Best Power Pop of 2011: #3 The Records – Rotate
#3 in our countdown of best power pop of 2011….
The Records – Rotate
I rushed up to Syracuse NY on Labor Day weekend to catch The Records perform on the Quad at Syracuse University. It was 1979. I never made it. We were having car trouble and had spent the afternoon stuck along Rt. 81 in Broome county with nothing in sight but some cows and a “mental health facility” in the distance. We wasted hours debating who would jump the barbed wire fence outside the looney bin and ask Nurse Ratchet for help. In retrospect, I probably should have had my head examined for missing that show.
The absolute master of writing the pop hook, John Wicks still has that intangible, that innate ability to make a melody so memorable we can’t shake it from our heads.
“That Girl Is Emily”, is reminiscnet of (and no doubt intentionally so) of Pink Floyd’s “See Emily Play,” while “Edges of a Dream” and “So Close to Home” find Wicks and company easily matching the pop perfection of the original Records’ best work…So set aside any concerns you may have about the viability of the latter-day Records; with Rotate, John Wicks provides ample proof that his way with a pop hook remains undiminished. [Will Harris / Bulls Eye]
This release is a reissue of a previous 2009 CD, but one very much worth your attention. Included in the new release are three bonus tracks, two excellent Wicks compositions plus a remake of The Records’ classic hit, ‘Starry Eyes”. This one’s a new more ballsy version (imagine the old Records on steroids and you get the picture). Start to finish, every bit as good as the vintage Records, imo. On Fuel Records, you can get it at a Best Buy near you or online at amazon.com.
“Rotate” is a must-have for Records fans and true powerpop aficionados. Without question, John Wicks remains at the top of his game and continues to make great music. [NYMary / Powerpopblogspot]
website: www.johnwicksandtherecords.com
facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TheRecordsFeaturingJohnWicks
John Wicks and The Records – That Girl Is Emily ,Osaka Japan
