Stevie Wright - 1974 - Hard Road CD FLAC

 Hard Road/Life Gets Better/The Other Side/ I Got You Good/Dancing in the Limelight/Didn't I Take You Higher/Evie (Parts 1, 2 & 3)/Movin' On Up/Command Line



Stephen Carlton "Stevie" Wright (20 December 1947 – 27 December 2015), formerly billed as Little Stevie, was an English-born musician and songwriter who has been called Australia's first international pop star. During 1964–69 he was lead singer of Sydney-based rock and roll band the Easybeats, widely regarded as the greatest Australian pop band of the 1960s.

 Hard Road is the debut solo album from Australian singer Stevie Wright. The album's first single "Evie (Part 1)" was hugely successful and the title track was later covered on Rod Stewart's 1974 album Smiler. The album itself reach #2 on the Australian albums charts in 1974 was the 16th highest selling album in Australia that year. The compact disc is currently out-of-print and has become quite rare. A digital edition was available on iTunes as of June, 2014. 

In 1973, Harry Vanda and George Young returned to Australia after a period working in London paying off debts incurred while working as the Easybeats. They renewed their partnership with Albert Productions and as in-house producers began assembling a roster of artists for the label, among them their former Easybeats bandmate Stevie Wright.

Work soon commenced on an album with Wright, with Vanda and Young assembling a backing group that included themselves, pianist Warren Morgan of The Aztecs, and Malcolm Young, George's younger brother and the rhythm guitarist for AC/DC, on guitar.  Wright wrote six songs for the album, while Vanda and Young wrote the remainder, including the title track and the three part "Evie".


There are four different album covers for the album: The original Australian release, the Polydor release, the Atco release and the Australian compact disc reissue cover (which also serves as the artwork for the digital edition). Hard Road was scheduled to be re-released worldwide on high quality, 180 mg vinyl for maximum dynamic and authenticity, April 19, 2014 through Albert Productions (Alberts). Renowned mastering expert Don Bartley converted the original analogue tapes to new vinyl masters, on vintage and retooled analogue gear.

M@tt Finish - 1984 - Word 0f Mouth FLAC Cassette

Out On Those Moments/Tai Ming Money/Come On Over/Light Up My Days/Always Another/Died In Love/Does It Feel/Words And War/Still Roads (I Need It)/Blind And Running


 Formed in 1978 by vocalist/guitarist Matt Moffitt and drummer John Prior, the sound owed much to Matt’s impassioned voice and lyrical songwriting and John’s dynamic musical arrangements, complete with Jeff Clayton’s melodic, economical guitar parts and Rick Grossman’s muscular bass.
from the Matt Finish website

 After two years of performing eight shows a week on the Australian pub circuit, Matt Finish was signed to Peter Dawkins’ The Giant Recording Company. At the finish of 1980, the band released their debut double-A-side single, “Matt Finish Plays Africa” with the songs “C.I.A.” and “Mancini Shuffle”

The following year, 1981, saw the release of the band’s first album Short Note, followed by the live EP Fade Away. Finally, as a result of Moffitt’s declining health, the band split up at the end of the year.
A year passed before Moffitt, Prior and Clayton reformed in 1983, joined later in the year by Bertie Dorset. The new line-up recommenced touring and, in November, released Matt Finish. This EP was followed in 1984 by the album Word of Mouth.

The band again broke up in 1985 when Moffitt decided to start a solo recording career.

In 1990 Matt Finish reformed with original members Moffitt and Prior joined by Jennifer Barrett (guitar), former Eurogliders members Guy Le Claire (guitar) and Lindsay Jehan (bass). In 1991 the band split.

 Moffitt released a limited edition solo acoustic CD EP, “Euroka”, in April 1992.

In June 1992, Matt Finish released “One Day at a Time”, the first Matt Finish single produced in eight years.

