Image of "Eclectic Dancer" from The Book of the Dance by Arnold Genthe, 1920
Power pop is a genre that gets little respect. Born in the early '70s, its sound comes from the bands of the British Invasion, incorporating the harmonies of the Beach Boys and the jangle of the Byrds for good measure. But if you had to pin it down, it really all goes back to the Beatles. The early power pop bands Badfinger and the Raspberries were real Beatles acolytes, trying to keep that sound alive in a decade that had moved on to disco and stadium rock.
For me, power pop all starts with Big Star, a Memphis band that only really made two records before disbanding. Frontman Alex Chilton kept the band-name around for one more record, but the band's power pop sound never broke through. However, like the Velvet Underground, they are known as one of those bands that was heard by 100 people, but each of those people started a band of their own. When I was listening to nothing but REM in the early '90s, I paid close attention to bands they referred to as influences, and that led me to Big Star. "September Gurls" is from the second Big Star record, Radio City, and it captures the early power pop sound really well.
"September Gurls" by Big Star
1 comments:
I love Big Star too but came to know of them either through The Replacements or an old boyfriend. Can't recall. Favorite album: Third/Sister Lovers. Favorite song: Thirteen. Elliott Smith has a great version on YouTube. I too am a huge R.E.M. fan. Chronic Town through Life's Rich Pageant especially. Have you checked out Patti Smith's Horses? Another of Michael Stipe's influeces. Fun blog. Look forward to future posts.
Post a Comment