A to Z: 100 Best Australian Albums... The Long List

Right, if anyone cares here is the full and or complete Aussie albums which are just my favorites of all-time and that is just an opinion too. It's been two months since posting anything and last time I just got a bit of over half but I really can't be fucked doing that or this anymore.

A is for...
The A to Z Recordings by Paul Kelly
Adalita by Adalita
All Times Though Paradise by The Saints
Australian Ghost Story by The Paradise Motel
The Axeman's Jazz by Beasts of Bourbon
B is for...
The Best of by Hard-Ons
Big Name, No Blankets by Warumpi Band
Blood Red River by The Scientists
Blue Trees by Mick Turner/Tren Brothers
Body Language by Kylie Minogue
C is for...
Cannot Buy My Soul by Kev Carmody/Various Artists
Cellulite Soul by Witch Hats
Charcoal Lane by Archie Roach
Circus Animals by Cold Chisel
Coal by Devastations
Crossing Off The Miles by Chad's Tree
Cruel, But Fair by Laughing Clowns
D is for...
Dead Wood Falls by Jen Cloher & The Endless Sea
The Definitive Collection by The Sports
Dirty Three by Dirty Three
Drunk On A Train by The Painkillers
E is for...
Eddy Current Suppression Ring by Eddy Current Suppression Ring
Everyday Lies by Hoss
F is for...
Far Be It From Me by Tex Perkins
The First Dance by Bridezilla
For The Birds by The Mess Hall
Free Dirt by Died Pretty
From One To Another by The Darling Downs
G is for...
Gala Mill by The Drones
Girl by Magic Dirt
GOD by GOD
Greasy Lens by Joel Silbersher
Gurrumul by Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu
Gutterville Splendour Six by Gutterville Splendour Six
H is for...
Havilah by The Drones
Henry's Dream by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
Here Come The Lies by The Drones
Hey Believer by Kim Salmon with STM
High Voltage by AC/DC
Hit Me With The Surreal Feel by Kim Salmon & The Surrealists
Honey Steel's Gold by Ed Kuepper
Hoodoo You Do by The Devil & Abbe May
Horse Stories by Dirty Three
The Horse, The Rat and The Swan by Snowman
Hourly, Daily by You Am I
I is for...
Ill At Ease by The Mark Of Cain
In The Pines by The Triffids
Inner City Sound by Various Artists
J is for...
James Reyne by James Reyne
Jean Lee & The Yellow Dog by Ed Kuepper
Jingles by Regurgitator
Jungle Blues by C.W. Stoneking
Junk by The Gin Club
K is for...
nothing
L is for...
Live by Venom P. Stinger
Lowercase by Bluetile Lounge
M is for...
Magic Box by The Loved Ones
Man, You Should Explode by The Kill Devil Hills
Marry Me Tonight by HTRK
The Meanie Of Life by The Meanies
Messenger by Jimmy Little
The Miller's Daughter by The Drones
N is for...
Nailed To The Cross by Sacred Cowboys
O is for...
O Soundtrack My Heart by Pivot
Oceans Apart by The Go-Betweens
Ode To Nothing by The Lighthouse Keepers
P is for...
Paddock Of Love by Lubricated Goat
Palimpsest by Essendon Airport
Paradise by My Disco
Pop Crimes by Rowland S. Howard
Personality - One Was a Spider, One Was a Bird by The Sleepy Jackson
Pilgrim's Progress by Harem Scarem
Pop Crimes by Rowland S. Howard
Prayers on Fire by The Birthday Party
Primitive Calculators (Black) by Primitive Calculators
Primitive Calculators and Friends (White) by Primitive Calculators/Various Artists
Q is for...
nothing
R is for...
Reelsville by Dave Mason
Reveal Yourself by The Blackeyed Susans
Ron Pisto's Real World by Fungus Brains
S is for...
The Shiralee by theredsunband
Sleeping Dogs Lie by The Victims
Soaking Red by Tendrils
The Soft 'N' Sexy Sound by Dave Graney 'N' The Coral Snakes
Space Coyote by The Tigers
Still Life by The Paradise Motel
Strange Bird by Augie March
Strange Tourist by Gareth Liddiard
Stoneage Romeos by Hoodoo Gurus
T is for...
The Tabloid Blues by Dan Kelly & The Alpha Males
Tales From The Australian Underground by Various Artists
Tales From the Australian Underground Volume 2 by Various Artists
Teenage Snuff Film by Rowland S. Howard
This Is Not The Way Home by The Cruel Sea
U is for...
nothing
V is for...
nothing
W is for...
Wait Long By The River and the Bodies of Your Enemies Will Float By by The Drones
The Waterfront Years by Tumbleweed
We're All Gunna Die by Don Walker
What Are Rockstars Doing Today by Magic Dirt
What the Sea Wants, the Sea Will Have by Sarah Blasko
Whatever You Love, You Are by Dirty Three
Where Joy Kills Sorrow by Various Artists
X is for...
X-Aspirations by X
Y is for...
Ya Gotta Let Me Do My Own Thing by Kim Salmon & The Surrealists
Z is for...
nothing

So that is it, any questions? What is your all-time favorite Aussie albums?