 The line-up changed once again, and in 1993 the band, comprising Moffitt, Paul Dawkins (keyboards), Rohan Cannon (guitar), Bobby Christian (bass) and Adrian Cannon (drums) recorded Matt Finish’s third album, By Heart, and released the EP Earthbound. The following year the band released the singles “Blue” and “Will I Ever Know?” recorded with Eliot Reynolds and Justin Leaf. Moffitt, Reynolds and Dawkins co-wrote many new tracks but the band split yet again. Dawkins and Moffitt continued to work together for a couple of years after, including the recording and mixing of an (at the time of writing) unreleased album that contained ten songs

In 2001, Matt Moffitt and Rick Grossman formed the band Fire Hand Ember, with Joseph Calderazzo (guitar/bv) and Wayne Gretch (drums). FHE performed about 20 times, sometimes under the names “Matt Finish” and “Matt Moffitt”, including at the launch of Just a Short Note (The Best Of) in December.

    On 13 August 2003, Matt Moffitt died in Sydney in his sleep from a stroke at the age of 46.

Sherbet - 1977 - Photoplay FLAC

High Rollin/Magazine Madonna/Midsummer Madness/What Do You Do/I Got Love/Still In Love With You/Love Is Fine/Let Me Flow/The Way I Am/It's A Game



 Their 1977 album "Photoplay" was retitled "Magazine" for US release, and featured elaborate gatefold packaging. Though the album and its lead single "Magazine Madonna" were successes in Australia (both reaching #3 on their respective charts), the retitled LP failed to chart in the U.S., as did the associated single.




https://rockportraits.wordpress.com/2014/10/03/sherbet/

Coloured Stone - 1990 - Black Rock From The Red Centre FLAC

 Island Of Greed/Breaking Hearts/Sacred Ground/Michael William Lawrie/Kapi Pulka/She's The Girl With The Broken Heart/Dancing In The Moonlight/Take Me Back To The Dreamtime/Magic Girl/When I'm Gonna Learn/I Wish I Was Living In Your Dreams/Black Boy/This Land



Coloured Stone is a band from the Koonibba Mission, west of Ceduna, South Australia. Their sound has been described as having a unique feel and Aboriginal (Indigenous Australian) qualities. The band performs using guitar, bass, drums, and Aboriginal instruments – didjeridu, bundawuthada (gong stone) and clap sticks – to play traditional music such as the haunting "Mouydjengara", a whale-dreaming song of the Mirning people.

 The original Coloured Stone band members were three brothers, Bunna Lawrie (drums & lead vocals), and Neil Coaby (rhythm guitar & backing vocals) and Mackie Coaby (bass & backing vocals), and their nephew, Bruce (aka Bunny) Mundy (lead guitar & backing vocals). All are from the mission settlement of Koonibba, South Australia. Bunna Lawrie is the leader and singer of the band and he was also their original drummer.

Bunna Lawrie is also a member and respected elder of the Mirning Aboriginal tribe from the Coastal Nullabor, South Australia. He is a Mirning whaledreamer and songman, medicine man and story teller of his tribe. He is Coloured Stone's founding member and chief songwriter.

The band's single, "Black Boy" was a success when first released in 1984 -it became the number one song in Fiji and it sold 120,000 copies. It was followed by "When You Gonna Learn" and "Dancin' in the Moonlight". The lyrics of "Black Boy" included the line "Black boy, black boy, the colour of your skin is your pride and joy," which was a somewhat revolutionary sentiment for Aboriginals of Australia in the 1980s. It moved black audiences to increase their dancing each time it was played at an early gig in Alice Springs.

 Bunna Lawrie's son, Jason Scott played guitar, bass, drums and didgeridu for Coloured Stone from the age of 13 years. His first major gig was "Rock Against Racism" in Adelaide. Jason has also performed at the Sydney Opera House and he toured the US in 1994 with the Wirrangu Band as part of a cultural exchange program. With his band 'Desert Sea', Jason released an album in 2002 titled 'From the Desert to the Sea'.

The current members of Coloured Stone are: Bunna Lawrie (vocals, rhythm guitar, didgeridu, gong stone), Selwyn Burns (lead guitar, vocals), Peter Hood (drums), Cee Cee Honeybee (backing vocals) and guest musicians (bass guitarist, didgeridu player, keyboard player.

