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Sunday 30 July 2017

Australian Crawl - 1980 - The Boys Light Up FLAC


My Coffee's Gone Cold/Man Crazy/Way I've Been/Chinese Eyes/Downhearted/Beautiful People/Indisposed/Walk My Way/The Boys Light Up/Boot Hill/Red Guitar/Hoochie Gucci Fiorucci Mama



Australian Crawl (often called Aussie Crawl or The Crawl by fans) were an Australian rock band founded by James Reyne (lead vocals/piano), Brad Robinson (rhythm guitar), Paul Williams (bass), Simon Binks (lead guitar) and David Reyne (drums) in 1978. David Reyne soon left and was replaced by Bill McDonough (drums, percussion). They were later joined by his brother Guy McDonough (vocals, rhythm guitar). The band was named after the front crawl swimming style also known as the Australian crawl.

Australian Crawl were associated with surf music and sponsored a surfing competition in 1984. However, they also handled broader social issues such as shallow materialism, alcoholism, car accidents, and cautionary tales of romance.


After their 1980 debut album, The Boys Light Up reached No. 4, Australian Crawl had two No. 1 albums; 1981's Sirocco and 1982's Sons of Beaches. Their early singles reached the top 25 but none broke into the Top Ten;[1] their best performing single was No. 1 hit "Reckless" which showed a more mature approach than earlier hits, and came from their 1983 Semantics EP.


The Boys Light Up is the debut album from Australian pub rock band Australian Crawl which was released in 1980 and contains the title track, "The Boys Light Up", "Indisposed", "Downhearted" and their previously released debut single "Beautiful People". The album reached #4 on the Australian album charts and remained in the charts for an unbroken 101 weeks, eventually selling over 280 000 copies (five times platinum).


The title track was written by James Reyne. It contains the invented word "dorseted": "People aren't used to hearing 'dorseted', and it's not actually a word - it's from the Dorset Gardens - I'm trying to be as suburban as possible, and it rhymed with 'corseted'." - James Reyne, 2003

Various band members were involved in songwriting, often with relatives or former bandmates. Rhythm guitarist Brad Robinson's father James Robinson was a Federal Arbitration Court Justice and co-wrote two songs for this album. Reyne's bandmate from Spiff Rouch, Mark Hudson co-wrote their first single, "Beautiful People" (1979). "Downhearted" was written by Bill McDonough and his bandmates from The Flatheads, Guy McDonough (his brother, who later joined the Crawl) and Sean Higgins. Producer, David Briggs (Little River Band guitarist), co-wrote "Hoochie Gucci Fiorucci Mama" with Reyne.






The album was re-released in 1992 in CD format (see cover right below), and as a 2-CD set with follow-up album Sirocco in 1996. In October 2010, Boys Light Up was listed in the top 50 in the book, 100 Best Australian Albums.

Saturday 29 July 2017

Clouds - 1991 - Loot [12 inch EP] FLAC RE-POST


Souleater / Heartless / Sweetest Thing / 4 P.M.



Clouds is a Sydney band which was formed in December 1989 by Jodi Phillis (guitar, vocals), Trish Young (bass, vocals), David Easton (guitar) and Stuart Eadie (drums).


"Loot" is their second EP and was released by Red Eye Records in April 1991.

Friday 21 July 2017

Laughing Clowns - 1982 - Everything That Flies FLAC


Everything That Flies (Is Not A Bird)/The Year Of The Bloated Goat/Nothing That Harms/Every Dog Has Its Day



 Ed Kuepper's Laughing Clowns were a bit more off the beaten path than the Saints, the infamous Australian punk band Kuepper played guitar for during the '70s. Integrating jazz influences into their unique take on post-punk, the Laughing Clowns released several records between 1980 and 1985, before Kuepper began his solo career. They made their debut in 1980 with a self-titled, six-song EP on Aussie independent Missing Link. At the time of its recording, the band was Kuepper on vocals and guitar, Ben Wallace-Crabbe on bass, Dan Wallace-Crabbe on piano, Jeffrey Wegener on drums, and Bob Farrell on saxophone.