P.S. If you don't know that's Sir Les Patterson sitting on the crapper with the Aussie flag, photo by Polly Borland.

A to Z: 100 Best Australian Albums so "H" is for...

The Harrier, or it's the Swamp Harrier above and I'm back using John Gould's Birds of Australia again. Swamp Harrier is a bird that's in least concern in conservation status which is a great thing really but people do like to talk about about all the Endangered or even the Extinct species and I did last time with Gouldian Finch. I remember visiting the museum of W.A. and I loved going to the Bird gallery all the time. They have all the birds in Western Australian taxidermied but it seem only the tourists from somewhere else would look at these birds and local people looked at the extinct display in the corner and I would hear things like, "I want to see something I don't see everyday when I come to the museum" or "This is a boring room, let's see what's next" and after a while of hearing this I've stopped going because it was depressing listening to people talk like that, or just start wishing the human race was extincted.

Anyway back to the music and the letter "H" which seems like it's got the most amount of albums so far in my little count down, reaching double figures with ten so that's why its taken so long in between posts.

Havilah by The Drones
Well, here are The Drones again with their last album from 2008, a long time ago now and this time at their own home studio. Joining them as a full new member was Dan Luscombe with Mike Noga on his second album and of-course Fiona Kitschin and Gareth Liddiard have been here from the start.

Henry's Dream by Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds
With two more Aussie members joining the band Martyn P. Casey and Conway Savage make it the most ever but really can we call Cave an Aussie anymore? He's lived almost all of his adult life in England, and do you know how many albums he has done in Australia? I mean the full album? Well, only two albums Kicking Against the Pricks and Nocturama, which are not great records and that's pretty fucking lame for someone who calls himself an Aussie. Anyway this one was recorded in the U.S.A. but only mixed here. I've picked this because if I was to choose only one Bad Seeds album to listen to this would be it.   

Here Come The Lies by The Drones
Here's where it all started with the debut album from 2002, the band members at this point were Gareth, Fiona Kitschin, Rui Pereira and early drummer Christian Strybosch plus listed in the liner notes are Matt Heydon plays "Mr Whippy piano on New Kind of Kick" and Craig Williamson "his swollen eggs on The Cockeyed Lowlife of the Highlands" whatever that means.


Hey Believer by Kim Salmon with STM
The first of two albums in this post and he's already been here in my list four times, if you didn't know, with From One To Another by The Darling Downs, Dirty Three by Dirty Three, Blood Red River by The Scientists and The Axeman's Jazz by Beasts of Bourbon. This record from the mid-90' was at the time the closest he came to doing a solo album but six of these tracks included and band called STM who was the late Andrew Entsch on Doulbe Bass and Dirty Three's Jim White and Warren Ellis.

High Voltage by AC/DC
This debut album was like the blueprint without really even thinking about it, they were just another rock n roll band starting out, nothing more. I remember having the Aussie version on cassette tape with a different tracklisting, as one of my first albums I bought myself but you can't get that anymore, I wish you could. Most of Bon Scott's lyrics made more sense the older I got but they were never as good as this album. Of course they became one of the biggest heavy rock bands in the world with one of the highest selling albums of all-time but thier early stuff is always better, everytime.  

Hit Me With The Surreal Feel by Kim Salmon & the Surrealists
The debut album of The Surrealists and Kim Salmon. After The Scientists broke-up he formed a trio line-up with Brian Hooper on bass and Tony Pola on drums. Recorded with microphones randomly placed around the studio and recorded on just a four-track in his home town of Perth before packing up and heading east. Other than tours he's never come back finally setting up home in Melbourne a few years later. I like the fact I've sandwiched Kim Salmon's albums in between AC/DC and also The Drones in between Nick Cave but both I would argue are more Aussie than the bigger names and that's what my list is all about.

Honey Steel's Gold by Ed Kuepper
Ed Kuepper left The Saints after just three albums to form his new band, Laughing Clowns who broke-up. This is one of his solo albums after almost ten years playing under just his name. Original release in 1991 with a killer band line-up of Mark Dawson on Drums, Sir Alfonso on Bass and The Necks' Chris Abrahams on Piano and Organ, also the first he worked with his long time co-producer, Phil Punch. Can I call it one of the best break-up albums of all-time, it's like the Aussie's Blood on the Tracks.

Hoodoo You Do by The Devil & Abbe May
Right this is Abbe May's second album but the only one to be released under this name. It's her totally Blues album so off-course it's got the main star the Devil, himself which is more a heavy metal thing now. Most people compare her to an Female English songwriter but I would say she is more like the bloke who she broke's heart in the late 90's. Yes, I'm talking about Nick Cave again not PJ Harvey and I would argue she's the new Nick Cave. It's seems to me both are pretty much doing the same thing in the last couple of years but it's wicked coming from a young lady but just silly coming from an old man plus she would murder him in a guitar duel. Then again it's really very silly comparing artists and I'm just on a I hate Nick Cave rant tonight.

