Posted on: July 29, 2010 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

I was born in 1983, so that is likely the reason why I was not familiar with The Poppees’ work before picking up this album. The way I see it, after hearing “Pop Goes The Anthology”, The Poppees were really influential in ultimately determining where American punk would go, in the years immediately preceding acts like The Ramones and Blondie.

More so than merely having the tracks that they were known for, “Pop Goes The Anthology” has a number of different cuts from the band, with Bomp unearthing some tasty treats for all. The vitality and vibrancy of The Poppees is truly shown in the live cuts that are on “Pop Goes The Anthology”, giving the middle of the disc an added oomph when the act moves into their live renditions of “I’ll Be Loving You” and “I Need Your Love”. The initial studio demos that are present here – early renditions of “Jealousy”, “Since I Fell for You”, “If She Cries”, and “Tender Love” – showcase an act that considerably tightened up in a very short time span. By setting up “Pop Goes The Anthology” the way they did, Bomp really puts up first what the band is known for – their singles – and moves into different (sometimes forgotten) facets of The Poppees.

There are a considerable amount of reasons why individuals should pick up this title (beyond the label’s placement of their tracks) ; for those completists, it represents a hell of an addition. For those (like myself) that may have missed The Poppees when they were still actively playing music, it is a tremendous insight into why they were such a stellar act.

Top Tracks: Love of the Loved, Since I Fell For You

Rating: 8.2/10

The Poppees – Pop Goes The Anthology / 2010 Bomp Records / 18 Tracks / http://www.bomprecords.com

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