In Australia at the moment and so the question arises about music for the moment. We went to the beach yesterday and the discussion came up as to what is proper music from the beach? Now Australia is known for it's beaches and the really long hot summer and so it is probably right to start this talking about Australian music.
I will apologise to any Australian's reading this as it has been a long time since I lived in this country and as such I do not know a lot of music that has come out here that is recent.By recent I am honestly talking 10 to 12 years as that is when i last stopped paying attention to the local scene.
So it reverts back to what I thought was good music when i was younger.
So let's start with Midnight Oil. To my mind they are the most most quintessential Australian band. The music was almost always very good and had the guitars and the drums that somehow signifies a very good band in Australia. I have always had a very soft spot for the Album 'Place without a potscard' as we had a copy, on vinyl , growing up. My favourite song from that album is Basement Flat
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtyErNHAx4A
It is an old album and so the only post on youtube is for three songs, so a bit of a bonus there. Go to about 2.40 in to find the song I am talking about.
The other Midnight song I like a lot is Bull Roarer off the Diesel and Dust album. this is perhaps the most complete album by Midnight oil and i would recommend it to anyone ,even if it is very old now. Not that it makes any difference to good music!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kX1UGCIw0qI
After this album came out I used to come home and put this song home straight away for about 3 months. Again on vinyl and as such the record no longer works properly. Loving digital music now!! Will post more about that at another date.
So back to summer and Australian music. One band that are always very sadly overlooked, even on itunes, is The Church. i am not sure why this is. i think their early work was perhaps not that consistent. I would say though that their best of, was one of my favourite albums, until i lent it to some friends in Tokyo and didn't see it again. This is you Mike.
it is hard to say which is their best song, i am a very big fan of Reptile, and of course Under the Milky way, which appeared on the Donnie Darko soundtrack. Now that is a great soundtrack. But my all time favourite song by the Church and possibly in my all time top list is Ripple
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5i_CAVQUDWM&feature=related
Listen to it all, i love the lyrics and just the lazy laconic beat. I am not sure who it reminds me off especially, but many of the women I have met over the years who are beautiful garbage, who i have no idea what happened to.The line, I would walk a million miles for one of your smiles, is great.
It is very hard to discuss Australian music, with me at least, and not include at least a mention of ACDC. I have read endless articles about the band and had many discussions about their best period, the best frontman, and of course their best song. For many years I was in favour of 'It's a long way to the top' I like the humour in it, the riff is excellent and i loved the way that they were playing whilst on a flat bed truck in Melbourne (hello stolen idea bjork!!)
However, in the more recent years, perhaps four or so i have come around to the idea, like many people, that their best song is 'Back in Black'
here is the original video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h44LIiaZhHE
lovin the fashion , or lack there of.
Here is It's a long way to the top
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yy0I9WKWp44
In answer to who is the best frontman, it is Bon. Hands down. I think that he is possibly the best frontman there was, this is in no small amount to the fact that he isn't around to get fat and bloated. There is no decline and that always helps your case.
The last band i am going to talk about is Hunters and Collectors, There are a huge amount of Australian bands that deserve a mention, really, Hoodoo Gurus, You am I, Crowded House, Jet, Airborne, The Angels, Screaming Jets, the list is massive and they are all good. but it has to stop somewhere and it stops at Hunters and Collectors.
The first song that you have to mention when you talk about this Melbourne band is Throw your Arms around me
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4H2Dl4bfySM
This is such a beautiful song. it is about rape. Seriously. But it has a lovely melody and before anyone gets to upset, he is definitely not trying to give rape any sort of approval. This song was very much this bands calling card for many years and then they released an album called Cut. Which changed things massively for them. The album contained a large number of very good songs which got a lot of airplay. None more than 'Holy Grail' which was played to death but still sands up as a good story telling song.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQI5fdVCvlU&feature=related
A shout out to Kym if you read this. Saw them live at the Flinders Uni refectory. Still a terrible song to crowd surf to mate.
I am going to write another blog about how music doesn't change but taste does and if you follow that then only you can decide what is relevant, but listening to some of these songs for the first time in a few years I am struck by the way that good music endures and although it doesn't have the latest sounds , it still stands up very well.
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