Horse Stories by Dirty Three
The second  Dirty Three album or is it the third if you count the demo tape that was turned into the album Sad & Dangerous but anyway it's the second on my list. On the DVD doco from 2007 Warren Ellis was saying it he didn't want to or/and could have not released it at the time, I can not think of that time in the mid 90's music landscape without this album. I wish they would stop being just a side project to all of Nick Cave's stuff too and it's so great to have them back with a new album. Ellis should file his divorce papers next and come back to his first love, Dirty Three and make it a full time band again. I'll never forgive Cave for fucking up one of the greatest bands of all-time but I also remember Ellis talking about working with Charlie Marshall in the mid-90's, how amazing it was and what an honor to work with such a great songwriter like him but who knows who he is now? my point is, it was inevitable if someone like Nick Cave came along.


Hourly, Daily by You Am I
This would have to be my favorite You Am I album and it's for the simple reason that it's their first album recorded in Australia. Tim Rogers, Andy Kent and Russell Hopkinson stopped going oversea to do their albums and this is the third album, the two album before were both done in the U.S.A. with Sonic Youth's Lee Ranaldo. Roger's songs also look closer to home e.g. daily life from waking up in the morning to saying goodnight. You really couldn't find a more Aussie looking album cover because when you look out a window or walk down the street that is what you would see. This albums got nothing to do with Nick Cave, thank fuck but from now on I promise to NOT say his name anymore on this blog, he just pisses me off now. I'll have to write about all these albums again without him so sorry about that.

Stay tuned for the letter "I" soon...

A to Z: 100 Best Australian Albums so "F" is for...

Falcon, or above John Gould's Peregrine Falcon which is pretty common but not everywhere in Australia. It can be found all around the world too but I love this bird of prey so I just have to include it here. Anyway on with five more albums from my 100 best aussie albums to be filed under the letter "F".

Far Be It From Me by Tex Perkins
After years and years fronting and singing in so many different bands with various success in the mid-90's Tex just went solo. Well, he did have to hand-pick all the musicians: Charlie Owen, Warren Ellis, Jim White, Ken Gormly, Jim Elliott, Penny Ikinger, Tony Cohen, Mick Harvey, Dave Graney and Joel Silbersher. So it was an all-star line-up and he had some of his best written lyrics to go with them which makes this my favorite of his.


The First Dance by Bridezilla
Their debut album came after a self titled EP, a split 7” single with Tren Brothers in late 2009 but so far nothing since. So once again here in my list most people have forgotten this band unfortunately. This Sydney band is four girls playing guitars, violin and saxophone and a male drummer with lead singer called Holiday Sidewinder which has to be the coolest name in the world so The First Dance has to be one of my favorite Aussie albums of all-time.


For The Birds by The Mess Hall
The last album released by The Mess Hall is the one I've picked because they just get better and better with each album. Maybe, a bit more mellow than their past work but to me it's their perfect album. Maybe, it's the kind-off theme in the title that is why I like it more than the old stuff but I really can't wait for the next thing Cec Condon and Jed Kurzel do and it's been a few years now so fingers-crossed for something soon.


Free Dirt by Died Pretty
Another debut album on my list but I really just had to pick something else other than Doughboy Hollow which is the one everyone says is their classic album but I really do like this one better and this band was more than just one album. I read an interview with Ron Peno a few months back were he says Triple J's Richard Kingsmill had to apologise to him because he was so embrassed Died Pretty didn't get into the Hottest 100 Aussie albums last year. I imagine it happing like this Kingsmill on his knees and crying and praying for forgiveness while Peno's standing about him with a samurai sword at his neck.

From One To Another by The Darling Downs
The second and most likely the final album from Ron Peno and Kim Salmon, this duo of Aussie legends has to be proof that you can teach old dogs new tricks. Both of them are from two of the greatest Aussie rock n' roll bands, Ron from the above band and Kim from... well to start with The Scientists but so much more. Both together here they're playing acoustic country folk, Salmon even plays a banjo and it's unbelievable. Again more people should listen to this and the debut album How Can I Forget This Heart Of Mine?

Stay tuned for the letter "G" soon...

2011: My music picks of the past year!!!

Well, it's almost the end of January so if I don't post this now it with be a bit pointless but it's here now dear reader, whoever you are.

My Artist of the year:
Adalita
Well, she was everywhere this year after fronting one of the best rock n' roll bands in Australia for 20 years she went solo. She payed tribute to Nick Cave and The Wiggles, covered Madonna for triple J, played for the Dalai Lama and won A.I.R. award (Australian Independent Record Labels Association) and if I had an award she would win four today. If I did have an award it would look like a duck swimming in a coffee cup - anyway if you read this first it gives the rest away, oh well.

My Song and 7" inch 45 vinyl of the year:
The Repairer by Adalita
Just like last year's song of the year it's a 7" inch 45 vinyl I bought. Plus, after a couple of days ago I totally disagee with Triple J's Hottest 100 again, so my theory now is the more votes you get the more shit they can get just like politicians, ha.

My E.P. of the year:
Bad Blood by River of Snakes
I picked Adalita's Hot Air last year and this year another Magic Dirt related release, so if you don't know it's thier guitarist Raul Sanchez who's now a singer as well for River of Snakes in this new three piece.

My D.V.D. and the double gatefold 33 1/3 vinyl of the year:
A Thousand Mistakes by The Drones
Well, surprise I got both the verisons released of The Drones this year, both are totally beautiful and beyond words.

