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Archive for Musical Moments
Pseudo Echo
August 13th, 2010 by aussieboy63
I am going back to the eighties now to do a feature on a New Wave/Rock Aussie band called Pseudo Echo, a band that at their peak was second only to the great INXS.
Pseudo Echo was a Melbourne band formed in 1982 with Brian Canham, Pierre Gigliotti, Anthony Argiro and Tony Lugton, but over the years they had a number of line-up changes with only Canham and Gigliotti remaining through the times. They swept to notice on the back of their first hit “Listening” which gave us all an insight into the type of music that Canham produced. Those early songs were great to dance to and very slick in their production.
The album Autumnal Park was their first and perhaps their best, producing hits such as “Stranger in Me”, “Dancing Till Midnight”, and “A Beat for You” as well as “Listening.” With their unique sound and gorgeous looks and trendy hair do’s the band swept all before it with this album and looked to be the next big thing in Australian music.
In the time between Autumnal Park and their second album Love an Adventure, the band underwent some turbulent times and the only Canham and Gigliotti remained. Love an Adventure was released in 1986 and the big hits off that were “Don’t Go” and “Love an Adventure,” both typically dance tunes in the Pseudo Echo style. In 1987 they re-released the album but included their remake of the Lipps, Inc. song “Funkytown.” “Funkytown” brought the group their biggest international success, reaching No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States and it also spent seven weeks on top of the Australian charts.
Their third album was released in 1990 and called Race, but was very much a different sound from the previous albums. It had a far harder rock edge to it and was not popular with the fans and the band disbanded at the end of the year. Of the songs in the album I liked “Over Tomorrow” and “Fooled Again” the best. They had moved away from that formula that dragged all of us Aussies through the eighties dancing away.
They have reformed and now perform around Australia, but I still remember them in their great days.
Listening
Don’t Go
A Beat For You
Living In A Dream
Love an Adventure
Funky Town
Fooled Again
Over Tomorrow
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Favorite One Hit Wonders of the Eighties
August 6th, 2010 by aussieboy63
Something a bit different today. I really got to experience the eighties and what fun it was outrageous clothes, BIG hair, and probably the start of males really being conscious of their looks and grooming. In the seventies I of course enjoyed my rock bands and then dabbled with glam, punk and disco, but the eighties brought a whole new range of sounds for me. I learnt to love techno/electronica through people like Gary Numan and then there was of course the whole New Romantic Movement that saw Eurythmics, Adam and The Ants, 2Unlimited, Duran Duran, Fine Young Cannibals, Human League, Tears For Feats, Ultravox…..well the list goes on. In Australia there was a big movement with bands such as Pseudo Echo and Kids in the Kitchen, but I will deal them on another occasion.
The eighties also featured a high number of one-hit wonders, but music was alive and there was always just another song around the corner from someone. So here are some of my real favorites from that era. Oh, and by the way, I know some might have had two hits but they don’t count.
Hit That Perfect Beat (Bronski Beat)
Tainted Love (Soft Cell)
Fade to Grey (Visage)
I Ran (Flock of Seagulls)
I Want Candy (Bow Wow Wow)
Dance Hall Days (Wang Chung)
You Spin Me Round (Dead or Alive)
Funkytown (Lipps Inc.)
Here is an offbeat one for you also
Shiny Shiny (Haysi Fantazee)
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Cover Versions
July 23rd, 2010 by aussieboy63
Don’t worry I will still do an album review, but given my age and the volume of music that I have both enjoyed and endured I thought I would look at some cover versions that artists have done that I liked. God Help Me if I tried to do one on bad cover versions….I would run out of space.
