Chris von Sneidern
Posted by Ronald Kirk House in Recommendations on May 6, 2022
CvS is a well known power pop singer/songwriter in the San Francisco Bay area. The following two songs are from his first album, ‘Sight and Sound’, which was released in 1993.
Did I think that you would ever go far enough to never return
The rest could go and I would never know
Yes, you’re still very young
Somedays I think a lot of youWhy is it now, when I just got a hold of you, the sun went down
Maybe I should go now and take some ride for a very long time
Where was it you went?Leave me the tortured palm, leave me a place at the back of the line,
and I’ll carry on
But somedays I think a lot of you, yeah, somedays I think a lot of youYou said let’s stay home from work and play that tape ’til it wore thin
Well, nothing seems the same without you
Without that sensibilityDid I think that you would ever go far enough to never return
The rest could go, man, I would never know
Oh, you’re so very youngLeave me your final word, the one expected and never heard
Although I don’t too often
Somedays I think a lot of you, Somedays I think a lot of you
Oh, somedays I would think a lot
and somedays I would not forget
Somedays I think a lot of you, of you, of you.
Chris von Sneidern
Somedays
Chris von Sneidern
Annalisa
Highly recommended.
Poundcake
Posted by Ronald Kirk House in Recommendations on April 28, 2022
After the power pop band Cavedogs broke up, their drummer, Mark Rivers, formed a trio called Poundcake. Poundcake released one great power pop album back in 1996, ‘Aloha Via Satellite’. Every song on that album is fun to listen to. Here are a couple of my favorite songs from Poundcake.
I swim strong but the
current pulled me down
and now I’m sinking
I’ve done all I can on your solid ground
Save me Jesus please
from a lifetime on my knees
and I’ll never ask another thing againMassachusetts, this is goodbye
I believe I’m ready
I take a final breath of your poison sky
forward my mail
to the belly of the whale
cuz I don’t believe I’m leaving that fish alivebut then I’m saved again
funny how the lifeboats always
come sneaking in
just in time to lower the line down
my sinking heartpoor Jonah, he had the right idea
but he couldn’t do it
Mister Limpet, I dig the way you feel
they come a looking for me
down the bottom of the sea
but I’m never gonna leave that fish alivenow I’m saved again
funny how the lifeboats always
come sneaking in
just in time to lower the line down
on my sinking heartsomebody’s steppin’ on my cloud
Poundcake
Saved Again
At the Stockade
Highly recommended.
Michelle Malone
Posted by Ronald Kirk House in Recommendations on April 11, 2022
Michelle Malone is a rock and blues singer/songwriter from Atlanta, Georgia. The next two songs are from her wonderful album ‘Beneath the Devil Moon’ released in 1997.
Once in my life
A girl learning goodbye
Daddy’s all gone
She’s standing in the driveDreams they rescue me
I dream away
I dream my life away
Gone away, gone away, gone awayI’m staring out the window
A million miles away
Blue suede
No fires for the widow
No flowers did she lay
Blue suedeOnce in my life
Had a brother who had me
He may have gone
But he will never leave, leave meFrom down there
Was nothing I could do
Lie down there
Or crawl back in the room
There was no roomMichelle Malone
Blue Suede
You hand me life to hold on to
I’ve got a lock without a clue
I’ve got a guitar but I haven’t got any blues
You drove your car into the rail
Hey, little star, your engine failed
You lack the luster, dull and pale
But still I cannot shine for youI’ve got a garden where I am growing patients
And my green thumb has become… has come undone
I’ve got a garden and I am growing impatient
And my green thumb has becomeTalk to me, that’s what you came to do
You just stand there without a clue
I’ve got a guitar but I’ve got no diagnosis for you
Space invader, little quasar
Oh, how I wonder what you are
You can’t get where you’re going to
Still I cannot take youI’ve got a spot out back where I’ve taken my shovel
I’ve got a spot out back that’s taking all of my time
I’ve got a plot out back if I should run into troubleSo don’t give me anything to hold
You keep your diary in bold
I never said I wanted to
But you just assumed…
Michelle Malone
My Green Thumb
The next two songs are from Michelle’s 1999 release on her own SBS Records label, ‘Home Grown’. This album leans more into acoustic guitar driven folk/pop music.