My live gig of the year:
(Tie) Gareth Liddiard & Dan Kelly / The Drones & Adalita both @ The Bakery, Northbridge.
OK, Well I really can't pick just one so I've picked both because well they were the greatest gigs of the year, that's the whole show including the support acts too.





My Reissue of the year:
(Tie) Let Love In & No More Shall We Part by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
I wasn't going to buy any more of these reissues because I've already got them but somehow by the end of the year I've got two of them. The only thing dissapointing is reading the new liner notes about the demos he recorded with Rowland S. Howard (Let Love In) and Warren Ellis (No More Shall We Part) and the demo recordings are not on these reissues, why not?


My Albums of the year:
My #10: Feel The Pain by The Painkillers
The Painkillers new album is the first to be recorded in a real recording studio, unlike the debut album which was just made as a demo tape to get gigs but I still love them and it's a great way to start my top ten.

My #9: The Balladeer Hunter by Mike Noga
The Drones' drummer's second solo album is pretty damn good, it's a pity really he's in a band who's singer-songwriter I consider the best at the moment because he would be higher in this list. Still he's at number nine which is not a bad number really too.

My #8: Hurtsville by Jack Ladder & The Dreamlanders
This is the third album by Jack Ladder and the one which finally got me. I never really got him before but also hopefully he will not sing any more Christmas unwear advertising again.


My #7: The Cat by Ben Salter
Ben Salter debut solo album is wicked after years playing with too many bands to name here is just all his songs by themselves, even though it's a big afair with an all-star line-up.


My #6: Precious Jules by Precious Jules
Or Kim Salmon and Michael Stranges' new band together, sometimes it's hard keeping up with all of Kim Salmon's projects/bands/works and this one is his most straight rock n' rock album in years.

My #5: Design Desire by Abbe May
Can you call this her first "solo" album after albums going under The Devil & Abbe May and Abbe May & The Rockin’ Pnuemonia she is finally just Abbe May, she really came into her own on this album.

My #4: I Still Hear Your Voice At Night by The Paradise Motel
Originally recorded in 2009 but finally out this year, it was shelved because of the death of drummer Damien Hill but it's great they released it now. After thier last album came in second in last years list, it's so amazing to have them back.

My #3: Absence by Snowman
The end of this band was recording this album unfortunately but what a way to go out and even so releasing it after the band has broken-up was the right thing to do. I will miss you Snowman.


My #2: Work (Work, Work) by HTRK
Well, just missing out on the number one spot. If I was to pick a band of the year it would be HTRK, there is now only two members left but it still counts as a band, just. Some say it was just more of the same but to me this so different to the early records, not just that Sean Stewart is missing but so is Rowland S. Howard who was like the fourth member really but now it's just Jonnine Standish and Nigel Yang.

My #1: Adalita by Adalita
Well, really it's Adalita's year for me and winner of four places in my best picks of the year. What more can I say about her now. Well, if you don't know it was on this album she payed tribute to her fallen band member Dean Turner and it' s prefect too, go out and buy the album if you haven't got it yet.


P.S. This is the fifth time I've made this kind-off list on the internet. My albums of the year, so far are:
2007: Jean Lee and The Yellow dog by Ed Kuepper
2008: Havilah by The Drones
2009: As Day Follows Night by Sarah Blasko
2010: Strange Tourist by Gareth Liddiard
I'll get back to my 100 Aussie albums for the next post soon, thanks again for reading or just having a look.

More Gaz: The Drones' Penumbra, My favorite YouTube clip

Well, I went looking for The Drones' new DVD called A Thousand Mistakes yesterday because it says on their website it's out September sixteenth but it's not out until next month according to the shops. I did find out it's also going to come out on vinyl in November which is really cool - well, I think it is. It's on Bang Records who did the wicked Gutterville Splendour Six reissue a few months back and another great record from them is called Until.... by Kim Salmon & the guys from Mudhoney which is also only available on vinyl too. I think I'll start buying everything on records now. Bang Records looks like my new favorite label, it's got all these hard to find Aussie bands but the label is in Spain, why? But thank god because Aussie's are too stupid to issue their own stuff and leave it up to someone, somewhere else.

So this below video clip is NOT on that new DVD but it's just my favorite video on youtube which is fan made. It's for the song called Penumbra which is the second last song from the last studio album Havilah and has to be one of my most favorite The Drones tracks ever too. You could call it one of The Drones most depressing songs as well but I totally love it. It sounds like it's only Liddiard on his acoustic guitar and maybe Dan Luscombe making some weird noise but it's got no rhythm section so preempting his solo album which came a couple of years later.

It was written while or after Gareth Liddiard was reading Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin (above photo) autobiography but he's written a few books - he's written a total of five books, three of them are autobiography's and two of them are science fiction novels. So I have no idea which one Gaz was reading, or if it was all of them. The books are Return to Earth (1973), Men From Earth (1989) and Magnificent Desolation (2009) also co-authored with John Barnes the science fiction novels Encounter with Tiber (1996) and The Return (2000). Anyway, whatever, this video was made using footage from Apollo 11 landing and moon walking. It's very cleverly made and I don't know how many times I've watched it so I'm now going to post it here on my blog. Here's the lyrics and the video right at the bottom of the page, I hope you like it as much as I do.