 In 1982, after the release of a clutch of singles and a compilation of old material, called Reign of Terror/Throne of Blood, the group relocated to London and underwent some major lineup shuffling. Only Kuepper and Wegener remained on board, with bassist Leslie Millar, saxophonist Louise Elliot, and trumpet player Peter Doyle filling out the lineup. After another single, they released their 1982 debut LP, Mr. Uddich Schmuddich Goes to Town, on the Prince Melon label. Confusingly, another self-titled release was in Australian record shop bins by the end of the year, which extended the reach of Reign of Terror. An album of new material, Everything That Flies, was also issued by the end of 1982, but it only received distribution in Germany through Rough Trade (in another perplexing move, a truncated version of the record was later released in the U.K. under the title Laughter Around the Table). 




The Law of Nature studio LP was released in 1984 through Australia's Hot label, followed closely by History of Rock N' Roll, Vol. 1, a best-of package. The band's final studio LP, Ghosts of an Ideal Wife, was released in 1985. After breaking up, Kuepper flew solo and also formed the Aints. In 1995, the repackaged/recycle-happy Hot label released Golden Days: When Giants Walked the Earth, a -- you guessed it -- highlights compilation of Laughing Clowns favorites.

Thanks to Sunshine for this one.

Cybotron - 1977 - Colossus FLAC


Colossus/Colossus/Medusa/Raga/Colossus (Short Mix)/Ride



 Cybotron were formed in 1975 in Melbourne as an electronic, experimental music band by Steve Maxwell Von Braund on synthesiser, electronic percussion, and alto saxophone; and Geoff Green on keyboard, organ, and synthesiser. In 1975 Braund had issued his debut solo album, Monster Planet, with contributions from Green, Gil Matthews on drums (ex-Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs), Henry Vyhnal on electric violin and Jim Keays on lead vocals (ex-The Masters Apprentices). Australian musicologist, Ian McFarlane, described Cybotron as "a bona fide experimental outfit".

Cybotron released a self-titled album in 1976 on the Clear Light of Jupiter label which contained mainly synthesisers and saxophone. It was recorded at Armstrong Studios with Braund and Green producing, they used the same personnel as for Braund's solo album. McFarlane noted that Cybotron "featured a mix of heavy synthesiser kinetics, organ drones and pulsating electronic beats". The group were influenced by Ash Ra Tempel, Hawkwind and Tangerine Dream. They created minimalist, repetitive electronica similar to Kraftwerk's Autobahn (November 1974). Cybotron were pioneers of Australian electronic music with their version of Kraut rock while the local music scene was dominated by pub rock.

 Clear Light of Jupiter was owned by Jeremy Fiebiger (also owner of a record store, Pipe Imports) and two business partners, Daniel and Charlie O'Halloran. Fiebiger also managed Cybotron. Australian music journalist, Andrew Feyne, described the group as "Absolutely brilliant, keyboard dominated, late progressive band with a massive symphonic sound". A live album, Saturday Night Live, appeared in 1977 from a radio appearance on 3ZZ in Melbourne. It was followed in 1978 by their second studio album, Colossus, with Colin Butcher joining to provide drums, percussion, and synthesiser. McFarlane felt it had a "more progressive edge backed by a massive symphonic sound". Allmusic's Richard Foss noted they had "hit a peak with Colossus, which benefited from the presence of drummer and synth player Colin Butcher. This album sold better in Europe and the U.S.A. as an import than it did in Australia, and for a few milliseconds it looked like the band might break internationally".



By 1980 Braund and Green had split, with Braund recording Cybotron's third studio album, Implosion, which was issued on Cleopatra Records that year and included Mark Jones on bass guitar, guitar, and keyboards; and Matthews returning on drums and keyboards. McFarlane described it as having "followed the symphonic route, but with a pop tinge to a couple of tracks". "Eureka", from Implosion, was played on United States college radio stations. By 1981 Cybotron had disbanded.

From September 2002 Mark Woods remastered their albums for CD. Also that year Green announced that Cybotron was in the process of recording new material. As of January 2009, this material was not released. In January 2006 Cybotron's Implosion was re-released by Aztec Music in an expanded CD version with five of its bonus tracks from an incomplete and unreleased fourth studio album, Abbey Moor, planned for 1981.



