poptimists | Dr Pop Reports Back (Part 1)

barrysarll: This is indeed an interesting question. East 17 had bigger characters, a fresher angle, a more modern sound, and arguably better songs than Take That but nostalgia doesn't seem to have got round to them yet. Pop Science suggests the following possible reasons:
1) Take That ended at or near their peak; East 17's rather unfortunate incarnation as E17 meant that they straggled on a little too long and so memory is less kind to them - see also the attempts by Brian Harvey to be a garage MC.
2) East 17 are the best attempt yet at a rough, street-credible boyband. But you have to wonder whether a rough boyband is what people who like boybands actually like, or in this case want to remember liking.
3) Similarly Take That are a lot more palatable for look-back critics who can embrace pop at a safe ten-year distance. East 17 were always a little ridiculous, and at the same time tried to be cool (which enhanced the ridiculousness). That attempt to be cool actually DID make them cooler then, but makes them LESS cool for heritage pop marketers now. It's a bit unfair since outside pop it's the tough guys who tend to be remembered most fondly, and I'm pretty sure that Brian, Tony etc were a good deal handier than, say, most punk rockers. Or Iggy probably.
4) And the Robbie factor makes Take That more interesting in hindsight than at the time - the internal struggles of the group seem more obvious, and you can try and spot the superstar-in-waiting in their old performances.
THE DOCTOR'S VERDICT: Take That are the essence of boyband and that's what nostalgic people want.

the_roofdog: The Doctor has access to precisely one Hall And Oates compilation but has encountered quite a few people talking about them as if they were genii. There is a thread on Another Place called "Hall & Oates vs Wham!". All the Americans say, Wham! were rubbish, Hall & Oates had soul. All the Brits say Hall & Oates are godawful bores, Wham! were fab Thatcherite pop. Hall - or is it Oates - is certainly guilty of moustache crimes. "Braneater" is a great song though, and so is "I Can't Go For That No Can Do". Their encounter with E.Costello sits firmly in the debit column.
THE DOCTOR'S VERDICT: Occasionally a pleasure, but guilty of not travelling well.

dansette: At the moment new Girls Aloud are better because they're newer. But I am not sure we will look back on the newer songs with the same reverence we do "No Good Advice". Also it's a bit irksome that they're suddenly getting the five-star broadsheet reviews for being 'perfect pop' with probably their least commercial album. But that might be how the GA 'team' planned it.
THE DOCTOR'S VERDICT: Reluctantly I side with the older model here.

now_advent: I fear you might be overrating a record which has "What's The Frequency Kenneth" AND "Seven Seconds" on it. But in my medical wisdom I dub "Rhythm Of The Night" by Corona the best.
THE DOCTOR'S VERDICT: Never bet against the Euro-rapper.

More Doctor Pop responses later (or tomorrow).