Andy Bopp enjoys a stellar career from his part in Love Nut, Myracle Brah and Alto Verde to his splendid solo career. Nick Bertling is a solo artist and fellow member of Alto Verde. Even more relevantly, he is a producer and engineer of repute and involved in far more than you realise with IDHAS's favourite albums, particularly with the Futureman Records label.
So there is no better match than Berling revisiting and reimagining a Bopp compilation. For my part, I was an early adopter of Myracle Brah and after those first two albums, catching up on Love Nut. An Eight album career made Myracle Brah the darlings of the Power Pop scene on two really influential labels, Not Lame and Rainbow Quartz.
The band were always a bit more than just Power Pop, true they were anthemic, but nearer the likes of Badfinger or a rocked up Jellyfish with a lot in common with Brit Pop. There was also a Beatles feel at time, particularly with Bopp's vocal which was somewhere between Harrison and Lennon.Much as though the MB years were, a testament being their continued fan following, the solo years have been far more inventive and satisfying.
Bopp isn't afraid to take chances solo wise. He can do the straight ahead at will, but there are bigger hints at Psych Pop, inventive twists and turns instrumentally and unexpected arrangements. The man can still write a killer chorus and his Guitar work is still jaw dropping. Plus one of his best solo albums contained little Guitar. Bertling revisits 15 Bopp songs, 8 Solo offerings including a new song and 7 from Myracle Brah's output. The results are truly outstanding.
Myracle Brah wise, the songs sound as good as ever, but sharper and a little more focussed. Song 37 is wonderful Psych Pop and Eleven's chorus is still celebratory and glorious and I still think The Way You Are out Weezer's Weezer at times and you get the bonus of Simplified, a fantastic slice of Guitar Power Pop that only appears on a Not Lame compilation and deserves greater attention.
But if you haven't caught up with Andy Bopp since those Myracle Brah years, now is time to catch up. Shadow is pure George Harrison and Maker's Push And Pull is very Berlin Bowie. The other track from Maker is its closer, Lights And Saviors out of kilter with the rest of that album, it is pure Bopp in its melodic joy.
Minneapolis sound like an 80s Soundtrack's stand out song and Maybe Just Maybe proves that the man doesn't always plug in and can do sensitive. The new song is King Of The Day and is splendidly moody with an outstanding Twang. Proof that Bopp is still at the top of his game. Look out for the upcoming EP. Bertling has done a fantastic job here. As someone is always about the new, it was a thrill to be reminded how ace Myracle Brah were and returned me to the albums.
You can listen to and buy the album here.
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Thanks for this good episode;)
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