Penumbra

Edwin backs into the void
He's not in training now
And the pilot standing 19 feet
From Edwin on the surface
Bleached bone white
Was once a pilot who flew
Sorties in a war

But that don't matter any more
Edwin's three feet from the floor
As the pilot without warning
Takes a piss inside his pants
Hoping his pressure suit don't boil
And Edwin does the same
Charles Darwin's royals
The Eagle too, man's greatest feat
Miraculously intact
All acute angles, knees and elbows
Squats in golden underpants

Much later in the day
Edwin locks the cargo bay
And turns to see the cyclops
Neil Armstrong through the hatch
He's drifting further out of Wednesday
Eye clamped between the ice caps
Then Edwin does the same
They're like two orphans at the window of an aeroplane
It's 200 below zero
The sun's shrieking like an owl
Their footprints crush the bones of fairies
As their grasps are disemboweled

Have I said I really can't wait for that new DVD A Thousand Mistakes yet? But it look like another month to wait!

A to Z: 100 Best Australian Albums so "B" is for...

Well, above now is a Satin Bowerbird, or for short just a Bowerbird which is again from the John Gould's The Birds of Australia.

OK, last week was my one year anniversary of my blog which I started with a post about one of my classic albums and it was going to be series but I only did one album. All these albums here could be in my classic albums series so maybe I'll get back to it after posting the A to Z: 100 Best Australian Albums list. I think I could write a lot more about each of these albums but I did promise to keep it short so I will.

The Best of the... by Hard-Ons
Right, here's a best of album which I think is justified because the Hard-Ons always put out a lot of 7" singles, Mini-albums or EPs and was really a D.I.Y. band when they started in the 80's. This compilation is of all the most important early work by them. The only band I've seen live which brought the ceiling down on the crowd, literally but that still didn't stop them playing, I have to tell that story in full at a later date.


Big Name, No Blankets by Warumpi Band
One of the greatest bands from the 80's which are totally unfortunately forgotten now. In my opinion they should be remember like Midnight Oil but are not, maybe just as their footnote which is totally unfair. At least no one in this band turned into a shit politician, I don't know how people listen to them without thinking about that. Warumpi Band have a long off-on history but have a very short recording out-put which can't help, I guess. This is thier debut album from 1986 and I recommend it to anyone who listened to that other band, this is better.


Blood Red River: 1982-1984 by The Scientists
Before these reissues The Scientists albums were so hard to find with Sub Pop in America having only one compilation album of their huge recording out-put but now in the last few years all of it became available. This one is of the middle years and the best, well maybe, at least the best place to start with but off course you should go get the earlier and later recordings as well. Kim Salmon is very prolific but so underrated too and not the last time he will appear here.


Blue Trees by Mick Turner/Tren Brothers
After the last Dirty Three album in 2005 and the violin player running off with someone who I don't need to name here. Mick Turner released this in 2007, underrated compilation album of recordings he and Jim White recorded without that mad fiddle player bloke and I'll say here it's better than some of the Dirty Three albums and proves these two are just as important as that other guy, what is his name anyway?


Body Language by Kylie Minogue
Kylie really gets to much of a bad rap for being one of the biggest singers, if not the biggest music star ever from Australia, it's that tall poppy thing. I love Kylie and I don't care what anyone says. Her 2003 album Body Language is her masterpiece, in my opinion, which came two years after the run-away success of her single "Can't Get You Out Of My Head" and the previous album, Fever plus a couple of years before her cancer scare.


Stay tuned for the letter "C" soon...

More Gaz: the Roots of The Drones & Gareth Liddiard

OK, even more Gaz and The Drones which I'm not going to apologize for because they are my favorite band and singer-songwriter plus because I haven't done that much here on my blog lately this is extra, extra long. This time I've put together a collection of songs they or he has covered or name dropped at one time or another. I will do my best to cite when and where and why I've included them. If you have seen Liddiard's myspace he's written "Who care's" under influences but also credited Margaret Thatcher as a band member who play's the Kora. This post is somewhat inspired by my last post about Gaz. It's NOT a big list of who the members of The Drones have rooted but in this case it means influenced by, who they loved and covered their songs kind-off like Mojo magazine's free CDs but because this is an online blog here's what I found on youtube. I've made the player thingy small because most are not worth watching for one reason or another but you can make them bigger your self, if you want to.

1. De Kelb Blues by Lead Belly
The first of four songs The Drones covered on the debut album "Here Come The Lies".


2. The Downbound Train by Chuck Berry
The second of four songs The Drones covered on the debut album "Here Come The Lies" also killer live version on "Live in Spaceland".


3. New Kind of Kick by The Cramps
The third of four songs The Drones covered on the debut album "Here Come The Lies".


4. Motherless Children by Blind Willie Johnson
The last of four songs The Drones covered on the debut album "Here Come The Lies".


5. Same Old Man by Karen Dalton
The song which Shark Fin Blues was based on from the album "Wait Long By The River and The Bodies Of Your Enemies Will Float By".