Stars - 1977 - Paradise FLAC

Back Again/Let's Get Moving/Paradise/Jupiter Creek/Mighty Rock/West is the Way/Song For the Road/No Time for Crying/Look After Yourself/Rocky Mountain Way/



Adelaide band The Stars first came to prominence with Quick on the Draw produced by Beeb Birtles in 1976. Beeb along with rest of Little River Band were impressed with the Adelaide band and brought tapes back to Melbourne where they scored a contract with Mushroom records. The band sported a “cowboy” look wearing boots, checked shirts and cowboy hats. The band consisted of Mick Pealing (vocals), Mal Eastick (guitar), Glyn Dowding (drums) and Graham Thompson (bass). 

After the success of their first single they added Andy Durant as a second guitarist. In 1977 they toured with Joe Cocker and in 1978, The Beach Boys and Linda Ronstadt.The band's debut album, Paradise, peaked at No. 11 on the Australian Kent Music Report in 1978 and included their highest charting single "Look After Yourself" which reached No. 21 on the related singles chart.
Although not a teen band in the mould of Sherbet or Hush, The Stars appeared regularly on Countdown and scored a top 30 hit with the Andy Durant song “Mighty rock”.
Andy Durant died on 6 May 1980 aged 25. Later that year Stars guitarist Mal Eastick organised the Andrew Durant memorial concert in Melbourne. The concert featured Stars, Jimmy Barnes, Rene Geyer, Richard Clapton and many more. The profits from the concert and sale of the double album went to The Andrew Durant Cancer Research Centre.

Mal Eastick - 1995 - The Southern Line FLAC

Goin' Home Tonight/Don't Take Advantage Of Me/Ocean Deep/Jumpin' With Stevie/My Life Story/Boundary Rider/Two Loves/Louise/The Double 'EE' Boogie/Gone, Gone, Gone/Times Like These (I Feel Like Goin' Home)




 Mal Eastick, one fine blues rock guitarist, has a passionate, explosive and soulful style that has been featured with some giant recording and performing acts for over 30 years. Mal has now crafted a dynamic new show which draws on some of the highlights of his 30 year career as one of Australia's leading guitar players. He plays with a vengeance and can rock the blues with the best. He has jammed with Buddy Guy, Robert Cray, Los Lobos, George Thorogood and Joe Walsh. Mal's style is like Texas meets Australia, with shuffles, boogies and lounge-styles, to traditional Blues that hits all the right notes. If you're into guitar, get into Mal.

Mal Eastick is widely considered to be Australia’s finest musical protagonist of the blues. Playing guitar since his mid-teens, Mal has achieved a standard of playing that is, at once, both envied and admired. He has played with Robert Cray, Los Lobos, Buddy Guy, George Thorogood & The Destroyers, Tommy Emmanuel, Jimmy Barnes and Kevin Borich, just to name a few.

Mal’s early career was epitomized by his time with legendary band, The Stars, and his work on the Andy Durant Memorial concert and album. In the 1980s Mal played in the Jimmy Barnes Band and also formed his own touring outfit. Two albums, Southern Line and Spirit have followed.

Mal Eastick - 2001 - Spirit FLAC

Jungle Funk/Heavy Heart/Another Man/The E St Shuffle/Talkin Bout My Baby/Love So Strong/The Gringo Swing/Lost in the City/Blues for Aaron/Bye Bye Baby/I'll Never Be Back/Swept Away



Like the unending patience of the old miners who panned for gold, my diligent efforts yielded me a truly remarkable recording from Mal Eastick, the veteran Australian blues/rock guitarist. "Spirit" is Eastick's much anticipated sequel to his very fine 1995 release "The Southern Line". It contains 12 original tracks either written or co-written by Eastick, including 5 very fine instrumentals. Every selection on this CD is a first class offering and quite frankly it has been a long time since I have heard a recording from anyone that is this consistently good from start to finish. Eastick's guitar is clean, crisp, and commanding throughout the entire set, and he is most admirably backed by John Makey on vocals, excellent bassist Ian Lees, who I knew from his work with Kevin Borich, and Rudy Miranda on drums. This is a very polished and professional band and the studio sound is excellent as well.

