GUN is a hard rock band that formed in Glasgow, Scotland in the late 80s and had some minor hits off their major label debut album, "Taking On The World." Songs like "Better Days" and "Inside Out" should have done better, but were lost in the mix of all the competition from the hair bands. The 90s started well for the band thanks to their brilliant hard rock cover of Cameo's funk hit "Word Up," which charted in several countries but not the US. But things got weird on their fourth album, which was called "0141 632 6326." Back during its release, that was a phone number fans could dial for news about the band. Many were probably calling to complain since this record was a major detour from their rock and roll style. Filled with drum loops and experimental sounds, no doubt influenced by producer Andrew Farriss of INXS, the record threw me for a loop. The band split up shortly thereafter in 1997. In 2012, after some line-up changes that included a new lead singer, GUN released a fifth album that returned to rock, but with considerably more melody attached to it. They've been releasing outstanding records ever since that sadly have stayed under the radar. "Lost & Found" exemplifies the new sound of GUN for modern times. The band just released another terrific new album this year, "Favourite Pleasures." Check out the title track of that one if you enjoyed their reworking of "Word Up!"
Formerly with cult powerpop band, The Tories, James Guffee released his one and only solo record in 2005, entitled "So Much For Secrets." It is a shame more of the world does not know his musical talents. Just as melodious as his work in The Tories, Guffee's solo effort is filled with memorable tunes that stick with you long after the record is played. His evolution as a songwriter grew by leaps and bounds and I would love to visit a parallel universe where he released more material. You don't hear too many thoughtful tributes to grandparents, but "Eighty-eight" is a terrific one. Other highlights include "The Hardest Part" and "One More Time."
The Guess Who was formed in the 60s in Canada and underwent an interesting course of evolution from garage rock to pop to jazz rock. The band achieved great success by the end of 60s and into the 70s with classic hits like "These Eyes" (#6), "Laughing" (#10), "No Time" (#5), and "American Woman" (#1 for 3 weeks). The band made stars out of some of the individual members, including Randy Bachman, who went on to form Bachman-Turner Overdrive, and Burton Cummings who had a moderately successful solo career as we discussed earlier. "It's My Pride" takes us back to 1966, when the band was still fresh from the garage and burning with an intensity that might surprise those who know the Guess Who only from their hits.
When people think of 80s jangle pop bands from Georgia, R.E.M. usually comes to mind, but in a perfect world Guadalcanal Diary would too. This lesser known college rock band was a cult favorite and gained a following thanks to the MTV program 120 Minutes. In 1989, their fourth album, "Flip-flop," was finally getting the band some decent traction. "Always Saturday" was a bright and sunny pop song that should have put the band on the map, but it failed to chart. These rather wholesome looking boys just didn't have enough hairspray and sexual innuendo in their lyrics for the late 80s. Tensions were running high and the band members decided to break up before their friendships deteriorated to a point of no return, making "Flip-flop" their final album. It would be interesting to visit a parallel universe that saw the band stay together; I'd be willing to bet their fifth album would have been the commercial breakthrough they'd been waiting for.
Henry Gross, once a member of the doo-wop tribute band Sha Na Na, went solo in the 70s and is best remembered for his top ten hit, "Shannon," which went to #6 in 1976. "Shannon" was a eulogy, written about the passing of Carl Wilson's (Beach Boys) dog. The Beach Boys connection is palpable in the musical style and falsetto frequently used by Gross to nice effect. "Springtime Mama" was his follow-up single and became his second (and final) top 40 single. More bouncy and upbeat, and not about a dog (to the best of my knowledge), "Springtime Mama" should have done better and made Gross a mainstay at radio beyond 1976.
The Greenberry Woods is a little-known powerpop group formed at the University of Maryland back in the 90s. They released two essential powerpop albums, "Rapple Dapple" in 1994 and "Big Money Item" in 1995. Maybe they had too many catchy melodies and harmonies for the mid-90s as the world was still punch drunk on grunge, but Greenberry Woods failed to get much traction at the time. They are well-respected in powerpop circles, though, and it is never too late to discover them. "Super Geek," which comes from the second record, is a good primer. Two twin brothers in the band, Matt and Brandt Huseman, went on to play in another renowned powerpop outfit we will get to later called Splitsville.
The California punk rock band Green Day is full of surprises. They burst onto the scene with their slacker ode to pleasuring oneself in 1994 when "Long View" reached #36. It came from the band's third album, "Dookie," which produced four additional charting singles, the most successful being "When I Come Around" (#6). Some would say their follow-up record was a sophomore jinx, but technically it was their fourth record. Nevertheless, it did not match the success of "Dookie" and the band looked like it was falling off the radar to up-and-coming punk acts like Blink-182. In 1997 they released "Nimrod," whose first single, "Hitchin' A Ride," hit a mediocre #59. Then Green Day mounted what I will call their first comeback. An atypical acoustic track was buried in the attitude and noise constituting "Nimrod" called "Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life)." The song soared to #11 and made the world take notice of this unexpected side to the band and the blossoming songwriting talent of Billie Joe Armstrong. Unfortunately, the band seemed destined to fall off the radar again when the excellent record "Warning" failed to produce a hit in 2000. But the band took a four year break and mounted their second comeback, which was even bigger than the first. "American Idiot" was a masterpiece, the work of a band that grew by leaps and bounds since the 90s. It produced big hits like "Boulevard Of Broken Dreams" (#2 for 5 weeks and Grammy for Record of the Year), "Holiday" (#19), and "Wake Me Up When September Ends" (#6). Green Day continues to be one of the most prolific and consistent bands on the planet and a third comeback would not surprise me. One of my favorite cuts goes back to "Nimrod." "Redundant" is an amazing song released after their monster hit "Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life)." How "Redundant" failed to strike a chord continues to puzzle me to this day.