Ok in no particular order or favoritism here are some of the covers that I like and include the Youtube URLs
“He’s Gonna Step on You Again” It was first released by Johnny Kongos in 1971, but in 1987 the Party Boys re-released it. The party boys was a band made up of great artists from Australia and New Zealand as well as Status Quo bass player Alan Lancaster. It has got a great beat and has double drums… Rock on
“Daddy Cool” was released by Boney M in 1976 (Boney M for those who didn’t know rose during the disco era and had beautiful women singing and this super-cool dude singing in a deep voice) and was a great song. By chance I stumbled on the Placebo version which was released in 2003 after looking for another cover that I will discuss further on. Placebo had added a complete album of cover versions on their Sleeping With Ghosts release. It is really different from the original and the drum beat and guitars is classic Placebo
On the very same album is “Running Up That Hill” which for those who aren’t aware was originally released by Kate Bush in 1985 and had this great beat in the background blazing away with haunting keyboards and of course Kate Bush’s great voice. It was a huge hit, but what I liked about the Placebo version is that they ramped it down and made it into a haunting balad. For those of you who like Bones it was on one of their episodes, and that is the reason i looked for it. I heard this great tune and eventually found it.
Something a bit harder now. Depeche Mode was one of those Techno Bands in the 1980s that was pretty popular having some successful hits including “Personal Jesus.” In 2004 Marilyn Manson released it and did what he normally does with songs, gave it a alot grunt. His version is just great, but not if you are driving. Very easy to get into the beat and forget the speedo. I know Manson is not everyone’s cup of tea, but he really does have a unique ability to turn poppy songs into really great rock tunes.
My final song in this discussion is a very depressing and sad one I am sorry, but it is “Hurt” by Johnny Cash. Hurt was first released in 1994 by Nine Inch Nails, but never became a single. In 2003 a seriously ill Cash released it but was to die sadly within 5 months of its release. Watch the film clip (with tissues) and watch one of the most soulful and sad renditions of a song. It really is identified as Cash’s epitaph and Trent Reznor himself was blown away with the film clip.
Anyway enjoy and as my memory kicks in as I enjoy Youtube I will give you more
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Dream Days at the Hotel Existence
July 19th, 2010 by aussieboy63
Powderfinger is a great Australian band that is unfortunately disbanding, but they have left a great catalogue of music for all of us to enjoy. Formed in 1989 in Brisbane the band settled on its final makeup in 1992 with Bernard Fanning (vocals), Darren Middleton and Ian Haug (guitars), John Collins (bass) and John Coghill (drums). They have released seven albums and have won 15 ARIA awards ( The Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (commonly known as ARIA Music Awards or ARIA Awards) is an annual series of awards nights celebrating the Australian music industry, put on by the Australian Record Industry Association (ARIA). This puts them only behind the great Silverchair in success at these awards that have been going since 1987. They have remained a band with a great deal to say and with a strong conscience and have called it quits while still relevant. I have all their albums and although I will miss them can at least enjoy their work forever
Dream Days at the Hotel Existence was released in 2007 and was Powderfinger’s sixth album and although it never received great public acclaim, still is a great listen. The big hit off it is “Lost and Running” but also featured other singles like “I Don’t Remember”, “Nobody Sees,” and “Who Really Cares.” Despite the critics not liking it the fans did and it went platinum in its first week of release and going platinum three times in all.
My favorite song on the album is without a doubt “Who Really Cares” with it’s signature Powderfinger feel and a great guitar riff that once it gets into your brain is hard to get out. It has an old style rock feel about it, and has some similarities in sound to some of those 70′s folk rock songs. http://youtu.be/XCS3Tznm4xs
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Rumours
July 11th, 2010 by aussieboy63
I was at High School when Fleetwood Mac released their signature album Rumours, and I still get the same enjoyment now as I did all those many years ago. From the first song to the last constitutes 39 minutes of musical enjoyment, and I do not believe there is a weak song on the album. As we found at later it was put together in diabolical circumstances with strained relationships and constant creative differences. Despite that these four talented musicans and song-writers turned out one of the greatest albums that has ever been produced and that is not only my opinion, with many music historians glowingly referring to the perfection on this album.