Picking personal favourites is a problem here, as the entire set is so strong. I will mention, however, the heavy hitting blues/rock numbers "Heavy Heart" and "Talkin' 'Bout My Baby". Any one of the 5 instrumentals is also very good. And, as another indication of how consistently good this recording is, I would have recommended that my readers buy it if it had ended on track 9. Thankfully, the set does not end with no.9, as tracks 10 and 11, "Bye Bye Baby" and "I'll Never Be Back" respectively, are in fact the strongest two on the set. I find this most unusual and unlike most recordings I review. This wonderful CD again reminds me of why I am such a great fan of Australian blues/rock recordings, as several of the artists that I have reviewed (Dave Hole, Kevin Borich and Rob Tognoni) have a similar such commitment to excellence as does Mal Eastick.

Kevin Borich - 1977 - Lonely One FLAC

Need Your Love/Tell Me Why/Lonely One/Six Million Dollar Role/White Ship/Tango Queen/Good To See You/By The Light/Rescue Dream/Acropolis


Kevin Borich was born in 1948 in Huapai north west of Auckland on New Zealand's North Island, he attended secondary school at Rutherford High School in Te Atatu, a suburb of Auckland. In 1961, at the age of 12, Borich recorded a private single on Astor Records with two sisters, Judi Donaldson and Sue Donaldson (later as New Zealand duo, The Chicks). As a guitarist, Borich formed The Mergers in late 1963 with fellow students, Brett Neilsen on drums and Trevor Wilson on bass guitar. Initially they performed covers of The Shadows material as an instrumental band after school and on week-ends.


With the addition of vocalist/rhythm guitarist Phil Key, The Mergers with Borich on lead guitar/vocals, Neilsen on drums/vocals and Wilson on bass guitar, were eventually renamed as The La De Das in 1964 in Auckland, New Zealand. In June 1965 they recorded their debut single, "Little Girl", and later that year added Bruce Howard on keyboards. From 1966 to 1967 they had five New Zealand top 10 hits, By 1968 they were based in Sydney and recorded their concept album, The Happy Prince, in 1969 on EMI. The La De Das recorded further albums and singles and despite critical acclaim had little chart success, only Borich remained throughout until he disbanded the group in 1975. After The La De Das, Borich toured with John Paul Young & the Allstars for some months before forming a new band.

Kevin Borich Express was formed in early 1976 by Borich on lead guitar, lead vocals and occasional flute with Harry Brus on bass guitar (ex-Blackfeather) and Barry Harvey on drums (Wild Cherries, Chain). They recorded a track, "The End of Me" before Brus and Harvey were soon replaced by Reuben San Fiansco on bass guitar and Gil Matthews on drums. Subsequent line-ups were typically a three piece with a succession of bass guitarist and drummers. They released their debut single, "Goin' Somewhere" in October using Fiansco, and John Annas on drums (Wendy Saddington Band), following in March 1977 was their debut album, Celebration! with Annas, and Tim Partridge on bass guitar (Mighty Kong (band), The Johnny Rocco Band). The album was favoured by critics and peaked in the top 30 on the Australian albums charts.

In early 1977, Borich supported the tour by UK rock guitarist, Jeff Beck; this was followed in October by supporting the Rockarena tour with Santana, Fleetwood Mac and Little River Band - Borich was invited on-stage to jam with Carlos Santana. In July 1977 they recorded the "Lonely One" album. On its completion, Tim Partridge left the trio. He was initially replaced by Tim Ayers from the Renee Geyer Band and then Bob Jackson. The single "Tango Queen" was released in November. Bob only lasted until March 1978, when he was replaced by Paul Christie. Following a farewell concert in Melbourne late in May, the Kevin Borich Express headed for the US where they toured extensively. In the US keyboardist Tim Schafer was added.

