UK Guitar Teacher, Tom Moloney, 26, Reacts to Hearing Power Pop for the First Time, Pt. 1
We grew up on different continents and in different centuries. A grand total of 44 years separate us, yet we are joined together by a love of popular music. These are bridges being built.
It all started here, from an off-hand discussion online…my love and admiration for Ian Anderson and Jethro Tull, and hearing Tom say, “I’ve never heard them before.” That’s all I needed to hear!👇
Tom Moloney, creator of More About Music, Please! is our ever-so-generous, talented, and (thankfully) willing participant in this ever-growing musical experiment!
🎸Welcome to the Jangle, We Got Fun’n’Games!
Harboring a marked disdain for not only genre labels, but genre definitions, I suppose we would do well to shine a flashlight on what we’re talking about for the uninitiated, and offer a bit of a power pop primer for those who may need a refresher.
Wikipedia? Oh, why not? “Power pop is a subgenre of rock music and form of pop rock based on the early music of bands such as The Who, The Beatles, The Beach Boys, and The Byrds.” Fine. But, it’s so much more, as our friend in all things power pop, S.W. Lauden of Remember the Lightning, would doubtless agree!
And, not unlike those magazines you stashed away in your boyhood closet, you may not be able to suitably describe it, but you know it when you see it! In power pop’s case, you’ll know it when you hear it! Easily memorable and catchy melody? Check. Energetic and happy beat? Check. Harmonies aplenty? Check.
As long as the artist to whom you’re listening has a rock’n’roll flow-chart through-line that ends up with The Beatles as a main influence, you’re on the right track!
A Rock Tsar (or 2) in Our Midst
In fact, the aforementioned Mr. Lauden recently hosted a guest-post series posing the timely musical query, “Is It Power Pop?”, with this one written by Long Beach librarian/lead singer, Jeff Whalen, who fronts So Cal-based rock band, Tsar, which happens to feature our friend, Mr. Lauden aka Steve Coulter on drums!:
Another Clue
As my personal friend and ‘70s-era power pop guru (and late BOMP! Records and Magazine founder), Greg Shaw, used to say, “A few la-la’s and handclaps won’t kill you!” He so deserved a proper tribute from yours truly, and I was happy to oblige:
Power Pop Roots: Beatles Songs with Handclaps (a Greg Shaw Tribute)
Many times on these pages, I’ve quoted the late, great music writer, label mogul, and fanzine/magazine publisher, Greg Shaw (pictured above), and his defense of power pop, which also, perhaps unwittingly, came to serve as an apt description, if not the calling card for rock’s sub-genre whose roots are planted firmly in Beatlemania:
Tom’s intro: Power Pop is not a genre of music that I am very familiar with. I am probably better placed to talk about the bands which influenced this subgenre of rock, such as The Who and The Beatles. It is, however, a genre of music I have always been meaning to explore more, and was excited to take up this opportunity that Brad has offered!
Song #1: The Rubinoos, “I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend,” 1978
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Tom, upon his first listen: “I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend” is fun, exciting, and has vibes of a summer love. I love the galloping feel which can be heard through the way guitarist Tommy Dunbar is playing.
If you’ve never played guitar, think of the galloping technique almost as if you are running with a skip in your step, giving you a bounce. It gives the song energy without the need for heavy distortion or overcomplicated effects pedals. The gallop is matched by the vocals which are incredibly joyful whilst the lead and backing vocals bounce off each other in a playful way.
The song has many familiar sounds often heard in mainstream music, with fast chord changes that revolve around three chords per section. There are then slight nuances throughout to give it some colour where needed and lyrics which are easy to remember even from just one listen.
In 2021, The Rubinoos released The CBS Tapes (above), a set of songs they recorded live at CBS Studios, San Francisco, in 1976…recordings that likely won them their contract with indie Beserkley Records, which picked up CBS distribution shortly thereafter.
Song #2: The Records, “Starry Eyes,” 1979
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Tom’s initial reaction: “Starry Eyes” reminds me of every British rock song over the years merged into one—whether that reflects elements of The Beatles, Oasis or The Who. Realistically, it is very different to any music released by these bands, yet the very direct vocals and jangly guitars give me that feeling.
While the song sounds relatively simple at first listen, I get the impression it would be difficult to replicate. The musicians are playing with a certain amount of freedom and are loose in their phrasing, making it hard to match the timing.
Plus, there are multiple layers to the instruments that the music technician (on The Midnight Special; studio version produced by Will Birch and Dennis Weinreich) has mixed incredibly well, allowing the guitar and vocals to be the signature of the song, whilst the added touches of colour make the song fun on the ears.
Song #3: “A Million Miles Away,” 1982
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Tom’s initial reaction: “A Million Miles Away” has everything you could possibly want from a song. A memorable opening riff, a groovy bassline and fun vocals which are easy to sing and make you feel like a rock star.