Avalon
Havasu Falls
Highly recommended.
Raspberries
Posted by Ronald Kirk House in Recommendations on April 1, 2022
The Raspberries are a Cleveland Ohio pop rock band and are often considered one of the founding fathers of power pop, along with other 70’s bands like Badfinger and Big Star. Their crunchy guitar energy and hard hitting drumming combined with lovely melodies and harmonies were major inspirations for countless bands that followed over subsequent decades.
The combination of Eric Carmen’s amazing vocals and melodies with Wally Bryson’s great guitar work makes this band one of my all-time favorites. Their first self-titled album released in 1972 included one of the songs, ‘Go All The Way’ often included near the top of every power pop lover’s list of favorite songs, including mine.
Go All The Way
This next song from the same album gives an early glimpse of the softer ballad driven direction, that Eric would later focus on for much of his later successful solo career.
I Saw the Light
The next two songs are from the Raspberries second and highest charting album, ‘Fresh’, also released in 1972.
I Wanna Be With You
Nobody Knows
The next two songs are from the Raspberries third album, ‘Side 3’. Although, these first six examples of Raspberries musics were all written by Eric Carmen, all of their first three albums also include songs written by Wally Bryson and Dave Smalley. Wally and Dave also shared lead vocals giving all the Raspberries albums a lot of depth and variety.
Ecstacy
Tonight
Bassist Dave Smalley and drummer Jim Bonfanti left the band after Side 3. So, Scott McCarl and drummer Michael McBride joined the band for the next album. Like Smalley before, Scott contributed to the songwriting and lead vocals on the the Raspberries great last album, the hard rocking ‘Starting Over’, released in 1974.
Play On (Carmen/McCarl)
Party’s Over (Bryson)
Highly recommended.
Doug Powell
Posted by Ronald Kirk House in Recommendations on March 28, 2022
American power pop songwriter/musician, Doug Powell, has been on many recording labels, including Parasol, but I first became aware of his talent with his two releases on the Not Lame Recording label which focused on power pop.
I have Doug’s first album, ‘Ballad of the Tin Men’, released on the Mercury label and his next two albums released on Not Lame, ‘Curiouser’ and ‘More’, but it looks like he has released a lot of music since then that I don’t have and haven’t heard yet. After the Not Lame label ceased operation in 2010, my years of buying lots of power pop CD’s also wound down.
The following song, ‘Torn’, was on both the Not Lame compilation album, ‘Nashpop’, and on the 1999 release of ‘Curiouser’.
Kiss me quick
I’m seeing double
And I’m waiting for youI’ve no beginning and I’ve no ends
and in between I’m waiting..
for youLittle Gods fall from the sky
and I’m waiting for yousometimes it’s blue
sometimes it’s brown
sometimes I don’t even look
and I’m waiting for youCan’t you see
All the lillies spinning in the field
Everyone the only one in the World
Somewhere it’s Heaven
And I’m torn
Somewhere it’s Heaven
And I’m tornI cut myself on your silhouette
And I’m waiting for you
I wrap myself in cellophane again
And I’m waiting for youI know I don’t reach you
And sometimes I try
And I’m waiting for you
My heart is shaped like a teardrop in Summer
And I’m waiting for you
Doug Powell
Torn
Highly recommended.