Renee Geyer - 1995 - It's A Man's Man's World FLAC

 It's A Man's Man's World/They Tell Me Of An Uncloudy Day/Take Me Where You Took Me Last Night/Since I Fell For You/What Do I Do On Sunday Morning/Love The Way You Love/Scarlet Ribbons/Do Your Thing/And I Love Him/It's Been A Long Time/Mama's Little Girl/Once In A Lifetime Thing/Feel Good




It's a Man's Man's World is the second studio album by Australian soul/R & B singer Renée Geyer. The album was released in August 1974 and peaked at number 28 on the Kent Music Report.



Renée Rebecca Geyer (born 11 September 1953, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia) is an Australian singer who has long been regarded as one of the finest exponents of jazz, soul and R&B idioms. She had commercial success as a solo artist in Australia, with "It's a Man's Man's World", "Heading in the Right Direction" and "Stares and Whispers" in the 1970s and "Say I Love You" in the 1980s. Geyer has also been an internationally respected and sought-after backing vocalist, whose session credits include work with Sting, Chaka Khan, Toni Childs and Joe Cocker. 

In 2000, her autobiography, Confessions of a Difficult Woman, co-written with music journalist Ed Nimmervoll, was published. In her candid book, Geyer detailed her drug addictions, sex life and career in music. She described herself as "a white Hungarian Jew from Australia sounding like a 65-year-old black man from Alabama". She spent more than ten years based in the United States but had little chart success there. Geyer returned to Australia in the mid-1990s and her career has continued into the 21st century with her 2003 album, Tenderland, which peaked at #11 on the ARIA albums charts.

Rock historian Ian McFarlane described her as having a "rich, soulful, passionate and husky vocal delivery". Geyer's iconic status in the Australian music industry was recognised when she was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame on 14 July 2005, alongside The Easybeats, Hunters & Collectors, Smoky Dawson, Split Enz and Normie Rowe. Geyer and fellow 1970s singer, Marcia Hines, are the subjects of Australian academic, Jon Stratton's 2008 Cultural Studies article, "A Jew Singing Like a Black Woman in Australia: Race, Renée Geyer, and Marcia Hines".

Alastair Riddell - 1975 - Space Waltz (2002) FLAC

Fraulein Love/Seabird/Out on the Street/Angel/Open Up/Scars of Love/And up to Now/Love the Way He Smiles/Beautifull Boy



 From New Zealand in 1975 comes this fantastic no.1 album of Bowie influenced visionary rock.

Moving on from a band he formed in '72 (that included drummer Paul Crowther and guitarist Wally Wilkinson) Riddell began writing songs of sci fi imagery and named his new project Space Waltz. Enhancing the imagery by designing and tailoring dramatic costumes from acres of curtain material, like Bowie, it was not for him the de-rigeur denim uniform of the day.
His debut single Out On The Street with an irresistible bad attitude "she'll vamp around town, trying so hard to be cool." visceral yet voyeuristic, hit no.1 in New Zealand.

Alastair Riddell and Space Waltz. L to R: Brent Eccles, Peter Cuddihy, Alastair Riddell, Greg Clark, Eddie Rayner





So too the album, released by EMI NZ, as Alastair Riddell won a New Faces style TV contest towards the end of 1974 and toured extensively on the back of it.

A New Zealand review:
"The characters in the songs of Space Waltz populate an imagined world, it is androgynous and disquieting, a planet that shifts on its tectonic plates as Alastair's guitar modulates from ferocity to tenderness. In a land that has neither flag nor borders and its citizens dream of cyber-love, to the strains of keyboardist Eddie Rayner's synthesizer. It is Godzone, yet devoid of god; a paradise comprising metal-flake, eyeliner and nine precocious idylls created by a guitar virtuoso from the back of beyond."

Given this is the early 70's at a time of Ziggy Stardust, the Spiders from Mars, Space Waltz is everything you want from an album of the period and a parallel to the UK scene. The album created a major impact down under. One of the runners up in that 'New Faces' contest were the group Split Ends, who by now included Crowther and Wilkinson in their line up. When Space Waltz had scored and been toured, the Keyboardist, Eddie Rayner, joined Tim Finn and that group took off supporting Roxy Music.