In 2011 I went to the community cup, an annual event where a bunch of people in bands play a bunch of people in radio. In between the footie we have a number of bands playing. That year Tim Rogers fresh from playing all day on the foot field went straight up on stage and into some of the best guitar pop this country's ever produced. Unfortunately the weather was too cold and I managed to experience 3 songs before I had to get my young kids home before we froze. I paid for it with a massive head cold.

Almost 20 years ago I was doing a solo spot at the Don Hosie Memorial gig at the Metro in Sydney, You Am I were playing the bigger room. They let our crowd in for free so just before I did my solo thing I got to see a couple of You Am I songs live. They tore the crowd apart. Bit I had to go and play. And that was it. For some reason or other I kept missing this great band. 

Until last year when they actually came to my suburb and played the Glen Eira Party in The Park. Finally I got to see a whole set and it was an excellent gig. Tim as a rock and roll swagger that draws the crowd in. And what a bunch of great songs.

Anyway I was talking about Hourly Daily. Some people rate Hi Fi Way as their masterpiece but this is the album that does it for me. I can see more of a Kinks type pop influence going on here. It's a great album from start to finish. It's really well sequenced so by the time you get to the end you look forward to hearing it all again. 

1996 in Elwood. Out the back on the new decking.  Soaking up the sun. Drinking beer. Listening to Soldiers, Mr. Milk and Good Mornin'. All Good!

the Stooges 1969

I used to belong to the Australian Music Club where once a month you'd buy a couple of albums and have them delivered to your door. I loved getting home from school and finding a couple of 12 inch parcels waiting for me. I didn't buy this record off the club. But I do remember seeing The Stooges name in the catalogue and thinking what a rotten name. Why call yourselves after the 3 Stooges? And the cover didn't really grab me. I was into T. Rex and Bowie. Then Bowie produced The Stooges Raw Power and my interest was piqued. But by then I had left the club and now had to rely on Box Hill record shops. So no matter how much I looked I couldn't find Iggy's first record. I almost thought about rejoining the club. But I didn't and my record collection stayed pretty much Stooges free.
Finally got the album in 1976 and here were all the songs I heard so much about but never heard. No Fun and I Wanna Be Your Dog. My first band Subway attempted that song. Luckily we never played it live. Actually Subway only played 2 gigs. One at a party where we cleared the living room in one minute flat. And the bass player didn't turn up either. The other gig was the Bayswater Youth Club.
oh and the record. How was it a cult record when it was so good?

Wilder by The Teardrop Explodes 1981

In 1981 Teardrop Explodes toured Australia. I went to two of their gigs. Both places were regular haunts of my band Little Murders. The Prospect Hill Hotel and the Chevron Hotel. The Prospect Hill in Kew was a great gig. We managed to score the legendary Monday night residency there. It was 4 weeks of packed houses and manic rock and roll. There were pillars in front of the stage and inebriated punters would try to climb them. Later the Prospect was the place where one of our roadies would accidentally leave the back door open and thus enough equipment was stolen to financially bring the band to its knees. 

The Chevron was another great rock venue. Really good sized room. We would often play there supporting bigger bands like the Church and Jo Jo Zep. In the nineties, I came back as a DJ on Sunday nights.

As for the Teardrop Explodes I was a bit manic on them in 1981 having to have all their records including the singles and b-sides. Now and again a band comes along and I just embrace them and want everything they've done. Nowadays it's easy if you don't mind streaming and downloads. Back then it was real work.
The gigs were great. They played stuff from both albums. They only had one trumpet player but it was incredibly effective. At the Chevron as he came off stage and was standing on the stairs I saw two friends of mine chatting to him. Girls of course.
I played Wilder constantly even while I was living the Mod life. I liked the psychedelic tones and colours. I loved playing it late at night. I remember none of my friends sharing the same enthusiasm for the record. But that's alright. Makes the album a bit more special.

