Come On Let's Go! Powerpop Gems From The 70's And 80's

by N/A

Overview

Power Pop is the kind of genre that inspires lots of arguments from fans regarding what is or isn't power pop, when it started and/or ended, and which bands are the best. This kind of passion has led to multiple collections from different labels looking to tell the story of power pop in their own way. From Rhino's Poptopia series to the Yellow Pills collections and various discs put out by Bomp, Numero, and Teenline, there has been no shortage of power pop comps over the years. In 2019, Ace Records took a crack at defining power pop with Come On Let's Go! Powerpop Gems from the 70's and 80's, a collection that hits mainstays of the genre, goes deep for obscurities, and will certainly get some sideways glances for a few inclusions and exclusions. A few of the songs are already burned deep into the brain of even the most casual power pop fan: Big Star's "September Gurls" and the Flamin' Groovies' "Shake Some Action" are basic building blocks of the sound with their blend of jangling guitars, vocal harmonies, and soaring melodies. The Raspberries, Shoes, the Dwight Twilley Band, and the Rubinoos are also foundational, and they are all represented here with tunes that rate with their best work, especially Twilley's majestic "Looking for the Magic." Alongside these big names are some that almost hit the same heights, like 20/20, Van Duren, and the Spongetones, whose "(My Girl) Maryanne" is a much-anthologized classic of Merseybeat revival. The rest of the set is much more obscure and ranges from the brilliant folk-rock of the Nashville Ramblers' "The Trains" and the jumped-up new wave rush of the Tweeds' "I Need That Record" to the Boys' super-chirpy ballad "(Baby) It's You" and a lost classic ("Teen Line") from the Shivvers, one of the rare power pop bands that was female-fronted. These are gems that the casual fan of the style might not know about, and it's great that they are getting more exposure. The same can't be said for the Romantics' "What I Like About You," a song that could be locked in a vault and shot into space, never to be heard again. The mix of such overly familiar songs and those that are super rare -- and a few that stretch the bounds of power pop like Wire Train's "It's Only Dark" -- makes it hard to figure out exactly who this collection is meant for. It's not a greatest hits or beginner's kit of power pop, though it comes close. It's not a Nuggets-style deep dive into the sound for the experts either. Maybe it is what the title says it is: a random collection of gems, both polished and raw, from the heyday of Power Pop. Not perfect by any means, but not a bad way to spend an hour or so, surrounded by winsome vocals, chiming guitars, and classic melodies. ~ Tim Sendra

Product Details

Release Date:	08/02/2019
Label:	Big Beat / Big Beat Records
UPC:	0029667095723

Tracks

1. Come On Let's Go  - Earle Mankey  -  Paley Brothers  - Tommy Ramone  -  Ramones  - Ritchie Valens
2. I Wanna Be With You  - Eric Carmen  - Jimmy Lenner  -  Raspberries
3. What I Like About You  - Jimmy Marinos  - Wally Palamarchuk  -  Romantics  - Mike Skill  - Peter Solley
4. Let Go  - Patrick Barnes  -  Dirty Looks  -  Dirty Looks  - Tim Friese-Greene
5. Looking for the Magic  -  Oister  - Bob Schaper  - Dwight Twilley  -  Twilley
6. I Need That Record  - Marc McHugh  - Jeff Mezzrow  - John Nagy  -  Tweeds
7. Shake Some Action [First Version]  -  Flamin Groovies  - Cyril Jordan  - Chris Wilson
8. (My Girl) Mary Anne  - Jamie Hoover  -  Spongetones  - Steve Stoeckel
9. Radio Heart  - Chuck Chapman  - Brent Hoad  -  Secrets  -  Secrets
10. Kerri  - Robert Johnson  - Robert Johnson
11. The Trains  -  Nashville Ramblers  - Mark Neill  - Carl Rusk
12. Nuclear Boy  -  20/20  - Steve Allen  - Ron Flynt  - Richard Podolor  -  Twenty
13. Better Than Anyone Else  - Tom Marolda  -  Toms  -  Toms
14. Nothing Comes Close  - Bill Lloyd
15. (Baby) It's You  -  Boys  -  Boys  - Allen Havlicek  - Danny Shonerd
16. It's Only Dark  - Kurt Herr  - Kevin Hunter  - David Kahne  -  Wire Train
17. Andy, Please [First Version]  - Van Duren  - Jody Stephens
18. Glitter Best  - Michael Mazzarella  -  Rooks  - Gary Wade
19. Teen Line  - Jim Eannelli  - Jill Kossoris  -  Shivvers
20. September Gurls  -  Big Star  - Alex Chilton
21. Not the Way It Seems  - C.M. Allen  - Chuck Chapman  - Gary Charlson  - Gary Charlson
22. Tomorrow Night [First Version]  - Gary Klebe  - Jeff Murphy  -  Shoes
23. Rock and Roll Is Dead  - Alex Carlin  - Tommy Dunbar  - Matthew King Kaufman  - Glen Kolotkin  - Gary Phillips  - Jon Rubin  -  Rubinoos
24. One World  - Roger Powell  - Todd Rundgren  -  Utopia

