VA - New Guitars in Town, Power Pop 1978 - 1982 [2024] (3 x CDs)

POWER POP

VA - New Guitars in Town, Power Pop 1978 - 1982 [2024] (3 x CDs)

While punk rock was the biggest story in U.K. rock in the late '70s, lots of interesting things happened in its immediate aftermath, and the short/fast/hooky sound of acts like the Buzzcocks, the Damned, and the Jam unexpectedly made the three-minute single fashionable again. Meanwhile, Elvis Costello paired the edge of punk with first-class songcraft, making his music appealing to people who found the Sex Pistols or the Clash too rough for their liking. The result was a flood of acts playing high-energy tunes with engaging melodies and enough spirit to seem hip without being alienating, and 1978 to 1982 was a golden age for British power pop. There were so many great singles from this era that Cherry Red Records has already issued two three-disc sets of U.K. power pop gems -- 2018's Harmony in My Head: UK Power Pop & New Wave 1977-81 and 2022's Kids on the Street: UK Power Pop and New Wave 1977-1981 -- and they've made it a hat trick with 2024's New Guitars in Town: Power Pop 1978-82. If "New Wave" doesn't appear in the title, the presence of acts like the Undertones, the Flys, Eddie & the Hot Rods, and Wreckless Eric (not to mention the Buzzcocks, the Jam, and Elvis Costello) confirms it's well represented in this set, though the bulk of this collection is devoted to lesser-known acts, many of whom left behind one or two killer singles before fading into the sunset. "If Looks Could Kill" by the Kicks, "Don't Take My Advice" by No Sweat, "Do It Again" by the Deaf Aids, and "Four Letters" by the Donkeys may not pop up regularly in playlists of first-era U.K. punky pop, but in this context, they sound like gems, and more polished numbers like "Here in L.A." by Filmstars, "Lunchtime Love Affair" by the Cartoons, "Superman's Shoes" by the Slide, and "Say Hello to My Girl" by the Kraze show even the acts who had their eyes on the pop charts were doing exciting and enjoyable work. As is customary with Cherry Red's archival sets, the mastering sounds good, even on tracks clearly recorded on a shoestring and probably taken from secondary sources, and the liner notes by Mark Brennan are concise, entertaining, and written with the passion of a true fan. If you enjoyed Harmony in My Head and Kids on the Street, New Guitars in Town will once again start a pogo party as soon as you press play, and those who haven't dug deep into this era will be pleasantly surprised by how many fine tunes are here, waiting to be rediscovered. (AllMusic review by Mark Deming)

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Track lists

CD1

01 Boomtown Rats - She's So Modern 2:59

02 Elvis Costello and The Attractions - Pump it Up 3:14

03 Flys - Fun City 3:04

04 Buzzcocks - Love You More 1:49

05 Motors - Forget About You 2:48

06 Strangeways - Show Her You Care 2:22

07 Pleasers - A Girl I Know (Precis of A Friend) 4:04

08 Tonight - Jealousy Kills (Beware) 2:41

09 Upstarts - Beggin 3:28

10 Wreckless Eric - Veronica 2:40

11 No Sweat - Don't Take My Advice 2:25

12 Neon Hearts - Popular Music 2:07

13 Questions - Can't Get Over You 2:26

14 Eddie & The Hot Rods - Power and The Glory 4:12

15 Jam - Strange Town 3:47

16 Nightshift - Jet-Set 2:57

17 Records - Rock and Roll Love Letter 3:48

18 Leyton Buzzards - I'm Hanging Around 2:44

19 Rollers - Turn on The Radio 3:40

20 Donkeys - Four Letters 2:18

21 Salford Jets - Last Bus 2:25

22 Kidda Band - Fighting My Way Back 3:04

23 Undertones - You've Got My Number (Why Don't You Use It) 2:38

24 Bram Tchaikovsky - (Who Wants to Be A) Criminal 2:20

25 Deaf Aids - Do it Again 3:02

CD2

01 Fans - Giving Me That Look in Your Eyes 2:45

02 Jets - Tearaway 2:51

03 Carpettes - I Don't Mean It 2:53

04 Filmstars - Here in L.A. 3:07

05 Planets - Iron for The Iron 3:36

06 Quads - There's Never Been A Night 2:26

07 Zoot Alors - Send Me A Postcard 2:42

08 Boys - Terminal Love 3:30

09 999 - Inside Out 2:01

10 Excel - What Went Wrong 2:47

11 Famous Players - Who's Kissing You 2:53

12 Squeeze - Another Nail in My Heart 2:55

13 Cartoons - Lunchtime Love Affair 3:02

14 Jags - Party Games 5:19

15 Richard and The Taxmen - Now We're Through 2:32

16 Pete Stride; John Plain - New Guitar in Town 3:03

17 Toys - Go to The Police 3:00

18 Elevators - Your I's Are Too Close Together 3:22

19 Public Skool - Walking The Rat 2:32

20 Clerks - On The Telephone 3:20

21 Purple Hearts - My Life's A Jigsaw 2:50

22 Rich Kids - Young Girls 2:49

23 Kraze - Say Hello to My Girl 3:23

24 Slide - Superman's Shoes 2:28

25 Stiffs - Innocent Bystander 3:10

CD3

01 Backseat Romeos - Zero Ambition 3:06

02 B.T.P. Folders - Radio 2:54

03 Monks - Cool Way to Live 3:04

04 Protege - Protection 1:52

05 Straight Eight - Tonite 2:32

06 Uncool Danceband - My Girl Shy Girl 3:20

07 Kicks - If Looks Could Kill 3:24

08 Covers - Too Hot to Handle 3:40

09 Stiff Little Fingers - Just Fade Away 3:04

10 Todd - The Radio 3:15

11 Vapors - Jimmie Jones (Single Version) 3:22

12 Titch Turner's Escalator - Don't Really Want You Back Again 3:30

13 Jo Callis - Woah Yeah 3:52

14 Ronnie Mayor - Can't Wait Till The Summer Comes 2:52

15 Plain Jane - Loving You 3:24

16 Aces - One Way St 2:34

17 Gas - The Finger 3:05

18 Gross Club - Second Chance 3:36

19 Linda and The Dark - Where Have All The Good Times Gone 2:10

20 Chris Sievey and The Freshies - If You Really Love Me...Buy Me A Shirt 2:42

21 Rudi - Crimson 3:01

22 Clive Culbertson - The Night's No Friend of Mine 2:37

23 Pinkees - Danger Games 2:52

24 Smart - Mr Right 3:13

25 Hollywood Killers - Butterfly 3:12

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