Norm de Plume

These guys are the best "power pop" musicians I have heard. Much better and more refined than the overrated Big Star, in my view. Their closest relative, sound-wise, is probably Dwight Twilley.

I don't think any of their songs are out-and-out masterpieces, but so many of them are good that when I recently decided to make a best-of CD-R compilation, not only did I require two 80-minute CD-Rs, but there were numerous worthy songs left over.

I would rank their albums thusly:

1. Present Tense (1979) ***** out of 5
2. Stolen Wishes (1989) ****1/2
3. Boomerang (1982) ****
4. Silhouette (1984) ***1/2
5. Propeller (1994) ***1/2
6. Black Vinyl Shoes (1977) ***
7. Tongue Twister (1981) ***
8. Un Dans Versailles (1975) **
9. Bazooka (1976) *1/2


These are their best songs, according to me:

1. Now and Then
2. I'll Follow You
3. Inside of You
4. In My Arms Again
-When Push Comes to Shove
-Torn in Two
-I Don't Know Why
-Curiosity
-Cruel You
-I Don't Wanna Hear It
-It Really Hurts

...and many others are of comparable quality.


Any other fans here? Feel free to make your own lists.

atlantamoi

Yes, I like them as well. Their first couple of albums are fantastic. Although I totally disagree with your Big Star comment (they tower over Shoes).

wendersfan

I like Shoes.

Big Star, on the other hand, are the greatest band in history, and thus cannot be overrated.

Buford T Pusser

As my mother-in-law would say "like is for the garbage man".


I LOVE Shoes. One of my favorite bands.

The first cd I ever bought was "Shoes Best". I didn't even have a cd player at the time but when I saw that I just had to get it.

I used to buy all of the Black Vinyl releases and my friends had a band called Material Issue that was produced there. I used to talk about Shoes with them whenever they were in town.

Are you a fan of that band? There were two or three tiny moments that just said "Shoes" on that cd. I asked them about those and they were surprised I caught them.




more to come...

cungar

Big fan here too.

Love power pop. 20/20, the Beat etc.

But I have to chime in that Big Star are the Godfathers of power pop and no one even touches them.

Norm de Plume

Thanks for the responses. I'm surprised about the reverance of Big Star. I have all of its albums, and, while much of its music is good ("Watch the Sunrise", "September Gurls", and others), I think a band like Shoes is far superior. Simply put, the melodies are smoother and more pleasing to the ears, which is what is most important to me when it comes to music. And the raspy-voiced Shoe (Jeff Murphy?) is a more resonant singer than either Chilton or Bell.

Sheriff, no I'm not familiar with Material Issue, but I did discover someone named Herb Eimerman, one of whose albums was produced by Black Vinyl. I haven't yet bought any of his albums, but I plan to. Snippets of his songs at AMG sound very promising, if anachronistic (a decade or two out of date, which is OK, since the '90s was a shitty decade for pop music).

wendersfan

The first Material Issue album (maybe the only one?) is really good. I lost it in the "divorce" when I broke up with an old girlfriend, and I've never had my hands on a copy since then (1993).

Norm de Plume

^^^Both Djangos and SecondSpin have it for $5.99

Buford T Pusser

Well what are you waiting for? MI's International Pop Overthrow is easily in my top 50 albums.


I have the Big Star stuff on a few cds but must admit I've only played two of the three once each years ago. Sad but true.

Here's my friend's take on BS:


#1 RECORD. Some really really great songs but I think this
one is overrated--I find half of it boring. Always loved "In
The Street."

RADIO CITY. This is the one I loved to death as a teenager.
Still do. Kind of an odd mix of styles on some of it, but I like
it all. "September Gurls" is about the best song ever.

THIRD. I think the CD scrambles the song order and adds some
bonus tracks...that messes it all up for me. I think this album is
amazing--very dark and powerful--but I like the original LP
version much better than the CD. A few songs here are pretty
freaky.

solo Chilton: most of it is awful.