Thursday 20 July 2017

B#n Cr@ven - 2011 - Gre@t @nd Terr!ble P0ti0ns FLAC


Diabolique/Nobody Dies Forever Part 1/Aquamarine/Ready To Lose/The Conjurer/No Specific Harm/Solace/Nobody Dies Forever Part 2/Great & Terrible Potions/ Ready To Lose (Single Edit)/Nobody Dies Forever (Single Edit)/No Specific Harm (Single Edit)


   Great & Terrible Potions is the latest album of the Australian composer and multi-instrumentalist Ben Craven. He made his first steps in the music scene back in 2005, when he released his first solo effort Two False Idols. This debut as a solo artist was the result of being tired of the band-project approach and the only way to do everything on his own. However, at first he didn't use his own name, but worked under the moniker of Tunisia. In 2007 Craven recorded the EP Under Deconstruction as a free download, which was more or less a kind of protest against the music industry.

Great & Terrible Potions, released in August 2011, was the first full-length album under his own name. I discovered the album because of the excellent art work created by the legendary Roger Dean. However, a great work of art on the cover isn't always a guarantee for getting the same high quality on the disc inside. Anyway, I soon found out that the disc contained nine top-notch modern progressive rock tracks. Ben Craven's admirable skills as a musician and a songwriter are shown up well on these tracks. He played all instruments by himself without being helped by other musicians. He sang all of the vocal lines, played the keyboards, guitars, the bass and anything else he could lay his hands on. In addition he was also responsible for the production.

Great & Terrible Potions is above all a homage to the wonderful music of Pink Floyd. The link with this band is evident and the track The Conjurer is even dedicated to the late Richard Wright. However, the music of Ben Craven sounds more modern than at the time Pink Floyd released their albums. Sure, not everything sounds like Floyd; Ben Craven has also been influenced by bands as Yes and Spock's Beard. The album ends with three additional tracks mentioned as single edits. Maybe progressive rock songs get the chance to hit the charts in Australia, but not in Europe otherwise he wouldn't have included Ready To Lose, Nobody Dies Forever and No Specific Harm in slightly different versions.

Tuesday 18 July 2017

Julie Anthony - 1999 - Never Stop Believing FLAC


Fly/Truth In Your Eyes/Move On Up/Never Stop Believing/Coming Around Again/When I Need You/Keep Coming Back To You/Love Is A Gift/Goin' Back/Heaven Will Be Near Me/I'll Never Let You Fall/It Will Always Be You/Welcome



Julie Moncrief Anthony (née Lush) AM OBE (born 24 August 1949 in Lameroo, South Australia), better known as Julie Anthony, is an Australian soprano and entertainer. She sang the Australian National Anthem at the Opening Ceremony of the 2000 Sydney Olympics with Human Nature.

She has also sung with The Seekers, first taking the place of Judith Durham as the lead vocalist in the song "The Carnival Is Over" for the Closing Ceremony of Expo '88. Later, Anthony became a member of the group with Bruce Woodley, Athol Guy and Keith Potger. They released an album Live On in March 1989, which peaked at number 26.

Anthony starred in both the Australian and West End productions of Irene in the mid-1970s.

At midnight between 31 December 1987 and 1 January 1988, in celebration of the start of Australia's Bicentennial year, Anthony sang the Australian National Anthem "Advance Australia Fair" on the national broadcaster, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, which continued to show the recording of her performance at the close of broadcasting for many years afterwards, until the broadcaster introduced 24-hour broadcasting.
Honours
Anthony is among the most awarded of Australian entertainers. She was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) (1980) and a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) (1989) and has been voted by her peers as "Entertainer of the Year" three times and "Best Female vocalist" 11 times. She also appeared in commercials for St.George Bank from 1974 until 1999.

Friday 14 July 2017

Vitabeats - 1984 - Spot The Spanner FLAC


Boom Box/Difficult Ideas/Red Brick House/Savages/Build It Right/Jungle Rodeo/Audrey/Disposable Love/Hold Me Up/Meteorite/Duty To Dance/Maximum Dag Unrule


 Andrew and Lissa Barnum met producer Mark Moffat who got them signed to the Hot Music Co. through Festival / EMI records as an independent act called Vitabeats. Vitabeats created their national independent dance hits “Boom Box” and “Audrey Hepburn” which led to the release of the album “Spot the Spanner” in the mid 80s. Andrew wrote all the songs on the album. Throughout his music career, art and design has always been an important ingredient, together with Lissa creating covers and designs for Inxs, Eurogliders, Vitabeats, Mark Callaghan, Mary Jo Starr, Jenny Morris (QED), Anne Kirkpatrick, Audio Murphy, Fully Functional (funk compilation), Loudspeaker, Red Rivers, Mark Lucas and Bloomers One. The single had not been on an official C.D. but in 2004 a modern dance remix was issued. The Vita Beats received lots of air play on JJJ for their single "Boom Box" , I'm pretty sure it was also used to promote Beatbox, a Saturday morning music video show on ABC tv.




