Power pop and related: define, deride, defend...

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sloopjohnc
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Re: Power pop and related: define, deride, defend...

Postby sloopjohnc » 03 Sep 2008, 20:05

mission wrote:I have been thinking for some time about KISS. I am unabashed fan of my idea of KISS, an idea formed in about 1974 when as a 5-year-old, I badgered my mum into buying ALIVE! and sat for what may have been days looking at the impossibly cool kids in the gatefold sleeve picture.

To these ears, early - pre-disco - KISS has a pretty neat hold on a lot of the principles and shibboleths of power pop as mentioned in this (excellent) thread. I am talking of the sloppy but tight drums, the bright upfront guitar sound, the obvious Anglophile/Beatles love affair evidenced by harmonies, all members having a go at singing lead on "their" song - and so on.

We also get, as the almost sole subject matter of the songs, the self-referential celebration of "rock music" - and all that that phrase means. It's all about partying and rocking and being a rock star and partying and rocking as a rockstar. Ortega Y Gasset, in an essay about how Realism is a monstrous aberration in the history of taste, argues that the proper subject of art is art itself.

To my mind, as well as similar aesthetis sensibilities in terms of instrumentation and arrangement, "power pop" and "bubblegum rock" share this essential characteristic of art.

The excellent observations made above, about the connections of these kinds of music to memories of uncomplicated times and feelings - to youth itself - also apply.


Don't know how I missed this one.

Like Cheap Trick or Enuff 'Z' Nuff, the loud guitars throw people off from KISS being true power pop at heart.
Don't fake the funk on a nasty dunk!

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chick draper
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Re: Power pop and related: define, deride, defend...

Postby chick draper » 04 Feb 2009, 03:50

Well, obviously the party's over and I appear to have missed it completely, but can I just say DAAAYYYYUUUMMM!

I am simply floored! And this thread is a perfect example of what finally made me join up. This is the kind of music forum I'd like to hang out in.

I'm in love with "Power Pop" and always have been. Beyond that, humility dictates that I defer.

Just know that I'm impressed.
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Re: Power pop and related: define, deride, defend...

Postby The Write Profile » 15 Feb 2009, 08:06

I'm not sure whether this has already been covered in this (very entertaining) thread, but I was curious as to where the MC5's Back in the USA fits into the power-pop discussion, if it does at all. Obviously their debut Kick Out the Jams could be categorised as proto hard-rock without too much discussion, but their second record is a different proposition entirely. Granted, the lyrics tap into a rabble-rousing insurrectionary vein at times- not least on "High School" and "American Ruse"- but the music itself, with its bright, big chords, its taut choruses, and tumbling drum fills seem to come at another direction entirely. Indeed, what's so remarkable about the record is how much of an about-face it is from their debut, in almost every sense of the word.

Whereas Kick Out the Jams was messy, at times overwrought and often hectoring, (albeit undeniably powerful in its best moments), and with loads of bottom-end Back in the USA is concise, trebbly as all get-out, and actually very acutely observed lyrically. And if it paints an entire generation of American youths as defeated before they even had the chance to lose on themselves, at least there's the escape of two things- Cars and Girls. Which to me, sound like power-pop staples if ever there were. As its desire to have its cake and eat it too- it wants to sound like a big pop record, but it also wants to keep something in reserve from keeping it blowing over (in this case, it's the production, and to a lesser extent, the lyrical content).

That said, I'm really interested as to what our resident power-pop "experts" make of it.
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Re: Power pop and related: define, deride, defend...

Postby Quaco » 20 Feb 2009, 02:56

sloopjohnc wrote:
mission wrote:I have been thinking for some time about KISS. I am unabashed fan of my idea of KISS, an idea formed in about 1974 when as a 5-year-old, I badgered my mum into buying ALIVE! and sat for what may have been days looking at the impossibly cool kids in the gatefold sleeve picture.

To these ears, early - pre-disco - KISS has a pretty neat hold on a lot of the principles and shibboleths of power pop as mentioned in this (excellent) thread. I am talking of the sloppy but tight drums, the bright upfront guitar sound, the obvious Anglophile/Beatles love affair evidenced by harmonies, all members having a go at singing lead on "their" song - and so on.

We also get, as the almost sole subject matter of the songs, the self-referential celebration of "rock music" - and all that that phrase means. It's all about partying and rocking and being a rock star and partying and rocking as a rockstar. Ortega Y Gasset, in an essay about how Realism is a monstrous aberration in the history of taste, argues that the proper subject of art is art itself.

To my mind, as well as similar aesthetis sensibilities in terms of instrumentation and arrangement, "power pop" and "bubblegum rock" share this essential characteristic of art.

The excellent observations made above, about the connections of these kinds of music to memories of uncomplicated times and feelings - to youth itself - also apply.


Don't know how I missed this one.

Like Cheap Trick or Enuff 'Z' Nuff, the loud guitars throw people off from KISS being true power pop at heart.

For me, it wasn't even the loud guitars. I like Cheap Trick as a kid, but still didn't get KISS. It was, simply, the makeup and the fans. I assumed they were some subhuman troglodyte band. (I might like that kind of thing now, but at the time I was seriously into melodicism and all things Beatlesque.) Little did I know they were actually purveyors of glammy pop-rock. In fact, I'd venture to say that, production-wise, they rocked less than Cheap Trick.
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sloopjohnc
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Re: Power pop and related: define, deride, defend...

Postby sloopjohnc » 26 Feb 2009, 16:11

Quaco wrote:
sloopjohnc wrote:
mission wrote:I have been thinking for some time about KISS. I am unabashed fan of my idea of KISS, an idea formed in about 1974 when as a 5-year-old, I badgered my mum into buying ALIVE! and sat for what may have been days looking at the impossibly cool kids in the gatefold sleeve picture.