Baby Lemonade
Posted by Ronald Kirk House in Recommendations on March 27, 2022
‘Baby Lemonade’ is a neo-psychedelic pop band from California. My favorite album is ‘Exploring Music’ which was released in 1998 and produced by the Wondermints. At times ethereal and dreamy, and at other times very power pop, this album was a favorite in my CD player when it came out.
in the darkness, close my eyes
and sleep away the days
and traitors are forgiven
the stars align and all the time is gone
and they say its not worth sleeping after dawn(I was stuck in a space and time)
if you give me time then I’d know what to do
(loving a heart that was so unkind)
if you were in my shoes I would wait for you
so long, so longin the morning we rub our eyes
and see the world outside
the sun is just a reminder
of all the times you’d wish that it would fall
we find we’re only sleeping after allI just wanted to give myself
A gift that I could use
then you start your contemplating
it’s not a very complicated songin the darkness we find out
what we hate about ourselves
I try to sleep with the light on
and fade away in the haze of a dying spark
I never know I miss you until its dark
Rusty Squeezebox and Mike Randle
So Long
Greenboat
Highly recommended.
Dance Romance
Posted by Ronald Kirk House in Poetry (Blog) on March 26, 2022
Her dancing movements had me mesmerized
And my defense systems became compromised
I imagined us meeting in a Hallmark romance
Where we fall in love as she teaches me to dance
Our bodies so close together in fluid motion
As I dare to whisper of my eternal devotion
But we are interrupted just as we almost kiss
And my one chance at true love I then miss
Anne Preven
Posted by Ronald Kirk House in Recommendations on March 25, 2022
Ednaswap was a Los Angeles California grunge rock band fronted by singer/songwriter Anne Previn. Their last album, ‘Wonderland Park’, released in 1998, however, was beautiful melodic pop. Unfortunately, the band disbanded after this great overlooked album. Anne and Scott did briefly work together as Annetenna after Ednaswap on an unreleased pop album that is also worth digging up.
Anne Preven and Scott Cutler of Ednaswap are perhaps best known as co-writers of the big debut hit ‘Torn’ covered by Australian Natalie Imbruglia (and many other artists). Ednaswap also made several recordings of Torn. Here is my favorite version.
I thought I saw a man brought to life
Yeah, he was warm, he came around like he was dignified
He showed me what it was to cry
Well you couldn’t be that man I adored
You don’t seem to know or seem to care what your heart is for
But I don’t know him anymore
There’s nothing where he used to lie
My conversation has run dry
That’s whats going on, nothing’s fine I’m tornI’m all out of faith, this is how I feel
I’m cold and I am shamed lying naked on the floor
Illusion never changed into something real
I’m wide awake and I can see the perfect sky is torn
You’re a little late, I’m already torn
Scott Cutler, Anne Preven, Phil Thornalley
Torn
Back in the late 1990s, I would memorize names of little known power pop bands and artists from Not Lame newsletters and from recommendations on a mailing list of fan’s of power pop, called Audities. Then I would search the discount bins of CDs at Amoeba Music in Berkeley (and every other record store in the Bay area) to try to find overlooked albums from my list. These bands I was searching for were not big names and were often very hard to find.
I would also buy cheap CDs that just looked interesting. I remember that I was on the floor of the Amoeba digging through CDs when Anne’s legs on the cover of ‘Wonderland Park’ caught my attention. Ednaswap was not something I was searching for, but I bought the album on a whim with a stack of others. I usually bought a dozen or so of 99 cent CDs at a time. What a great find that day, if not for the best of reasons. Every song on the ‘Wonderland Park’ album is very good.
Supernatural
Without Within
74 Willow
Safety Net
Highly recommended.
Jane Wiedlin
Posted by Ronald Kirk House in Recommendations on March 25, 2022
Jane Wiedlin is an American singer/songwriter, musician and actress. Jane came to my attention as a member of one of my favorite new wave bands, the Go-Go’s. She was the rhythm guitarist and co-wrote some of their songs. After the Go-Go’s break up, Jane went on to some solo pop rock and acting success.
