Roots of Powerpop
Power pop was one of those things that just had to be, somehow--an attempt to recapture the giddy feeling of '60s pop with the energy of punk. So how come it wasn't new wave, anyway? Simply put, to a lot of people, it was. And here, in one place, you can hear some of the early (and a few later) tracks that defined the genre. "Early" often translates as crap ideas and execution, and of the 26 tracks on this compilation, there are more than a few that fit that category--The Romantics, for example. But there are some tidy little things on this release--The Plimsouls (possibly the best power pop band ever), 20/20, and the eternal Shoes. Cheap guitars, three chords, and enough enthusiasm to run a nuclear power plant; funny how the basics of rock & roll never change--only the tunes and the tie widths.--Chris Nickson