BTW, I have a few Eimermann cds and they are good. Haven't heard them in years. Do you have the VanDelecki's or Nerk Twins? Shoes-related stuff.

How about their tribute cd, Shoe Fetish? Good stuff and lots of power pop artists those "in the know" appreciate.

Rocketdog2000

There are four Material Issue albums - International Pop Overthrow (90), Destination Universe (92), Freak City Soundtrack (94) and Telecommando Americano (97). The first two are some of the most exceptional power pop of all time - and the other two are decent enough, with the latter being issued posthumously after lead singer Jim Ellison's suicide. A true trajedy that, too.

If you can't manage to track down any of those, or, just want to take an easier route - earlier this year Universal Records released a 2Oth Century Millenium Collection compilation, that's got a pretty good selection of thier best stuff. All re-mastered, and relatively cheap to pick up, too.

Norm de Plume

No, I don't know any of those, but I'll check them out.

I usually base CD purchases on listening samples at AMG (I have never downloaded music before), and if I don't like what I hear, of course I don't bother investigating further.
By the way, I'm sure you're familiar with Dwight Twilley, whom I mentioned above as a Shoes comparison. If not, you'll surely love his stuff as well. And, also with power pop, but a slightly different style of it, I believe you were one of the only ones to add a comment in my Richard X. Heyman thread a while back. Sounds as if we like a lot of the same music.

Buford T Pusser

Yes I have quite a bit Dwight Twilley. Another in that vein is Richard X. Heyman.

DOH!

I started typing that before I finished reading your message. When I saw Twilley I thought of Heyman.

Are you on the Audities list?

You have to get Material Issue's first cd. No excuses. They are cheap on eBay.


This is also a worthy purchase:

Don't forget their harder to find cd single "Goin' Through Your Purse" that is a great value or it was when I bought it new for $4.99.

For some dumb reason the record company only showed it having seven songs, but there's more.

A review from AMG:

Review by Michael Frey
A must-have for any power-pop fan, Goin' Through Your Purse was recorded live at the Metro in Chicago on June 4, 1994. Though the packaging only lists seven titles, this is a full-length release. The fourth track includes four hidden live songs: "The Fan," "Funny Feeling," and album highlights "What Girls Want" and Diane." Making the show even more memorable for Chicago music fans, Urge Overkill's Nash Kato introduces the band and Cheap Trick guitarist Rick Neilsen joins them for the encore, a rousing rendition of Sweet's "Ballroom Blitz." The live setting showcases Material Issue's strengths, displaying their pulsing energy and knack for writing irresistible hooks. Their tales of girls and boys are designed for the full-volume, all-out intensity that only a live performance can generate. Unfortunately, due to band visionary Jim Ellison's tragic passing in 1996, Goin' Through Your Purse is the closest fans can come to experiencing the band live.

I have some DVD comps of their vids and local Chicago cable appearances. Good stuff. Plus several live boot cds.

atlantamoi

Funny, power pop is one of my fave types of music, but I never got into that Material Issue album. When it was first out and giving it another chance this past year. Hooks and melodies can be in they eye of the beholder, but I don't hear the monster licks like with Teenage Fanclub (for example).

Since we're talking about some Illinois acts, anyone here familiar with The Elvis Brothers? Couple of albums with some fantastic tunes (never heard their 3rd one). The first two albums are available on one CD, but I'm not willing to shill out $30 for it (being sold by Brad Elvis on Amazon).

Andalusia

The Shoes are great (love "Too Late"), and Big Star is not overrated (hell, they could've used some overratedness back in the 70's).

My fav "power pop" group would be the dB's. They had a unique sound and killer tunes. Their first two albums have been reissued onto one disc (like Big Star), and I can't recommend it enough.

Rocketdog2000

Yeah, great stuff from the Elvis Brothers. "Burning Desire" has always been one of my favorites.

