Lovers by Sleepy Jackson 2003

Lovers by Sleepy Jackson came out in 2003 and it soundtracked a month of sunshine back in Elwood. And I still get a kick out of it when I play it now. A bit of George Harrison-type slide in the guitars doesn't hurt. Truly great songs. Must be something in the water in West Australia which gives the music light and bounce and total grooviness.

Again it was someone talking about the band that got me onto them. I think it was my mate Poz. When I heard the name I thought it might be just some country type album. It had those connotations. But then I got to hear This Day on the radio. I didn't know it was them but I knew I liked the song. So I had to wait through another one or two songs hoping that they would announce the artist. And there it was. Sleepy Jackson. I immediately jumped in the car and drove down to JB HiFi in Brighton which was kind of my first stop for music in those days. Bought the CD and put it in the car stereo and bang there was Good Dancers as the opening track and I knew this was going to be great. I took the long way home just so I could listen to the album. Ending up driving down Beach Road listening to Sleepy Jackson. Sunshine in a bottle.

Chelsea Girl by Nico 1967

 On first listen to the Velvet Underground and hearing Nico's voice I was quite on the side of those who would say what is she doing on the record. Then again the song on the end whose name I forgot and which probably came from John Cale's head wasn't a bag of fun either. But as I listened more and more to the album the off-key singing of this beautiful Germanic model made sense. But there was no way I would buy her solo album. That much I couldn't take. So for years, all I heard were the Velvet Underground songs. 

In the 80s I did go to see her play live at the Jump Club in Collingwood. It was really a horrible night and because I didn't pay to get in I didn't have that investment in trying to enjoy the show and spent most of the night upstairs drinking.

But a few years back I saw "The Royal Tennenbaums" a film by Wes Anderson, whose vision I find simply brilliant. I was addicted to watching his earlier film "Rushmore " on DVD for ages. Same with each film he brought out. One of the best things about his films is his use of music. To me, he is the master of putting songs to scenes. And digging up slightly off centre songs by big artists. So it was that I heard "These Days" and was knocked out. Together with "Fairest of The Seasons" (both songs written by Jackson Browne) I got quite hooked on listening to these terribly depressing Nico songs. But at the same time not depressing. Just a different world. Then I bought the Chelsea Girl album at first because of those songs and secondly because of the great cover. I found much to love about this album but I had to play it at the right time. But I guess that's like a lot of albums. They sound better at certain times of the day.

Guitar Romantic by The Exploding Hearts 2003

 So what am I listening to now? One of the great things is finding rock bands and music that you missed when they were around. Even better when you find records that you can't take off the turntable and soundtrack weeks or months of your life. Guitar Romantic got stuck on my turntable a few weeks ago and is fighting off all comers. It is also reconnecting me to some of the pop-punk bands I haven't listened to for a while like Generation X.

I had been hearing the name Exploding Hearts ever since I went on my first trip to Japan a few years back. I also saw their name on radio song lists and quite possibly heard their records played inside a mix of great other songs. But as I was online shopping about a month ago their album popped up on eBay when I was looking for something else. Something about the algorithms innate in the system does that. Sometimes they are annoying. This time they struck gold. 

I thought I would give them a listen and jumped on Spotify to check them out. The songs blew a hole in my computer speakers. They reminded me of all those singles I was into in 1979 like The Boys, The Jam and the tracks on the Powerpearls series of records. Next thing I was blasting them out of the car stereo and ordering the vinyl.

I looked them up I found that sadly almost all the band died in a car crash not long after this record was released. This is their only studio album. And it's brilliant!

Shake Some Action by The Flamin' Groovies 1976

 It began with the song "Shake some Action'. In 1978 Wednesday nights at the Tiger Lounge in Richmond was the place to be. It started off with the Keith Glass band or KGB having a residency and inviting some of the new punk bands like the Boys Next Doors to support. This was one of the few places we got to see all the new bands and it was pretty exciting waiting to see who would turn up as the scene grew. Not just bands but punters too, Eventually Keith's band finished their residency and Laurie Richards began running something similar called the Beat Club with a poster that copied the early Who Marquee posters from the sixties. All the punk bands played there. For some reason The Fiction never did.

With KGB we went for the punk bands but we stayed for Keith Glass cos he had a great rocking band and we were not that far along the path that we had outgrown our Pub rock roots. The Sports were still popular as one the early Jo Jo Zep. The one song that stood out in Keith's set was "Shake Some Action" I had to find a copy. 

