Okay this is sort of a mea culpa post. The other day when I was putting together my list of favorite Power Pop albums from the 70s, I completely forgot this one (I have since added it at the bottom of the numbered list on that particular post):
Totally Out of Control was produced by Bernie Taupin and released by Elton John's Rocket Record Co. It should probably be nestled somewhere in the top 25; even though, I haven't owned it very long. I actually found it at Chad's Records in Chattanooga, while I was originally compiling the first three volumes of the Birth of Power Pop series. I have never taken the plunge into converting my vinyl into a digital format, and at the time it didn't even occur to me that someone else would do this and post it on the internet (silly me!). As far as I know, it has never been released on CD. Again this is criminal. I could be wrong here, but the only CD release that I'm aware of, is the So Your Are a Star: The Best of the Hudson Brothers compilation, which came out in 1995-- also, OOP (and I paid way to much for a copy via Amazon).
If you are my age or a little older, then you probably remember waking up to the Hudson Brothers on Saturday mornings. The video clip above is the intro to that delightful program: The Hudson Brothers Razzle Dazzle Show. I remember finding the clip on Youtube a few years back, and the memories just came flooding back. I have yet to purchase the DVD box set, but at some point I probably will. As Ken sharp and Doug Sulpy put it in their book Power Pop! Conversation with the Power Pop Elite:
"[The Show] was both the best and worst thing that could have happened to the group. While giving them mass exposure and some degree of popularity, it also pigeonholed them as a poor man's Monkees, appealing primarily to children and other underdeveloped types. Along the way, almost everyone except the group themselves forgot that these guys could really make good music."
And for the most part what they produced in the 70s was good music. Even though AMG only gives Totally Out of Control two stars, I think it is a nearly flawless pop record. Granted, the Hudsons were not breaking any ground here, but it is definitely worth a listen for anyone interested in Beatles-esque pop music. Here are some highlights from their 70s output (apologies for the fan made videos, they're not great):
3 comments:
Eagerly awaiting parts 3-6 of your power pop history! Stop stalling bro'.
Part four will be posted either on Thursday night or Friday morning. Patience, beyesn.
Gotcha -- just trying to show how much eager support is out there. "The waiting is the hardest part," as a famous Dwight Twilley backup vocalist once sang.)
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