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Van Duren   Primary Artist
Gary Charlson   Primary Artist,Primary Artist
Robert Johnson   Primary Artist,Primary Artist
20   Primary Artist
Big Star   Primary Artist
Bill Lloyd   Primary Artist
Jody Stephens   Primary Artist
Dwight Twilley Band   Primary Artist
Flamin' Groovies   Primary Artist
Shivvers   Primary Artist
The Boys   Primary Artist,Primary Artist
Dirty Looks   Primary Artist,Primary Artist
The Secrets*   Primary Artist
Nashville Ramblers   Primary Artist
The Toms   Primary Artist
The Tweeds   Primary Artist
The Rubinoos   Primary Artist
Paley Brothers   Primary Artist
The Raspberries   Primary Artist
Shoes   Primary Artist
The Secrets   Primary Artist
The Spongetones   Primary Artist
Ramones   Primary Artist
The Rooks   Primary Artist
Toms   Primary Artist
Utopia   Primary Artist
The Romantics   Primary Artist
20/20   Primary Artist
Wire Train   Primary Artist

Technical Credits

Roger Powell   Composer
Utopia   Composer
Peter Solley   Producer
Mike Skill   Composer
Tommy Dunbar   Composer
Todd Rundgren   Composer
Tommy Ramone   Producer
Steve Stoeckel   Composer
Gary Phillips   Producer
Marc McHugh   Composer
Oister   Producer
Carl Rusk   Composer
Jimmy Lenner   Producer
Brent Hoad   Composer,Producer
Jim Eannelli   Producer
Gary Charlson   Composer,Producer
Jeff Mezzrow   Composer
Allen Havlicek   Composer
Steve Allen   Composer
Bill Lloyd   Composer,Producer
Kevin Hunter   Composer
Bob Schaper   Producer
Chris Wilson   Composer
Jody Stephens   Composer,Producer
Cyril Jordan   Composer
Dwight Twilley   Composer
Flamin' Groovies   Producer
Eric Carmen   Composer
John Nagy   Producer
Jamie Hoover   Producer
Jon Rubin   Composer
David Kahne   Producer
Jeff Murphy   Composer,Producer
Tom Marolda   Producer,Composer
Alex Chilton   Composer
Gary Klebe   Composer,Producer
Glen Kolotkin   Producer
Jimmy Marinos   Composer
The Boys   Producer
Earle Mankey   Producer
Robert Johnson   Composer,Producer
Kurt Herr   Composer
Gary Wade   Producer
Chuck Chapman   Producer
C.M. Allen   Producer
Patrick Barnes   Composer
Danny Shonerd   Composer
Jill Kossoris   Composer
Niall McCormack   Package Design
Dave Burke   Liner Notes
Alex Carlin   Composer
Wally Palamarchuk   Composer
Van Duren   Composer
Ritchie Valens   Composer
Ron Flynt   Composer
Mark Neill   Producer
Richard Podolor   Producer
Matthew King Kaufman   Producer
Michael Marks   Photography
Nick Robbins   Mastering
Michael Mazzarella   Composer,Producer
Tim Friese-Greene   Producer