Ken Sharp Discusses PLAY ON! Power Pop Heroes on The Time Machine

Rocker, singer-songwriter and author Ken Sharp returned as musical guest on The Time Machine. Ken discussed his latest book "PLAY ON! Power Pop Heroes - Volume One" (Jetfighter/$39.97) which can only be pre-ordered by November 14th. The first installment of a three volume series of detailed books, at 520 pages, it promises to be the most detailed beginnings on the influence of Power Pop. Ken Sharp honors the musical innovators who built Power Pop's foundations through extensive interviews and track-by-track commentary on seminal albums. Featuring a foreword by Eric Carmen of Raspberries, this book culls exclusive extended interviews with twenty artists that define Power Pop, including members of the Beatles, the Who, the Kinks, the Beach Boys, the Byrds, the Hollies, the Dave Clark Five, the Zombies, Bee Gees, the Turtles, the Left Banke, Small Faces, the Move, Jeff Lynne and others. Also covered in "Volume 1" are representatives of the first generation of dedicated acolytes who followed the progenitors' trail: Badfinger, Raspberries, Big Star and Emitt Rhodes. This book is a must have for any true fan of Power Pop. The entire Time Machine Crew were excited to have Ken Sharp back on the broadcast. Host Michael McCartney also asked Ken to share stories behind some of own songs on his third album "Sonic Crayons" which has been a staple on The Time Machine's playlists since the album was release in 2007.

Whether its Raspberries' naughty testosterone-fueled epic "Go All the Way," most recently prominently featured in Guardians of the Galaxy or Badfinger's "Baby Blue," which scored the climactic final scene in the series finale of “Breaking Bad,” power pop is feel-good music whose sonic reverberations continue to make an indelible impact on the culture.

Back in '67, in describing their new single "I Can See for Miles," the Who's Pete Townshend coined the term "power pop," not knowing that the genre would come to take its name from his offhand description. "A Hard Days Night"..."You Really Got Me"..."Glad All Over"..."Feel A Whole Lot Better"..."Pictures of Lily"..."She's Not There"..."Carrie-Anne"..."Walk Away Renee"...”Tin Soldier”…"Happy Together"... “Lies”…"Do Ya"...”Open My Eyes”…"Go All the Way"..."No Matter What"..."September Gurls"...these classic songs share one common thread: they contain all the ingredients that make up a musical form known as "power pop."

From the '60s to present day, power pop music has gone on to mean different things to different people. For some, the term conjures the guitar crunch of Badfinger and Cheap Trick; for some, it's the intricate orchestrated melodicism of the Beach Boys, the Zombies or Jellyfish; while for others it epitomizes the quirky jagged pop tread by acts like Squeeze, XTC and Fountains of Wayne. But the stylistic glue that welds it all together into one thrilling two-to-three-minute musical joyride is a collective reverence for a picture-perfect melody that will take your breath away and a supersonic hook, the size of the Empire State Building, that's near impossible to forget.


Other artists heard on this Maui afternoon FM aircheck include The Hudson Brothers, The Turtles, Rick Springfield, The Bangles, The Electric Light Orchestra, The Idle Race, The Knickerbockers, Raspberries, The Knack and Linda Ronstadt.







Click here to listen or download the radio aircheck interview with Ken Sharp


Official Website for Ken Sharp's "PLAY ON! Power Pop Heroes - Volume One"

Pop Geek Heaven Website to Order "PLAY ON! Power Pop Heroes - Volume One"