Rock Archeologia

Paul Collins' Beat - King Of Power Pop! (2010 Alive Records)

Artist/Band: Paul Collins' Beat
Album: King Of Power Pop!
Recorded at Ghetto Recorders, Detroit
Label: Alive Records
Catalog#: Alive 0110-2
Country: UK & US
Released: 24 Aug 2010
Genre: Pop, Rock, Brit Pop
Format: FLAC (track+.cue+log)
Bitrate: lossless
Duration: 00:31:18

• Paul Collins might not be the forefather of Power Pop but he certainly was on the committee. Collins spent much of the 1970's working with Peter Case in both Nerves and The Breakaways before forming The Beat (Paul Collins Beat) in 1979. Collins gets back to his roots on his latest album, King Of Power Pop, due out on August 24, 2010 on Alive Records. King Of Power Pop features Eric Blakely on guitar and backing vox, Producer Jim Diamond (The White Stripes, Dirtbombs, The Go) on bass and Dave Shettler on drums. Guest appearances by Wally Palmar (The Romantics) and Nikki Corvette (Nikki & The Corvettes) are also in the offing.
• King Of Power Pop opens with "C'mon Let's Go!", with Collins recalling simpler times in a classic rock n roll courtship song. "Do You Wanna Love Me" is catchy early rock n roll with a blues base that will get your toes tapping. "Hurting's On My Side" shows off Collins' melodic sensibilities in a melancholy but poignant bit of songwriting that's a nice change of pace. "Don't Blame Your Troubles On Me" is catchy, guitar-driven rock; a great listen. Collins channels pure nostalgia on his cover of The Box Tops' "The Letter". Collins manages to make the song his own without changing a thing, a nice feat. "Kings Of Power Pop" is a fun tune about how Collins came to be where he is today; it's the rock n roll dream that anyone who's ever strapped on an electric guitar has had. "This Is America" ends up sounding like a recasting of Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start The Fire". The chorus is different, but the mode and method of the song and the list-filled lyrics are just too close to not be compared. Collins closes with "You Tore Me Down", a bland dictation of 1960's rock style that just doesn't have the pizzazz you'd expect in a closing number.
• Paul Collins starts strong on King Of Power Pop, but struggles to bring it home at the same level he started out at. Collins is a deft songwriter when at his best, and Collins is inspired at times on King Of Power Pop, but much of the second half of the album ends up sounding contrived. Even at that, the best of the material on King Of Power Pop will be balm for those who miss the days of Power Pop.

               • For More info on Paul Collins: www.alive-totalenergy.com
               • Listen to Paul Collins Beat on web radio: www.breakthruradio.com

-------- ☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆ --------

  • Tracklist:

01. C'mon Let's Go! 02:01
02. Do You Wanna Love Me? 01:58
03. Doin' It for the Ladies 02:11
04. Hurting's on My Side 02:26
05. Don't Blame Your Troubles on Me 02:05
06. Many Roads to Follow 02:24
07. Losing Your Cool 02:41
08. Off the Hook 02:25
09. The Letter 02:04
10. Kings of Power Pop 02:27
11. I Go Black 02:18
12. This Is America 03:39
13. You Tore Me Down 02:39

Members:

Paul Collins: Vocals, Guitar
Eric Blakely: Lead Guitar, Harmony Vocals, Tambourine & Shakers
Dave Shettler: Drums, Timpani & Backing Vocals
Jim Diamond: Bass, Engineer, Mastering, Mixing, Producer
Nikki Corvette: Backing Vocals on C’mon Let’s Go!
Wally Palmar: Backing Vocals & Harmonica

-----  ☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆ ----- 

---