BIG BEAT BLITZ - Power Pop (...blows up the gold that owns you)

 Vol. 2 - LPs

I have always been a keen fan of Power Pop - starting with The Beatles' “It Won’t Be Long” via The Easybeats' “Friday On My Mind” in the 60s to Badfinger and The Raspberries in the early 70s. But Power Pop has never stopped – it just went on and on. Among those who carried Power Pop from the 70s into the 80s were The Shoes, The Dwight Twilley Band or Tommy Keene. Not forgetting The Knack and Cheap Trick. The latter even made it Big In Japan!  It was the time when "Shake Some Action" by The Flamin' Groovies and "Teenage Kicks" by The Undertones made the waves, whereas a dozen or so years later equally gripping tunes like The Chevelles' "The Kids Ain't Hip" or the DM3's "1times, 2times, devastated" were sherished by a few insiders only. They should have been Big In Japan also. During the 80s, 90s and into the new millennium a lot of underground bands waved the flag, but also first division acts like The Smithereens, Matthew Sweet or Material issue were more than just blowing the whistle. I will grace the Big Beat and Power Pop 2 blog with some Power Pop compilations, just like they are played on my hifi regularly. I hope you dig them as I enjoy them myself. This is just a start, there’s more to come. 

01 NILS LOFGREN GRIN - End Unkind      02 TOMMY KEENE - Gold Town     03 PAUL COLLINS' BEAT - Crying Won't Help     04 20/20 - Leaving Your World Behind     05 MARSHALL CRENSHAW -  Cynical Girl     06 THE QUICK - No No Girl    07 TOMMY KEENE - Run Now    08 THE A's - When The Rebel Comes Home    09 IAN LLOYD & STORIES - I Can't Understand It    10 THE SHOES - Now And Then     11 NICK LOWE - Skin Deep     12 THE BONGOS - Blow Up     13 PHIL SEYMOUR - Baby It's You     14 THE KNACK - Hold On Tight And Don't Let Go     15 THE ACCELERATORS - Don't Talk To Me     16 MR BIG - What Colour Is The Wind      17 RICHARD BARONE - Silent Symphony     18 MILK 'N' COOKIES - We Go On Dancing     19 CHEAP TRICK - I Don't Love Her Anymore     20 THE SHOES - I Can't Go Wrong     21 THE CARS - Strap Me In     22 THE WINDBREAKERS - Don't Say No     23 THE REAL KIDS - All Kindsa Girl     

 

01 THE KNACK - Won't Let Go/Aces & Eights     02 CHEAP TRICK - Saturday At Midnight     03 THE PLIMSOULS - A Million Miles Away     04 DWIGHT TWILLEY - It Takes Alot Of Love     05 THE NOW - He's Takin' You To The Movies     06 THE RECORDS - Not So Much The Time     07 THE VIRGINS - Bewitched     08 THE FLAMIN' GROOVIES - Between The Lines     09 THE TOURISTS - Something In The Air Tonight (GB 1979)     10 PAUL CHASTAIN - Every Other Time     11 THE PALEY BROTHERS - Ecstacy     12 BLUE ASH - Wasting My Time     13 THE GRAPES OF WRATH - I Can Tell     14 THE RECORDS - Spent A Week With You Last Night     15 THE FLAMIN' GROOVIES - I'll Cry Alone     16 THE BARRACUDAS - Grammar of Misery     17 THE BABYS - Union Jack (USA 1980)     18 STORIES - Hey France     19 THE PLIMSOULS - In This Town     20 THE TOURISTS - Don't Get Left Behind     21 LIVE WIRE - Child's Eye     22 THE SWIMMING POOL Q's - The Bells Ring     23 THE SMITHEREENS - Behind The Wall Of Sleep