Can we talk about power pop?

[Marty McFly]

Get this one too, more first album b-sides. 17 Times, High Times, I Couldn't Be You and She'll Do are gold. GOLD.

http://www.emusic.com/album/silver-sun/b-is-for-silver-sun/11797948/

[lazyhour]

Yeah, their early b-sides are absolutely excellent, as is their debut EP, back when they were still called Sun. I'm quite the fan, in fact, and have (I think) all of their albums, singles and semi-official bootlegs except for the first Japan-only b-sides compilation. Jesus, I have three different mixes of the last album, "Dad's Weird Dream"! You could make an album from their early b-sides that would be easily as good as any of their 4 actual LPs.

[sirhenry]

All this love for Silver Sun. They can't be that good, there aren't any torrents of their stuff to be had anywhere.

[CaledonianGonzo]

The early Silver Sun b-sides - and the Sun! EP - are really high quality, but with the exception of There Will Never Be Another Me I still wouldn't switch them for any of the album tracks.  It was some run of songwriting form, though - Gossip, Streets Are Paved With Tarmac, Top Trumps, Trickle Down, Captain, etc.

I must admit, I feel the opposite.  I think it starts to sag after 'Lava' (which along with 'Yellow Light' and 'Service' is probably the best song on the album, IMO).  All the subsequent songs sound like less catchy versions of the preceding songs.  For example 'This N That' is a weak version of 'Service'.  The second half is redeemed by 'Animal Feets', which is sublime, so I suppose I would lose '2 Digits', 'Wonderful' and 'Nobody'.  This would make it a much tighter album. 

Boo!  I knew you'd want to edit out my favoutrite tracks.  Lava, Last Day and Service aside, This'n'That, Wonderful and 2 Digits would be my favourites on the blighter.  Tightness schmightness.

[lazyhour]

I must be an anomalous listener of Silver Sun because I prefer their second album to their first (but then again it was the first record of theirs I got as a young impressionable teenager and I did see them live in Norwich when they toured to support it), but with the first album some of the b-sides are better than tracks that made the album.

Looking again at the second album tracklist, I just think it's too long and that a couple of the songs are strangely both under- and over-cooked. Cut the 5 weakest tracks out and I'd possibly find it as good a listen as the debut.

[CaledonianGonzo]

All this love for Silver Sun. They can't be that good, there aren't any torrents of their stuff to be had anywhere.

Give us a shout if you have no joy - I'm sure I could help.

[CaledonianGonzo]

Looking again at the second album tracklist, I just think it's too long and that a couple of the songs are strangely both under- and over-cooked. Cut the 5 weakest tracks out and I'd possibly find it as good a listen as the debut.

With a couple of noble exceptions, the second album songs just don't *soar* in the same way.  For an album called Neo Wave it's strangely grey and sludgy. 

[lazyhour]

Agreed. Far fewer (and less complex) harmonies compared to the first album, too.

[lazyhour]

Listening to Neo Wave now, straight after listening to the debut, it's all just so much more in the rock vein, rather than the power pop vein. I imagine your tolerance of rock tropes is going to determine your enjoyment of the LP.

[CaledonianGonzo]

Of their post-Neo Wave work, I really quite liked Bubblegum as a tune.  It's a shame it's pretty much a solo effort as the song's strong enough and it could have used a little more oomph and gee whiz behind the mixing desk:

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/3324232/01.%20silver%20sun%20-%20bubblegum.mp3

[jamiefairlie]

I seem to remember The Yachts being labeled as Power Pop, so do they qualify? Their debut album (never showed up on CD alas) still holds up really well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2s7IKlOdJCA

[Kane Jones]

Has anybody mentioned Sloan yet?  Their Navy Blues is a great nineties power pop album.

[Butchers Blind]

Been blasting this out today - a classic

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3haFqlOmhCw

Has anybody mentioned Sloan yet?  Their Navy Blues is a great nineties power pop album.

Posted some of their work earlier in the thread. 

