Give It A Listen!
Secret Affair - Live For Today (1980)
ABBA - Gimmie! Gimmie! Gimmie! (A Man After Midnight) - 1979
Give It A A Listen!
Eddie Money - Baby Hold On (1978)
I don't rememer exactly when I heard this but it stood out from many of the other songs in 1978. It's simplistic approach with a fully layered produced song...This is fantastic. He had a unique look at the time too. Longer hair, but not a hippie or a hard rocker, with an open knotted tie with a sport coat. I loved it and mimiced it whenwver I got a chance.
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The Dead Boys - I Need Lunch (1977)
I did have a very small group of friends, three of them, that were also unaccepted in the high school cliques. I wasn't allowed to play sports, and wasn't about to smoke weed with the 'freaks'. But I did love music, and in the late 70s, our escape was Punk Rock. Mike had an extensive imported vinyl collection that opened my ears to things I would have never found on my own. I had him make me a tape of songs I liked and that tape became infamously known as "THE TAPE". My young younger brother and I LOVED that tape. We still do to this day. This song was on it.
Give It A Listen!
Commodores - Lady (You Bring Me Up) - 1981
This was played extensively.
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Henry Paul Band - Longshot (1980)
Here is one that I recently discovered that has a little bit of a Southern flair, kinda like .38 Special. But it's more rock than country. This definitely would not have made my musical taste when it came out, but this is a solid tune that deserves to be on here.
Give It A Listen!
Panic Squad - Back In The Working Class (1980)
Woah! Short but sweet! This has a UK sound and feel to it, but these guys are from New York City. This is from their self-titled Panic Squad EP.
Give It A Listen!
Balance - (Looking For The) Magic (1981)
Discovered
It amazes me how how good this album is and it took me so long to realize it. A great mixture of keyboards, guitars, and layered harmonies. This song sounds like a cross between Kenny Loggins and Toto. I had to check if the entire album was in my rotation, because it will be if it isn't.
(Looking For The) Magic
Blonde On Blonde - Shut Down (1979)
Well, in the 70s there was no escape from Disco. When I was in my Sex Pistols and Plasmatic days of Punk Rock, I HATED disco. As I got older I started to embrace other types of music instead of my normal Hard Rock, Punk Rock and Heavy Metal. There are still some styles I will never embrace. Extrapolate from what's been posted....Disco is happy and fun, and who doesn't like happy and fun.
Give It A Listen!
Riot - Sword & Tequila (1981)
Our local library had albums we could take out and my dad would soldier through them and record them onto cassette tapes for us. This was one of my selections that I was most proud of as it solidified, in my mind, the transgression into grown up metal music. This was also one of the first songs I learned on guitar.
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Advertising - The Lonely Guys (1978)
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The Vibrators - Sulphate (1979)
Just found this one today! Another Power Pop gem. I have heard of this band from the UK, but haven't heard too much from them. You should enjoy this
Give It A Listen!
The Vapors - Prisoners (1980)
I can not say enough about these incredible album. New Clear Days is clearly the best Power Pop album I have ever heard in my life. Turning Japanese is the worst song on the album and ruined their chance of being a credible force. If you don't beleive me...,
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Toronto - 5035 (1980)
I always loved Holly Woods's (Anne Elizabeth Woods) voice. I thought it was the most amazing powerful female voice in music at the time. I loved her looked, her hair, they way she dressed. It was one of my first female fronted crushes. The first sight and sound I remember was on Mtv, for their video "Your Daddy Don't Know". I immediately purchased their entire musical library. I hope you enjoy this as much as I do.
Give It A Listen!
Madness - It Must Be Love (1981)
What a brilliant song from a brilliant band. So melodic and well produced. One of Madness's best! When this came out I was, meh, okay, I like the two-tone ska stuff better. Madness was a nutty fun band that had that unique sound. When I got older and I embrace more music, this one made the light go on!
Give It A Listen!
Tom Petty - I Need To Know (1978)
Easily my favorite Tom Petty song. The first time I heard this song was from a local cover band named "Smart Aleck". It had a female vocalist and never knew this was a Tom Petty tune until many years after it's release.
Give It A Listen!
The Sweat - Do You Wanna Break My Heart (1981)
What a great song! Fun, poppy, happy, enegetic...Great Power Pop! THis is from a band called The Sweat which at on time were known as No Sweat. Just disovered this incredible song. I have to recommend this one, it's fab!
Give It A Listen!
$27 Snap On Face – Heterodyne State Hospital (1977)
DISCOVERED
I am once again updating this blog. I have another that is similar but spans all years, and I started to come across releases that should be included on here. I just stumbled across this one going through the list of releases that I had not listened to yet. At first I was going to dismiss this, but stuck with it, and I am glad I did. This is very reminiscent of the band X. The garage type raw sound, and the haunting female harmonies, and also from California. Here is one of the tracks from this album that aurally includes the smiliarites to the band X.
Kicking Around