Saturday 8 July 2017

Pageant Theatre - 1973 - Here We Go Round The Prickly Pear FLAC


Prickly Pear/Four Foxes/Nautical Yarn/Annnabel Lee/Biby/Woor Woman/Discretion/Spring And Fall/Finnegans Wake/Ballad Of Red Fox/Unknown Citizen/Take Me Down The Harbour /Time Is Running Out



The Pageant Theatre Company was the first theatre-in-education company in Australia. NIDA graduate Jaceb Beaton started it in 1967 as a way of entertaining children while teaching them classic texts. By 1971 the company was doing more than 2500 performances per year, including Glass Menagerie, Under Milkwood and its own pop and poetry festival, Here We Go Round The Prickly Pear. Featuring poems from T.S. Eliot, Roger McGough, Kath Walker and Gerard Manley Hopkins, Prickly Pear toured schools and even did a season in the snowfields over winter before some of the most popular pieces were committed to vinyl. The poems were set to music by Michael Caufield and the album was co-produced by David Woodley-Page who is also credited as "Chief Enthusiast". Unknown Citizen was originally a W.H. Auden poem and the track features some incredible female vocals from either Ros Spiers or Isobelle Gidley.


Gus McLean - piano, electric guitar, clarinet, vocals
Ros Spiers - vocals
Isobelle Gidley - vocals, piano
Michael Caulfield - bass guitar, acoustic guitar, vocals, composer, arranger, producer
Danny Adcock - bass guitar, electric guitar, vocals
Jaceb Beaton - director
David Woodley-Page - producer

Saturday 1 July 2017

Jenny Morris - 1995 - Salvation Jane FLAC


Rhythm and Flow/Cry and Cry/What do I do now/In too deep/Walking into walls/Frida/Hope (Now I know)/Price I pay/Only we can hear/Digger/Angels/Pain in your shadow/Salvation Jane


Jennifer "Jenny" Patricia Morris (born 29 September 1956 in Tokoroa) OAM is a New Zealand-born Australian pop, rock singer-songwriter. Her first success came with New Zealand band The Crocodiles, who had a top 20 hit single with "Tears". Re-locating to Sydney, Australia in February 1981, she was a backing vocalist for various groups and formed a trio, QED, in 1983.

Morris provided backing vocals for INXS on their 1983 album, The Swing. She then recorded a duet with lead singer, Michael Hutchence, on a cover of Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood's hit "Jackson"; it was included as a bonus track on the April 1984 (cassette only) INXS EP, Dekadance, which reached number two on the Australian Kent Music Report Albums Chart. Morris worked on their 1985–1986 Listen Like Thieves World Tour.


Her solo career includes top five Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) Albums with Shiver in 1989 and Honeychild in 1991, and her top five ARIA Singles are "She Has to Be Loved" and "Break in the Weather". These albums and singles also peaked in the top ten on the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ) charts.

Morris has won two ARIA Music Awards for 'Best Female Artist' in 1987 and 1988 and was nominated for the same award in 1992. In 2003, on Australia Day (26 January), Morris became an Australian citizen and in 2010 she received the Medal of the Order of Australia. 

 Salvation Jane is the fourth studio album by New Zealand singer Jenny Morris. It was released in July 1995 on the rooArt label, after a four-year gap from her last album. The album was produced Andrew Farriss and Mark Moffatt, together with Electric Hippies' duo Steve Balbi and Justin Stanley. The album featured songs from a songwriting retreat held at Miles Copeland's castle, Chateau de Marouatte, in Bordeaux, France. Here, Morris co-wrote a number of songs with other international songwriters, including Jud Friedman, Rich Wayland, Mark Cawley and Dennis Greaves.

The album peaked at #70 upon its debut on the Australian ARIA album charts on the week ending 23 July 1995, and spent two weeks in the top 100.

"Salvation Jane" is one of several names by which the flowering plant Echium plantagineum is known in Australia.


Thanks to Beegut.