6. I Believe by Alan Vega
The original version of I Believe which was on the album "The Miller's Daughter".


7. Part 1: Acknowledgement by John Coltrane
In the liner notes for the above song Gareth also writes about "A Love Supreme" which is a Coltrane album but it must be this he's talking about.


8. Are You Leaving for the Country? by Karen Dalton
The one and only cover on the album "Gala Mill". One of only two artists who appear on this playlist twice.


9. Cortez the Killer by Neil Young
One of a couple songs The Drones have covered which can be found at thier website under sounds


10. Manic Depression by Jimi Hendrix
The second song The Drones have covered which can be found at thier website under sounds.


11. Who Do You Love? by Bo Diddley
Also at their website but orginally on the Hoodoo Gurus tribute album "Stoneage Cameos" so it's a kind-off cover of a cover.


12. Wild Horses by The Rolling Stones
Gareth Liddard sung a duet with The Audreys' Taasha Coates on Aussie music quiz show Rockwiz. You can find thier verison on "the Rockwiz Duets, Volume 2".


13. Messin' With the Kid by The Saints
Gareth Liddard sung a duet with Magic Dirt's Adalita Srsen on Aussie music quiz show Rockwiz You can find thier verison on "the Rockwiz Duets, Volume 3".


14. Words from a Woman to Her Man by Beasts of Bourbon
The Drones covered this Kim Salmon song on Triple J's Like A Verison. You can find it on "Triple J's Like A Version, Volume 2"


15. Suicide Is Painless by Johnny Mandel & Mike Altman
The Drones covered the M*A*S*H theme song Triple J's Like A Verison. You can find it on "Triple J's Like A Version, Volume 5".


16. River of Tears by Kev Carmody
Most likely the most well known song that The Drones have ever covered. You can find both the original and their cover on "Cannont Buy My Soul"


17. Jailbreak by AC/DC
The first of three songs on youtube from his top five "Greatest Aussie Song Ever" for Triple J's Ausmusic month in 2009.


18. Collapse Board by Laughing Clowns
The second of three songs on youtube from his top five "Greatest Aussie Song Ever" for Triple J's Ausmusic month in 2009.


19. Hope by Dirty Three
The last of three songs on youtube from his top five "Greatest Aussie Song Ever" for Triple J's Ausmusic month in 2009.


20. How Can You Mend a Broken Heart by The Bee Gees
At the AIR (Australian Independent Records Labels Association) Awards 2008, The Drones and Martha Wainwright performed this and the next song.


21. Train Long-Suffering by Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds
At the AIR (Australian Independent Records Labels Association) Awards 2008, The Drones and Martha Wainwright performed this and the above song.


22. Crowned by These Immortal Souls
The Drones covered this on the album called "A Tribute to Rowland S. Howard" double CD.


23. I Drink by Charles Aznavour
The Drones cover this on the "Custom Made E.P."


24. You'll Need Somebody on Your Bond by Blind WIllie Johnson
Another song from "The Miller's Daughter" who's title borrowed and the second of only two artists who appear on this list twice.


25. Don't Look Back by John Lee Hooker
This is another song from "The Miller's Daughter" album, this song is what the track Stop Dreaming comes from but it is the lyric and not the title of the song that is borrowed here.


26. Moreton Bay by Bernard Fanning
Sixteen Straws for "Gala Mill" uses the first verse from Moreton Bay. This is a very old song. This version was recorded from the Ned Kelly movie but is better than John Denver's version but it's been around forever.


27. Believe In Me by The Throb
One of the earliest covers The Drones have done on the album called "Wild About You! Tales From the Australian Rock Undergound 1963-1968".


28. My Pal by GOD
The Drones played this at The Last Song at the Tote with original singer Joel Silbersher.


29. Slammin' On The Brakes by Spencer P. Jones
The first of six songs which have no videos on youtube so you'll have to find them yourself. Covered on "The Miller's Daughter" album.

30. Revolution by X
From his top five, the Aussie band X's song was picked for "Greatest Aussie Song Ever" for Triple J's Ausmusic month in 2009.

31. Obvious Is Obvious by Kim Salmon
From his top five, Salmon's song was picked for "Greatest Aussie Song Ever" for Triple J's Ausmusic month in 2009.

32. Long Gone Whistle by Maurice Frawley
This is the most recent cover The Drones have recorded from the three CD tribute called "Long Gone Whistle – The Songs of Maurice Frawley".

33. The Executioner by Paul Kelly
Gareth Liddiard played this live for Kelly's induction into The Age newspapers' EG Awards Hall of Fame in 2010.

34. Highlands by Bob Dylan
Not covered or anything like that but just a guess that it might be an big influence on Liddiard's songwriting with his songs like The Cockeyed Lowlife of the Highlands from debut album and recently Highplains Mailman on his solo album plus he now lives in the Victorian's mountains. There's no Dylan here on this list and it's his longest song and Gaz does like long songs.

35. Smells Like Teen Spirit by Patti Smith
If you haven't heard the original by Nirvana I don't know where you've been. Patti Smith covered it on her album called Twelve but at the Sydney Opera House in 2008 The Drones were her support band and were invited back on to cover it and I've finally found it on youtube, you can't see anything but you can hear it, well it's not great but better than nothing. I've made the size a bit bigger because it's The Drones with Patti Smith which is a great way to finish this very long post.


