What are the essential components of Power Pop?

[Wat_Tyler]

?

[Magrittes Pipe]

1. A killer hook, and pretty girls on the album cover.

[Wat_Tyler]

2. How about the George Harrison guitar sound.

Does anyone know what I mean by that, or am I just fucked?

[Magrittes Pipe]

3. That is often a part of power-pop, but it is not essential.

And "yes" to both of your questions.

[Wat_Tyler]

5. I often note a Brian May influence in Power Pop guitar work.

Does that scare you as much as it scares me?

[Magrittes Pipe]

8. What do you think?

[MallRat]

4. Deep, philosophical music questions? WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH LORD BYRON???

:-)

[Wat_Tyler]

10. We had a peasant revolution. Lord Byron was taken to the tower.

We'll not see his like again. Viva the Peasantocracy!

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

6. Randomkoolzip on bass

[Magrittes Pipe]

9. Dude, come on... power pop ain't THAT bad.

[RandomKoolzip]

13. No, it is. Yes, it isn't.

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

14. I like power pop - I also like to mess with Koolzip

:D

[NashVegas]

7. Tempo and

a Brian Wilson / Todd Rundgren sensibility underpinning.

[RandomKoolzip]

11. Small band format (guitars, bass, drums), vocalist who can carry a tune,

Strong melody in the vocal line (strong enough that you can play the melody itself on another instrument), preferably hamonies in the background. Lots of major chords played on distorted guitars, with some clear jangle too, for texture. Upbeat tempos (no ballads). Strong delineation between verses and choruses. No song over four minutes. Lyrics about girls, or suicide, or Angelpoise Lamps, or drugs.

It should sound happy, basically.

[Wat_Tyler]

12. McCartneyesque bass?

[RandomKoolzip]

16. Helps, but not necessary.

Plenty of good power pop has nondescript bass playing (Matthew Sweet, The Buzzcocks). Bass is definitely a subservient role in this genre.

Oh, and no funkiness. Funk is a NO-NO in power pop.

[Wat_Tyler]

19. Are the Byrds near the roots of Power Pop, then?

I would see 'Lady Friend', or 'Feel a Whole Lot Better' as antecedents of Power Pop.

[RandomKoolzip]

23. Buddy Holly and the Beach Boys....

are PROBABLY the big bang. "Everyday" by Buddy Holly sounds to me like Power Pop without the big distorted guitars.

And the Beach Boys (Think "Wendy") were also important here.

The Byrds, the Beatles, the Who, and the Kinks (Plus the Hollies, etc.)

Okay, how about ANY MUSIC PRIMARILY DERIVED FROM THE SOUND OF THE BRITISH INVASION BANDS AND THE AMERICAN BANDS FORMED IN THEIR IMMEDIATE WAKE, TEMPERED WITH MODERN INFLUENCES LIKE PUNK AND HEAVY METAL.

[Wat_Tyler]

25. Dude. What's with the screaming?

Don't tell me you're Screaming Lord Byron now. :scared:

[RandomKoolzip]

26. Sorry.

Just trying to pin down an aesthetic. Thought all caps would set it in stone.

[DBoon]

27. The Kinks?

The latest common ancestor of power pop?

[Magrittes Pipe]

15. Or lyrics about girls, AND suicide, AND Angelpoise Lamps, AND drugs.

Like "Go all the Way."

[RandomKoolzip]

18. Or "My Sharona."

"Ooh, my little pretty Lamp
Little pretty Lamp
When you gonna give me some ANGELPOISE, Sharona?"

[trogdor]

17. Heavily overdubbed vocals.

ELO members not named Jeff Lynne did not sing in the studio after On The Third Day.

[Wat_Tyler]

20. Are ELO Power Pop? Are they not Power Prog?

[RandomKoolzip]

21. Yeah, and look at the results (ie. total greatness).

Lynne was correct in taking over his group.


Damn, now you reminded me; I forgot to include any Move in my top 50 list! Damn! "Fire Brigade" should have been in the top 20.

[Wat_Tyler]

22. Mr Blue Sky would be a contender.

[RandomKoolzip]

24. Definitely. And "Do Ya."

Ay yi yi, I left a gaping hole in that list.....