Heralded by many as the banner carriers of power pop for the 21st
century, few bands have displayed such a mastery of pop songcraft on a
debut release. Though not horribly adventurous with their sound, the
unabashed reliance on sophisticated harmonic vocal arrangements, fuzzed
out guitars, and occasional brass sections was seen as near revelatory
in some critical circles. No doubt, the sweeping Big Star-inspired
melodic progressions of tracks like "Shine" and "To See and Be Seen"
more than deserved the accolades that The Subversive Sounds of Love
garnered. When upping the tempo and volume on tracks like the galloping
"Paid in Kind" or the punchy "Vertigogo," Frisbie
can sound downright anthemic, though the more California-styled rock of
"Disaster" probably fits their sound just as well. Still, it's hard to
say that you ever get a real sense of the group dynamic that's at work
in the process. And while that process delivers on an undeniably
cohesive pop product, the personalities involved are never totally
evident. An exception to this, the album closes with the theatrical
whimsy of piano and banjo in "The Shuffle," proving the band can put a
more pronounced face on their sound. Although artists like this emerge
on a semi-frequent basis, and usually don't amount to very much in the
long term, Frisbie gives hope to the power pop true believers.
Haven't heard this Power Pop guys in a long time. Today i listened to the whole album once again and thought it could be a good idea to post it here.
Hope you have fun
SB1 mp3@320
This two-fer compiles the only two albums by Michigan's Terry Knight & the Pack; its self-titled 1966 debut and 1967's Reflections. Rock & roll collector's and Michigan rock aficionados have given these albums semi-legendary status simply because the lineup included the roots of Grand Funk Railroad -- Knight was the band's manager and producer until 1972, and both guitarist Mark Farner and drummer Don Brewer came from its ranks. These two recordings were originally issued on the Lucky Eleven imprint and were distributed by Cameo/Parkway who had scored a number one hit with "96 Tears" by ? and the Mysterians, another Michigan act.
Knight's gift wasn't so much as a singer, but as a songwriter capable of aping the hitmakers of the day, and he knew how to arrange. This is born out on the first album's covers of Sonny Bono's "Where Do You Go," "You're a Better Man Than I" (a hit for the Yardbirds), and a particularly strange reading of the Rolling Stones' "Lady Jane." The single from the album was a reading of the Leiber & Stoller nugget "I (Who Have Nothing)." Knight's own tunes include the fuzz guitar-drenched album-opener "Numbers" was reminiscent of the Seeds, while "What's on Your Mind" walked a line between Georgie Fame and the Zombies. The band's second album, Reflections, opens with the whitest cover of Joe Tex's "One Monkey (Don't Stop No Show)" ever. It also includes a direct steal of Donovan's songwriting style and vocal phrasing, in Knight's "Dirty Lady," and Bob Dylan's early electric sound on "Dimestore Debutante."
There are some real rockers here, too, in "Love, Love, Love, Love, Love," that's reminiscent of the Standells, the soul-inflected-cum-Association-influenced "This Train," and a unique garage psych cover of the Stones' "(I Can't No) Satisfaction." This may not be Michigan Rock at its finest, but it is an integral part of its history.(allmusic.com)
Two albums on one disc. If you don't know Knight, you will know for shure Mark Farner and Don Brewer of Grand funk fame. Grand Funk was never my thing but this here is of my taste.
Enjoy it
Cheers SB1 mp3@320

































