Power pop: The Died Out Style

Arts & EntertainmentBooks & Music

  • Author Music Babylon
  • Published February 27, 2007
  • Word count 403

Do human beings evolve similarly to music? They do, indeed. These both features have much in common, as they both face a so called ‘cul-de-sac branches’ - a vivid example of a single emerge, single success and a single music style with no analogies and a rapid vanishing history, without breeding any new trend or sub-style.

Music follows the same path as life does. The style influences creation of some experimental kind of music, however it fails to exist, as it doesn’t manage to attract a large-scale fan-base, and one can doubt someone will ever recall it. The power pop somehow reminds such a ‘dead and non-prospect’ style.

The power pop draws its inspiration from 1960s British and American pop music and is characterized by strong melodies, crisp vocal harmonies, economical arrangements and prominent guitar riffs.

Instrumental solos are kept to a minimum, and blues elements are largely downplayed. Recordings tend to display production values that lean toward compression and a forceful drum beat, most often in a dance vein. Instruments usually include one or more electric guitars, electric bass guitar, a drum kit, and perhaps electric keyboards or synthesizers. 1970 to 1975 witnessed high glory of the Raspberries and the Big Star, who embarked on simple, easy tunes meshed with punk and electronic.

Most bands, playing the power pop reached a perfect vocal harmony. It makes to believe the trend was commercially directed.

The most vivid representatives of the power pop are regarded the Knack. The band appeared on stage in 1979 and immediately rose to fame with their first single My Sharona. The power pop of the My Sharona, coupled with the band’s "retro" ’60s new wave look, earned the band comparisons to the early Beatles: elaborate ties, shirts and tight jeans even the same haircuts. Their first CD album Get the Knack was recorded within the 11 day’s time and was designed the same way the Beetles’ CD albums were.

The band’s popularity slipped high, however, guys failed to rule the music Olympus. Their followers, including the Blasters, Shoes Records, Bluff Bang Paw, the Blow Monkeys, the Kids and the Motels either didn’t suffer an everlasting success. Lack of inspiration, together with inability to add some novelty into their records served decisive in their music careers. They all have been recognized as the one-hit bands and split up shortly after. Early 1980s saw the end of the power pop.

Article source: Power pop: The Died Out Style.

Article source: https://articlebiz.com
This article has been viewed 1,020 times.

Rate article

Article comments

There are no posted comments.

Related articles