Revolver by The Beatles. 1966

This is another record I bought off my brother Steve when he got married. Until I started writing this stuff I didn't realise he had some pretty good taste. Of course, sharing a room with him and hearing him play these records was forming my taste too.
When I first got into the Beatles in the late sixties it was their early records I really loved and played the most. But as I became more of a discerning record buyer and came back to the Beatles again and again and my musical tastes buds developed I became more focused on their golden middle period. Rubber Soul used to be my favourite album and then one day it became Revolver. At first, I was attracted to the ballads especially For No One and Here There and Everywhere. When I started playing the guitar it was the rockers like She Said. Actually, there is a mixture of sounds here that I've dipped into all my life. and they've got their obligatory rubbish song in Yellow Submarine but even that song I've taught many kids to sing along to and well really it's not that bad. And I loved that film too.
In the mid-nineties, we started playing Tomorrow Never Knows at the Lizard Lounge and it fitted in seamlessly with the Chemical Brothers.
And what a sleeve. In 1968 I was at Croydon High School. All the artwork that the kids were doing in the later years looked like Revolver outtakes. Wonderful. I love the sixties!

Whatever People Say I Am by Arctic Monkeys 2006

I remember reading about the Arctic Monkeys very early on. I jotted down a not about them before I'd even heard their music. "find 5 minutes by The Arctic Monkeys!" When I really first heard them I couldn't believe how good they were. Fantastic songs. Great lyrics. Real rock and roll swagger. then I found their songs were all over the Internet. some great quality, some in peoples living rooms. Wasn't long before I had an albums worth of their stuff. I went down to Pure Pop in St. Kilda and asked for any Arctic Monkeys.."Never heard of them!" wouldn't be long until they were the hottest band out. I was like an Evangelist telling everyone I knew how great they were.
Soon I had 2 albums worth of demos and stuff and then the single came out. Look Good On the Dancefloor. Bit sad that I didn't have a club to play it at but blasted it everywhere I went. Perfect pop song!.
Then this album came out. I was so used to the demos it took me awhile to get used to such a polished product. But come round I did because the songs are just so good. And they way he sings 'em. Unfortunately every album they bring out seems a little worse than the previous one. Can't even bring myself round to listening to the new one. Then again they always have a few good songs tucked away.

The Psychomodo by Cockney Rebel 1974

This one really puts me back in my bedroom in Blackburn South in the mid-seventies. This is one of those records I played with my head on a pillow between two speakers. After Come Up and See Me (Make Me Smile) came out I started looking for Cockney Rebel records in shops but couldn't find anything. Then I discovered second-hand shops and bargain bins and my life kinda changed somewhat. I could gather up the past faster and cheaper. I guess I was desperate to get a big collection fast. Can't remember where I got this but I think it was in Blackburn near the station. Probably the Newsagent or maybe the new second-hand record shop that was opened opposite the roundabout. Dixons Recycled.
I loved this record. mainly because I was getting sick of Bowie's plastic soul and rubbish live albums. This was still glam. And he had that weird voice. And he filled up his songs with strange characters like Mr. Soft. And the musical landscape and decadence were perfect for a teenager.
While I loved this record, his records after that except for a couple of tracks did nothing for me. Oh well, maybe half of Best Years of Our Lives was pretty good. And Come Up and See Me is a pretty perfect pop single.

Hounds of Love by Kate Bush 1985

Never cared much for Kate Bush. Wuthering Heights her big first hit, drove me nuts. All the other stuff was too winsome and too freaky. Yes, she was gorgeous but I kept well away from her records. 

In 1985 I was in the UK and the big song was Don't Give Up with Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush duetting. I was already a big fan of Peter Gabriel and honestly I didn't mind that song. I happened to read an article on Kate Bush where she described learning new ways to write and record using techniques she had learnt from Peter Gabriel. In Tower records, Picadilly Circus. the morning I was to leave for home I tried to get some new cassettes to listen to on the long flight back to Australia. Picked up my usual retro stuff plus some modern alternative but on a whim I picked up Hounds of Love. The reviews were great.

Listened to my tapes on the Sony Walkman all the way and by the time I hit Perth there was only one cassette to go. I thought I'd give Kate a shot. The plane was empty so I stretched out, the sun streamed through the windows and the album just transported me. I was locked deep inside my headphones with Kate Bush. it was really magnificent. 

I've tried other Kate Bush albums purely because this is so good but they never reach the same level. This truly a one off for me.

Years later exploring the night sky just outside Chang Mai in Thailand a little worse for wear it and in a slightly altered state, it was the Hounds of Love cassette I reached for to provide the soundtrack. Great album.