By the way I have no idea who took the top photo but it's another one from their myspace profile. Wow, that has taken me a really long time to write so I'll have to make the next post shorter.

Great Read: Will It Be Funny Tomorrow, Billy? by Stephen Cummings

Well, I read this last year but I was re-reading it the other day so I thought I'll write a blog post about it. So to start with this is the most enjoyable rock music memoir since Bob Dylan's. It was first published in 2009 but I picked it up at a book shop sale and read the first page and with sentences like this in the first paragraph: "The past smells like rotten eggs and apparently you have to break a few eggs to make an omelette." and second paragraph: "I had protracted periods of anxiety, migraines, hysteria and dread." so I knew I would like it but in the end I loved it. To be honest I didn't even have any of his albums but did buy Good Bones, his latest album after I finished reading it. I really had only a vague idea who he is but now I'm a fan and would like to get some more stuff by him. I would recommend this book to anyone, it's that great.

He's brutally honest about the music industry. Why would anyone want to be a rock star but of-course he is one - this is a perfect example of what this book is like, he likes to contradict himself. He's got a few too many could have been story's too. He tells a story about a school trip to Alice Springs and being bitten by a dog and what happens next which sets up the rest of the book absolutely splendidly in the first few pages. He writes about growing up in Melbourne in the 60's, so many Aussie bands people have long forgotten but should be remembered and why he loves music so much which leads to starting a band. One of the early chapters is about his first bands residency in Perth which is where I'm from so extra special and funny too. This is not the band he's remembered for but if you don't know who that is they were called The Sports maybe I thought because Aussies love their sport more than anything else really but to quote Stephen Cummings it's because "Being Not much of a sportsman, I decided to call it The Sports." They signed to Australia's biggest major label, Mushroom Records and one of England's biggest indie labels at the time called Stiff Records. Then recorded four or five albums, E.P.'s and a hand-full of of hit singles. Michael Gudinski got shot down in flames but then again he does that to himself throughout the book too.


I'll not tell you everything that happens in his book because I want you to read it yourself. A few bio details just to finish of after The Sports broke up Stephen Cummings has had now sixteen solo albums and two novels but has kept a very low profile as a solo artist which is fair after what he writes in this book. The last thing I'll say is he's worked and toured or just some name-dropping of some great Aussie artists The Church's Steve Kilbey, Neil Finn, Paul Hester, The Go-Betweens, Paul Kelly, Kim Salmon, Don Walker, David McComb all make cameos plus the chapter on Nick Cave is the reason why I haven't written anything more about him after finishing my top 50 songs last year, it's so completely perfect about Cave nothing more needs to be said or written. Plus after that new song "I'll take the money and run, rabbit" rubbish why bother. Anyway stop reading this and go out and find Will It Be Funny Tomorrow, Billy? by Stephen Cummings, you'll find out who Billy is too. I would give it 5 stars or 10 out of 10 and tell you to read it yourself today or tomorrow.

Here's an old song from youtube video of classic Sports' Who Listens To The Radio track.

So than was Stephen then and the middle photo is now by Fred Kroh and the top image is the front cover of Will It Be Funny Tomorrow, Billy?

Stay tuned for more soon...

More Gaz: A Painting, 3 Albums, 5 Songs & New Video

Well, it's another post about Gareth Liddiard (surprise, surprise) so I'm just going to title them all More Gaz from now on and hopefully write about something else too but this post is just nicking stuff from other websites really which I hope is OK. I've read these the other day but just lost them and just going to re-post here to go with all the other Gaz posts as some kind of collection.

First up is Gareth Liddiard top three Aussie albums which I have to ask why only three? five or ten would be better even twenty maybe thirty, fuck-it if Liddiard wrote a book called 100 greatest Aussie albums I would buy it and read it over and over. I love it when he name-drops stuff because he always comes up with wicked music and I've never been disappointed with it because most of it I have and if not I can go out and find it. It's a bit of a history lesson in Aussie music, stuff that is less known but should be listened to more than it is. This is from the great people at FasterLouder and like someone said in the comments "He sure has a way with words" so I've cut and pasted it into my blog sorry if I'm breaking some copyright law but it's too good to edit or anything.

1. Kim Salmon & STM – Hey Believer

"When I was a young snapper I did all sorts of work at and for Kim Salmon shows. I was too young to drive a hire car but I had to drive the Surrealists around ‘cause they were too drunk and their promoter hated that about them. No one told me about Tarago handbrakes so the van always stunk of fishy hot brake pads and I was henceforth mocked. The Surrealists were amazing but STM was another story all together. The band was made up of Kim, Warren [Ellis] and Jim [White] from the Dirty Three and a double bass player called Andrew [Entsch] who died a long time ago. They only did one tour and made one album. One of the best bands I’ve ever seen live. And in true Australian fashion, no one gave a fuck because they weren’t from some other country run by white people."