I couldn't find the song anywhere until they released a punk compilation with some guy spitting beer at the camera. (Actually, there were a lot of great tracks on the album) It kind of satisfied me until I started hearing about the album. With the same title as it's prime cut.

Luckily I stumbled upon a second-hand copy in the basement of a record store in the city. Still can't recall the name of the shop. The record was in that delicious thick cardboard the Americans use. The song's parent album was fantastic with the Groovies really digging into their sixties roots and playing a cross between the Beatles and the Stones. A strange way to go in the era of punk but just great to listen to and it became a source of inspiration as my band moved into Mod and power pop. Shake Some Action was on constant rotation at my place. And it is still a regular on my turntable after 40 years.

Debut by Bjork 1993

 

I saw Bjork at the Melbourne Sports and Entertainment Centre on March 12 1996. It was right up there with the best concerts I'd ever seen. And although her albums were full of beats and lots of club atmosphere she replaced strings with an accordion (the band was also very simple) and just let the songs and her fantastic voice do their work. My attention was glued to the stage. My mind didn't wander once. Those songs on Debut sounded better plus she had the new songs from Post which had just come out. It was also the only night I've ever taken a pair of binoculars to a gig. And they were good ones so they brought me up real close. Unfortunately, I've never taken to another gig. Maybe they made me too conspicuous. Oh, and I was on the side so I came away with a bit of a sore neck. But while the music played and Bjork just glowed I didn't notice.

Bjork was previosly the lead singer of the Sugarcubes who I found a bit hit and miss. When they were good thery were very good but they could also be qnnoying. Mainly the squawks of the other singer in the band. Debut was all Bjork and much the better for it. We had a huge poster of the album cover on the Lizard Lounge wall however we played only a few of the songs off the album and they didn't become crowd favourites. There was always they risk that it would clear the dance floor.

So Debut became an album I played a lot at home. I was totally enamoured with her voice. And it's a brilliant album as were her next two.

Abattoir Blues/ The Lyre of Orpheus by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds 2004

 Back in 1977 the first Melbourne punk band I ever saw was The Boys Next Door playing some church hall in Ashburton in the Eastern Suburbs. I was forming The Fiction with Rob Wellington and he knew them and took me along. It was riveting. Nick Cave had something special as soon as he walked on stage. And everyone there knew it. And gradually the whole of Melbourne seemed to fall under his spell. And a sizeable proportion of the alternative rock world later. The Fiction would play gigs with the Boys Next Door as would Little Murders a bit later. I rated The Boys Next Door the best band in Melbourne and I would go and see them any chance I got when my band wasn't playing. 

But I didn't get into the records. Birthday Party or early Nick Cave (though I did think Release The Bats was fantastic) I guess I was out there being a mod, playing power pop or DJing in sixties discos. It was later when I started DJing alternative clubs that tracks like Deanna packed the dance floors. Or I would go round friends' places and they would be singing along with the Mercy Seat in a mildly demented way. Then I started listening to the albums.

And he made some great records. But it was this one that knocked my socks off. (though thinking back now the best-of album was brilliant too) This was like a best-of album made up of totally new songs. And it refused to leave the turntable (or CD deck) for ages. One of the few great double albums. Brilliant!

(on a footnote to double albums.. it seems a lot of those CD albums we bought on the 90s are coming out on vinyl because of their length but I don't see those as intentional doubles)

Eternally Yours by the Saints 1978

I'm Stranded was an adrenaline rush of a single but I never rated the first album very highly at the time. I was more into the sounds of the Clash & the Jam. In hindsight, I can appreciate it a lot more now. However, Eternally Yours was a blinder from its first song. This Perfect Day. But even that didn't prepare me for the sonic brilliance of Know Your Product. And the horns!

I first heard The Saints just outside the Balwyn Swimming pool in 77. The DJ was talking about an Australian band that had been picked up by EMI UK as a punk band. I pulled the car over to listen. The record was Stranded and it was brilliant.

We heard they were going to play a short tour of Melbourne before leaving for England. So we went to see them at Martini's in Carlton which was kind of a hotel/ pizza parlour that had bands on. There were only about 15 people there. The only person I recognized was David Pepperoll who owned Archie and Jughead’s Record Shop which later became Missing Link.