Each section is highlighted by something special; the tone of the guitar during the intro grabs the listeners attention; the bassline during the pre-chorus shine as the vocals, drums and guitar all play very ridged parts; and the middle 8 has a shift that is very charming and gives the impression that the singer is brushing off their issues, standing up tall and taking ownership of life.
Like all great songs, the lyrics to the chorus are simple and recognisable and don't take more than one listen to remember them. This seems to be a common theme throughout power pop, along with the fast-paced chord changes and relatively short choruses.
Any mention of the studio recording of “A Million Miles Away” (written by Peter Case, Joey Alkes, and Chris Fradkin) must include the immaculate production prowess of Jeff Eyrich.
This live performance is no less crystalline, with 24-track production by Peter Case, who turns in a riveting lead vocal, as well. Released in 2012, Beach Town Confidential was recorded at The Golden Bear in Huntington Beach, CA in 1983, and features backing vocals by former teen pop stars, The Williams Brothers (Andy, also on 12-string guitar, and David, keyboards):
The live 1983 “A Million Miles Away”:
#4. Todd Rundgren, “Couldn’t I Just Tell You,” 1972
To view the above on YouTube, click here.
Tom’s initial reaction: “Couldn’t I Just Tell You” almost stutters into its opening, and it’s these moments which help connect musicians with their most loyal fans.
The intro riff deserves to be played at full volume as it brings joy to the listener, and the drums create a need to dance when they kick in. Impressively, Todd Rundgren plays all instruments (and produced) on “Couldn’t I Just Tell You,” and it is his drumming which shines. It directs the song through many changes, and the shifts in rhythm are handled effortlessly and smooth out these transitions.
The layering of the song is done incredibly well and really makes the song sing. The drums utilize hi-hats and cymbals, and the guitar is very melodic, playing cheery lead parts low in the mix. Hiding these instruments in the background gives the song a positive lift, without them taking over and defining the song in the same way the vocals do.
Related:
“‘Couldn’t I Just Tell You’ was influential to artists in the power pop genre: Music journalist Paul Lester (in a 2015 The Guardian article) called the recording a ‘masterclass in compression,’ and said that Rundgren ‘staked his claim to power pop immortality [and] set the whole ball rolling.’
More Lester: “From the deceptively sweet acoustic intro and opening salvo – ‘Keep your head and everything will be cool/ You didn’t have to make me feel like a fool’ – to the incandescent 15-second guitar solo, the breathtaking ‘drop’ at 2 min 36 sec, and the climactic eruption of guitars, bass and drums, of which Rundgren played and produced every last note.”
“Musician Scott Miller’s 2010 book, Music: What Happened?, calls the song ‘likely the greatest power pop recording ever made,’ with lyrics ‘somehow both desperate and lighthearted at the same time,’ and a guitar solo having ‘truly amazing dexterity and inflection.’ In 2003, Something/Anything? was ranked #173 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the ‘500 Greatest Albums of All Time.’”
Live performance: The Midnight Special, February 1974 (featuring a rare M. Frog/Jean-Yves Labat sighting, on keys, far left, in green). Other players onstage: John Siegler (bass), Ralph Schuckett (keys), Mark “Moogy” Klingman (keys), and Kevin Ellman (drums).
Song #5: Flamin’ Groovies, “Shake Some Action,” 1976
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Tom’s initial reaction: “Shake Some Action” has a bit more of an elaborate introduction than the other songs listed so far, with two clear sections to it: As the song moves into the main body, each part is relatively short as we quickly pass through the verses, pre-choruses and choruses. This is very different to other rock music at the time which was much more drawn out.
The song feels less cheery than I always imagined power pop to be, with the lyrics much more focused on a negative time to the narrator’s life, and his wanting to make things right.
We are finally brought to the outro which is my favourite part to the song. It is cheerful and easy to listen to, there is a slight amount of delay on the guitars whilst the percussion provides jangly elements over the top, giving us that positive uplift the song needed to end on.
A live cover, from the 2015 annual South By Southwest Festival (SXSW) in Austin, TX, fellow Substacker, Chuck Prophet of The Land That Time Forgot, and his Mission Express band:
Part 2 of “UK Guitar Teacher, Tom Moloney, 26, Reacts to Hearing Power Pop for the First Time”:👇
UK Guitar Teacher, Tom Moloney, 26, Reacts to Hearing Power Pop for the First Time, Pt. 2
Our favorite “Is that what that sounds like?!?”-kid is back!
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I’d venture to say The Beach Boys would be a leading act for this list. Later, The Romantics nailed it. Early power pop was more than a Brit genre, though they excelled at it. And adding some women to the mix: The Go-Go’s, who started as punk but turned power pop. The Bangles and female-fronted Blondie all ring power pop. This was fun. Thanks for the collab!
That was great! Thank you.