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ivan@stellysee.de
| From | J&J Giddings <jandjgiddings@mindspring.com> |
| Subject | Losing my religion, sorta. |
| Date | Fri, 13 Jun 2008 10:48:24 -0400 (GMT-04:00) |
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Friends, I have truely left the "Power-pop" building. I don't know when it happened...sometime around 2006? I think mainly the sheer amount of music I consume daily caused it, but I came to realize that Power-pop. was only a blip on the radar of music. As if I hadn't known. I'd blinded myself with Power-pop, but I'm recovering. I've begun an ongoing search for new, old and VERY different musics. The catalyst for this was my recent discovery of Sparks. Of course they are the proverbial definition of Different or Unique. Prior to this recent time I was a Power-pop die hard.
I would play P.P. compilations(Pop 2k, Pop 'Till You Drop) for "outsiders" who would ask if the next song was the same band. Or, I'd turn someone onto a bunch of bands and again I'd be told they all sound alike. I disagreed. They just weren't hearing the Power-pop craftsmanship that I had deluded myself into believing was the 'Only Way'. I mean other people might have a different taste in music than I, right?
Well, I was the narrow minded one this time. At some point it seemed anytime I'd check out Audities suggestions I felt disappointed for not having it be at the same level of quality as Jellyfish. That's my own fault. Jellyfish spoiled me. But I don't consider them Power-Pop now; rock with pop abundance in some songs, yes, but I can play Jellyfish and nobody gets bored.
My eyes have been opened. I have discovered,(and spent too much $ on), a poop-load of 70's prog bands from the UK and all over the world...bands, sadly, near no one's heard such as Stallion(Hi Phil!), Spring, Fantasy, Fields, Strawbs, Triumvirat, Kayak, Magnus, , the list goes on. Not just prog, but good psychedelic rock and UK sike-pop from the late sixties and early seventies like Skip Bifferty, Edwards Hand, Piccadilly Line, The Casuals, etc...
I won't shun good P.P., but I can't spend money on any more Beatle re-dux. Being able to quickly sing along to a song doesn't make it good power-pop either- it makes it catchy.
Big difference. There is a lot of catchy stuff out there that is not P.P. that I haven't heard, yet. But I'm trying.
I think the last proper "Power-pop" record I bought this year was The Quick's, "Mondo Deco", used on vinyl. Great record and VERY Sparks-ish. Produced by an-ex-Spark no less. I suppose if I want to hear classic power-pop I can always find another obscure band like the Quick, Planets, Airways, Buckeye, The Jags, etc. I know there's plenty out there.
It's true that after many years of the same type of music anyone would leave the fold.
Apparently, I have. As a musician/songwriter I haven't gone from major to minor or used the word "love" in any new songs in 3 years. I now play bass in a rock and roll band called The Pinx.
myspace.com/thepinxatlanta -if ya wanna check it out.
Warning: There are no Rickenbackers or harmonies.
...not that there's anything wrong with that...
Long Live Power-pop.
Joe Giddings
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