Of most interest to me, Jane also briefly fronted a great pop punk group called froSTed which released one really cool album in 1996, ‘Cold.’ The album wasn’t a commercial success but did get some good critical reviews. I really liked the energy of the group and I thought it was great to see Jane leaning closer to her punk roots. I was very disappointed that Jane and the group only released the one album.
Here are froSTed in a video for ‘Call Me Crazy’ with Jane rocking hard and looking crazy good.
Call Me Crazy
My heart is
Brotherly love abandoned
It’s hand to mouth
Selling blood
Will work for food
Invisible to youLook in my eyes
Couldn’t you guess?
My heart is not like me
My heart is homelessMy heart is
Dirty and worn and windburned
It’s despairing
And discarded
Vanished years ago
Hit the road, hit the roadLook in my eyes (no, don’t look)
Couldn’t you guess? (it isn’t me)
My heart is not like me
My heart is homeless
Jane Wiedlin
Homeless
Jane co-wrote this next song with talented fellow former Go-Go’s member Charlotte Caffey.
One thing’s for sure
I’m not alone no more
Nothing they taught me
Works like it did beforeWhen I look back on my life
I feel like a whore
Look what being nice got meThere’s a has-been’s, wanna-be’s
Never want their kids to see’s
All in a line
Where does that leave me?
(Where does that leave me?)
Dis-integrated
(Where does that leave me?)
Dis-integratedOne thing’s for sure
I’ve about had my fill
And I don’t want to play
King of the hillI just get drunk and think about
The people I’d like to kill
Cause look what being nice got me
Charlotte Caffey / Jane Wiedlin
Dis-integrated
Highly recommended. Call me crazy, but I know what I like.
Gigolo Aunts
Posted by Ronald Kirk House in Recommendations on March 24, 2022
The Gigolo Aunts are an American power pop band that first came to my attention with their 1999 album release of ‘Minor Chords and Major Themes.’ The following are a couple of my favorite songs from that album. The first song was co-written with the band by Jane Wiedlin of the Go-Go’s.
I want to go back
I want to go home
I had everything planned
Now I don’t understand
Why I feel so alone
I don’t recognize this place
But I’ve been here before
I let it all go
Now I don’t even know
What I came here for‘Cause everything, everything is wrong
And all my faith, all my faith is gone
Once there was a time
When I thought I was strong
Now everything, everything is wrongI figured it out
Or so I said
But then I found
When I put it all down
It was all in my head
And now I want to go back
Give up this fight
I’m feeling weak
I’m too tired to sleep
And nothing feels right
Dave Gibbs / Jane Wiedlin / Steve Hurley
Everything is Wrong
Saw her in my coffee cup today
Smiling in that photogenic wayFor a moment
I thought I should hesitate, contemplate
For a moment
Then stir her awayThought I heard a voice above the fray
Down in Central Square as if to sayFor a moment
Take the time to memorize the perfect size
For a moment
Then store it away, away, away, away…‘Cause I’ve been standing in these shoes awhile
And I’ve been growing really tired of
Minor chords with major themes
And staring at the ceiling beams
And cloying movies choke me up
And sentiment keeps spilling down the cup
Dave Gibbs / Steve Hurley
For a Moment
Highly recommended.
Wondermints
Posted by Ronald Kirk House in Recommendations on March 23, 2022
The Wondermints were a California power pop band formed by big fans of Brian Wilson and they went on to become part of Brian’s touring band. The guitar player, Nicky Wonder, died in 2019 at 59.
Here are the first two lovely tunes from their first self-titled album released in 1995. I’m not sure how often I listened to the whole album, because I always pressed the repeat button on my CD player to hear these songs over and over.
I wanted to give my soul to you
I thought I could feel you pulling me throughThe dna is pretty – you know it makes me smile
The oxygen is plenty – don’t touch that dialI thought I could make it, but only with you
I wished I could bake it – if only I couldThe dna is pretty – you know it makes her smile.
