The Modulators, Tomorrow’s Coming and Smart Remarks, Foreign Fields: 1982-1984, 2017 Reissues

Album Review

By Henry Lipput

The Beatles didn't create power pop; but, in their early recordings, they certainly created the template. Songs are usually about the girl you want or the girl who got away. Three-minute songs with ringing guitars, catchy melodies, close harmonies, and, if you're lucky, handclaps.

After the master plan was laid down, the following years saw musicians and groups -- including Badfinger, The Raspberries, Big Star, The Knack, and Nick Lowe (and Rockpile) -- both expand and refine what power pop was.

The Modulators and Smart Remarks, both New Jersey-based power pop bands, began their careers in 1980 and both are the subject of new reissues that collect all of their recordings.

The Modulators, Tomorrow's Coming

Formed in 1980, The Modulators can, based on the Tomorrow's Coming reissue, rightly take their place as an important part of the American power pop scene.

The Modulators began as a solo project of multi-instrumentalist Joe Riccardello. With help from producer / lyricist Rob Roth, Riccardello released his first single, "Girl Trouble," in 1980. He was then joined by friends Mark Higgins (guitar) and Mark "Cakes" Westlake (drums) to form the power (pop) trio known as The Modulators.

But it's the band's second single, “She's So Cynical,” released in 1982, that's the highlight and my favorite song from this collection. It's not just the music, which is classic power pop with ringing guitars, great vocal, a drum beat to die for, and, yes, handclaps. No, it's the lyrics, too: "You wonder why she's so cynical / When she's the pinnacle of your ideal." It's a perfect power pop lyric. It may have been the feel-good song of 1982, but it brings a smile to my face in 2017.

Finally, in 1984, the band released Tomorrow's Coming, their only LP. By that time, R.E.M. had released both the Chronic Town EP and the Murmur album; and the influence of Peter Buck's Rickenbacker is evident on the title song.

The second album track, the glorious "Jimmy Says," is back to power pop and is in much the same vein as Marshall Crenshaw who had released his debut album in 1982.

Two of the standout non-album tracks are "Amplitude Modulation" and "Kristine." The first can be seen as The Modulators' take on Elvis Costello's "Radio, Radio" -- "Radio's no sound salvation / no more innovation." They name check "little Nicky Lowe" and ask to have Elvis brought back (Costello is still with us, so maybe they were referring to the original Elvis.). "Kristine," a bit of The Raspberries with a Nick Lowe-ish vocal, adds keyboards and more handclaps to the band's mix. It's a song that I plan on listening to a lot more.

The Tomorrow's Coming reissue brings together The Modulators' original album and an additional 14 unreleased songs and demo tracks.

Smart Remarks, Foreign Fields: 1982-1984

There's less to say about the Smart Remarks reissue because they only recorded a single and a five-song EP which are all collected in Foreign Fields: 1982-1984.

Smart Remarks began in 1980 with Todd Ellis (guitar, vocals), Chris Gordon (bass), and Ant Barbalace (drums) as an original punk / power pop trio out of Bordentown, New Jersey.

Seriously Speaking, the EP the band recorded in 1984 with new bassist Steve DeStefano, has more of a British feel than the single (more on that in a bit). It reminds me a little of early XTC, especially their Drums and Wires period, both vocally and musically. "Falling Apart (As it Seems)" is a catchy tune with a big 80s drum sound. "Reverse Velocity" is more of a blend and emphasizes more home-grown power pop. Like The Modulators, Smart Remarks were obviously also taken with Peter Buck's Rickenbacker and early R.E.M. releases which you can hear on Seriously Speaking’s "Foreign Fields."

But with only seven songs to show for themselves, they still were able to record a true power pop classic. Their first single "Was It Something We Said . . " in 1982, contained the amazing "Mary's Got Her Eye On Me." There's some Brit influence there as well, with Cure-like guitar, but it's real honest-to-goodness power pop. It's a keeper and makes it clear why power pop lovers still care about Smart Remarks.

Tomorrow’s Coming and Foreign Fields: 1982- 1984 are both out today on Manufactured Recordings.