Detail of movie poster for Die Büchse der Pandora (Pandora's Box) by René Péron, 1929
I like '70s power-pop a lot, something I addressed in one of my first posts on this blog, but I've never felt like I really had a good handle on what makes the genre so fun and also frustrating. This article by Noel Murray in the Onion's AV Club this week did a good job articulating a lot of my thoughts on the subject, and it highlights an album that I've always had issues with, Black Vinyl Shoes by '70s power-pop greats Shoes.
When I bought Black Vinyl Shoes, I'd already fallen in love with the two albums Shoes had put out after it, 1979's Present Tense and 1981's Tongue Twister. Those albums were put out by Elektra and have the glossy sound of major label pop from that period - I guess I was not prepared for just how lo-fi the sound of Black Vinyl Shoes turned out to be. I found it very hard to listen to, to the point that the songs didn't get through to me at all, and I ended up setting the album aside. I don't know why I had this reaction - I listen to a lot of crappily-produced albums. The fact that it was recorded in the band's living room was supposed to be part of the appeal! Murray's essay convinced me to drag the record back out, and I'm enjoying it a lot more now. One thing that really strikes me is that brothers John and Jeff Murphy, as well as friend Gary Klebe, were all such confident songwriters this early in their development as a band. The Murphy brothers compositions are indistinguishable in style - they both excel at writing Beatlesy pop, while Klebe always had a crunchier, more New-Wave approach that makes for a nice contrast.
One of my favorites on the record is John Murphy's "Fire For Awhile". It's a little more laid-back than the upbeat pop that represents most of the album, but the super-tinny guitar jangle and harmonies keep it interesting. And the chorus of "We set ourselves on fire for awhile" is an image that manages to be sensual and creepy simultaneously, a pairing that could be seen as a distillation of power-pop songwriting.
"Fire for Awhile" by Shoes
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