THE LATE SHOW - PORTABLE POP (1980)
LATEST NEWS: The band will reissue very soon this classic album. Link removed.
This is for sure one of power pop's best-kept secrets and most appropriate record titles but also, unfortunately, a very hard to find gem released in 1980 on a small label called "Rave". "Portable Pop" includes 12 melodic nuggets that rank among the very best of the power pop genre. Songs like "Take A Chance", "Hey Sue", "Protect Your Love", "A Matter Of Time",... are just what you need if you are in pursuit of pop happiness with a slight tinge of melancholy. Not only will you carry around in your head wonderful midtempo ballads and faster-paced power pop numbers but they will be associated and imprinted on your mind with such girl's names as Sue, Judy, Mary Anne... which make them easier to remember as you hum tunes over and over and begin to feel ever so happy. Do not miss out on this treasure trove of awesome melodies if you chance to come across it your quest for power pop's all time greats. By the way, in 1996, it was listed by John Borack in Goldmine as #50 of the 50 essential US power pop albums. (Bubblegumthepunk)
In 2007, the album was listed #46 of the 200 essential power pop albums in "Shake Some Action: The Ultimate Power Pop Guide"
Special Note : The album rip is part of a "swapping deal" between a huge american powerpop fan and me. I only worked a little on the original wave files provided (RMS normalization done plus a few minor clicks removed). I also stitched the parts of the LP scans he had sent me. The album was ripped from an unplayed LP. You may have seen this album on other blogs or other places, but this one is a brand new rip.
Songs
Take A Chance / Stop / I Won't Play The Clown / Actions Speak Louder Than Words / What Can I Do / Hey Sue / Look Who's Laughing Now / Judy / Protect Your Love / So Happy / Won't Mind Waiting / Just A Matter Of Time
Click here to listen to some Late Show demos from 2007.