To these ears, early - pre-disco - KISS has a pretty neat hold on a lot of the principles and shibboleths of power pop as mentioned in this (excellent) thread. I am talking of the sloppy but tight drums, the bright upfront guitar sound, the obvious Anglophile/Beatles love affair evidenced by harmonies, all members having a go at singing lead on "their" song - and so on.

We also get, as the almost sole subject matter of the songs, the self-referential celebration of "rock music" - and all that that phrase means. It's all about partying and rocking and being a rock star and partying and rocking as a rockstar. Ortega Y Gasset, in an essay about how Realism is a monstrous aberration in the history of taste, argues that the proper subject of art is art itself.

To my mind, as well as similar aesthetis sensibilities in terms of instrumentation and arrangement, "power pop" and "bubblegum rock" share this essential characteristic of art.

The excellent observations made above, about the connections of these kinds of music to memories of uncomplicated times and feelings - to youth itself - also apply.


Don't know how I missed this one.

Like Cheap Trick or Enuff 'Z' Nuff, the loud guitars throw people off from KISS being true power pop at heart.

For me, it wasn't even the loud guitars. I like Cheap Trick as a kid, but still didn't get KISS. It was, simply, the makeup and the fans. I assumed they were some subhuman troglodyte band. (I might like that kind of thing now, but at the time I was seriously into melodicism and all things Beatlesque.) Little did I know they were actually purveyors of glammy pop-rock. In fact, I'd venture to say that, production-wise, they rocked less than Cheap Trick.


Way less.

Cheap Trick has some pretty "heavy" songs, like Heaven Tonight and Auf Weidershen, but because theyr'e a combo of goofballs and pretty boys, it goes down easier or people don't listen that closely.

Kiss's music comes across more dangerous than it is because of their schtick.
Don't fake the funk on a nasty dunk!

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Re: Power pop and related: define, deride, defend...

Postby BARON CORNY DOG » 29 Apr 2009, 01:41

goldwax wrote:Brutal in, brutal out. :lol:


wrong thread!
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Re: Power pop and related: define, deride, defend...

Postby Count Machuki » 18 Feb 2014, 23:25

bonk
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Re: Power pop and related: define, deride, defend...

Postby Charlie O. » 18 Feb 2014, 23:44

Ow!
Image

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Re: Power pop and related: define, deride, defend...

Postby fange » 24 Nov 2017, 03:59

I like power pop.

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Re: Power pop and related: define, deride, defend...

Postby clive gash » 24 Nov 2017, 15:51

It takes a big man to cry, but it takes a bigger man to laugh at that man.

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Re: Power pop and related: define, deride, defend...

Postby sloopjohnc » 27 Nov 2017, 23:15

kewl klive wrote:


They've been around for awhile. Good stuff, as usual.
Don't fake the funk on a nasty dunk!

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Re: Power pop and related: define, deride, defend...

Postby sloopjohnc » 27 Nov 2017, 23:16

fange wrote:I like power pop.



This is the best power pop blog/site out there.

http://absolutepowerpop.blogspot.com/
Don't fake the funk on a nasty dunk!

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Re: The Records starry eyed men dressed in mod punk attire

Postby Quaco » 19 Jan 2018, 23:43

Quaco wrote:
raindancer wrote:The Records? That really brings back some memories! They're a great British band, some mod, a little punk and all rock. I saw John Wicks & The Records perform last year and they're supposedly working on a new album. (They were giving the forthcoming album a plug onstage) I haven't heard anything else about that but it should be a lot of fun. Hearts In Her Eyes was a fun song, but the single didn't do as well as Starry Eyes.

John Wicks & The Records site

http://www.johnwicksandtherecords.com

The Records UK site

http://www.therecords.org

I saw them a couple of years ago, and it was really fantastic. I think they were still working out some kinks in their set but, man, the songs! And Wicks's voice still sounds the same, amazing considering he's about 25 years older.

Looking at those websites you linked to, now I'm tempted to get the CD versions of everything. The only thing that's weird is that, in time-honored UK-vs.-US tradition, the song sequences are totally different on the first two albums, so listening to the correct U.K. sequence will be disorienting. I always liked the song order on my US versions!

I love the fact that they have all those old live mp3s available for download on the johnwicksandtherecords site!

I hope Wicks and the new band will succeed and I hope the new album is good.

Eleven years later, I've seen the new John Wicks/Records band, and they were wonderful. Wicks's voice is still there, the band was good, and the songs of course keep delivering. It was the best concert I saw last year.
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Re: Power pop and related: define, deride, defend...

Postby mission » 14 Feb 2018, 09:26

fange wrote:I like power pop.



Dom Mariani is a homeboy. We shared a guitarist - Jeff Baker - for a while there in the 90s.

Jeff himself is part of Perth Pop Royalty and powerpop is the default Perth sound/approach.

And, as an aside, the graphic designer who did that DM3 artwork is an ex-girlfren.
Goodness gracious me.

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Re:

Postby pcqgod » 15 Feb 2018, 20:47

king feeb wrote:I have a love/hate relationship with power pop. When it's done well, with a bit of grit and melodic invention, it's some of the greatest music ever made. But when it's poorly-done, too slickly produced, or merely too contrived in its quest for hooks, it is horrible like an overdose of sweet icing.

Just like Chuck Berry's music- easy to play, but hard to play "right".


This summarizes my feelings on the issue.
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Re: Power pop and related: define, deride, defend...

Postby Quaco » 25 Apr 2018, 20:15

Next level.

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Re: Power pop and related: define, deride, defend...

Postby Charlie O. » 25 Apr 2018, 20:20

... of Hell?
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Re: Power pop and related: define, deride, defend...

Postby harvey k-tel » 25 Apr 2018, 21:04

:lol:
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