Daveportivo's Cultural Evaluation Facility

To avoid any confusing when I say pop records I don't mean Britney Spears and co. although they are all welcome, I'm simply talking about those brilliantly immediate three or four minute tracks that have an instantanious effect. So no Master of Puppets, and no paranoid android, no eight minute works of art, this is all about simplicity, short and powerful songs, that are designed to as immediately humable as they are emotional evocative. This also doesn't mean only happy songs, or only fast songs, just purely and simply short slices of musical pleasure. Still vague and confusing? Yeah I thought so, but here we go anyway, in reverse order;


5. Frankly Mr. Shankly - The Smiths (From The Album The Queen Is Dead)

Frankly Mr. Shankly as you won't be suprised isn't my favorite Smiths song and nor is it their best, but it is their best two and half minutes of pure pop brilliance. The genius of Morrissey's wit and Marr's jangle is that you can never quite tell when Morrissey and Marr are being deadly serious in the midst of all the whimsy. This subversive track compels you to sing along and have fun with its hilarious lines and bouncy beat but if you stop for a second to think about the lyrics are they scathing commentarys, are they making fun of you for singing along or are we just thinking way to hard? I still don't really know but it's a hell of a ride.

Great Lines: "Frankly Mr. Shankly This Position I've Held, It pays my way and it corrodes my soul"

"Fame, Fame, Fatal Fame, It can play hideous tricks on the brain, but still I'd rather be famous than rightious and holy any day, any day, any day"

"Frankly Mr. Shankly, I'm A Sickening Wreck, I've Got The 21st Century Breathing Down My Neck"

"I Want To Live And I Want To Love, I Want To Catch Something That I Might Be Ashamed Of"





4. Stop! In The Name Of Love - The Supremes (From the Album More Hits From The Supremes)

It's impossible to talk about perfect pop records with mentioning the Supremes, to this day their's no act that can combine the sugary sweet pop vocals with brilliant tragic song writing. Stop! checks everybox for the ideal pop record, a dance routine that any idiot can do, a perfect blend of soulful harmonies and a tragic tale of love, cheating, desperation and confrontation. Still sounds as fresh today as it did forty years ago.

Great Lines: "Baby, baby, I'm aware of where you go, each time you leave my door, I watch you walking down the street, knowing your loving me"

"This Time before you run to her, leaving me alone and hurt, think it over, haven't I been good to you, think it over, haven't I been sweet to you"

"I've known of your secluded nights, I've ever seen her maybe once or twice, but is her sweet expression worth more than my love and affection"

"I've tried so hard, hard to be patient, hoping you'll stop this infatuation, but each time you are together, I'm so affraid of losing you forever"





3. Dancing In The Dark - Bruce Springsteen (From the Album Born In The USA)

Despite being run closeline by mamoth comeback single Radio Nowhere, Dancing In The Dark remains Springsteen's best most immediate pop track. It's a song full a frustration and agnst that just screams out of action. The synths and sax may sound a bit dated but the feelings evoke never felt so fresh. While Dancing in the Dark will never be acused of being the Boss's most subtle or complex song writing moments it is nevertheless one of those tracks with such immense resonance it cuts right to the heart of a feeling that every single human being as felt.

Great Lines: "I wake up in the evening and I ain't got nothing to say, I come home in the morning, I go to bed feeling the same way, I ain't nothing but tired, I'm just tired and bored with myself"

"I check my look in the mirror, I wanna change my clothes, my hair, my face, I ain't getting no where living in a dump like this"

"They say you gotta stay hungry, hey baby I'm just about starving tonight, I'm dying for some action, I'm tired sitting around here trying to write this book, I need a love reaction, come on baby give me just one look"

"You sit around getting older, there's a joke, here's some wine it's on me, I shake this world of my shoulders, come on baby the laugh's on me"





2. I Heard It Through The Grape Vine - Marvin Gaye (From the Album In The Groove)

Similar to Stop in the name of love this is the combination of genius songwritting with one of the world's most beautiful and soulful voices. Out of all the songs on my list it's almost pointless describing this one as it's been giving every possible acalade and all the praise in the world so I'll keep this short. This is the most soul and heart ache that it's humanly possible to cram into a light loveable pop song.

Great Lines: "I better you wonder how I knew, about your plans to make me blue"

"I know a man ain't supposed to cry, but these tears I cannot hold inside, losing you would end my life you see, because you mean that much to me"

"People say believe half of what you see, Son and none of what you hear"

"You could have told me yourself, that you love someone else"




1. Trying Your Luck - The Strokes (From the Album Is This It)

A wonderful three and a half minute track, full of sorrow and heartbreak but driven by a lovely but tragic guitar line, that congers the image of a convertable driving with the top down in the midst of a dark and lonely road in a bleak and dismay town. The guitar solo is simple but magical. It's the soundtrack to a plane flying magistestically only to spin out of control (reminiscent of Road Rash on the Sega Megadrive). Julian sings beautifully with a tragic and desolate croon. Julian's voice has been criticized so often but he's fragile tone conveys a depth of emotion and such a raw sense of desperation that a great vocalist like Leona Lewis could only dream of. The song is a mixture of fantastic imagery and fun singalong rhymes. All in all, three minutes of tragic perfection. Kind of like being walking through a depressing town in the middle of the nowhere, cut of from civilization, alone. Of course it's about girls and fucking up if you didn't know, all that imagery probably makes sense now.

Great Lines: "Let's see what is for sale, he's trying not to give his job a chance, It's never gonna be, it's sad but I agree"

"The signals don't seem right, they last for just one night, And then I'm sorry that I said that we were just good friends"

"And Store Fronts rarely change, At least I'm on my own again, Instead of Anywhere with you"

"No Harm, He's Armed, Setting Off All Of Your Alarms, When I Find Out, I Hope It's You Who Set This Trap"



Well that was alot of fun, I want to get more movie and features going on my blog I'll probably have more music top fives coming your way, enjoy!