The jellyhead is singing – don’t ask her whyOceans old
From a river flow
Forever slip away…I wanted to give my soul to you
I thought I could feel you pulling me throughThe dna is pretty – you know it made me smile
The oxygen is plenty – don’t touch that dial
The dna is pretty – you know it made her smile
The jellyhead is singing – don’t ask her why
The dna is pretty – you know it made us smile
The trilobite is swimming inside our mind
Nick Walusko and Sahanaja
Proto Pretty
Came the day I saw her walking on the water
I was sinking in the sand
And I thought I caught her
But she was a little out of hand.She’s in a citadel that she built on her own
She let her hair down for meWish I’d keep her only locked away just for me
But she’s already doing time
She’s a concrete flower
Squeezing in the hour ’til you’re goneYou’re in a citadel that you built on your own
Just let your hair down for me – your hair down for me
Could be a million reasons
But you found just one – just one
Fleur-de-lis frozen lily
Fleur-de-lis frozen lilySilent sands are pouring, patiently ignoring
The minutes sliding into years
From the time I lost her
Through the door of summer where she remains…
Forever out there
Fleur-de-lis frozen lily
Nick Walusko
Fleur-de-Lis
Highly recommended. Trilobites are always swimming in my mind.
Ricky Nelson
Posted by Ronald Kirk House in Recommendations on March 18, 2022
Actor and musician Ricky Nelson got his start on the popular Ozzie and Harriet radio and television show with his family. The TV show only ran until 1966, so it seems likely that my memories of watching it are from its later syndication.
In 1961 Nelson released a double A-side single with two of my favorite songs, the hits ‘Traveling Man’ (written by Jerry Fuller) and ‘Hello Mary Lou’ (written by Gene Pitney).
Traveling Man
Hello Mary Lou
Ricky had a lot of success on the pop charts with his taste for uptempo rockabilly and his smooth vocal ballads before switching to country rock in his twenties. About a decade later, Rick would write his own last top 40 hit song ‘Garden Party’ about an experience he had at a live concert.
I went to a garden party to reminisce with my old friends
A chance to share old memories and play our songs again
When I got to the garden party, they all knew my name
No one recognized me, I didn’t look the sameBut it’s all right now, I learned my lesson well
You see, ya can’t please everyone, so ya got to please yourself
Rick Nelson
Garden Party
Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987, Rick Nelson.
Eddie Cochran
Posted by Ronald Kirk House in Recommendations on March 18, 2022
Tragically songwriter/singer/musician Eddie Cochran only lived to be 21. This great pioneer of rock and rockabilly only released one album during his short life, but still had a major impact on rock and roll. Here are three of my very favorite Cochran co-written songs. Eddie was a unique talent.
I’m a-gonna raise a fuss
I’m a-gonna raise a holler
About workin’ all summer
Just-a trying to earn a dollarEvery time I call my baby
Try to get a date
My boss says “No dice, son
You gotta work late”Sometimes I wonder
What I’m a-gonna do
But there ain’t no cure
For the summertime blues
Jerry Capehart & Eddie Cochran
Summertime Blues
A look a-there, here she comes
Here comes that girl again
Wanted to date her since I don’t know when
But she don’t notice me when I pass
She goes with all the guys from outta my class
But that can’t stop me from a-thinkin’ to myself
She’s sure fine lookin’, man, she’s something else
eddie cochran, BOB COCHRAN, SHARI K. SHEELEY
Something Else
Ah well, c’mon everybody and let’s get together tonight
I got some money in my jeans and I’m really gonna spend it right
Well, I’ve been doin’ my homework all week long
And now the house is empty and the folks are gone
Hooo! C’mon, everybody!
Eddie Cochran & Jerry Capehart
C’mon Everbody
Highly recommended. Man, it’s something else!
once put together
Posted by Ronald Kirk House in Poetry (Blog) on March 18, 2022
Dear, let’s go for a walk on the beach
And feel the wet sand between our toes
Or go hiking on high mountain trails
Where hardly anyone goes
We can watch children play in a public park
Then stay up late for an intimate talk
And together we can hold hands
On a long romantic sunset walk
Can you hear the beautiful music playing?