The whole first side is full of hits, starting with the up-beat “Second Hand News” before going to the ballad “Dreams” which features those unique vocals of Steve Nicks and a great bass sound from John McVie. Nicks wrote this song and anyone, like me, who has followed her solo career, would quickly identify this as one of her tunes.
“Never Going Back Again” showing Lindsay Buckingham at his best on guitar was a more folksy sound, but then it is a real pop song next with Christine McVie’s “Don’t Stop”. This is real foot-tapping Fleetwood Mac at its best. Then “Go Your Own Way” continues the foot stomping with Mick Fleetwood getting into it on the drum. Great beat, great vocals, great tune.
The last song on side A is another Christine McVie effort, “Songbird” which is basically her voice with piano and some relaxed and subtle guitar work. Producer Ken Caillat feltthe song needed a concert hall’s ambience, and it was recorded during an all-night session at Zellerback Auditorium in Berkeley.
Side B starts with “The Chain” a powerful song written by all four members of the band. It features heavy bass and drum backgrounds with the haunting guitar work of Buckingham. It is almost anthemic in the way it is presented, and would not be out of place at an alternative music festival. Great song that could have been a single, but was never released.
“I Don’t Want To Know” and “Oh Daddy” keep the standard going, both being catchy tunes and then they are followed by the very haunting and soulful “Oh Daddy.” This was another Christine McVie song and I think I probably liked her songs on the album the best, perhaps because they had some appeal at the time. Sorry but too long ago to remember why?
The last song on the album “Gold Dust Woman” was written by Stevie Nicks and was another powerful ballad and again the great vocals of Nicks was backed up by the brilliant acoustic work of Buckingham on guitar.
So there you have it….Brilliant Album…… Brilliant Band………RUMOURS by FLEETWOOD MAC
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Love Over Gold
July 4th, 2010 by aussieboy63
Love Over Gold by Dire Straits. Where do I begin? To me this album means as much as the diehard fans of Mike Oldfield and his Tubular Bells album. It is not so much just listening to an album, but taking in a musical experience. Dire Straits, for those who don’t know was an English band that basically dominated the 80′s and early 90′s with great music built around the extraordinary guitar work of Mark Knopfler
The A side has two songs, “Telegraph Road” and “Private Investigations”, yes that is right, only two songs. “Telegraph Road” goes for 14 minutes and is just breathtaking, with low and haunting sounds combined with some great guitar work. “Private Investigations” follows the same theme, and if you put the CD on and listen without watching the clock it is amazing how 20 minutes flies.
“Industrial Disease” was the the USA hit and “Love Over Gold” and “It Never Rains” round off a great album. This album is not packed with hits like their others, but I think it shows what great musos can do when allowed to express themselves properly. Nearly 30 years on I still love this album and the pureness of the sound. If you haven’t heard of it before, I would suggest you at least give it a go.
An interesting sideline is that Tina Turner’s comback Private Dancer was written by Knopfler and was going to be on this album, but he felt it needed a female voice.
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IV
June 25th, 2010 by aussieboy63
The fourth album produced by that great America band Toto, I don’t believe they bettered it, although next album Isolation gave it a run.
Toto was a band created by experienced session musicians, and anyone who listens to their music can’t help but be impressed by this quality. Over the years there were a number of changes in members but the Toto I loved had Steve Lukather, Dave Paich, Bobby Kimball, David Hungate and the Porcaro brothers, Jeff and Steve. I still love hearing Jeff belting away on those drums, what a drummer.
Back to the album. It hit the streets in Australia on the back of the first hit of the album “Rosanna”, and was number one for some time. It won six Grammys including Record of the Year for “Rosanna”, Album of the Year and Producer of the Year.
The album also gave us that beautiful ballad “I Won’t hold You Back” which featured that beautiful voice of Eagles bass player Timothy B. Schmidt and of course the song everyone knows “Africa”. Who can forget that great beat as Jeff Lukather drums away. Great!