[Paaaaul]

The king of 90's power pop was Robert Pollard.
His songwriting isn't/wasn't all power pop, but the below songs are all masterful examples of his double p output during that period.

Robert Pollard - Subspace Biographies
Robert Pollard with Doug Gillard - Pop Zeus
Guided By Voices - Queen Of Cans and Jars
Guided By Voices - Teenage FBI (live)
Guided By Voices - I Am Decided
Robert Pollard - Far Out Crops
Robert Pollard - Release The Sunbird
Guided By Voices - Surgical Focus
Guided By Voices - Game Of Pricks
Guided By Voices - James Riot

[lazyhour]

Good point.

[Hank Venture]

Hey cunts, goldmine of a thread

Why has no one mentioned Hard-Ons? (the band, not the phenomenon)
Three top tunes:
I'm A Frozen Boy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBMKuV4ROHU
I Do, I Do, I Do: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ex6nD1kfkMg
Her Smile Is A Wish I Can't Obtain: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxMekd0tqxg

[thehungerartist]

The king of 90's power pop was Robert Pollard.

YES.

He's perennially unfashionable and most of his songs were written in the Eighties, but Lee Mavers' output was power pop of the highest order.

The La's - I Can't Sleep (BBC Session)
The La's - Callin' All (BBC Session)
The La's - Was It Something I Said (Kitchen Tape Demo)

[Butchers Blind]

Haven't posted anything from one of my favourite PP bands from the early 00's, The Bigger Lovers.  They released three albums all of which are worth your time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fafTfr3FaD4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mkkhrCEdkk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGEQXWHAOfs

[Rev Arthur Belling]

How about some Greenberry Woods...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUzkELsUHDI

[Butchers Blind]

How about some Greenberry Woods...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUzkELsUHDI

Who then fragmented into Splitsville producing the Beatles/Beach Boys homage 'Pet Soul'.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2lMjPfVaHg

[Nmkl Pkjl Ftmsch]

The Knack - Get The Knack is a good power pop album.

Thank you. I've been waiting fucking years for somebody to say that.
Jemble Fred on this forum, years ago - "I've always felt that 'My Sharona' is the closest thing you'll get to the sound of a mullet. It's a bad hairstyle in music form." And he likes Billy Bragg. What a CUNT.

Then there's always Katrina and the Waves http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOtFVpdobLg

[Mildly Diverting]

Jemble Fred on this forum, years ago - "I've always felt that 'My Sharona' is the closest thing you'll get to the sound of a mullet. It's a bad hairstyle in music form." And he likes Billy Bragg. What a CUNT.

Look, he's gone. Well done.

Now shut the fuck up about it.

[Barry Horowitz]

Turnock last week insisted that his "trolling days are over", adding: "Sometimes when you are in an internet forum with like-minded people it is easy to fall into the mindset that this is normal and you are not hurting anyone.
"I thought that it was getting too extreme by the end. The comments were not meant to be taken seriously and if I have hurt anyone I want to apologise."

[Nmkl Pkjl Ftmsch]

And your point is?

[Lisa Jesusandmarychain]

And your point is?

'stop being a cunt', I would imagine.
There really is no need to mention Jemble Fred and your obvious dislike of him at the slightest pretext (and there's *definitely*no need to dredge up old threads from three years ago, as you've done in another forum in order to do so); you come across as somewhat  pathetic when you do this.

[Nmkl Pkjl Ftmsch]

'Stop Being A Cunt' was my favourite episode of Alfie Atkins when I was a kid.

[paolozzi]

Will you lot shut the fuck up.

Thanks to this thread I am now balls deep in Teenage Fanclub, thanks!

[Kane Jones]

Will you lot shut the fuck up.

Thanks to this thread I am now balls deep in Teenage Fanclub, thanks!

Balls deep in Fannies - best way to be!

[Butchers Blind]

At Home With Cherry Twister is an album worth checking.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bodaS38X7Xs

[Kane Jones]

At Home With Cherry Twister is an album worth checking.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bodaS38X7Xs

Wow, that's really nice.  Never heard of them, but shall now investigate further. Cheers BB!