Buford T Pusser

I started to mention the Elvis Brothers last night but wimped out. Noticed their stuff while looking at Eimerman in the cd rack.

I love their stuff and I'm still pissed that I missed a concert of theirs. I was in Chicago on biz and called a college friend on a Saturday night to meet up. I suggested the Elvis Brothers concert (I don't think they'd done many for awhile at that point) and my friend said no, he didn't want to hang in a smoky bar.

So we went to a new place called Dave and Busters. I then found out it was video games. Reminded me of college where I'd watch my friends play video games for a few hours before we hit the bars only now liquor was served so there was no need to leave.

I later heard it was the last Elvis Brothers concert.



The DBs are another band I've always meant to listen to. Mrs. Pusser was a big fan of them.

I just asked Mrs. Pusser and she said her favorite song of all time is "Amplifier".

Anyone heard the Reivers? Not power pop per se, maybe rootsy power pop. Heard about them from Mrs. Pusser.

We should have a power pop thread or amend the title of this one to Shoes and other great power pop bands.

atlantamoi

Yeah, the dB's were another sweet band. Just picked up "The Sound Of Music" (not a cheapy) to complete the early collection. One of the greatest songs in the history of mankind is "I Want To Break Your Heart" from the Hosapple - Stamey disc those guys put out in the early 90's titled Mavericks.

I also enjoyed the Reivers material (and as Zeitgeist). I think their songs have not dated as well as some of the other bands mentioned in this thread, but at least their work is available again at non-stupid high Ebay prices.

wendersfan

I was a fan of the dBs back in the day. I saw them live once on a triple bill with Let's Active (Mitch Easter's band) and Lone Justice.

ETA: I saw The Elvis Brothers open for Billy Idol in Morehead, KY in 1983...

Norm de Plume

Yeah, I'll have to give them a listen, but I'm holding you personally responsible if they suck

Another good album is Paleophonic by The Rubinoos. And I don't have any of the early Twilley albums, as they are very scarce and expensive, but I have all his recent ones. I think the best one is The Luck, although Tulsa comes close. Between the Cracks is also well worth getting; "Perfect World" is a great song.
Well, I'm still waiting for others to list their Shoes faves.

Buford T Pusser

I know. I keep posting stuff and thinking, I still haven't addressed the Shoes output.

I need to bring the cds by the computer. Sadly I must admit I have so darn many discs I haven't heard the Shoes stuff in at least a year or so. But I did play them like crazy when I wasn't such a cd whore.


I have pretty much everything by the Rubinoos too.

Mr. Salty

I had a friend in college who was a huge Shoes fan. They were probably his second-favorite band, behind the Stranglers. I remember liking them when he played their albums, but the Stranglers stuck with me more, for some reason. Reading this thread makes me wonder what ever happened to him?

That said, I'm a huge Big Star fan myself. I need to find the original track order for "Third" so I can hear it the way it was meant to be heard. I kind of wish whoever owns the rights now hadn't combined albums for the CD releases.

atlantamoi

The one song that I always put on a pop mix is "Curiosity". Love it.

Buford T Pusser

This sounds like an amazing guy. I was gonna speculate as to his whereabouts but feel I should pass at this time.

Buford T Pusser

When I think of Shoes, I think of the overlooked song "Three Times". The song is three parts w/each musician writing a part and singing it. I always like the flow of it.

When I went to college I eventually decided to end my two year relationship back home and listened to a lot of Shoes. I think I played them non-stop for a month. At the time they just had the first three albums out. So those three albums still stand out for me the most.

It worked for my mood at the time more than the Stranglers stuff I often listened to each day.

TimJS

I wouldn't say big fan, cos the only thing I have listened to very much is Boomerang, which still gets rather low ratings from critics, but I love it.

I wish the Rubinoos debut was readily available so I could compare, same with Plimsouls. Big Star was earlier than the Shoes, so with new wave etc. in between the two there are bound to be differences...I would hate to choose one or the other.

Tim