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| From | "doowop365" <doowop365@yahoo.com> |
| Subject | Top 20 |
| Date | Wed, 13 Feb 2008 17:31:09 -0000 |
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Long intro:
OK, I don't post much, but this Top 20 thing has piqued my interest.
I guess I'm getting this in at the last minute (goodbye, Audities).
I'm going to say that my list is more "pop" than "power pop", but
really that's a fine line. I've always been a "pop" kind of guy
anyway (hey, don't knock Herman's Hermits or The Archies!).
Like most folks who have submitted their lists, I think I'm leaving
some really great stuff out. Dwight Twilley, The Raspberries
(Fresh), Bill Lloyd, Badfinger (love the singles, not crazy about
the albums), The Smithereens (I may be alone in thinking "11" is
their best), Nick Lowe, Josie Cotton (new wave or power pop?? - try
getting "He Could Be The One" out of your head, or try ignoring the
handclaps and melody line in the chorus of "So Close"), Cliff Hillis
(sorry Beth & Cliff), Spinning Jennies (loved "Strotosphere", Jeff),
Orange Humble Band, The Merrymakers, The Shazam, Mark Johnson, The
Plimsouls, Squeeze, The Ramones, Cheap Trick, The Knack, etc. Big
Star - well, I was one of those that didn't really "get" them, other
than "September Gurls" and "In The Street" (The Box Tops were great,
though, in my opinion).
Like others, I will start at about 1972 and include only one album
per artist. This, unfortunately, disqualifies The Beatles ("A Hard
Day's Night", possibly my all-time favorite album), Bobby Fuller
Four, The Beau Brummels, and Lancelot Link (power pop or
bubblegum??).
I noticed a slight skewing of Midwestern groups on my list, esp.
bands from Illinois - interesting for a "Cheesehead"...
1. Shoes - "Present Tense"
2. The Beat - s/t
3. The Bangles - "All Over The Place"
4. Off Broadway,USA - "On"
5. The Spongetones - "Beat Music"
6. Any Trouble - "Where Are All The Nice Girls?"
7. Chris Von Sneidern - "Go!" ("Sight And Sound" is close, but I
think the middle part of that cd is weaker)
8. Rank & File - "Sundown" (How do you categorize this one? I know
cowpunk was the term when it came out, but it's certainly "poppish"
to me.)
9. Lolas - "Something You Oughta Know"
10. The Elvis Brothers - "Movin' Up"
11. Pezband - s/t
12. The Toms - s/t
13. 20/20 - s/t
14. Chris Isaak - "Forever Blue"
15. David Grahame - "Toy Plane"
16. Dave Edmunds - "Repeat When Necessary"
17. The Porcupines - "EeenieMeenieMeineeMojo!" (don't know why I
like this album so much, but I think it's just the fun spirit it has)
18. Gary Ritchie - "Pop! Radio"
19. The Romantics - s/t
20. The Rubinoos - "Back To The Drawing Board"
Eugene Edwards, Phil Seymour, and Kyle Vincent just missed the cut.
There you have it. I wish I could explain why these albums are the
ones that do "it" for me, whatever "it" is. My "it" is somehow
shaped by my age (40's), environment, parents, friends, Creator, and
who knows what/who else. I do know that my standards are based on
hearing "I Wanna Be With You" by The Raspberries on 8-track through
headphones way back when, and trying to get that same fresh,
goosebumpish "Wow!!- I can't believe music this great exists"
feeling again.
Jon O.
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