2. AC/DC – Let There Be Rock

"As far as guitar sounds go, you can’t really beat this recording. It’s intense. And interesting considering that everywhere except Australia they’re known as the biggest rock band ever. Bigger even than the Beatles and Pink Floyd. They didn’t do a lot of compromising considering. But they didn’t come from somewhere else that’s run by whites or something so forget that. And Rupert Murdoch and Julian Assange don’t run the planet right now either. And Peter Singer isn’t usually right about everything and Les Murray isn’t one of the greatest three or four living poets right now. Elsewhere in the west is always best, remember that. Pretend you’re them."

3. Rowland S. Howard – Teenage Snuff Film

"This is Rowland’s masterpiece. He was the greatest, most original guitarist Australia has ever had. On the break up of the band that brought him fame he went on to record 10 or so records solo and with various bands that were mostly overlooked. Probably because his original singer appealed more to record companies that needed to make a buck, though Rowland was always, at least, equally as good. You never see him on those “greatest Australian album” lists which is nuts. He’s not alone though, Rowland and Spencer P. Jones are the most underrated songwriters on the planet. Everything on this record is perfecto, the tunes, guitar playing, production, Mick [Harvey], Brian [Hooper] and Rowland’s voice which was as jocular as it was jaundiced."

Next up is something called Take Five from Triple J radio. The five songs for each capital city in Australia because well he's on tour again, I guess. You can re-play it as much as you like too on the player links at the bottom of the page. Most of the songs are at the tail ends of the albums they're from and none are the singles or the more poplar tracks from them. I wish Liddiard would be a DJ after this because he would play the best songs and I could listen to his talk forever, even if it's his jokes and him laughing. Anyway I've cut and paste one paragraph and the playlist from their website too, oops I did it again.

He dropped by the triple j studios just before the start of his national tour with Dan Kelly to play five songs that remind him of different places - and not surprising he picked five fantastic Aussie tunes. He talked about how he visited Sydney just to buy a copy of X's Aspirations, why Kim Salmon & The Surrealists blew his mind and his love for the Dirty Three.

Here's what he played:

1. Kim Salmon & The Surrealists - Redemption For Sale (Perth)
2. Laughing Clowns - Song Of Joy (Brisbane)
3. X - Good On Ya Baby (Sydney)
4. Dirty Three - Red (Melbourne)
5. The Mark Of Cain - Summertime (Adelaide)

Gareth Liddiard - Strange Tourist from Two Fish Out Of Water on Vimeo.

So above is his new video for Strange Tourist which was re-recorded for this in his home in the Victorian mountains. The video directed by Jasmin Tarasin who is the same person who did the one for the Blondin Makes An Omelette video last year. I'm still slowly writing that big post but not finish yet. I've been sick this week but I did get to see him last weekend and it was a great live show too. The top image is a new painting for the Archibald Prize 2011. It’s not all Henry bloody Lawson is the title and it's painted by Jason Benjamin.

Stay tuned for more soon...

2010: My Top Ten Albums of the year plus some more

My Song of the year
Rowland S. Howard's Golden Age Of Bloodshed



Rowland S. Howard - 'Golden Age Of Bloodshed' from Ghost Pictures Pty Ltd on Vimeo.

My E.P. of the year
Adalita's Hot Air


Adalita - Hot Air from Adam Harding on Vimeo.

My Reissue of the year
The Triffids' Wide Open Road: Best of...



My Compilation of the year
Various Artists and Maurice Frawley's Long Gone Whistle: The Songs of...


http://vimeo.com/14273007 from Carbie Warbie on Vimeo.

My Soundtrack/Film Score of the year
Nick Cave & Warren Ellis' The Road



My DVD of the year
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds' Henry's Dream (Collectors Edition)



The Best Music Writing of the Year
My Book:
Craig Mathieson's Playlisted: Everything You Need to Know About Australian Music Right Now


My Magazine:
Tom Waits' edited Mojo Magazine 200th issue


My Online:
Andrew Ramadge's The World According To Gaz


My Live Act of the Year
Dirty Three performing Ocean Songs in its entirety as part of a Don't Look Back concert event @ Beck's Music Box on The Esplanade, Perth (11 February 2010)

DIRTY THREE - Ocean songs (complete 'Recovery' ABC TV performance) from Paralysed mind on Vimeo.

The Top Ten Albums of the Year
My #10
My Disco - Little Joy


My #9
The Gin Club - Deathwish



My #8
Stephen Cummings' Good Bones


http://vimeo.com/13512082 from Carbie Warbie on Vimeo.

My #7
Glenn Richards' Glimjack


Glenn Richards - 'Torpor and Spleen' (Official Video) from Glenn Richards on Vimeo.

My #6
Kim Salmon & the Surrealists' Grand Unifying Theory


http://vimeo.com/16824515 from Carbie Warbie on Vimeo.

My #5
PVT's Church With No Magic


"Window" PVT from London Sessions Productions on Vimeo.

My #4
Eddy Current Suppression Ring's Rush To Relax


Eddy Current Suppression Ring RUSH TO RELAX from Johann Rashid on Vimeo.

My #3
Dan Kelly's Dream


DAN KELLY Hold On, Im Coming On from Johann Rashid on Vimeo.

My #2
The Paradise Motel's Australian Ghost Story



My #1
Gareth Liddiard's Strange Tourist



The End.