Together, we should dance the night away
Tomorrow, I will write love songs for you
And then sing them to you night and day
Confide in me your thoughts and dreams
And allow me into your tender heart
Our two souls are the kind of close fit
That once put together can never come apart
Bernard Herrmann
Posted by Ronald Kirk House in Recommendations on March 17, 2022
Bernard Herrmann is my favorite soundtrack composer. He doesn’t force his music onto a film, he composes unique music that truly matches and supports the film. I first learned of Herrmann because I was buying some of my favorite soundtrack CDs and his name kept coming up over and over again.
For ‘The Ghost and Mrs Muir’, Herrmann came up with a hauntingly beautiful soundtrack that was perfect for this movie about impossible romantic love. This soundtrack is perhaps my favorite music from of all of Herrmann’s many wonderful works. What follows is just a short selection from the soundtrack.
I enjoyed all the Ray Harryhausen movies as a kid, but the Seventh Voyage of Sinbad was always my favorite. I especially loved the music. The next two tracks are taken from the Phase 4 stereo album ‘The Fantasy Film World Of Bernard Herrmann’ with Bernard Herrmann conducting The National Philharmonic Orchestra. I remember buying and listening to this album a lot before I later found the full sountrack versions on CD. What lovely cover art, too, I remember holding the album and staring at the cover as I listened and my mind drifted off into my own fantasies.
The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad
Herrmann also scored the unique music for my all time favorite science fiction film, ‘The Day the Earth Stood Still’ (the original black and white masterpiece, not the remake).
Klaatu barada nikto.
Helen speaking to Gort
The Day the Earth Stood Still
Highly recommended. I’ve focused on his fantasy and sci-fi soundtracks, because of my love for that genre, but don’t let that limit your listening experience. Bernard Herrmann composed a lot of great music.
The Grays
Posted by Ronald Kirk House in Recommendations on March 17, 2022
‘The Grays’ only came together as a power pop band for one album, ‘Ro Sham Bo’, which was released in 1994. The album was critically acclaimed but a commercial failure. They disbanded and the album went out-of-print. According to stories about the start of the band, it was somewhat of a reluctant accident in the first place. Regardless of how the band came to be, they sure made some great music together during their short existence.
The band included multiple talented musicians and singer/songwriters. Jon Brion was previously in the new wave band “‘Til Tuesday” (with Amiee Mann). Jason Falkner was previously in the power pop band, ‘Jellyfish’. Buddy Judge and Dan McCarroll rounded out the band, but I don’t know anything of their prior history.
Their label, Sony/Epic, only made one video for the album, but it is a good one. Here is The Gray’s video for the Jason Falkner composition of ‘Very Best Years’.
Okay, it started a long time ago
When I was a little boy
Sometimes, a little one don’t do what he’s told
And mother puts back his toyYes there is something you can do my love
Won’t you help me through these troubled times
And serve to remind, that everything is gonna be alright
Despite my fighting bitter tears
These are the very best years
Jason Falkner
Very Best Years
Maybe there’s hope for what we shared
Though I’m not sure
And if there was
We never dared to take the cureSo come on say bye bye now
So long say bye bye now
We’re better off somehow
So long say bye bye now
Jon Brion
Nothing Between Us
She thinks that nothing is the matter
She thinks that nothing could be wrong
Oh yeah she might have something there
But I don’t think that she’s aware
What she’s got is nothing
We’ve got nothing
And nothing can tear us apart
Buddy Judge
Nothing
Here is rare live video of The Grays playing an acoustic in-store promo set at a Tower Records (remember Tower Records and all the great record stores?). It is so ultra cool to be able to see them playing together like this.
Highly recommended.
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