Shake Some Action - The Flamin Groovies

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It is one of those work days where I just want to come home, curl up in bed and read. Over a year ago, I ordered this book. Somehow Not Lame lost my name, I wrote them several times and finally, according to the owner, I got the very last copy! I am eager to read it, see how many of the Top 100 power pop lps I own, etc.. I started glancing through it briefly and got a tad discouraged. First off, my fave LP of all time "Dear 23" by The Posies was #84 below some lps that I think pale in comparison. Then I am reading the post script of artists that didn't make it.

Some other artists didn't show up because they either seemed too inconsistent for my taste (Split Enz/Crowded House, The Lemonheads,Let's Active, Grin, The Odds, The Last and Apples in Stereo all fall into this camp) or because quite frankly, I never did - and still don't "get" them. (The Jam, Frisbie, The Sorrows, Zumpano, Sloan, Weezer and the Dandy Warhols are the best examples.)

Needless to say this turned me off to the book. I am angered enough to blog about it-lol! But I can somewhat see his point as I think more about these artists. I know you think I am angered about Sloan but seriously, there is no Sloan record that is completely power pop. Andrew Scott does not write power pop. I was most stunned by two of these bands mentioned. One is The Jam inclusion, this guy has to be deaf to not get The Jam's contribution to melodic hooks and melodies. The second floors me but not many will understand because they don't have their LPs. One of my pop Holy Grail finds was The Sorrows. I first heard "Christabelle" on a compilation around 1980 called Exposed. The song is power pop magic as are both Lps which are impossible to find and expensive. (They must have had the same distribution problem Candy did.)


I will attempt to read some of the book, forgetting the postscript. Guess I should not have skipped ahead. I think they should have done singles also to make use of some of the bands who's entire records may not be power pop.

I really need to stop buying these kinds of books. I picked up the Top 100 Canadian LPs of all time while I was in Toronto. I will count for certain but it may have only had 10 lps from the 80's. (If that many!) And trust me, those are whatever Hip or Blue Rodeo records came out then. Canada avoids it's own 80's music like the plague. Are they afraid to admit "Thin Red Line" by Glass Tiger won 6 Junos in 1986. It is a brilliant record whether it is cool to like GT or not.

I flipped a page to see Kyle Vincent's Ten Favorite artists. His #6 is Gin Blossoms. Hmmmm I had See Spot Run on the Maple Minutes a few weeks again and Chris, their singer, brought up his love for the Blossoms too.. I guess they are ok for the author to mention. I will comment again after I read some more.