Poptopia!

Poptopia! Power Pop Classics of the '90's was released by Rhino Records on CD in 1997. I picked it up at Record Theater that summer shortly after it was released after reading about it in one of my many music magazines at the time.

Put the CD on today. I haven't listened to this in many years. Sounds great.

This was one of a series of three albums releases by Rhino covering a history of the power pop genre. Volume 1 covered the 1970's and Volume 2 highlighted the 1980's. Both were very comprehensive.  I had looked at the other two very carefully but there were only one or two songs per album that I did already have in my collection so I passed on getting them. However, I only had two songs on this 90's album so I immediately grabbed it. I only had the Matthew Sweet and the Rembrandts at the time although I would get a few more over the years. One odd thing about this album was that it was covering a decade that still had three years left. There was also two popular 90's power pop bands not on the album... Teenage Fanclub and Material Issue. The 70's and 80's albums were well covered with no significant gaps. I've always loved the power pop and jangle pop songs throughout the years.

I got this album a couple of months after moving into our new home in 1997. I was also about a year into my new job at Canisius College. I had set up a stereo in our backyard cabana sunroom and I can remember getting familiar with this album enjoying our new home and backyard. Also one of the first things i did in that house was run the wires through the basement and up into different rooms to connect stereo speakers in the living room and kitchen. That would be 24 years ago.