Can You Define Power Pop?
-
Artist:
-
Album:Ringo & His All Star Band Anthology . . . So Far
-
Track:
Stereophile magazine writer Robert Baird thinks he can in the latest (July) issue -- his column is not online yet, but his pop definition hasn't changed much from this 1999 excerpt from a Bill Lloyd (of Foster & Lloyd fame) review:
"Power pop is distinguished from its stickier, sweeter cousins—play-it-to-death Top 40 and the really nauseating, Flintstones chewable variety pandered by N'Synch, Spice Girls, and Britney Spears—by amusing love'n'lost lyrics, an abundance of crisply realized major-chord melodies, intricately layered voice and guitar mixes that often take on a rock-guitar edge, and a healthy dose of surprising lyrical and musical quirks."
In his July column, built around the new Tinted Windows release (which he likes), he credits Pete Townshend for coining the phrase "Power Pop." That's news to me, but I like it!
He further takes Power Pop back to Mozart's Serenade for Strings No. 13 in G Major, K. 525. (A Little Night Music) and Glenn Miller's Moonlight Serenade. More news to me!
I have a simpler definition -- I know it when I hear it.
Comments (13)
Works for me!
A few of the more popular artists who were among the originators:
Badfinger, Big Star, Cheap Trick, The Raspberries, The Shoes, Dwight Twilley,
Dave Edmunds certainly qualifies, too.
Pete Townshend has been credited with coining the term but he used it to describe The Who's sound which sometime in the early to mid seventies got applied to the sounds of Big Star, Badfiner and the Raspberries. As the decade came to a close, other acts like Cheap Trick and The Knack started to fill up the list of bands that fit the Power Pop moniker. Many artists who fell under either the bubblegum or new wave label often had songs that fit the power pop category. The list of acts is a long one and many music fans still argue if a certain group belongs on the list. Do ELO, Bangles or Squeeze belong on the list just because they're Beatle-y or owe a great debt of their sound to the sixties? Yes. Do the harder sounds of Shazam! or Cheap Trick belong? Yes. Does Rick Springfield belong just as much as Todd Rungren? Yes. Have you ever noticed just how many alternative radio rock hits of the last ten or twelve years sound a tad like a Rick Springfield song to two from the early eighties? Does Nick Lowe belong on the list along with Dave Edmunds who tend to go on the rockabilly side with their rockin' numbers? Of course they do.
The list is huge and as mentioned earlier, you may not agree with every band that makes the genre. Try listening to a Power Pop station on Last.FM or Pandora and you'll be sickened by what the computers pull up to play for you. It's that word "pop" in power pop that always throws music fans off. Many power pop fans recognized The Rubinoos "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend" in Avril Lavigne's "Girlfriend" immediately while the media didn't until a copyright infringement suit came out.
It's like you stated, Funoka, you know Power Pop when you hear it.
:=)
*If you truly want to read about the wide variety of musical artists in this under appreciated musical genre, check out "Shake Some Action: The Ultimate Power Pop Guide" from John Borack. He compiled a number of artists and reviewers together to put out a wonderful book on the subject. There's strong talk of follow-up. The book that started it all was published back in the nineties by musician (three fantastic albums so far) and Power Pop historian Ken Sharp, "Power Pop!". Ken also penned the ultimate books on KISS, The Raspberries, Small Faces and Cheap Trick.
WOW, what a Pandora's box. You know when you hear it, is a perfect summary. But in my book, what are you reminded of when you hear it, lends more to the definition than anything.
Everything starts somewhere. There may be plenty of others, but what springs to mind for me when I hear a power pop ditty, is the Beatlesque beat or chord arrangements (not all major chords, by the way) and their instrumental flourishes (what I call Beatle bits) mixed with Beatles/Beach Boys vocals or harmonies. In fact, the altering seamlessly between major and minor chords when you least expect it, is one of the main traits of a power pop tune.
Just about every track that jumps out at me and screams power pop has one or more of those elements shining through.
As far as The Who go, check out this track from the Raspberries. They have called it their tribute to the Who.
You nailed it MusicRX.
:=)
Music RX- I don't recall having heard that Raspberries song- or maybe it has just been too long.
Well, wait, I Won't Get Fooled Again- I have heard it. The Raspberries might have called it a tribute but Pete Townshend might have called a lawyer, don't cha think?
Time Machine- I have read Ken Sharp's Cheap Trick biography. It's quite a good read. Your comments on the "pop" part of Power Pop strike home. Have to say, though, I always thought of Rick Springfield as more Pop than Power but, if you remove his image and the squealing fans from his 15 minutes (okay, longer) of fame and just focus on the music, you could probably make a pretty compelling case that he qualifies in the category, too.
Fasted- They made no secret of the fact that they were aping Townsend and Moon, so I don't think any lawyers are required. However, the song is as much Beatlesque as it is Who like.
This crew is well versed in the power pop world. I better let the experts stick to the definition. I do think it's a universal truth that Cheap Trick and The Raspberries are shew ins.
In addition, I feel power pop can be a term (so dearly beloved) that is certainly open to many interpretations.
Power Pop=
Mid-period Beatles when all the r&b was drained out of Rock and Roll.
Not that I'm saying that's a bad thing. I'm a big fan of the folks who have continued on with the tradition. Sonically, I love it. The cultural split (mostly driven by record companies) that began when the Beatles arrived is a bit more problematic. Early Rock& Roll + R&B seem (IMO) to have been unifying forces racially (and much harder to pigeon hole stylistically)..After the civil rights act in 1965 and the mass popularity of the Beatles, Rock& Roll began its march toward Rock and the myriad splinter genres. By '72 the lines between black and white were much sharper, and by '74 they were entrenched with pop,rock,and soul/funk very seperate categories. Sadly, I believe this was by design.
How's that for a pandora's box?
True. I find very little R&B influences (sound wise) in the power pop movement, even dating back to the era you references, it does seem as if the R&B was sucked out of the RnR.
And then we know what happened to R&B in the mid 70's- Disco, Baby!
It's funny how the corporate version of disco actually became the biggest unifying force in music since The Beatles.
Tru dat. T.G.I.F. Last dance, last chance for love. Great movie and soundtrack.
It's easy to define: "No Matter What" by Badfinger.