Jim Basnight “Pop Top” (Remastered)
“Pop Top” was Jim Basnight’s first solo album, originally a cassette-only release in 1992, and his first CD album release in 1993. The tracks came together while he was on tour with the Moberlys, and working with a variety of collaborators (including REM’s Peter Buck) deliver fine examples of the late ’80s and early ’90s pop-rock. “My Vision of You” is an effective jangling tune, with emotional verses and a solid chorus. “Asphalt Field” is a narrative pop-rock song that reminds me a bit of Midnight Oil, and the rollicking “Opportunity Knocks” has a wicked piano blues riff similar to The Rolling Stones, and it’s really catchy. With 18 tracks, this compilation hits a lot of different moods and styles.
Jim works his magic on most of these tracks; notables include “Blue Moon Heart,” “One Night Away,” “Hello Mary Jane,” “Evil Touch,” and “Restless Night.” Overall plenty of worthy tracks makes this highly recommended LP. This has never been released digitally for downloads or streams and has been long out of print, until now. Check it out!
Bill Lloyd “Feeling The Elephant” (Remastered)
Between 1983 and 1986 before he joined the country duo Foster and Lloyd, Bill Lloyd put together a series of power pop songs in the tradition of Dwight Twilley and released it as Feeling The Elephant in 1987. It was reissued in 1990, where it found its audience — but power pop fans can really appreciate the music with this newly remastered version of the album. The chiming guitars of the opener “This Very Second” are bright and hook-filled, and the Big Star-like crunch of “Nothing Comes Close” is timeless perfection. The big single here “Lisa Anne” is very much in the mold of Marshall Crenshaw and the jangling “It’ll Never Get Better Than This” is another gem here.
A few songs actually are dated by the period but still, sound fantastic like “I Wann Sit And Watch The Credits Roll” and the hard rock “All At Once You Are Unzipped.” Overall not a wasted note here and it holds up extremely well. If you ever wanted to find a place to start the deep dive into Bill Lloyd’s power pop this is the place. It should be an essential part of your music collection.
The Keys “Unlocked”
There are several “lost” power pop treasures of the 1980s, but The Keys are of particular importance. In the wake of the punk revolution in the UK, The Keys first album from 1981 is the definition of “a lost classic” of the power pop genre. Similar in approach to Elvis Costello and The Beat, the band was signed by A&M Records, and produced by upcoming star Joe Jackson, but despite the critical acclaim it only sold a few thousand copies, and it remains a find for rare record collectors and was never reissued on CD. The band dissolved in 1983 without a follow-up to the debut.
But in the year prior to the breakup, The Keys made some recordings in London between 1981 and 1983. These 12 tracks are now unearthed today and fit in perfectly with their first LP. The band has a slightly more muscular sound with “Crying Out For Love” and “Don’t Do That.” The recordings aren’t that high quality, but the talent remains impressive. Unlocked is a release of Rollin Records, but there seems to be only limited distribution, and I can’t find a place in the USA that has it. So just like the debut, it’s another mad dash to find it. But if you do it’s a worthy companion.