New Wave Outpost Forum

Running with Wolverine's post....

We all know power-pop produced amazing singles. But what would you call the best power pop album - - only one rule, no 'greatest hits' or 'best of' allowed!! I'm talking about a studio release.

I'm going with the Shoes 'Present Tense'. I just love that thing to death.

(I'm not hoping to incite arguements, I'm hoping someone will throw out some choices I would've never thought of trying...!!!!)

Gotta go with my old standby: The Plimsouls - The Plimsouls, especially the "Plus" CD.

When I think "power pop", I get images of ELO. I don't know if that's right, but ELO's [i]Time[/i], from 1982, is what feels like "power pop" to me.

I'd have to go with the first Lp by Dirty Looks.

I'm on crack. Add me for a Nick Lowe album, [i]Labour Of Lust[/i]. It's the one I remember owning that's not a compilation.

It's hard to come up with a power pop album that is consistently good.

I'll go with the Romantics self titled release too.

Also, Jack Lee - Greatest Hits - I know you said no greatest hits - I don't think it is a hits collection, but re-recordings of his songs done when he was in the Nerves and some other solo stuff.

The Brains - Electronic Eden. Still getting familiar with it, but I'm loving what I'm hearing.

Any Trouble - Where are all the nice girls? and, Wheels in Motion

I'll be a little controversial here & add the Go-Go's Beauty & the Beat. It may not have been labeled Power Pop, but you know it was!

[quote][i]Originally posted by ElectricLash[/i]
<br>Tough choice, but I'd have to go with the first 20/20 album. It's solid all the way through
[/quote]
You said it Lash! Cheri, Remember the Lightning, Backyard Guys, Tell Me Why ...they're all achingly good. This is completely interchangeable with The Plimsouls S/T for me. And in fact, both have two of my favorite lyrical elocutions of all time, the aforementioned Tell My Why with:

"T-T-T-T Tell me why, T-T-T-T Tell me why, I can't understand you..."

And The Plimsouls' "Now" with their rapid-fire phrasing of:

"They'll never take this night away
It's yours and mine until the day
It's all right for one night
We'll never have this chance again
So love me now and we'll pretend
It's all right for one night right now"

Both of these take me right back to my teenage years. Sigh. [:)]

The Comsat Angels' [i]7 Day Weekend[/i]. Got it mainly because of "You Move Me" and "Falling" (the song from [i]Real Genius[/i]). Not consistently good, but it can be played without skipping tracks.

Yes, Any Trouble!

Also, the Records and the Heats, "Have an Idea"

My favourite could be Yachts''SOS'',perhaps the quirkiest power pop band from Britain with a punk edge.
Then-
Dirty Looks-same(no one can disagree for the greatness of this record)
Shoes-Present Tense
Holly and the Italians-Right to be Italian
Atlantics-Big City Rock(terrific surf/power pop/punk from a band with a legendary stage act and the same manager with Donna Summer-Fred Munao)
Proof-Its Safe(oddball pop with tempo changes)
Producers-same
20/20-Look out(i love also their first lp,but this is the one with their social consiousness and dramatic overtones,an essential 80s pop masterpiece).

I gotta go with the first Modern Lovers album. Excellent pop, though it predates a lot of these others, it also influenced a lot.

Big Star works here too, but I much prefer their weird third album to their forst 2 (which were more like power pop precursors.)

I can,t decide on 20/20,s Look Out or Dwight Twilleys Twilley Don,t Mind,and many others.

Book Early - City Boy
Coup De Grace - Mink Deville
Icehouse - Flowers


The Numbers? Is that the Australian group or somebody else? The Numbers I refer to had a brilliant self titled lp is this sort of genre.

[quote][i]Originally posted by King Fahtah[/i]
<br>Book Early - City Boy
Coup De Grace - Mink Deville
Icehouse - Flowers


The Numbers? Is that the Australian group or somebody else? The Numbers I refer to had a brilliant self titled lp is this sort of genre.


[/quote]

The Numbers I was referring to was a Canadian band, circa 1979.

I would have to put Cheap Trick's "Heaven Tonight" up there.