The whole album was packed with great songs though. I especially liked “Good for You” a song that always sounded better when played with the volume on high. “It’s a feeling” was also a great song, very slick in its sound and production, and perhaps this is why IV was such a big selling album. It had ten great songs on it played by outstanding musos and produced to a quality that now still stands up against modern music even 20 years on. It sold over 3,000,000 copies in the USA going platinum 3 times and dominated the world music charts.
This was the high point for the band and they struggled to reach this success again. Perhaps like Fleetwood Mac and Rumours, Toto had achieved their perfection and could never reach those heights again. Irrespective of that they left us this gem to continue to enjoy
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Madman Across the Water
June 18th, 2010 by aussieboy63
I am not even going to try and do justice to the great Sir Elton John in an introduction except to say that over 30 years he has given us over 30 albums and sold over 250 million copies. His song Candle in the Wind probably is still a song most equate with him, coming off the Goodbye Yellow Brick Road album.
My favorite album I am going to talk about is actually Madman Across the Water which was released in 1971, and despite how much I love this album it remains his lowest charting album in the UK. That does not worry me the least because I turn the CD on and listen to the whole album and just take it in.
“Tiny Dancer” and “Levon” launch the album and when you listen to “Tiny Dancer” and here those signature high notes of Elton before his throat surgery the old goose bumps come back. Quite a few of the songs have that Tumbleweed sound, especially “Razor Face” but I just love his early stuff so I have a true bias.
“Madman Across the Water” is a haunting song balancing some great guitar sounds with classical backing sounds and is of course the title track. Apparently this song was to be on the previous album, but they held it back to lead of this album, and I am glad they did. The whole album is very tight with its sound and its theme and deserves more recognition, but such is the fickle nature of critics and fans
“Rotten Peaches” is also worth a listen because it is more up tempo, but continues the really individual sound of this album. At this time Elton and lyricist Bernie Taupin provided us with project albums all with their own unique sound. Not like these days where artists discover a beat and bleed it to death.
I will close here, perhaps rightly so, with the final track on the album “Goodbye” which although only 1:48 is a beautiful finish to a great album. I love this album and it remains to this day one of my favorites.
Friday will be music day from now on, so I will go through the old CDs, and yes, Vinyl to see what I can bring you next week
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Count Three and Pray
June 14th, 2010 by aussieboy63
Berlin was a new wave band that was formed in the late 1970′s and had their heyday during the 1980′s where their slick production gained them fans. Their lead singer Terri Nunn, along with Deborah Harry from Blondie were the two leading ladies of pop. They were the power blondes that oozed sexy and were very intelligent women that demanded you listen cause they had something to say. Not like many of the cheap tramps who can’t put two words together now.
Their third album “Love Life” saw them release No More Words, with a pretty cool film clip which had Terri Nunn and the crew re-enact the Bonnie and Clyde story. Another song I really liked off this album was Dancing In Berlin, which had a great beat and really got you dancing.
This brings me to the reason for the article and one of my favorite albums still, “Count Three and Pray.” It was released in 1986 and featured the haunting Take My Breath Away from Top Gun. Another single released was Like Flames which had that signature Berlin beat, a beat which I think Aussie band Rogue Traders has captured.
The whole album is very slick in its production and sound and has some great ballads as well as more racey dance tunes. I especially like the way the songs are balanced on the album with every change of song, a change of direction which makes for enjoyable listening. Although never released as a single, my favorite song on the album in Pink and Velvet, a song which apparently has some pretty depressing origins. It is a true power balad and goes just under 7 minutes, but crank it up with headphones and enjoy it. The combination of Terri Nunn’s haunting vocals and the power guitar solos are brilliant. I hope if you read this and listen to it you will enjoy it. I am forever going on to Youtube to reminisce
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