Bill Popp and the Tapes

August 1 - 8, 1 9 9 6 [Off the Record]

*** Bill Popp and the Tapes

INSIDES

(121st Street)
Singer/pianist Bill Popp -- his real name, I shit you not -- has been called the downtown Elton John. And, in truth, many of the cuts on this Manhattan outfit's latest have the sparkle of the John/Bernie Taupin gems from the Goodbye Yellow Brick Road days. "Stone To Throw" offers the clarity and the hallmarks -- harmonies, chorus modulations, clarion vocals, a solid hook -- of great classic pop. The winsome "When I Met You" sounds like the sort of thing Bread or Three Dog Night or Gary Lewis, or maybe even the Lovin' Spoonful in a brassier mood, would have written. There's even an unlikely cover of the Beatles' "Eleanor Rigby," which proves that Popp and company have balls and what's more sounds terrific -- spiked with just enough edgy guitar and rhythmic thrust to acknowledge their awareness of the alterna-grunge (r)evolution. To hell with recyclers of Mantovani and lounge music, classic '60s/'70s vocal-driven pop is a frisky well that's largely untapped, and here Popp hits his own gusher. (Order from 121st Street, at 22-28 121st Street, College Point, New York 11356.)
-- Ted Drozdowski