When the Saints came on Chris Bailey refused to go anywhere near the front of the stage preferring to keep himself behind the huge PA speakers. The sound was great but of course, there was not much action onstage. Pepperoll kept calling out for Chris Bailey to come out. He never did.

After the show, the band talked to us. They made it plain that they couldn’t wait to get out of this country.

They went to the UK and made this brilliant album.

Sunny Boys 1981

 The first time I came across the Sunnyboys was at a party I went to on Little Murders first tour of Sydney. They were kicking the crap out of one of those old-school lockers. Together. I don't know if they were trying to get into it or what. But because they looked similar I thought straight away they were a band. This was confirmed by our manager who told me that this was the Sunnyboys and we were supporting them the next night.

On stage, they were electrifying. I mean, they rocked. Great songs, great guitars, solid rhythm. They liked us and they offered us other supports and so we found ourselves in an NSW RSL in god knows where playing to over 1000 rabid Sunnyboys fans. I couldn't get over how good they sounded. And how popular they were. And a lovely bunch of guys to boot.

I bought their first EP when I got back into town. Brought it back to Melbourne and played it to everyone. But Melbourne was ahead of me. The name Sunnyboys was already doing the rounds of the tastemakers. Mushroom Records even left Melbourne to go and sign this Sydney band which was big news at the time.

The result was this brilliant album. When it first came out we supported them at the Crystal Ballroom. Now that was a wild night! Then we did a number of supports with them all over the Melbourne suburbs.  

In September 1982 Little Murders supported the Sunny Boys at the Commodore Hotel in Sandringham. The place was packed. It was a hot night and everyone looked like they had just come from the beach. I had a spirited discussion about the words to Australian Crawl's "Beautiful People" with Mick Barclay's girlfriend Sandra. James Reyne's style of singing did leave him open for interpretation.

I've seen the Sunny Boys in recent years and they've still got it! Now just waiting for the next support!

Pin-Ups by David Bowie 1973

 I was thinking about this album the other day and how I often make light of it. A lot of bad cover versions of great sixties songs. But then I found one of my old diaries and there was me as a young teenager raving over Bowie's Pin-Ups. Of course time had altered my opinion of the record because eventually I got to hear all the real versions. I mean when the album came out I didn't have a clue who the Pretty Things were. When I did get to hear the originals was the time I started playing in bands, collecting records and on my way to becoming a Mod about time. So I dismissed Pin Ups as a folly.

But at the time it came out I was in love with the record. I would sit in the front room of my house in Blackburn South with the Christmas lights stuck to the walls and the photos of my Glam heroes on the wall just digging this album. If anything Bowie was leading me towards Sixties music with an edge. That I would eventually have all the original singles is proof of that.

Then there was Sorrow which was a massive hit single in Australia. It was always on the radio. First time I heard it was standing outside Batman Records in Swanston Street. I used to spend school holidays travelling around Melbourne by myself checking out movies and record shops. I loved it. 

A few days ago I went back and listened to Pin Ups once more. And it's brilliant!

Different Class by Pulp 1995

 

In 1995 in Pop Music all we heard about was the battle in the UK charts between Blur and Oasis. In the end neither of the singles they released were much cop. Blur's single was a bit on the nose and a little too jolly for the Lizard and Oasis seemed to have moved from their Beatles influences to Status Quo. Britpop was less fireworks on the bridge and more sparklers in the backyard.

However the one album that seemed to really stand out and transcended all the hype was Different Class by Pulp which along with their single Common People really stood out as the zenith of all things Britpop. Everyone else was a little too earnest. A little too self conscious in their posing and posturing. Jarvis Cocker was telling a different story. 

Common People was a big track down at the Lizard as was Sorted For Es and Whizz however the one that ended up filling the dancefloor was Disco 2000. The opening riff straight from Laura Branigan's 1982 hit Gloria brought everyone on to the dance floor. and everyone sung along. One of those songs where everone knew the words.

In 1998 Pulp came to Melbourne to play at Festival Hall. Most the Lizard people were there for Jarvis and the boys to play their hits. However when the encores were over and the lights went up we looked at each other in amazement. They didn't play Disco 2000. Did they forget? What the hell was going on? Surely they weren't sick of it.? It's a topic that still perplexes my friend who were there with me.

Thinking back though it was 3 years after the release of that record. It was the end of Britop for many. Maybe they just moved on. it seemes we would have to wait until 2011 to hear it live. I missed that gig though.