V.A.: 7080을 위한 추억의 그룹 사운드 / Original Memory of Group Sound 7080

This compilation mostly focuses on the Group Sound created with MBC, which I think must at least have been heavily involved in podium festivals perhaps in cooperation with television and such. Several Campus albums came forth from that too, of which several of such compilations must have been used to compile this double CD too.

You can notice a few different approaches. Some people involved clearly come from the folk area and use mainly acoustic guitar and simple delicate folk harmonies. Everywhere there’s much attention to the harmony singing, which comes partly from the folk and 50s tradition of group harmonies. You can hear a few guitar plus duo singers on the festivals too, with folk references. One specific bigger harmony band (Seolmool) was especially successful too.

Then there’s the tendency to take all this further to more mainstream or hum-papa rhythms, with band and with strings / brass / wind instruments to something in more of a television band vein, and definitely with a more mainstream approach. This is as expected the least interesting approach and a tendency that gives less international and of course also less of an appeal.

And then we have the more serious and also at times somewhat more aggressive in style rock bands, while most of them still keep it soft and safe, being influenced by the main safe area, especially when entering the 80s, while a band like Magma surprisingly freaks out mostly, almost opposing that tendency.

- Track one by Lee, Myung-Hoon fits more in a psych-rock bin, shows good electric solos, organ, some 60 harmony vocals, and at the same time the songs still have something mainstream.

- The second track by Run-Way has the same mixed bag quality. It uses heavy, groovy organ and drum, electric solos, pumping rhythm, it is a mixture of heavier rocking with still soft vocals.

- Then we have a couple of harmony singers with simple accompaniment starting with O Nui (piano, synth piano), with good but not too special songs and a few more lead singers, often from festival albums, and some solo lead singers, some songs or accompaniments sound more successful than others, the tendency not to challenge too much remains.

- Then we also hear a few tracks with bigger harmonies, like Ssantoos female singers responded by male singers during a Campus singing celebration, accompanied by acoustic guitars and strings, and the highlight of that tradition,

- Seolmool which reminds me of idealistic visions of boy scouts Christian inspired boy campuses developing their vocal harmonies to new highlights, with warm and strong effect. This is accompanied by acoustic guitar/violin only, the specific song might have a slight reference to a Korean folk song ???.

- CD2 starts similarly as the first CD, with rock band Sand Pebbles, featuring more psych organ, rhythm guitars, the song and rock doesn’t come out completely but you can feel the band has potential.

Most songs which follow hang in between pop / mainstream / harmony singing and have often some good elements but the commercial purpose doesn’t make them better.

- The Sinabro track is a bit different and sounds a bit like a new Italian progressive pop/rock band. It’s song is somewhat predictable, but there’s still is a groovy, progressive guitar/drum / keyboard, a more improvisational part included, and an instrumental solo making it a mixture of commercial pop mixed with neo- prog-rock, 80s/90s style, which makes them interestingly different as well.

- I could also mention that Han In Hee has a good soul rock voice. Less appealing is that the song completely repeats itself twice, then gets a conclusion with a weaker, mellow mainstream part, which in the end does not make this entirely as powerful as it could have been.

- Odd as approach is the track by Jeong, O-Cha which starts with a very good and moody guitar picking intro in a rather flamenco style, good warm slow singing in the beginning until the song suddenly twists towards a commercial part with rhythm box in a stupid rhythm, cheap synth, and more simple guitar, a more up tempo part, that still slows down again towards the strong and more real folk emotion. Its contrast shows two perspectives of its time. It is performed like the best it can bring this mainstream crooner hum-papa and slower folk powerfully together into one track.

Some tracks have more commercial elements.

- A good emotional solo voice folk song with guitar / mouth harmonica is that of Choi, Hyeon-Goon.

- The Magma track I already mentioned as being exceptional too, even when it starts soft and lingering.

- The track by Hwang, Eun-Mi & Moon, Chae-Ji is a good example of romantic type of lush string orchestrations and 50s dual vocal harmonies with amplified pickings, which will please the lovers of that genre in a predictable way. Another good and exceptional pop track is the beautiful folk-rocker of One & One, from an album I have reviewed before.

Some groups I figured out who are on the compilation:

CD1,

1: Lee, Myung-Hoon,

2: Runway link,

3: O-nui,

4: (Campus Song Festival 1978) (Bak Gwang Ju / Choe Hyeg Yeong),

5 ('81 MBC album : Yoo Jang-young & Kim Boo-gon (Chonbuk)),

6: Noh, Sa-Yoen,

7: Hyung Kyung And Young-Ae link,

9: Yang, Byeong-Jib,

10 (MBC campus Song Festival 1978)

11 (MBC Festival compilation)