raising Hell
XTC, Skylarking
Bad Brains, I Against I
Steve Earl, Guitar Town
The Woodentops, Giant
Pet Shop Boys, Please
The Smiths, The Queen Is Dead
Peter Gabriel, So
New Order, Brotherhood
REM, Life’s Rich Pageant
Love And Rockets, Express
The Cramps, A Date With Elvis
Husker Du, Candy Apple Grey
Big Audio Dynamite, No. 10 Upping Street
The Jazz Butcher, Distressed Gentlefolk
Fishbone, In Your Face
The Flaming Lips, Hear It Is~!
They Might Be Giants, TMBG

Being For The Benefit Of Uncle E

Question for you.

Have you ever asked someone what their favorite Beatles album is? Did their opinion differ from yours? I bet you an autographed Ringo drum stick that it did.

At this point, I think you’ll agree, The Beatles are beyond any criticism. They introduced more innovations into popular music than any other rock band of the 20th century and are revered by millions of rock fans who universally agree that they didn’t release a bad record during their 7 years of recording albums.

But ask any Beatles fan what their favorite Beatles album is and chances are the answer will be radically different from yours.
For example my wife is a fan of the early stuff while I tend to gravitate towards the mid to late 60’s output. I know people who prefer the White album’s chaotic creativity over the structured brilliance of Abbey Road and still others who prefer the muscle bound rock and roll of Help! over the whimsy and sophisticated psychedelia of Sgt. Peppers.
With me, as I stated, it’s the latter half of the bands career I find most consistently enjoyable, but the ranking changes quite regularly. Here’s my (current) favorite Beatles albums, in order, for you to critique and debate over.

Agree? Disagree?

Have at it!


#1. Revolver

#2. The White Album

#3. Sgt. Pepper

#4. Rubber Soul

#5. Abbey Road

#6. Help

#7. Magical Mystery Tour

#8. A Hard Days Night

#9. Let It Be

#10. With The Beatles

Uncle E’s Favorite Punk Albums

As you’ll no doubt notice, all of the below are albums released prior to Green Day’s debut in 1991. Actually, nothing released after 1985 was punk, in my humble opinionated opinion. Nothing against Green Day or any of the countless others, but they were never punk. They lack(ed) the originality, the angst, of the originals.

The Stooges, Raw Power. There's nothing I can say that hasn't already been said about the Stooges and their importance on the punk movement of the mid 1970's. Truthfully, I could have picked any one of their albums, all great.

The Sex Pistols, The Great Rock And Roll Swindle. I always thought this was much more punk than Never Mind The Bollocks, in the sense that it was more sloppy and more thrown together. Plus, it was more fun!

The Ramones, Rocket To Russia. I waffle between this and the debut. Both excellent, but this one had better cover art…

SNFU, If You Swear You’ll Catch No Fish. These guys took North American hardcore to new extremes. Crunching guitar attacks and a tiny Asian lead singer who did back flips a-la David Lee Roth (albeit with WAY more energy and fury) named Mr. Chi Pig!

Forgotten Rebels, In Love With The System. Canada’s answer to the Pistols. Note to Mickey DeSadist: Get yer effin’ albums on itunes, maaaan!!!!!!!!

Dead Kennedys, Plastic Surgery Disasters. Jello Biafra takes on Jocks, republicans, organized religion and Winnebago’s, sometimes all in one song!

Black Flag, Damaged. Southern California anger at it’s absolute purest. The definitive LA hardcore band, with no less a cult figure than Henry Rollins fronting.

Buzzcocks, Singles Going Steady. Punk goes POP!

The Clash, The Clash. Before the polish of London Calling and international stardom, these four guys released a seminal punk album at the dawn of 1977.

The Meatmen, War Of The Superbikes. Stupid, fun and totally brainless punk from Michigan.

DOA, War On 45 (Expanded Edition). Canada’s favorite and most influential punk band, this is a compilation of, in my opinion, their finest and most furious moments.

Minutemen, Double Nickels On The Dime. An all time classic, 43 songs and not one longer than 2:45. An absolute classic!

The Misfits, Legacy Of Brutality. Glen Danzig, before he took steroids and became a parody of himself. Alice Cooper? Meet The Ramones!

Suicide, Suicide. Not one guitar, bass or drum kit on this album, but these guys and this album were the very definition of punk.

NOMEANSNO, Wrong. Punks version of RUSH. Complex time changes done very very VERY fast.

New York Dolls, New York Dolls. The Rolling Stones if they were transvestites.

The Damned, Damned Damned Damned. Contained New Rose. Do I need to say any more?

The Stranglers, Rattus Norvegicus. The punks answer to the Doors. They were too old and played their instruments too well to be called punk, but their attitude and ambitions were pure anarchy at the time.

Thom, who’d I leave off?

Ponce-Rock

E’s definition of a ‘ponce‘: “A posh, effeminate man; one who prances about; a silly, self important individual; one who wears frills and pantaloons; eyeliner boys; modern day minstrels; unicorn fanciers.”

So I’m riding to work the other day and “Jolly Roger” by Adam Ant comes on the old ipod, a song I haven’t heard since the early 80’s. It’s a modern post-punk sea shanty of a song and about halfway through I found myself cringing and the hairs on the back on my neck standing straight up.

God, did I really used to listen to this? Yes, I have to admit I did. And, by God, I probably even sung along with it with conviction and vigor, the windows rolled down and the song blasting from my 1983 Chevy Bel-Aire for every one to hear it’s wretchedness. Looking back I may as well have shouted “Hey everyone, look at me! I’m a gay pirate!” at the top of my lungs. No wonder I went date-less that year.

Now don’t get me wrong, I still like a lot of the early Adam And The Ants stuff. They released some really decent pop songs during their short existence. But Jolly Roger is just the very definition of “Ponce-Rock”. Even though it was probably done with tongue firmly planted in cheek it’s still an awful song.

Marc Bolan is another one. Before he released Electric Warrior, Marc Bolan and his merry crew of cohorts were cosmic pixie-elves and wrote and performed songs that were about as fey as they come. One need only gaze upon the titles of his first four albums to understand this truism: “My People Were Fair And Had Sky In Their Hair…But Now They’re Content To Wear Stars” from 1968; “Prophets, Seers and Sages The Angels Of The Ages”, also from 1968; 1969’s “Unicorn”, and “A Beard Of Stars” from 1970. He was able to turn things around, musically speaking, but his lyrics would continue in this cosmic vein until his death in 1977.

Ponce-rock is making a bit of a comeback these days with folks like Devendra Banhart proudly carrying the torch, but I’ve bashed poor DB enough as of late, and he’s too easy a target anyway. One can only hope that his devoted followers will eventually wash the glitter out of their beards, wipe off their half moon water soluble tattoos and come to the realization that there are better artists to invest their time in than a silly man with a badly tuned acoustic guitar wearing eyeliner and a gold lame strapless gown.

Oops, I said I wouldn’t pick on him, didn’t I?

See what I did?

I said I wouldn’t but I did it anyway!

Oh well…

Top 50 All Time Best Albums? You Be The Judge!

Here's one person's fairly eclectic "Top 50 Albums Of All Time" list, in video format, submitted by a reader. I think I agree with about half of these. How about you?