Customer Reviews

Really Blind Faith: Retrospective 1984-1999

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For those who missed it, here is a retrospective of a wonderful literate guitar pop group that flew below the radar in the mid 1980's. In a city full of out of towners who immigrate to make it in Los Angeles, Pop Art chronicled the thoughts of the everyday Joes who live just outside of the glitz and glamour. They did it with a soundtrack that wouldn't have sounded out of place in the Athens of R.E.M. or the Manchester of The Smiths. The trump card was that Dave Steinhart didn't wrestle with language the way Stipe or Morrissey did. Language was much simpler than the events and emotions described in this collection of graceful music that brings to mind the delicacy of Simon and Garfunkel, the quiet grooves of Belle and Sebastian, and the chiming pop of The Ocean Blue. Along with brothers Jeff, Richard, and other cohorts, Dave Steinhart created a body of work that stands tall and independently, so much so that it was all released on their own label, away from the star making machinery outside their door. If they were from England or some U.S. college town, maybe Pop Art would've made more of a buzz, but I'll take tunes over buzz any day.

Nice collection...but where's "Ancient Art" and "Walrus of Love," two of the band's catchiest tracks?

This cd is so good that you could make the case that most of the tracks don't vary much from one another and that that's a great thing. Deceptively simple song structures that just seem to add up to a superb record. Intelligent lyrics, and very melodic; just the kind of music you don't hear on the radio anymore. You can't go wrong with this purchase; very highly recommended.